Battle of Karbala

Timeline

1. 680Medina · HejazAfter Muawiya's son Yazid succeeded as caliph, he demanded that Husayn swear allegiance. Husayn considered Yazid unfit for Islamic leadership and refused, leaving Medina for Iraq to seek support among followers in Kufa.
2. 680Karbala · IraqHusayn arrived at Karbala with his family and a small band of supporters; the promised reinforcements from Kufa never came. Umayyad commander Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad dispatched Umar ibn Sa'd with an army to encircle them, cut off the water supply, and force Husayn to surrender or fight.
3. 680Karbala · IraqOn 10 Muharram (Ashura), Husayn refused a humiliating surrender and fought with his vastly outnumbered followers, nearly all of whom were killed; Husayn himself was slain. The massacre shocked the Islamic world, becoming a symbol of Shia faith and martyrdom, and ignited anti-Umayyad uprisings across the region.