Khazar–Arab Wars

Timeline

1. 642–652North Caucasus steppe · CaucasusAfter conquering Persia, Arab forces pushed north and first encountered Khazar Khaganate power on the western shore of the Caspian. Khazar cavalry used mobile tactics to repel some Arab expeditions, demonstrating the steppe empire's control of the steppe–pass zone and presenting a formidable opponent to Arab northward expansion.
2. 653–680Derbent · DagestanArab forces captured the strategic fortress of Derbent (Bab al-Abwab) on the western Caspian shore, attempting to seal off the Caucasus mountain passes. The Khazar Khaganate and local tribes repeatedly contested the fortress; Derbent became a frontline bastion changing hands between the two sides, and control of it meant command of north–south traffic.
3. 680–700Caucasus passes · CaucasusBy the end of the seventh century, Arab northward expansion had reached a stalemate before the Khazar Khaganate. The two sides alternated between truces and expeditions; the Arabs failed to conquer the Khazar steppe empire outright, and the Khazars could not dislodge Arab control of the western Caspian shore. This balance of power would persist until a new round of wars in the eighth century.