Battle of the Second Fitna (680s-690s). It was fought in mid-October 691 near present-day Baghdad
The Umayyad victory ended the Second Fitna in Iraq and enabled the subsequent reconquest of the Hejaz, consolidating Umayyad caliphal authority.
Key Facts
- Date
- Mid-October 691
- Location
- Western bank of the Tigris, near Baghdad
- Conflict
- Second Fitna (680s–690s)
- Outcome
- Umayyad victory; Iraq recaptured
- Also known as
- Battle of Dayr al-Jathaliq
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The Second Fitna split the Islamic caliphate between the Umayyad caliph Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan in Damascus and the rival caliph Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr based in Mecca. Mus'ab ibn al-Zubayr governed Iraq on his brother's behalf, making the province a key contested territory whose control would determine the civil war's outcome.
In mid-October 691, the Umayyad army under Abd al-Malik met Mus'ab ibn al-Zubayr's forces on the western bank of the Tigris near present-day Baghdad. Most of Mus'ab's troops had covertly defected to Abd al-Malik before fighting began. His chief commander, Ibrahim ibn al-Ashtar, was killed in battle, and Mus'ab himself was slain shortly afterward, delivering a decisive Umayyad triumph.
The Umayyad victory secured Iraq for Abd al-Malik and eliminated the main military force defending the Zubayrids east of the Hejaz. This opened the path for the Umayyad reconquest of western Arabia in late 692, ultimately ending the Second Fitna and reuniting the caliphate under Umayyad rule.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan.
Side B
1 belligerent
Mus'ab ibn al-Zubayr, Ibrahim ibn al-Ashtar.