A few days later, the first divisions of the enormous 30,000-strong Persian army marched along the valley of the Hari Rud towards the walls of Herat, easily driving off the squadrons of cavalry sent out against them. “A skirmish was fought and many men died,” wrote Fayz Mohammad, “but when the vast numbers of the main Iranian army hove into view, the Heratis were unable to continue the fight and retired into the city
