Mu`awiya 1 was Mu`awiyah b. Abî Sufyân: Tabari. Son of Abû Sufyân (M`'wyh br 'Bw Spyn): Chron. 1234, §121 (p. 256), §136 (p. 280). For Abu Sufyan, cf. PLRE III. He was a member of the tribe of the Umayyads: Chron. 1234, §136 (p. 280). Father of Yezid 1: Chron. 1234, §136 (pp. 280, 281), §138 (p. 286), Theoph. AM 6159 (Μαυΐας τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ Ἰζίδ), Theoph. AM 6171 (Μαυΐας ... Ἰζίδ, ὁ υἱὸς αὐτοῦ), Tabari XVIII, pp. 94, 103, 164, 166, 183, 208, 215 (by Maysûn bt. Bahdal). Brother of Ziyad 1: Theoph. AM 6178 (Ἀβιμέλεχ Ζίαδον, τὸν ἀδελφὸν Μαυΐου) (but see Mango and Scott, Theophanes, p. 507, n. 2, where he is identified as his nephew, not his brother), Chron. 1234, §147 (p. 292), Tabari XVIII, pp. 73-74, 154. Said to have had a brother called Yezid, after whom he named his son: Chron. 1234, §136 (p. 280). Appointed governor of all Syria by the caliph `Umar (Omar 1), he captured Antioch and the surrounding villages and plundered them: Chron. 1234, §121 (p. 256) (perhaps in 637). In 638 ("in the year 950") he besieged and captured Kaisareia (in Palestine; see Theoph. AM 6133) and plundered the neighbourhood and then moved againt Euchaita (in Helenopontus), taking it by surprise, capturing it and taking away much plunder and many captives, including the governor: Chron. 1234, §124 (p. 259). In 648 ("in the year 960 of Alexander": Chron. 1234) he launched a naval attack on Cyprus with a large fleet drawn from both Syria and Egypt and captured and sacked Konstantia and much of the island before returning home: Chron. 1234, §131 (pp. 268-270) ("the emir Mu`âwiya"), Theoph. AM 6140. When Roman reinforcements approached (under Kakorhizos 1) (not mentioned in Chron. 1234), he withdrew and laid siege to Arados, trying to take the fortress Kastellon; he failed and finally retired to Damascus as winter approached: Theoph. AM 6140, Chron. 1234, §132 (p. 273). In 649/650 he again attacked Arados and this time the defenders surrendered it on condition that the inhabitants could settle wherever they wished; he burnt the city, razed the walls and made the island uninhabitable: Chron. 1234, §132 (p. 273), Theoph. AM 6141 (placed in the same year as the Council of Rome, i.e. 649). In 650/651 he agreed to the emperor Constans (Konstans 1)'s offer of a two year peace, taking as hostage Gregorios 2, son of Theodoros 2: Theoph. AM 6142, Chron. 1234, §133 (p. 274) ("Mu`âwiya the emir of Syria, who was in Damascus"). In 651/652 he made a treaty with the Armenian Pasagnathes 1 (= Theodoros Rshtuni) and took his son as hostage: Theoph. AM 6143. In 653/654 he captured Rhodes and overthrew the Colossus: Theoph. AM 6145. In 654 he ordered a great fleet to be prepared at Tripolis to sail against Constantinople and put the expedition under the command of Abu -'l-`Awar (Abulathar 1): Theoph. AM 6146, Chron. 1234, §134 (p. 274) ("Mu`âwiya the emir of Syria and Damascus"), cf. Zon. XIV 19. 8 (prepared a fleet to attack the Romans). He himself then marched against Kaisareia in Cappadocia: Theoph. AM 6146. He was made governor of Syria and later of Mesopotamia also by the caliph Othman (Othman 1): Baladhuri, tr. Hitti, p. 287. In 656 when Othman 1 was murdered Mu`awiya 1 was governor of Syria at Damascus; his position was coveted by Muhammad son of Abu Bakr who annoyed Othman 1 by his efforts to secure the removal of Mu`âwiya against the caliph's wishes; a supposed attempt by Othman 1 to have Muhammad murdered allegedly led directly to the caliph's own assassination: Chron. 