Army of the Kingdom of Alhira organization and functions

Abstract

Al- Hira kingdom is one of the pre-Islamic important kingdoms, a coeval with the Sassanid state, lasted for more than four centuries, supporting its ally(the Sassanid state) in its conflict and struggle against the Byzantine and their ally( the Ghassanid).Its long age within an area of continuons struggle and military crises indicates that it has a strong, well organized and qualified army. Al- Hira army consisted of four battalions( Al-Shehbaa, Al-Sana’e, Dawser and Al-Reha’en). They performed great tasks and missions, separately or altogether, such as supporting the Sassanid against the Ghassanid or the Byzantine, protecting the Western boundaries of the two states and establishing the domination of Al-Hira on the Arab tribes to the North and East side of the Arab peninsula in addition to its participation in the Sassanid interior conflict during the era of BehramJor.The important role of Al-Hira Kingdom army had weakened and decreased with the assassination of the last king of Al-Hira( Al-No’eman bin Al-Mundher) by the Sassanid. The boundaries became opened for the Arab tribes like Beno-Beker who had defeated the Sassanid army in the battle of Dhi-Qhar. The attacks had continued in weakening the Sassanid state to fall later by the Muslims.