Conflict: Second Fitna
Combatants: Ali vs. Umayyads
Location: Iraq
Outcome: Umayyad victory
In 680, the reign of Yazid I, son of Mu'awiya, as Caliph of the Umayyads began. Husain, the son of Ali and grandson of the prophet Mohammed, led a rebellion in that same year. Husain's small army was intercepted by the Umayyads whilst en route to Kufa. A battle ensued in which the rebels were defeated and Husain was killed as were most of his family members.
Points of Interest:
Prior to Karbala, the Kufans of Iraq, Husain's erstwhile allies, entirely abandoned him and left he and his entourage virtually defenseless.
The betrayal and death of Husain, the grandson of the Prophet, solidified the splitting off the Shiite sect of Islam.
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Sources:
Dupuy, Trevor N., Johnson, Curt, & Bongard, David L. (1992). The Harper's Encyclopedia of Military Biography. New York: Castle Books (HarperCollins).
Dupuy, R. Ernest & Dupuy, Trevor N. (1993). The Harper's Encyclopedia of Military History. New York: HarperCollins.
Eggenberger, David (1985). An Encyclopedia of Battles: Accounts of Over 1,560 Battles from 1479 B.C. to the Present. New York: Dover Publications, Inc.
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