Feint

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Feint, a French term that entered English via the discipline of swordsmanship and fencing, [1] is a maneuver designed to distract or mislead. A feint is achieved by giving the impression that a certain maneuver will take place, while in fact another, or even none, will. In military tactics and many types of combat, there are two types of feints: feint attacks and feint retreats.

Contents

Attacks

A feint attack is designed to draw defensive action towards the point under assault. It is usually used as a diversion to force the enemy to concentrate more manpower in a given area, to weaken the opposing force in another area. [2] Unlike a related diversionary maneuver, the demonstration, a feint involves actual contact with the enemy.

Retreats

A feint retreat, or feigned retreat , is performed by briefly engaging the enemy, then retreating. It is intended to draw the enemy pursuit into a prepared ambush, or to cause disarray. For example, the Battle of Hastings was lost when Saxons pursued the Norman cavalry. That forfeited the advantage of height and the line was broken, providing the opportunity to fight in single handed combat on a neutral vantage point, a battle for which the Saxons were not ready. The Parthian shot is another example of a feint retreat in which mounted Parthian archers would retreat from a battle and, still riding, they would turn their bodies back to shoot at the pursuing enemy.

Historic use

Arabia during Muhammad era

Muhammad made extensive use of feints. One of the earliest examples was during the Invasion of Banu Lahyan. Muhammad set out in Rabi‘ Al-Awwal, or Jumada Al-Ula, in the 6 AH (July 627 AD) with 200 Muslim fighters and made a feint of heading for Syria and then soon changed route towards Batn Gharran, where 10 Muslims were killed in the Expedition of Al Raji. Bani Lahyan were on alert and got the news of his march. The tribe then immediately fled to the mountaintops nearby and thus remained out of his reach. On his way back, Muhammad despatched a group of ten horsemen to a place called Kura‘ Al-Ghamim, in the vicinity of the habitation of Quraish, in order to indirectly confirm his growing military power. All the skirmishes took 14 days, after which he left back for home. [3] [4]

Muhammad also ordered the Expedition of Abu Qatadah ibn Rab'i al-Ansari (Batn Edam) in December 629 [5] to divert the attention from his intention of attacking Mecca. He dispatched eight men to attack a caravan passing through Edam. [6]

China during the end of the Han dynasty

During the Battle of Fancheng general Xu Huang of Cao Wei was sent to oppose Guan Yu at Fancheng District. Knowing that most of his enemy's soldiers were composed of new recruits without training, Xu Huang did not go into battle straight away but camped behind the enemy to impose a deterrent effect. Meanwhile, he instructed his subordinates Xu Shang (徐商) and Lü Jian (呂建) to oversee the digging of trenches around the nearby enemy stronghold of Yancheng (偃城) to deceive the enemy into thinking that it was trying to cut off supplies into Yancheng. The deception worked, with the position being abandoned, which yielded Xu Huang a foothold on the battlefield. By then, a total of twelve camps had been gathered under the flag of Xu Huang. With the strengthened army, Xu Huang finally unleashed an attack on Guan Yu's camp. The enemy encirclement had five camps and so Xu Huang spread news that he was planning to attack the main camp. He secretly attacked the other four side camps instead. When Guan Yu saw that the four side camps had been destroyed, he personally led 5,000 horsemen to meet the attackers but was eventually outmatched. Many of his soldiers were forced into the nearby Han River and drowned. The siege on Fancheng was then lifted.

See also

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The raid on Amarr, also known as the Raid on Ghatafan, occurred directly after the Invasion of Sawiq in the year A.H. 3 of the Islamic calendar, March 624. The expedition was ordered by Muhammad after he received intelligence that the Banu Muharib and Banu Thalabah tribes were planning to raid the outskirts of Madinah. Therefore, Muhammad launched a pre-emptive strike with 450 men.

The Invasion of Buhran occurred in 3 A.H of the Islamic calendar of the 4th or 5th month. A report had arrived to the Muslims that a formidable force of the Banu Sulaym from Buhran were advancing on Madinah. Muhammad, took 300 men, to Hijaz reaching to Buhran, where the Banu Sulaym fled in panic.

The Expedition of Abdullah ibn Unais, also known as the Assassination of Khaled bin Sufyan was the first attack against the Banu Lahyan, which took place in the month of Muharram in the year A.H. 3. It was reported that Khaled bin Sufyan Al-Hathali, considered an attack on Madinah and that he was inciting the people on Nakhla or Uranah to fight Muslims. So Muhammad sent Abdullah ibn Unais to assassinate him. After cutting off Khaled bin Sufyan's head at night, Unais brought it back to Muhammad.

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This is a timeline of the early history of Islam during the lifetime of Muhammad. The information provided in this article is based on Islamic oral tradition, not on historical or archaeological evidence. A separate list of military expeditions and battles is at List of expeditions of Muhammad.

Banu Lahyan were an Arab pagan tribe during the time of Muhammad and were involved in several military conflicts with him. The first was in 625 during the Expedition of Abdullah Ibn Unais, where Muhammad sent Abdullah ibn Unais to kill Khaled bin Sufyan Al-Hathali, who was the chief of the tribe. Muhammad alleged that he was planning to attack Madinah and incite the people of Nakhla and Uranah to attack him. Therefore, he sent Abdullah ibn Unais to assassinate him in 625 during the Expedition of Abdullah Ibn Unais. This was followed by the Invasion of Banu Lahyan in September 627 when Muhammad ordered his followers to attack the Banu Lahyan tribe to get revenge for the killing of 10 Muslims in the Expedition of Al Raji

Batn Gharran was a location in Saudi Arabia during the Islamic Prophet Muhammad's era. Muhammad ordered the Invasion of Banu Lahyan which took place here. Muhammad set out in Rabi‘ Al-Awwal or Jumada Al-Ula in the year six Hijri with 200 Muslim fighters and made a feint of heading for Syria, then soon changed route towards Batn Gharran, the scene of where 10 Muslims were killed in the Expedition of Al Raji.

References

  1. "Definition of feint | Dictionary.com". www.dictionary.com. Retrieved 2019-08-17.
  2. Maxwell, Garret (1994). Faoil, Foil, Saber, and Épée Fencing: Skills, Safety, Operations, and Responsibilities. Penn State Press. p. 48.
  3. Mubarakpuri, Saifur Rahman Al (2005), The Sealed Nectar, Darussalam Publications, p. 205, ISBN   9798694145923
  4. Mubarakpuri, Saifur Rahman Al (2002), When the Moon Split, DarusSalam, p. 205, ISBN   978-9960-897-28-8
  5. Abu Khalil, Shawqi (1 March 2004). Atlas of the Prophet's biography: places, nations, landmarks. Dar-us-Salam. p. 218. ISBN   978-9960897714. Note: 6th Month, 8AH = September 629
  6. Sa'd, Ibn (1967). Kitab al-tabaqat al-kabir, By Ibn Sa'd, Volume 2. Pakistan Historical Society. p. 164. ASIN   B0007JAWMK. THE SARIYYAH OF ABO QATADAH IBN RIB'I AL- ANSARl TOWORDS BATN IDAM.