Marwan I

Marwan ibn al-Hakam (623 - 685) ( ) was the fourth Umayyad Caliph , who took over the dynasty after Muawiya II abdicated in 684. Marwan's ascension pointed to a shift in the lineage of the Umayyad dynasty from descendants of Abu Sufyan to those of Hakam , both of whom were grandsons of Umayya (for whom the Umayyad dynasty is named). Hakam was a first cousin of Uthman ibn Affan . During the " Battle of the Camel " Marwan ibn al-Hakam is said to have shot his general Talha with an arrow to the thigh, resulting in his death. Marwan killed Talha in revenge for Talha's alleged betrayal of the third Caliph Uthman . He was removed from this position by Ali , only to be reappointed by Muawiya I . Marwan was eventually removed from the city when Abdullah ibn Zubayr rebelled against Yazid I . From here, Marwan went to Damascus , where he was made the caliph after Muawiya II abdicated . Marwan's short reign was marked by a civil war among the Umayyads as well as a war against Abdullah ibn Zubayr who continued to rule over the Hejaz , Iraq , Egypt and parts of Syria . Marwan was able to win the Umayyad civil war, the result of which was a new Marwanid line of Umayyad caliphs. He was also able to recapture Egypt and Syria from Abdullah, but was not able to completely defeat him. Shi'a hold that none of the Umayyad caliphs were legitimate. See Succession to Muhammad for more details.

Marwan ibn al-Hakam ibn Abu al-'As ibn Umayyah (623 – 7 May 685) ( ) a Sahaba and also was the fourth Umayyad Caliph , and the cousin of Uthman ibn Affan , who took over the dynasty after Muawiya II abdicated in 684. Marwan's ascension pointed to a shift in the lineage of the Umayyad dynasty from descendants of Abu Sufyan (the "Sufyanids") to those of Hakam (the "Marwanids"), both of whom were grandsons of Umayya (for whom the Umayyad dynasty is named). Hakam was also the uncle of Uthman ibn Affan .

the fourth Umayyad Caliph Marwan ibn al-Hakam ibn Abi al-As ibn Umayya ( ), commonly known as Marwan I (ca. 623–626 – April/May 685), was the fourth Umayyad caliph , ruling for less than a year in 684–685. He founded the Marwanid ruling house of the Umayyad dynasty , which replaced the Sufyanid house after its collapse in the Second Muslim Civil War and remained in power until 750. During the reign of his cousin Uthman ( r. 644–656 ), Marwan took part in a military campaign against the Byzantines of the Exarchate of Carthage (in central North Africa), where he acquired significant war spoils. He also served as Uthman's governor in Fars (southwestern Iran) before becoming the caliph's katib (secretary or scribe). He was wounded fighting the rebel siege of Uthman's house , in which the caliph was slain. In the ensuing hostilities between Ali ( r. 656–661 ) and the largely Qurayshi partisans of A'isha , Marwan sided with the latter at the Battle of the Camel . Marwan later served as governor of Medina under his distant kinsman Caliph Mu'awiya I ( r. 661–680 ), founder of the Umayyad Caliphate. During the reign of Mu'awiya's son and successor Yazid I ( r. 680–683 ), Marwan organized the defense of the Umayyad realm in the Hejaz (western Arabia ) against the local opposition. After Yazid died in November 683, the Mecca-based rebel Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr declared himself caliph and expelled Marwan, who took refuge in Syria , the center of Umayyad rule. With the death of the last Sufyanid caliph Mu'awiya II in 684, Marwan, encouraged by the ex-governor of Iraq Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad , volunteered his candidacy for the caliphate during a summit of pro-Umayyad tribes in Jabiya . The tribal nobility, led by Ibn Bahdal of the Banu Kalb , elected Marwan and together they defeated the pro-Zubayrid Qays tribes at the Battle of Marj Rahit in August. In the months that followed, Marwan reasserted Umayyad rule over Egypt , Palestine and northern Syria, whose governors had defected to Ibn al-Zubayr's cause, while keeping the Qays in check in Upper Mesopotamia . He dispatched an expedition led by Ibn Ziyad to reconquer Zubayrid Iraq, but died while it was underway in the spring of 685. Before his death, Marwan firmly established his sons in positions of power: Abd al-Malik was designated his successor, Abd al-Aziz was made governor of Egypt and Muhammad oversaw military command in Upper Mesopotamia. Though Marwan was stigmatized as an outlaw and a father of tyrants in later anti-Umayyad tradition, the historian Clifford E. Bosworth asserts that the caliph was a shrewd, capable and decisive military leader and statesman who laid the foundations of continued Umayyad rule for a further sixty-five years.

