Siege of Shushtar

Part of the Muslim conquest of Khuzestan

Picture of the remains of Sasanian architecture in Shushtar

Date	641-642
Location	Shushtar, Khuzestan, Iran
Result	Arab victory

Belligerents

Sasanian Empire

Asawira

Rashidun Caliphate

Asawira

Commanders and leaders

Hormuzan (POW)

Casualties and losses

Heavy

Low

The Siege of Shushtar was fought from 641 to 642 between the Sasanian Empire and the invading Arab Muslims of the Rashidun Caliphate. Shushtar was an ancient strong stronghold in Khuzestan, and was attacked by the Arabs under their commander Abu Musa Ashaari. Although the city managed to resist the Arabs, the Sasanians later faced desertion, which resulted in the Arabs capturing the city and capturing its commander, Hormuzan.

In 633, the Rashidun Arabs invaded the territories of the Byzantine and Sasanian Empire. By 637, the Arabs were in possession of the Sasanian capital Ctesiphon, all of Iraq, and large parts of Syria. One year later, they invaded the rich Sasanian province Khuzestan, which was part of the domains of the Iranian aristocrat Hormuzan, who had following the fall of Ctesiphon retreated to Hormizd-Ardashir, which he used as his base in his raids in Meshan against the Arabs. The Sasanian king Yazdegerd III (r. 632-651) supported him in these raids, and believed that it was possible to regain the territories which had been taken by the Arabs.

Hormuzan was eventually defeated and asked for peace, which the Arabs accepted to in return of tribute. However, Hormuzan soon broke the peace by stop paying tributes, but was once again defeated, while the cities of Khuzestan were slowly one by one seized. Sometime later in 641, after a defeat Ram-Hormizd, Hormuzan fled to Shushtar, and was defeated near the city, but nevertheless managed to reach it, while 900 of his men were killed, and 600 were captured and would later be executed. The Arabs then laid siege to the city.

Fortunately for Hormuzan, Shushtar was well fortified due to the rivers and canals that surrounded it on almost all sides. One of them was known as Ardashiragan, named after the first Sasanian king Ardashir I (r. 224–240). Another known as Shamiram, named after the legendary Assyrian Queen Semiramis. The last one mentioned was known as Darayagan, named after the Achaemenid king Darius I (r. 550–486 BCE). There are several versions of how the city got captured; according to al-Tabari, during the siege, an Iranian defector named Sina (or Sinah) went to al-Nu'man and pleaded for his life to be spared in return for helping him how to show a way into the city. Al-Nu'man agreed, and Sina told him the following thing: "attack via the outlet of the water, and then you will conquer the city."

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