Umayyad Dynasty

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Banu Umayyah whose name derives from Umayya ibn Abd Shams, the great-grandfather of the first Umayyad caliph, was the first dynasty of the Muslim Caliphate, 660–750. The Umayyad Arab Caliphate is historically the fifth largest empire, the third largest contiguous empire and the third largest empire by percentage of world population (29.5%). Damascus was the capital.

Origins
According to tradition, the Umayyad family (also known as the the Banu Abd-Shams) and the Islamic Prophet Muhammad (SAW) both descended from a common ancestor, Abd Manaf ibn Qusai. Muhammad (SAW) descended from Abd Munaf via his son Hashim, while the Umayyads descended from Abd Munaf via a different son, Abd-Shams, whose son was Umayya. The two families are therefore considered to be different clans (those of Hashim and of Umayya, respectively) of the same tribe (that of the Quraish). However Shia Islam believes that Umayya was the adopted son of Abd Munaf and so because of no direct blood relation he cannot be linked with Banu Hashim.

The Umayyads and the Hashimites were bitter rivals. The rivalry stemmed from the initial opposition of Abu Sufyan ibn Harb, the grandson of Umayya, to Muhammad (SAW) and to Islam. Abu Sufyan sought to exterminate the adherents of the new religion by waging a series of battles. However, he eventually embraced Islam, as did his son (the future caliph Muawiyah I), and the two provided much-needed political and diplomatic skills for the management of the quickly expanding Islamic empire.

Most historians consider Caliph Muawiyah I (661-80) to have been the second ruler of the Umayyad dynasty, as he was the first to assert the Umayyads' right to rule on a dynastic principle. Caliph Uthman (644-56) was also descended from Umayya, and during his time had been criticized for placing members of his family within political positions. However, since Uthman never named an heir, he cannot be considered the founder of a dynasty.

The origins of Umayyad rule date back to the assassination of Uthman in 656. At this time Ali (R A), a member of the Hashim clan and a cousin of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), became the caliph. He soon met with resistance from several factions, and moved his capital from Medina to Kufa. The resulting conflict, which lasted from 656 until 661, is known as the First Fitna ("time of trial").

Ali was first opposed by an alliance led by Aisha(R A), the widow of Muhammad (SAW), and Talhah(RA) and Al-Zubayr(RA), two of the Companions of the Prophet(SAW). The two sides clashed at the Battle of the Camel in 656, where Ali (R A)won a decisive victory.

Following the Battle of the Camel, Muawiyah, who had become governor of Syria, accused Ali of harboring the assassins of Uthman and demanded that they be handed over. The armies of Muawiyah and Ali (R A) met at the Battle of Siffin in 657. For reasons that remain obscure, the battle was stopped before either side had achieved victory, and the two parties agreed to arbitrate their dispute. Both the terms and the result of the arbitration, however, are subjects of contradictory and sometimes confused reports.

Following the battle, a large group of Ali(R A)'s soldiers, who resented his decision to submit the dispute to arbitration, broke away from Ali (R A)'s force, rallying under the slogan, "arbitration belongs to God alone." This group came to be known as the Kharijites ("those who leave").

In 659 Ali(RA)'s forces and the Kharijites met in the Battle of Nahrawan. Although Ali (RA)won the battle, the constant conflict had begun to affect his standing, and in the following years some Syrians seem to have acclaimed Muawiyah as a rival caliph.

Ali (RA)was assassinated in 661, apparently by a Kharijite partisan. Muawiyah marched to Kufa, where he persuaded a number of Ali(R A)'s supporters to acclaim him as caliph instead of Ali(RA)'s son, Hasan(RA). Following his elevation, Muawiyah moved the capital of the caliphate to Damascus. Syria would remain the base of Umayyad power until the end of the dynasty.