1234, §135 (pp. 276-277). Following the murder of Othman 1 in 656, the succession was disputed between `Ali (Ali 1) and Mu`awiya 1, the latter receiving the support of Syria and Egypt; Mu`awiya 1 was the victor and ruled (as caliph) for twenty-four years: Theoph. AM 6147 (Μαυΐαν ... ὃς καὶ ἐνίκησε καὶ ἐκράτησεν ἔτη κδ'), Zon. XIV 19. 17-18 (his quarrel with Ali 1), Chron. 1234, §136 (pp. 277-279). In 656/657 he marched against Ali 1; near Barbalissos by the Euphrates his army proved the stronger and cut off `Ali's men from water supplies, giving Mu`awiya 1 an easy victory: Theoph. AM 6148. They also fought (apparently another battle) at Siffin near Kallinikon by the Euphrates, with heavy losses on both sides: Chron. 1234, §136 (p. 278). In 659, because of civil war among the Arabs (διὰ τὴν ἀνταρσίαν), he sent an embassy to the Romans and agreed to pay them one thousand solidi, one horse and one slave each day: Theoph. AM 6150 (in the same entry is recorded an earthquake in Palestine and Syria, dated in Daisios of indiction 2, i.e. June 659). In 661 he became sole ruler (μονοκρατορεῖ Μαυΐας βασιλικῶς), after the murder of Ali 1, and he made his capital at Damascus: Theoph. AM 6151. He secured sole rule only after he defeated and killed the last surviving son of `Ali, al-Husayn, in the battle of Karbala; he transferred the capital from al-Kufah to Damascus: Chron. 1234, §136 (p. 280). In 661 he subdued the so-called Charurgitae, Arab heretics (the Kharijites, see Encyclopaedia of Islam, vol. IV, pp. 1074-1075), and began to give preference to the people of Syria over those of Persia: Theoph. AM 6152. In his fifth year (?665) he "invaded the region of Egypt and his troops destroyed all the Romans they found there, more than 5,000": Chron. 1234, §137 (p. 282) (perhaps referring to Libya and/or Tripolitania, not Egypt itself), and cf. §140 (p. 287) (in 669 "the Arab army entered Africa and led out about 8,000 captives and returned to their territory") and Tabari XVIII, pp. 102-103 (in AH 50, = AD 670/671). In 667 ("the 26th year of Constans": Chron. 1234), following the embassies of Andreas 1 and Sergios 2 to Damascus, he sent military aid (see Fadalas 1) to the rebel Saborios 1; after the death of Saborios he sent reinforcements under his son Yezid 1 to help Fadalas campaign against the Romans; his capital (where he received envoys) was at Damascus: Chron. 1234, §138 (pp. 282-286), Theoph. AM 6159. Some time in the 670s he sent an army into Roman territory under the command of Abd al-Rahman 9 which destroyed and plundered there for two years: Chron. 1234, §141 (p. 288). He also rebuilt the Great Church at Edessa, damaged in an earthquake in 638: Chron. 1234, §141 (p.288). He sent large naval forces under Chaleb 1 to attack Constantinople: Nic. Brev. 32. In 678, following the defeat of the Arab forces after the naval campaigns against Constantinople, he made overtures for peace to Constantine IV (Konstantinos 2) and a very advantageous treaty for the Romans was negotiated by Ioannes 3: Theoph. AM 6169, Nic. Brev. 32-33, Zon. XIV 20. 