The Encyclopedia Americana (1920)/Abd Allah ibn Zubair

ABD ALLAH IBN ZUBAIR, ’bn′zoo′bėr, Moslem Caliph: b. 622: d. 692. He was the son of Zubair, nephew of Mohammed, the Prophet, and the grandson of Abu Bekr. After the death of Husain he had himself proclaimed caliph by the people of Mecca in 681, taking the title of Amir al Muminin. Soon he was attacked by the armies of Yazid and was besieged in Mecca. Yazid’s death, however, in 683, put an end to the siege, and Irak, Arabia, and the greater part of Syria recognized Abd Allah as caliph. But presently Abd al Malik renewed the war and again laid siege to Mecca. After a long resistance the city finally fell in 692, and Abd Allah was slain.