The
Battle of the Trench also known as
Battle of the Confederates, was a fortnight-long siege of
Yathrib (now
Medina) by
Arab and
Jewish tribes. The strength of the confederate armies is estimated around 10,000 men with six hundred horses and some camels, while the Medinan numbered 3000. The battle began on March 31, 627. The outnumbered defenders of Medina, mainly
Muslims led by
Islamic prophet Muhammad, opted to dig and fight from a trench rather than face the tribes in the open. The trench together with Medina's natural fortifications rendered the confederate
cavalry (consisting of horses and
camels) useless, locking the two sides in a stalemate. Hoping to make several attacks at once, the confederates persuaded the
Banu Qurayza to attack the city from the south. However,
Muhammad's diplomacy derailed the negotiations, and broke up the confederacy against him. The well-organized defenders, the sinking of confederate morale, and poor weather conditions caused the siege to end in a
fiasco. The siege was a "battle of wits", in which Muslims diplomatically overcame their opponents with very few casualties. Efforts to defeat the Muslims failed, and
Islam became influential in the region. As a consequence, the Muslims besieged the Qurayza, and upon the latter's
unconditional surrender. The defeat also caused the Meccans to lose their trade and much of their prestige.
