▁forced ▁to ▁negoti ate ▁with ▁Mu ' aw i ya ▁on ▁equal ▁terms , ▁while ▁it ▁drove ▁a ▁significant ▁number ▁of ▁his ▁most ▁p ious ▁supp or ters , ▁who ▁became ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁K har ij ites , ▁to ▁revol t . ▁Ali ' s ▁coal ition ▁stead ily ▁dis integr ated ▁and ▁many ▁Ira qi ▁trib al ▁nobles ▁secret ly ▁defect ed ▁to ▁Mu ' aw i ya , ▁while ▁the ▁latter ' s ▁al ly ▁Am r ▁ibn ▁al - As ▁ou sted ▁Ali ' s ▁governor ▁from ▁Egypt ▁in ▁July ▁ 6 5 8 . ▁In ▁July ▁ 6 6 0 ▁Mu ' aw i ya ▁was ▁formally ▁recognized ▁as ▁cal i ph ▁in ▁Jerusalem ▁by ▁his ▁Sy rian ▁trib al ▁al lies . ▁Ali ▁was ▁assass in ated ▁by ▁a ▁K har ij ite ▁in ▁January ▁ 6 6 1 . ▁His ▁son ▁Has an ▁succeeded ▁him , ▁but ▁ab dic ated ▁in ▁return ▁for ▁compens ation ▁upon ▁Mu ' aw i ya ' s ▁arrival ▁to ▁Ira q ▁with ▁his ▁Sy rian ▁army ▁in ▁the ▁summer . ▁At ▁that ▁point , ▁Mu ' aw i ya ▁entered ▁K uf a ▁and ▁received ▁the ▁alleg iance ▁of ▁the ▁Ira q is . ▁ ▁S uf yan id ▁period ▁ ▁C ali ph ate ▁of ▁Mu ' aw i ya ▁ ▁The ▁recognition ▁of ▁Mu ' aw i ya ▁in ▁K uf a , ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁the ▁" year ▁of ▁un ification ▁of ▁the ▁community " ▁in ▁the