Battle of the Camel 656
Recorded location from Wikidata; battle sites are often approximate.
Key facts
| Year | 656 | Wikidata P585 (point in time) |
|---|---|---|
| Era | Medieval (500–1499) | derived from year |
| Location | Iraq | Natural Earth (modern borders) |
| Continent | Asia | Natural Earth |
| War / conflict | First Fitna | Wikidata P361 |
| Coordinates | 30.5000, 47.8167 | Wikidata P625 |
About the battle
The Battle of the Camel, also known as the Battle of Basra (Arabic: معركة الجمل, romanized: Maʿrakat al-Jamal), took place in 656 CE outside of Basra in Iraq. It was fought between the partisans of the fourth Rashidun caliph Ali and the Uthmaniyya led by Aisha, Talha, and Zubayr. Ali's loyalists consisted predominantly of Kufan and Medinan troops, while his opponents consisted of a coalition of Meccan and Basran forces. Ali was the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, while Aisha was a widow of Muhammad; Talha and Zubayr were both early converts to Islam and prominent companions.
The trio called for Ali's removal from the caliphal office and for a Qurayshite council, involving Talha and Zubayr, to appoint his successor. They revolted against Ali to avenge the assassination of the third Rashidun caliph Uthman (r. 644–656). Ali emerged victorious from the battle; Talha was killed in the engagement, while Zubayr left the field before the fighting began and was later assassinated. Aisha, riding a red camel after which the battle was named, was escorted back to Hejaz afterward.
Text adapted from the Wikipedia article Battle of the Camel (revision 1380561813), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section; formatting and citations removed. No text added.
Nearby battles
- Siege of Basra (2007) 2007 · 1 km
- Battle of Basra (2003) 2003 · 2 km
- Battle of Basra (2008) 2008 · 2 km
- Siege of Basra 1987 · 2 km
- Battle of Shaiba 1915 · 21 km
- Battle of Basra (1914) 1914 · 21 km
Other battles of the First Fitna
All 3 battles of the First Fitna →
Browse more: battles in Iraq · Asia · Medieval battles