The Battle of Balkh took place between the armies of the Samanid Empire under the command of Emir Isma'il ibn Ahmad and Saffarid forces under Emir Amr ibn al-Layth in 900. The Saffarid army was defeated by the Samanid forces, and Amr ibn al-Layth was captured.
| Battle of Balkh | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
| Samanid Empire | Saffarid dynasty | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| Isma'il ibn Ahmad | Unknown | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
| 20,000 horsemen[1] | 70,000 cavalry[2] | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| Unknown | Unknown | ||||||||
The Samanid ruler, Isma'il ibn Ahmad, was sent him in chains to Baghdad, where he was executed in 902, after al-Mu'tadid's death
After the Battle, the Saffarids lost Khorasan and were left with the control of Fars, Kerman and Sistan, which they also lost after a civil war by 912.