Second Perso-Turkic War

Second Perso-Turkic War
Date 614–616 Location Central Asia Result Decisive Gokturk victory
Belligerents
Sassanid Persians	Western Turkic Khaganate, Hephthalites Kushans
Commanders and leaders
Smbat Bagratuni Datoyean	Tong Yabghu Unknown Leader
Strength
2,000 Savaran (heavy cavalry), and an unknown amount of other units and other Sassanid Savaran	300,000 men(likely exaggeration)
Casualties and losses
Few	Unknown

The Second Perso-Turkic War broke out in the start of the rebellion of the people of Tokharistan , the Hephtalites, and the Kushans around 614 AD during the reign of Khosrow Parviz and the subsequent alliance and support of the Turks with the rebels. The Sassanid army led by Sembat Bagratuni quickly defeated the Hephthalite invasion, which in response to this defeat, the Western Turkic Empire came to the aid of the Heptalians. The Göktürks responded with a massive army, and after defeating Datoyean and capturing parts of the Sassanid territory, which was accompanied by slaughter and plunder, they raided as far as Rey and Isfahan. Then, for an unknown reason, the Turkic Khagan ordered the Göktürks to retreat, leaving the Kushans and Hephthalites alone, and the Hephtalites were badly defeated by the Sassanids, their leader was killed, and a lot of booty fell into the hands of Sembat Bagratuni. However, the Sassanids were unable to regain the lost lands

Context

In 614 the Hephthalites and Kushans rebelled in eastern Persia with a large number of men, but were defeated in the first battle near the fort of Tus in Khorasan. Having lost this battle, the Kushans requested reinforcements from the Khagan. According to Sebeos, 300,000 troops from the Gokturk empire were sent to reinforce the Hephthalites.

Sources

• Kaveh Farroukh, Sassanian Elite Cavalry AD 224-642

See also

• First Perso-Turkic War
• Third Perso-Turkic War