|
||
Profile:
Name: Umayyad
Arabic: al-dawlah al-Umawiyyah
Founded: 661 (41 AH)
Ended: 750 (132 AH)
Capital Established at Damascus: 661 (41 AH)
Founder:
Founder: Umar ibn al-Khattab
Born: c. 586 in Mecca, Arabia
Died: November 3, 644 (23 AH) in Medina, Arabia
Conversion to Islam: 618
Caliph: 634 - 644
Definition:
This was the name given to the first dynasty of ruling caliphs
(khalifah),
starting in 661 and lasting until 750. It was established in Damascus by Muawiya, the
nephew of Uthman, after a fierce rivalry with Ali, the fourth and last of the
"rightly guided caliphs" who was also the son-in-law and adopted son of
Muhammad.
From Damascus, Muawiya moved outwards and conquered Muslim enemies to the east, south, and west. Muawiyah created a professional army and, although rigorous in training them, won the undying loyalty of his troops for his generous and regularly paid salaries. Heir to Syrian shipyards built by the Byzantines, he established the caliphate's first navy. He also conceived and established an efficient government, including a comptroller of finance and a postal system.
Muawiyah cultivated the goodwill of Christians by recruiting them for the army at double pay, by appointing Christians to many high offices, and by appointing his son by his Christian wife as his successor. By 732 the dynasty he founded had conquered Spain and Tours in France and stretched east to Samarkand and Kabul, far exceeding the greatest boundaries of the Roman Empire.
The Umayyads were eventually defeated and replaced by the Abbasids in Baghdad, but a branch of their family survived and prospered in Spain for centuries.
Also Known As: none
Alternate Spellings: none
Common Misspellings: none
Related Resources:
What is Islam?
What is Islam? What do Muslims believe? Where did Islam come from? What is jihad? Find the answers to these questions and more in our Islam FAQ.
