Marwan fought in the battle of al-Jamal in 'A'ishah's army against 'Ali and when Mu'awiyah became caliph, he made Marwan governor of Medina, Mecca and at-Ta'if, but dismissed him from this post in the year 48 of the Hijrah, and replaced him by Sa'id ibn Abi al-'As.
When Mu'awiyah ibn Yazid ibn Mu'awiyah died in ash-Sham and did not appoint anyone as his successor, a number of people in ash-Sham showed allegiance to Marwan, while ad-Dahhak ibn Qays al-Fahri and his friends in ash-Sham showed allegiance to 'Abd Allah ibn az-Zubayr. Consequently fighting took place between Marwan and ad-Dahhak at Maraj Rahit of Damascus in which ad-Dahhak was killed and ash-Sham and Egypt came under the control of Marwan, and he married the wife of Yazid ibn Mu'awiyah, Khalid's mother, in order to bring everything under his complete domination.
One day Marwan was angry with Khalid and insulted him with a very obscene word about his mother. Khalid said to him:"You are a trusted traitor!" and complained of him to his mother and reported what had happened. She was very angry at this insult to herself, and said to her son: "Keep this to yourself, and particularly let not Marwan know that you have reported it to me.
Then in order to punish Marwan, she held a private session with her maids, and after divulging her plan, she made them her accomplice, and sat down waiting. When Marwan came in, Khalid's mother and her maids rushed upon him and knocked him down. Then she picked up a pillow and placed it on his mouth and sat down on it until he died.
Historians have written that Marwan is one of the few people who have been killed by women.(193) A description of his thought and beliefs, will be given in later chapters for the reader to judge.