What did the Umayyad Caliphate conquer?

The Umayyads continued the Muslim conquests, incorporating the Transoxiana, Sindh, the Maghreb and the Iberian Peninsula (Al-Andalus) under Islamic rule. At its greatest extent, the Umayyad Caliphate covered 11,100,000 km2 (4,300,000 sq mi), making it one of the largest empires in history in terms of area.

How much lands did the Umayyads conquer?

The Sufyānids, notably Muʿāwiyah I (reigned 661–680), centralized caliphal authority in Damascus. The Syrian army became the basis of Umayyad strength, enabling the creation of a united empire through greater control of the conquered provinces and of Arab tribal rivalries.

What lands did the Umayyads conquer?

The Islamic Caliphate became one of the largest unitary states in history, and one of the few states to ever extend direct rule over three continents (Africa, Europe, and Asia). The Umayyads incorporated the Caucasus, Transoxiana, Sindh, the Maghreb, and the Iberian Peninsula (Al-Andalus) into the Muslim world.

How far did the Umayyad Caliphate spread?

The borders of the Umayyad Caliphate spread nearly 6,000 miles from the Indus River in Asia to the Iberian Peninsula (modern day Spain).

Where did the Umayyad caliphate dynasty move the Islamic capital to?

Damascus
Umayyad dynasty, (661–750) First great Muslim dynasty. It was founded by Muʿāwiyah I, who triumphed over the Prophet Muhammad’s son-in-law, ʿAlī, to become the fifth caliph. He moved the capital from Medina to Damascus and used the Syrian army to extend the Arab empire.

How did the Umayyad caliphate conquered the Maghreb?

In 740, Umayyad rule in the region was shaken by a major Berber revolt. After a series of defeats, the caliphate was finally able to crush the rebellion in 742, although local Berber dynasties continued to drift away from imperial control from that time on.

Where did the Umayyad Caliphate dynasty move the Islamic capital to?

What caliphate came before the Umayyad Caliphate?

The first successor to Muhammad was Caliph Abu Bakr. Today, historians call the first Caliphate the Rashidun Caliphate. The Rashidun Caliphate consisted of the First Four Caliphs of the Islamic Empire.

How did the Umayyad Caliphate fall?

Seeing the weaknesses of the Umayyads, they declared a revolt in 747. With the help of a coalition of Persians, Iraqis, and Shīʿites, they put an end to the Umayyad dynasty with a victory against them at the Battle of the Great Zab River in 750.

Why did the Umayyads move the capital?

The origins of Umayyad rule date back to the assassination of Uthman in 656. When Ali was assassinated in 661, Muawiyah marched to Kufa. There he persuaded a number of Ali’s supporters to accept him as caliph instead of Ali’s son, Hasan. Then he moved the capital of the caliphate to Damascus.

How did the Umayyad Caliphate rise?

The Umayyad Caliphate, which emerged after the Rashidun Caliphate collapsed, was characterized by hereditary elections and territory expansion. The Umayyad Caliphate became one of the largest unitary states in history and one of the few states to ever extend direct rule over three continents.

How did the Umayyad caliphs conquer Europe?

The conquest marks the westernmost expansion of both the Umayyad Caliphate and Muslim rule into Europe. During the caliphate of the Umayyad Caliph Al-Walid I, forces led by Tariq ibn Ziyad disembarked in early 711 in Gibraltar at the head of an army consisting of Berbers (north-western Africa).

Why was the Umayyad dynasty more of a kingdom than a caliphate?

Some historians consider the Umayyad dynasty as more of a “kingdom” than a Caliphate because their rulers were hereditary rather than elected. The Caliph Yazid (son of Muawiya I) had Hussein (the son of Ali, the famous fourth caliph) killed when Hussein refused to take an oath of loyalty to the Umayyads.

Were there Christians in the Umayyad Caliphate?

Umayyad Caliphate. Prominent positions were held by Christians, some of whom belonged to families that had served in Byzantine governments. The employment of Christians was part of a broader policy of religious assimilation that was necessitated by the presence of large Christian populations in the conquered provinces, as in Syria.

How did the Abbasid Caliphate rise to power?

In 750, the Abbasids, a rival clan to the Umayyads, rose to power and overthrew the Umayyad Caliphate. They took control and formed the Abbasid Caliphate which would rule much of the Islamic world for the next several hundred years.