Muslim World
Just The First Defeat? The Dragon Burns The Blacks in the Aksu River!
April 4, 745 - Aksu River
Since the beginning of the Third Fitna, the chinese Tang Dynasty have taken advantage of the civil war to increase their influence on Transoxiana. Nevertheless, once the abbasids established control in the region, the fighting began, with the abbasids managing to defeat the Chinese in Chach [Tashkent] and Farghana [Fergana], re-establishing control of the former province. However, the chinese would not abandon it. Next year, an army of 76.000 Chinese would enter muslim territory and advance, toppling city after city. An army of 42.000 men under Ziyad ibn Salih was sent by the abbasids to repel the invasion, meeting with the chinese on the Aksu River.
Ziyad organizes his army in the abbasid standard mode, archers in the rear, arab cavalry on the flanks, and the bulk of infantry on the front line. The chinese army positions light infantry units on the flanks with the chinese cavalry next to the infantry in the center, turkish karluk cavalry is on the left flank, and the archers in the center as well.
The first move came from the chinese, with the karluk cavalry and the chinese light infantry using their numerical advantage to cross the river on the left flank, the karluk cavalry crosses the river in front of the arab cavalry to lure it into battle, opening the abassid right flank to the light infantry, that soon seeps into the hole left to attack the abbasid rear, while the bulk of the chinese infantry begins to cross the river and battle with the outnumbered arab force.
The chinese light infantry, however, is taken aback by the archers in the rear and repelled by them, retreating under heavy fire back to the river with heavy casualties. While the arab cavalry on the left flank crosses the river and quickly drops the chinese light infantry in the region, the Tang send reinforcements to the region after the news, but the arab cavalry had already advanced to maneuver behind the mountains ahead, which leaves the abbasid left flank open for the reinforcements, which soon cross the river and attack the archers in the rear together with the karluk cavalry, with the archers being easily massacred, the abbasid rearguard is free for the chinese cavalry, which completely destroys the abbasid forces together with the chinese infantry.
By the end of the day, the abbasids had lost most of their army and the chinese would march freely across Central Asia, winning the upper hand against the abbasids in the region. The great defeat would echo throughout the Abbasid Caliphate, with many questioning the establishment of the new caliph, leading to the 746 Ibrahimite Rebellion. The Abbasids would send more armies to Central Asia that could lessen the losses, but the chinese would have the upper hand in the region until 755, when the An Lushan Rebellion would force the chinese to retreat from Central Asia, freeing the area for muslim and tibetan expansion.
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Sidelines
July 19, 744: Kosmos' forces follow their victory at Katerini and attempt to make a advance to Constantinople. But is severely defeated by Voedos' forces at the Battle of Chariopolis, ending any chance of a quick resolution of the conflict, the war would be deadlocked for the next 3 years after the battle, with neither side having the upper hand.
October 3, 744: After a brief siege, 14.000 abbasid soldiers recaptured back the city of Antioch taking advantage of the byzantine distraction in its civil war, a campaign is also underway to conquer the Principality of Abasgia (a byzantine vassal), but it would take 2 years to complete.
May 28, 745: Following the overwhelming defeat at Aksu, the Caliph immediately orders an army of 54.000 troops to be sent to Central Asia under Abu Muslim. With the news of defeat spreading, a christian rebellion begins in Al-Anadul, which is brutally repressed.
September 5, 745: Uqba falls ill in Qurṭuba, the conqueror of Al-Faransa would die ill five months later, his burial would be held in the city, and more than 50.000 people would attend. He would be until present-day one of the national symbols of Al-Andalus.
October 19, 745: With news of the Caliph's defeat echoing throughout the muslim world, the wealthy pirates of Malta declare the Ukhawia of Wasatbahr, recognizing the caliph's theocratic power but at the same time having full temporal power over their lands. Upon learning this, the abbasids prepare a fleet to bring the islands back to abbasid control.
November 23, 745: The Great Raid of Tripoli, a wasatbahrian fleet raids and severely damages the abbasid fleet in Tripoli, in addition to capturing many of the harbour's assets. The attack forces the Caliph to delay (and unofficially cancel) the attack on Malta, and it becomes another blow to the Caliph's prestige.
February 19, 746: The First Ibrahimite Rebellion begins! The Eighty-Seven of Al-Hafar. (Next Chapter
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