section_path: Caliphate/Battle of Siffin
section_name: Battle of Siffin
paragraph_text: Battle of Siffin
  
  Mu'awiya, the incumbent governor of Syria, was deemed corrupt and unfit by Ali, who wrote to and removed him from his post. In turn, Mu'awiya, as Uthman's cousin, launched a propaganda campaign across Syria, blaming Ali for the regicide and calling for revenge. Mu'awiya also joined forces with Amr ibn al-As, a military strategist, who pledged to back the Umayyads against Ali in return for life-long governorship of Egypt. Yet Mu'awiya also secretly offered to recognize the caliphate of Ali in return for Syria and Egypt, which Ali rejected. Mu'awiya then formally declared war, charging Ali with regicide, demanding his removal, and a Syrian council thereafter to elect the next caliph. Contemporary authors tend to view Mu'awiya's call for revenge as a pretext for a power grab.