Ahmad Pasha, the governor of the Baghdad Eyalat, cautiously held to the left bank of the Tigris knowing what a formidable barrier it posed to the invading Persian army. Nader camped on the east side and resorted to a ruse whereby he would fool the Ottomans by keeping a large portion of his men in and around the camp but only to gather a small hand-picked group of soldiers to march north under the cover of night.