Fourth Umayyad caliph (r. 684 to 685) Marwan ibn al-Hakam ibn Abi al-As ibn Umayya ( ), commonly known as Marwan I (623 or 626 – April/May 685), was the fourth Umayyad caliph , ruling for less than a year in 684–685. He founded the Marwanid ruling house of the Umayyad dynasty , which replaced the Sufyanid house after its collapse in the Second Muslim Civil War and remained in power until 750. During the reign of his cousin Uthman ( r. 644–656 ), Marwan took part in a military campaign against the Byzantines of the Exarchate of Africa (in central North Africa), where he acquired significant war spoils. He also served as Uthman's governor in Fars (southwestern Iran) before becoming the caliph's katib (secretary or scribe). He was wounded fighting the rebel siege of Uthman's house , in which the caliph was slain. In the ensuing civil war between Ali ( r. 656–661 ) and the largely Qurayshite partisans of A'isha , Marwan sided with the latter at the Battle of the Camel . Marwan later served as governor of Medina under his distant kinsman Caliph Mu'awiya I ( r. 661–680 ), founder of the Umayyad Caliphate. During the reign of Mu'awiya's son and successor Yazid I ( r. 680–683 ), Marwan organized the defense of the Umayyad realm in the Hejaz (western Arabia) against the local opposition. After Yazid died in November 683, the Mecca-based rebel Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr declared himself caliph and expelled Marwan, who took refuge in Syria , the center of Umayyad rule. With the death of the last Sufyanid caliph Mu'awiya II in 684, Marwan, encouraged by the ex-governor of Iraq Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad , volunteered his candidacy for the caliphate during a summit of pro-Umayyad tribes in Jabiya . The tribal nobility, led by Ibn Bahdal of the Banu Kalb , elected Marwan and together they defeated the pro-Zubayrid Qays tribes at the Battle of Marj Rahit in August of that year. In the months that followed, Marwan reasserted Umayyad rule over Egypt , Palestine , and northern Syria, whose governors had defected to Ibn al-Zubayr's cause, while keeping the Qays in check in the Jazira (Upper Mesopotamia). He dispatched an expedition led by Ibn Ziyad to reconquer Zubayrid Iraq, but died while it was underway in the spring of 685. Before his death, Marwan firmly established his sons in positions of power: Abd al-Malik was designated his successor, Abd al-Aziz was made governor of Egypt, and Muhammad oversaw military command in Upper Mesopotamia. Although Marwan was stigmatized as an outlaw and a father of tyrants in later anti-Umayyad tradition, the historian Clifford E. Bosworth asserts that the caliph was a shrewd, capable, and decisive military leader and statesman who laid the foundations of continued Umayyad rule for a further sixty-five years.

Umayyad caliph from 684 to 685 Marwan ibn al-Hakam ibn Abi al-As ibn Umayya ( Arabic : مروان بن الحكم بن أبي العاص بن أمية , romanized : Marwān ibn al-Ḥakam ibn Abī al-ʿĀṣ ibn Umayya ; 623 or 626 – April/May 685), commonly known as Marwan I , was the fourth Umayyad caliph , ruling for less than a year in 684–685. He founded the Marwanid ruling house of the Umayyad dynasty , which replaced the Sufyanid house after its collapse in the Second Fitna and remained in power until 750. During the reign of his cousin Uthman ( r. 644–656 ), Marwan took part in a military campaign against the Byzantines of the Exarchate of Africa (in central North Africa), where he acquired significant war spoils. He also served as Uthman's governor in Fars (southwestern Iran) before becoming the caliph's katib (secretary or scribe). He was wounded fighting the rebel siege of Uthman's house , in which the caliph was slain. In the ensuing civil war between Ali ( r. 656–661 ) and the largely Qurayshite partisans of A'isha , Marwan sided with the latter at the Battle of the Camel . Marwan later served as governor of Medina under his distant kinsman Caliph Mu'awiya I ( r. 661–680 ), founder of the Umayyad Caliphate. During the reign of Mu'awiya's son and successor Yazid I ( r. 680–683 ), Marwan organized the defense of the Umayyad realm in the Hejaz (western Arabia) against the local opposition which included prominent companions as well as Muhammad’s own clan, the Bani Hashim , who revolted under the banner of Muhammad’s grandson, Husayn ibn Ali . After Yazid died in November 683, the Mecca-based rebel Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr declared himself caliph and expelled Marwan, who took refuge in Syria , the center of Umayyad rule. With the death of the last Sufyanid caliph Mu'awiya II in 684, Marwan, encouraged by the ex-governor of Iraq Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad , volunteered his candidacy for the caliphate during a summit of pro-Umayyad tribes in Jabiya . The tribal nobility, led by Ibn Bahdal of the Banu Kalb , elected Marwan and together they defeated the pro-Zubayrid Qays tribes at the Battle of Marj Rahit in August of that year. In the months that followed, Marwan reasserted Umayyad rule over Egypt , Palestine , and northern Syria, whose governors had defected to Ibn al-Zubayr's cause, while keeping the Qays in check in the Jazira (Upper Mesopotamia). He dispatched an expedition led by Ibn Ziyad to reconquer Zubayrid Iraq, but died while it was underway in the spring of 685. Before his death, Marwan firmly established his sons in positions of power: Abd al-Malik was designated his successor, Abd al-Aziz was made governor of Egypt, and Muhammad oversaw military command in Upper Mesopotamia. Although Marwan was stigmatized as an outlaw and a father of tyrants in later anti-Umayyad tradition, the historian Clifford E. Bosworth asserts that the caliph was a shrewd, capable, and decisive military leader and statesman who laid the foundations of continued Umayyad rule for a further sixty-five years.