K xxxviii Encyclopedia of Islam
653
¶ Caliph Uthman authorizes collection and offi-
cial establishment of the text of the Quran.
655
¶ Assassination of Uthman, the third caliph.
659
¶ Muawiya, chief of the Umayyads, conquers
Egypt.
661–80
¶ Damascus becomes new capital of Umayyad
dynasty under Muawiya.
¶ New wave of conquest begins.
661
¶ Death of Ali ibn Abi Talib, the fourth caliph and
first Shii imam.
¶ Muawiya becomes caliph and founder of
Umayyad dynasty.
662
¶ Revolt of the Khawarij.
680
¶ Death of Muawiya. Martyrdom of Husayn, third
Shii imam, at Karbala, Iraq.
691
¶ Building of the Mosque of Umar (Dome of the
Rock) in Jerusalem.
698
¶ Arabic becomes official language of government
in the Islamic Empire.
700
¶ Conquest and conversion of Berber tribes in
North Africa.
711
¶ Tariq ibn Ziyad leads conquest of Andalusia
(southern Spain).
¶ Muhammad ibn Qasim initiates Arab conquest
of Sind (India).712
¶ Muslim armies in Persia begin conquest of
Bakhara and Samarqand in Central Asia.719
¶ Cordoba becomes administrative capital of
Andalusia.728
¶ Death of Hasan al-Basri, Muslim ascetic and
teacher.732
¶ Battle of Tours, France.749
¶ Beginning of Abbasid Caliphate.750
¶ Abbasids capture Damascus, ending Umayyad
rule in Syria; Abu al-Abbas al-Saffah founds
Abbasid Caliphate.754
¶ Death of al-Saffah; Abu Jaafar al-Mansur becomes
second Abbasid caliph.756
¶ Establishment of Umayyad rule in Spain.762–63
¶ Baghdad founded by Caliph al-Mansur as the
capital of the Abbasid Empire.