▁Ban u ▁Kal b . ▁Other ▁than ▁competition ▁for ▁political , ▁military ▁and ▁economic ▁power , ▁there ▁was ▁an ▁eth nic ▁component ▁that ▁defined ▁the ▁Q ays – Y aman ▁rival ry ; ▁the ▁Q ays ▁were ▁" nor thern ▁Arab s " ▁while ▁the ▁Y aman ▁were ▁" s ou thern ▁Arab s ". ▁Mu ' aw iy ah ▁and ▁his ▁son ▁and ▁successor ▁Y az id ▁I ▁re lied ▁militar ily ▁and ▁polit ically ▁on ▁the ▁Kal b ▁to ▁the ▁ch agr in ▁of ▁the ▁Q ays . ▁When ▁Y az id ▁and ▁his ▁successor ▁Mu ' aw iy ah ▁II ▁died ▁in ▁relatively ▁quick ▁succession ▁in ▁ 6 8 3 ▁and ▁ 6 8 4 , ▁respectively , ▁the ▁Q ays ▁refused ▁to ▁recognize ▁Um ay y ad ▁authority . ▁The ▁Kal b ▁and ▁their ▁Yam ani ▁al lies ▁essentially ▁selected ▁Mar wan ▁I ▁to ▁succeed ▁Mu ' aw iy ah ▁II , ▁while ▁the ▁Q ays ▁largely ▁joined ▁the ▁re bel ▁cause ▁of ▁Abd ul lah ▁ibn ▁al - Z ub ay r . ▁Fight ing ▁in ▁the ▁latter ' s ▁name , ▁the ▁Q ays i ▁tribes ▁of ▁' Am ir , ▁Sul ay m ▁and ▁Gh ata fan ▁under ▁al - D ah h ak ▁ibn ▁Q ays ▁al - F ih ri ▁fought ▁Mar wan ▁I ▁and ▁the ▁Yam ani ▁fa ction ▁at ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Mar j ▁Rah it ▁in ▁ 6 8 4 . ▁The ▁Q ays ▁were ▁sever ely ▁rout ed , ▁leading