The Uthmaniyya (Arabic: عُثْمَانيَّة, romanized: ʿUthmāniyya) were adherents of several political and doctrinal views regarding the third caliph, Uthman (r. 644–656), which originated in the aftermath of his assassination in 656. The earliest Uthmaniyya held that Uthman was a legitimate caliph and his murder was unjust, whereas his successor, Ali (r. 656–661), having been complicit in the act, was an illegitimate caliph who seized power without consultation. Although not all of them were Umayyad supporters, they undermined Ali's caliphate through several revolts. In the 8th century, pro-Uthman opinion gained momentum among religious scholars, who considered only Abu Bakr (r. 632–634), Umar (r. 634–644), and Uthman as legitimate caliphs, but discouraged rebellion against authorities, preferring peace and unity over morally correct caliphs. They were absorbed by the Sunnis in the 9th century, who recognised both Uthman and Ali as rashidun ('rightly-guided') caliphs. Although pro-Umayyad Uthmaniyya persisted for some time, they virtually disappeared after the 10th century.