20. In AH 56 (Nov. 675/Nov. 676) he proclaimed his son Yezid 1 as heir apparent: Tabari XVIII, pp. 183-186. He died at Damascus in 680 (on Artemisios 6 in indiction one, Theoph.; in year 59 of the Arabs and 11 of the emperor Constantine, Chron. 1234; in the month Rajab of AH 60 (7 April/6 May 680), Tabari) and was succeeded by his son Yezid 1: Theoph. AM 6171, Chron. 1234, §142 (p. 288), cf. Zon. XIV 22. 4 (his death), Tabari XVIII, pp. 210ff. He had been general (στρατηγὸς) for twenty years and amir (that is "caliph" ἀμήρευσεν) for twentyfour; styled "the first councillor of the Saracens" (ὁ τῶν Σαρακηνῶν πρωτοσύμβουλος): Theoph. AM 6171. See Tabari XVIII, pp. 210-211 for estimates of the length of his reign. His age is given at various figures between seventy three or eighty years: Tabari XVIII, p. 211. He was buried in Damascus after ruling Syria as army commander for twenty one years and reigning (as caliph) for a further twenty: Chron. 1234, §142 (p. 288). He once exiled to Spain members of the Umayyad family, whose descendants were still living there in 750 when the dynasty was overthrown: Theoph. AM 6241. Described as "an honourable man possessing limitless patience and philanthropy", who "would hear insults against himself and would ignore them", which made him very popular amongst the Arabs: Chron. 1234, §136 (pp. 280-281). For an account of his death and further details about his family, see Tabari XVIII, pp. 208ff. He besieged Kaisareia in Palestine from December to May and finally captured the city: Bar Hebr., p. 97, Mich. Syr. II 447. In AH 25 (Oct. 645/Oct. 646) = 957 Sel. (645/646) Mu`awiya 1 sent Habib ibn Maslama (Abibus 1) to attack Armenia, on instructions from the caliph Othman 1: Elias, Chron., p. 135, 20-28 = p. 65, cf. Bar Hebr., p. 97 (in AH 25 = 958 Sel.), Mich. Syr. II 441. At the same time he himself led an army into Cappadocia and plundered the territory around Kaisareia, but failed to capture Kaisareia itself: Bar Hebr., p. 97, Mich. Syr. II 447. In AH 28 (Sept. 648/Sept. 649) = 959 Sel. (647/648) Mu`awiya invaded Cyprus, whose inhabitants undertook to pay an annual sum of 7200 dinars to him and also to the Romans: Elias, Chron., p. 136, 22-28 = p. 66. He attacked Cyprus in the year 960 Sel. (648/649) and plundered and pillaged when the people refused to submit: Bar Hebr., p. 98, Mich. Syr. II 441. He then besieged and captured the island of Arvad and then expelled the population and ploughed up the land to prevent its repopulation: Bar Hebr., p. 98, Mich. Syr. II 442. In AH 33 (Aug. 653/July 654) = 964 Sel. (652/653) Mu`awiya ibn Sufyan captured the city of Ancyra, and also advanced as far as the Fat Meadow; in AH 34 (July 654/July 655) = 965 Sel. (653/654) he prepared a large fleet at Tripolis and fitted out many troops for an invasion of the lands of the Romans, but Roman captives in Tripolis escaped and seized the ships, burning many and sailing home in the remainder: Elias, Chron., p. 138, 8-25 = p. 67. In AH 37 (June 657/June 658) he prepared a fleet to attack the Romans but it was burnt by Anonymi 1 with heavy losses of men; he then sent an army into Phoenicia under Abu al-Ur (Abulathar 1) which defeated a Roman fleet under the emperor Konstans 1: Bar Hebr., pp. 98-99, Mich. Syr. II 445.

