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Draft:Siege of Kufa

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The Siege of Kufa (686)) (Arabic:حصار الكوفة) It took place in Iraq between Pro-Zubayrid and the Pro-Alid

Siege of Kufa (685)
Part of the Second Fitna
Date685,17 October
Location
Result Pro-Alid Victory
Belligerents
Pro-Zubayrid Pro-Alid
Commanders and leaders
Abd Allah ibn Muti
Shaybah
Shimr
Umar ibn Sa'd
Mukhtar al-Thaqafi
Ibrahim ibn al-Ashtar

After his release Mukhtar resumed his revolutionary activities. The Tawwabin were defeated by the Umayyads at the Battle of Ayn al-Warda in January 685, and most of the pro-Alid Kufans shifted allegiance to Mukhtar. Ibn al-Zubayr replaced Ibn Yazid with Abd Allah ibn Muti as governor to contain the expected agitation but to no avail. Mukhtar and his followers planned to overthrow the governor and seize control of Kufa on Thursday, 19 October 685. On the evening of 17 October Mukhtar's men clashed with government forces. Mukhtar signaled an early declaration of revolt to his troops by lighting fires. By the evening of Wednesday, 18 October, the government's forces were defeated. Ibn Muti went into hiding and later, with help from Mukhtar, escaped to Basra. The next morning, Mukhtar received allegiance from Kufans in the mosque on the basis of, "Book of God, Sunnah of the Prophet, revenge for the Prophet's family, defence of the weak and war on sinners".

References

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[1][2]

  1. ^ Wellhausen 1975, pp. 128–130.
  2. ^ Dixon 1971, pp. 37–45.