 When Uthman was assassinated in 656, Ali ibn Abi Talib, a cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad, assumed the position of caliph and moved the capital to Kufa in Iraq.Muawiyah I, the governor of Syria, and Marwan I demanded arrest of the culprits.Marwan I manipulated every one and created conflict, which resulted in the first civil war (the "First Fitna").