towns were of Othman's own
family. After some years of growing dissatisfaction deputies from these
places came to Medina, and the result was the murder of the caliph.
Syria alone remained loyal to the house of Omayya, and Othman had been
advised to take refuge there, but had refused. Arabia itself counted for
little in the strife. Yet its prestige was not altogether lost. After
the murder the rebels were unwilling to return home until a new caliph
had been chosen in the capital. The Egyptian rebels managed to gain most
influence, and, in accordance with their desire, 'Ali was appointed
caliph by the citizens of Medina. But Medina itself was being corrupted
by the constant influx of captives, who, employed at first as servants,
soon became powerful enough to dictate to their masters. In the struggle
that ensued upon the election of 'Ali, Arabia was involved. Ayesha,
Talha and Zobair, who were strong in Mecca, succeeded in obtaining
possession of Basra, but were defeated in 656 at the battle of the Camel
(see ALI). In the south of Arabia 'Ali succeeded in establishing his own
governor in Yemen, though the government treasure was carried off to
Mecca. But the centre of strife was not to be Arabia. When 'Ali left
Medina to secure Basra, he abandoned it as the capital of the Arabian
empire. With the success of Moawiya Damascus became the capital of the
caliphate (658) and Arabia became a mere province, though always of
importance because of its possession of the two sacred cities Mecca and
Medina. Both these cities were secured by Moawiya in 660, and at the
same time Yemen was punished for its adherence to 'Ali. The final blow
to any political pretensions of Medina was dealt by the caliph when he
had his son Yazid declared as his successor, thus taking away any claim
on the part of the citizens of Medina to elect to the caliphate.

_The Omayyads._--The early years of the Omayyads were years of constant
strife in Arabia. The Kharijites who had opposed 'Ali on the ground that
he had no right to allow the appeal to arbitration, were defeated at
Nahrawan or Nahrwan (658), but those who escaped became fierce
propagandists against the Koreish, some claiming that the caliph should
be chosen by the Faithful from any tribe of the Arabs, some that there
should be no caliph at all, that God alone was their ruler and that the
government should be carried on by a council. They broke up into many
sects, and were long a disturbing politica