Following the death of the caliph Othman 1 in the year 967 Sel. (655/656) the Arabs were for three years without a king; Mu`awiya 1 was chief of the Arabs in the West and Ali 1 of those in the East; then in the year 971 (659/660) Ali was killed and Mu`awiya reigned for twenty years; he made peace with the Romans; later he sent Abd ar-Rahman 9, his army commander, into the lands of the Romans: Chron. 819, p. 12, 8-16 = p. 8. After the death of Othman 1 Mu`awiya 1 ruled over Syria and Egypt while Ali 1 (`Ali bar Abu Talib) ruled in the East; after five years of civil war the Arabs made Mu`awiya 1 sole ruler over both East and West: Bar Hebr., pp. 99-100, Mich. Syr. II 450. Mu`awiya 1 ruled for nineteen years after Ali 1; he had previously been governor of Palestine under Othman 1 for fifteen years, and with the five years of Ali 1 he ruled for thirty-nine years: Bar Hebr., p. 98, Mich. Syr. II 450, 468. In AH 37 (June 657/June 658) = 968 Sel. Mu`awiya 1 fought a battle with `Ali ibn Abu Talib (Ali 1) at Siffin on the Euphrates, afterwards returning to Palestine while Ali 1 returned to Kufa: Elias, Chron., p. 139, 25-p. 140, 3 = pp. 67ff. In AH 41 (May 661/April 662) = 972 Sel. (660/661) Mu`awiya received the kingdom from Hassan ibn `Ali on Sunday the 21st of the month Rabi' I (July 661): Elias, Chron., p. 141, 17-22 = p. 68. In AH 42 (April 662/April 663) = 973 Sel. (661/662) Mu`awiya made peace with the Romans: Elias, Chron., p. 141, 25 - p. 142, 2 = p. 68. In AH 60 (Oct. 679/Oct. 680) = 991 Sel. (679/680) Mu`awiya ibn Abu Sufyan died in Damascus and was succeeded by his son, Yezid 1, on Friday the 15th of Radjab (April 680): Elias, Chron., p. 146, 23-p. 147, 1 = p. 71. In the year 991 Sel. (679/680) Mu`awiya 1 died and was succeeded by his son Yezid 1: Chron. 819, p. 112, 26ff. = p. 8, Chron. 846, p. 231, 19ff. = p. 175 (Chabot) = p. 580 (Brooks). Mu`awiya brought an end to the civil wars among the Arabs and then broke the peace with the Romans, refusing to negotiate with them any further: Chron. Maron., p. 71, 26-p. 72, 1 = p. 56.

Mu`awiya 1 was an army commander in the West (i.e. Syria) when Othman 1 died in the year 967 Sel. (655/656); he was chosen as ruler in that area, while Abbas became ruler in the east (Iraq); the war between them lasted five years; in the year 968 Sel. (656/657) they fought one another at the battle of Seppe (Siffin); then in the year 973 Sel. (661/662) Abbas was murdered and Mu`awiya 1 became sole ruler; including the five years of the war, he ruled for twenty one years: Pseudo-Dion., Chron., p. 152, 19-p. 153, 13 = p. 114. In the year 988 Sel. (676/677) the king of the Arabs, Mu`awiya 1, died and was succeeded by Yazid (Yezid 1): Pseudo-Dion., Chron., p. 153, 19ff. = p. 115. In the year 977 Sel. (665/666) Mu`awiya 1 was visited by Roman envoys, one, Sergios 2, sent by the rebel Sapor (Saborios 1), the other Andreas 1, sent by Konstantinos 2: Bar Hebr., pp. 100-101. He was succeeded by his son, Yezid 1: Bar Hebr., p. 102, Mich. Syr. II 468. General under Othman 1, he captured Cyprus and Arados, destroyed the Colossus of Rhodes, led an expedition against Constantinople, and ravaged Ephesos, Halikarnassos and Smyrna with the rest of Ionia; then, after the death of Othman he became the fifth ruler of the Arabs and reigned for twenty four years: Const. Porph., DAI 20. Late in his reign he sought peace with Constantine IV; he negotiated with the envoy Ioannes 3 Pitzikaudes and a treaty was agreed: Const. Porph., DAI 21. He was succeeded by his son Izid (Yezid 1), and his descendants ruled for eighty five years: Const. Porph., DAI 21. Grandson of Sufiam and grandfather of Maslama 1; he put down a rebellion led by the sons of Ali 1: Const. Porph., DAI 21, 49ff. The Arab rulers of Spain were said to be descended from Mu'awiya 1: Const. Porph., DAI 25, 62.

(Publishable link for this person: )