Phase III: The Arab Invasion
In the year 639, 7 years after the death of their leader and prophet, 4000 Arab soldiers invaded westward from the Arabian peninsula into the Egyptian Frontier. At the time, the Pharaoh Ahmose V was ruler of Egypt. News of a new movement in Arabia had reached the Egyptian ruling not long before the invasion, however, many did not consider it a threat.
The Egyptians were not completely unprepared however, Ahmose V was building an army at the time in an attempt to retake the Nubian provinces to the south. He had assembled a considerable force of 15,000 across all of Egypt, and about 3500 Egyptian troops were located in the Delta preparing to head south up the Nile. When the Arabs invaded they had reached as far the Delta City of Lunu (City of Pillars), which was a major center of learning and the Egyptian Sun-God Ra had his Temple. However, they were not able to enter the City as 3500 fully equipped and battle-ready Egyptians were there to stop them.
The Battle, though the first of the invasion, would be a be a view into future Egyptian battles. While slightly outnumbered and unprepared, the Egyptian army was able to stop the initial Arab attack and chased them back into the Sinai Peninsula. A second Arab Army of 12,000 was soon sent to reinforce the initial group. For the Muslims, it would be a major boon for their cause if they were able to conquer one of the last remaining major Polytheistic peoples of the Region.
But ever since the brief war with Rome, Egypt had built and restored a professional and experienced army, and they were not about to loose their lands to foreign invaders ever again. By the time the second Arabian Invasion force reached the Sinai Peninsula on the October of the year 640 AD, Pharaoh Ahmose V was waiting with his full army 15,000 who were supposed to be fighting the Nubians.
The Battle of the Gulf of Aqaba extremely bloody and lasted for longer than half a day. Over 8000 Arabs and Egyptians were killed. In the end it was an Egyptian victory and Pharaoh Ahmose V demanded that a peace be made with the Arab Leaders.
After a long period of deliberation, a peace agreement was finally met between the Arab Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattāb, his general Amr Ibn Al-Aas, and Pharaoh Ahmose V. It was agreed between the Parties that Egypt would allow for the Muslim faith to pass freely through their borders, but there would be no active conversion of the Egyptian People, west of Egypt would be open for the Arabians to conquer as Ahmose V had no interests there. For many in the Arab leadership, the agreement was difficult to swallow, especially for Amr Ibn Al-Aas. For the Egyptians too it was considered to be too lenient considering the damage that was done to Ra's temple in Lunu.
Despite the bitter resentment for both sides, the battle paved the way for future Egyptian expansion south. A small garrison of 3000 was left at the Western boarder on the Sinai Peninsula and Ahmose V took his remaining 9500 forces south to the Nubian provinces.
Ahmose V discovered that the Arabs were infact a far more difficult foe than the Nubian warriors he found himself against a year later. The Nubian Kingdoms capitulated one after another and in less than 2 years of conquest, Ahmose V had extended Egyptian territory out of the Sahara and into the African Savana, where many new materials and resources were made available. The Egyptian Empire of 645 AD extended from the Nile Delta all the way to the Nile's Source.
A result of these Conquests was Ahmose V's elevated position as not just a great defender of the free Egyptians, but also a conqueror of the whole of the Nile. Ahmose was 42 when the Nubian campaigns were completed and he would rule Egypt for a subsequent 12 more years. He had no son or daughter and upon his death he named his best General as his Successor and thus ended the 36th Dynasty.
Next: Phase IV: The Crusades!
