Caliph·Umayyad
Hasan ibn Ali Becomes Caliph
- Date
- January 661 CERamadan 40 AH1,365 years ago
- Place
- Kufa
- People
- Hasan ibn Ali, Muawiya ibn Abi Sufyan
After Ali's death, the people of Kufa swore allegiance to his son Hasan ibn Ali. Hasan led an army toward Syria to face Muawiya, but his forces were divided and short of support. In 661 CE he reached an agreement with Muawiya and gave up the caliphate. The conditions he set are reported differently in the sources. Hasan then moved to Medina, where he died around 670 CE.
Why it matters
The agreement ended the period of the Rashidun caliphs and handed power to the Umayyads, which deepened Sunni-Shia tensions.