Muawiyah I

Mu'awiyah I (602 - May 6, 680) was founder of the Umayyad Dynasty of caliphs. He fought against the Fourth Caliph, 'Ali (Muhammad's son-in-law), seized Egypt, and assumed the caliphate after 'Ali's assassination in 661. He reigned from 661 to 680. His given name was Mu'awiyah ibn Abu Sufyan.

Governor of Syria

Upon the death of Yazid in 640, Mu'awiyah was appointed governor of Syria by the caliph 'Umar and gradually gained mastery over the other areas of Syria, instilling remarkable personal loyalty among the prelates, troops and common people of the region. By 647 Mu'awiyah had built a Syrian tribal army strong enough to repel a Byzantine attack and, in subsequent years, to take the offensive against the Byzantines in campaigns that resulted in the capture of Cyprus (649) and Rhodes (654) and a devastating defeat of the Byzantine navy off the coast of Lycia (655). At the same time, Mu'awiyah periodically dispatched land expeditions into Anatolia. All these campaigns, however, came to a halt with the accession of Ali ibn Abi Talib to the caliphate, when a new and decisive phase of Mu'awiyah's career began.

Related Topics:
640 - 'Umar - 647 - Cyprus - 649 - Rhodes - 654 - Lycia - 655 - Anatolia - Ali ibn Abi Talib

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