History of the Umayyad Caliphate
Muawiyah's personal dynasty, the "Sufyanids" (descendants of Abu Sufyan), reigned from 661 to 684, until his grandson Muawiya II. The reign of Muawiyah I was marked by internal security and external expansion. On the internal front, only one major rebellion is recorded, that of Hujr ibn Adi in Kufa. Hujr ibn Adi supported the claims of the descendants of Ali (RA)to the caliphate, but his movement was easily suppressed by the governor of Iraq, Ziyad ibn Abi Sufyan.


with the Christian communities of Syria, and one of his closest advisers was Sarjun, the father of John of Damascus. At the same time, he waged unceasing war against the Byzantine Empire. During his reign, Rhodes and Crete were occupied, and several assaults were launched against Constantinople. Muawiyah also oversaw military expansion in North Africa (the foundation of Kairouan) and in Central Asia (the conquest of Kabul, Bukhara, and Samarkand).

Following Muawiyah's death in 680, he was succeeded by his son, Yazid I. The hereditary accession of Yazid was opposed by a number of prominent Muslims, most notably Abd-Allah ibn al-Zubayr, son of one of the Companions of the Prophet(SAW), and Husaain ibn Ali, grandson of the Prophet(SAW) and younger son of Ali (RA). The resulting conflict is known as the Second Fitna.

In 680 Ibn al-Zubayr and Husayn fled Medina for Makkah. While Ibn al-Zubayr would stay in Makkah until his death, Husaain (RA)decided to travel on to Kufa to rally support. However, an Umayyad army intercepted and routed his party at the Battle of Karbala.

Following the death of Husain (RA), Ibn al-Zubayr, although remaining in Makkah, was associated with two opposition movements, one centered in Medina and the other around Kharijites in Basra and Arabia. In 683, Yazid dispatched an army to subdue both. This army suppressed the Medinese opposition at the Battle of al-Harra, and continued on to lay siege to Makkah. At some point during the siege, the Kaaba was badly damaged in a fire. The destruction of the Kaaba became a major cause for censure of the Umayyads in later histories of the period.

Yazid died while the siege was still in progress, and the Umayyad army returned to Damascus, leaving Ibn al-Zubayr in control of Mecca. Yazid was succeeded at first by his son, Muawiya II (683-84), but he seems never to have been recognized as caliph outside of Syria. Two factions developed within Syria: the Confederation of Qays, who supported Ibn al-Zubayr, and the Quda'a, who supported Marwan, a descendant of Umayya via Wa'il ibn Umayyah. The partisans of Marwan triumphed at a battle at Marj Rahit, near Damascus, in 684, and Marwan became caliph shortly thereafter.

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Umayyad period (661-750)

It has taken Damascus (Syria) as the capital of its government. During this period the Islamic nation has been enlarged to include India and to be extended from china in the east to south France in the west. Its government has stayed for almost a century. The Umayyad period has gained development in all fields. This period has been dropped by the Abbasids in 750.

Abbasid period (749-1258)

It has been established by (Abu el Abbas) after long efforts to drop the Umayyad government. (Abu el Abbas) has transported the center of government to kufa in Iraq and he dominated all the properties of the Umayyad. It has governed for six centuries as the queen of the ancient world. One of its famous caliphs was (Haroun el Rasheed) who devoted himself for going on a pilgrimage in a year and for opening new countries in the name of Allah in the next year consequently. During this period all sciences and arts flourished. Observatories and translation centers have been established. Muslim scientists defined the latitude and measure the perimeter of the globe. They were also skilled in all branches of medicine. This period has found its end by tartars and its scientific and cultural treasures completely.


Andalousian period (710-1491)

After the decline of Umayyad period in the east (Abdel Rahman el Dakhel) could escape to Spain where he founded the andalousian state in 710. Muslims have governed there for 8 centuries and have even reached South France. This period found its end in 1491.

Fatimid period (968-1171)

It was founded in Egypt in 968 by (El Moez le din Allah). The fatimids took Egypt from the hands of Abbasids after long fighting. They governed parts of El Sham, North Africa and the coasts of the Red Sea. It found its end in the year 1171.


Ottoman period (1299-1924)

Its origins goes back to the Turkish tribes that lived in the north of Caspian Sea .it was named after its founder (Ottoman Ortoghol) in 1299. the ottomans enlarged their nation by occupying the capital of the Byzantine and turning it into a capital of their own empire with the name of (Islambul) which means the city of Islam, this name has been later changed to be (Istanbul). The ottomans penetrated in Europe and opened the Balkan, Sarajevo, Cyprus and more. The ottomans were skilled in the arts of fighting and they were the first to invent canons and to use it in their battles.