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 THE GLORY THAT WAS DAMASCUS

in 661 Muawiyah was proclaimed caliph at Jeru- salem, but it was Damascus that he chose as his capital, thus inaugurating its most glorious epoch. His first problem was to pacify the empire and consolidate his control over rebellious provinces. Hejaz was naturally lukewarm in its loyalty to Muawiyah, as the Moslems of Mecca and Medina never forgot that the Umayyads were late believers and that their belief was one of convenience rather than con- viction. But for the time being the cradle of Islam gave no serious trouble. Syria was loyal to its former governor and Egypt was firmly held.

Iraq, however, immediately and openly declared for al-Hasan, elder son of Ali and Fatimah. To its people he was the only legitimate successor of his assassinated father. In the course of a swift campaign Muawiyah secured from al-Hasan a definite renunciation of all claims, in return for a generous subsidy to be paid him for fife. He retired to an existence of ease and luxury in Medina and died eight years later after having married and divorced at least a hundred wives. His death may have been caused by tuberculosis or by poisoning connected with some harem intrigue, but his followers blamed it on the caliph and con- sidered al-Hasan 'lord of all the martyrs'. At his death, his claims passed to his brother al-Husayn, who did not dare assert them during the lifetime of Muawiyah.

After disposing of the Alid threat, Muawiyah brought Iraq to heel by naming a series of capable and heavy-handed governors who transplanted 50,000 troublesome Arabians and bedouins to eastern Persia and took other drastic measures to subject the turbulent province. With the Rh