Battle of the Camel
656 CE.
Shown on the map at 30.500°, 47.817°.
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 rebelling 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. 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. The triumvirate had revolted against Ali to avenge the assassination of the third Rashidun caliph Uthman (r. 644–656), although Aisha and Talha are both known to have opposed him during his reign.
Text from the Wikipedia article Battle of the Camel, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.