▁ ▁Background ▁The ▁Um ay y ad ▁C ali ph ate ▁was ▁sh aken ▁by ▁the ▁death s ▁of ▁C ali ph ▁Y az id ▁I ▁and ▁his ▁successor ▁Mu ' aw i ya ▁II ▁in ▁ 6 8 3 ▁and ▁ 6 8 4 , ▁respectively , ▁amid ▁the ▁Second ▁Muslim ▁Civil ▁War . ▁In ▁the ▁after math , ▁they ▁lost ▁authority ▁over ▁Ira q ▁( the ▁part ▁of ▁Mes op ot am ia ▁south ▁of ▁T ik rit ) ▁while ▁the ▁govern ors ▁of ▁northern ▁Sy ria ▁and ▁Palest ine ▁switched ▁their ▁alleg iance ▁to ▁Abd ▁Al lah ▁ibn ▁al - Z ub ay r , ▁the ▁anti - U may y ad ▁claim ant ▁to ▁the ▁cal i ph ate . ▁These ▁and ▁other ▁defe ctions ▁restricted ▁Um ay y ad ▁rule ▁to ▁the ▁region ▁of ▁Dam asc us . ▁After ▁the ▁Um ay y ad ▁governor ▁of ▁Ira q , ▁U bay d ▁Al lah ▁ibn ▁Z iy ad , ▁was ▁forced ▁out ▁of ▁his ▁province , ▁he ▁left ▁for ▁Dam asc us ▁to ▁prop ▁up ▁Um ay y ad ▁rule . ▁As ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁his ▁efforts ▁and ▁the ▁cons ensus ▁of ▁loyal ist ▁Arab ▁tribes , ▁later ▁collect ively ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁" Y aman ", ▁the ▁Um ay y ad ▁elder , ▁Mar wan ▁ibn ▁al - H ak am , ▁became ▁cal i ph ▁in ▁June ▁ 6 8 4 . ▁▁ ▁In ▁August ▁ 6 8 4 , ▁the ▁Um ay y ads ▁and