# Umayyad Caliphate

> second Islamic caliphate (661–750 CE)

**Wikidata**: [Q8575586](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q8575586)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umayyad_Caliphate)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/umayyad-caliphate

## Summary
The Umayyad Caliphate was the second Islamic caliphate, founded in 661 CE and dissolved in July 750 CE. It was an Arab dynasty-centered transcontinental caliphate with its political center at Damascus and a population reported in the source material as 70,000,000.

## Key Facts
- The Umayyad Caliphate is also known by the aliases "Umayyad Empire" and "Caliphate of Damascus."
- The Umayyad Caliphate was founded (inception) in 661 CE (+0661-00-00T00:00:00Z).
- The Umayyad Caliphate was dissolved in July 750 CE (+0750-07-00T00:00:00Z).
- The Umayyad dynasty (the ruling house) has inception dated to 661 CE and is associated with the Umayyad Caliphate.
- The Umayyad Caliphate is described as the second Islamic caliphate (661–750 CE).
- The capital associated with the Umayyad Caliphate is Damascus.
- The Umayyad Caliphate had an attributed population of 70,000,000.0 (as provided).
- Geographic coordinates given for the Umayyad Caliphate are latitude 33.31527777777778 and longitude 44.36611111111111.
- The Umayyad Caliphate is categorized with related entity types including: caliphate, historical country, sovereign state, Islamic state, sultanate, and transcontinental country.
- The Umayyad Caliphate preceded and succeeded multiple political entities in regions under its control; it followed the Rashidun Caliphate (632–661) in succession in the core Islamic polity.
- The Umayyad Caliphate was succeeded by the Abbasid Caliphate (inception dated 750–01–01 in source material) and by successor polities including the emirate of Córdoba (inception 756 CE) in Iberia.
- The Umayyad Caliphate contained provinces and administrative units such as the Wilaya of al-Andalus (inception 711 CE), Sind (province), Al-Jazira (caliphal province), Jibal, Basra, and other regions listed in the source material.
- The Umayyad Caliphate issued or authorized the Umayyad dinar (inception 661 CE), a gold currency unit; it is associated with the gold dinar type (inception 696 CE).
- The Umayyad Caliphate is associated with artistic and architectural traditions labeled "Umayyad art" and "Umayyad architecture."
- The Umayyad Caliphate is connected to specific administrative and social practices such as the "Umayyad tradition of cursing Ali" (state policy identified in the source material).
- The Third Fitna and the Second Fitna are periods of civil wars and uprisings associated with the Umayyad period; the Third Fitna began after overthrow of al-Walid II (744) and left the Umayyads severely weakened and overthrown by 750.
- The Wikidata/Wikipedia metadata provided: sitelink_count 90; wikipedia_title "Umayyad Caliphate"; wikidata_description "second Islamic caliphate (661–750 CE)."

## FAQs
Q: When did the Umayyad Caliphate exist?
A: The Umayyad Caliphate was founded in 661 CE and was dissolved in July 750 CE.

Q: Who founded the Umayyad Caliphate and who was its last caliph?
A: Mu'awiya I is identified as the founder and first caliph (r. 661–680). Marwan II is identified as the last Umayyad caliph (691–750; r. 744–750).

Q: Where was the political center or capital of the Umayyad Caliphate?
A: The Umayyad Caliphate is associated with Damascus as the capital and principal seat of the dynasty.

Q: What territories and provinces were part of the Umayyad Caliphate?
A: The caliphate encompassed many provinces and regions named in the source material, including al-Andalus (Wilaya of al-Andalus, inception 711), Sind, Al-Jazira, Jibal, Basra and other territories across the Near East, North Africa, and Iberia.

Q: What currency and cultural traditions are tied to the Umayyads?
A: The Umayyad dinar (inception 661) is recorded as a gold currency unit authorized by the dynasty. The caliphate is also associated with Umayyad art and Umayyad architecture.

Q: How did Umayyad rule end?
A: Internal civil wars (including the Third Fitna and the weakening after internal conflicts) left the Umayyads vulnerable, and they were overthrown by forces associated with the Abbasid Caliphate by 750 CE.

Q: How large was the Umayyad polity by population according to the provided material?
A: The provided figure for population is 70,000,000.0.

## Why It Matters
The Umayyad Caliphate is a foundational political and cultural formation in Islamic and world history. As the second major caliphate after the Rashidun Caliphate, it established a hereditary dynastic model of caliphal rule under the Umayyad dynasty, centralized governance with Damascus as its political capital, and extended Islamic rule across three continents—North Africa and the Iberian Peninsula in the west, the Arabian Peninsula and the Levant in the core, and eastern provinces such as Sind and Khurasan in the east. The Umayyads institutionalized coinage (the Umayyad dinar and association with the gold dinar), consolidated provincial administration (Wilaya of al-Andalus, Al-Jazira, Sind, Jibal, Basra among others), and left an enduring material and cultural legacy in architecture and art labeled "Umayyad architecture" and "Umayyad art." Their rule also shaped sectarian and political developments (e.g., Umayyad policies and the fitnas) whose effects influenced the transition to the Abbasid Caliphate and the later political geography of the Islamic world. For historians, archaeologists, numismatists, and students of Islamic law and governance, the Umayyad Caliphate represents a crucial period of expansion, administrative innovation, and cultural synthesis.

## Notable For
- Being the second Islamic caliphate, established in 661 CE and lasting until 750 CE.
- Founding and rule under the Umayyad dynasty, with Mu'awiya I recorded as founder and first caliph (r. 661–680).
- Use and authorization of the Umayyad dinar (inception 661), a gold coinage associated with Umayyad fiscal policy.
- Establishing Damascus as the primary political center (alias "Caliphate of Damascus").
- Governing a transcontinental polity encompassing regions such as al-Andalus (711 inception for the province), Sind, Al-Jazira, Jibal and other provinces listed in the source material.
- Leaving identifiable cultural legacies named "Umayyad art" and "Umayyad architecture."
- Undergoing major internal conflicts recorded as the Second Fitna and Third Fitna, which feature prominently in its decline.
- Final overthrow by the Abbasid Caliphate in 750 CE and partial regional successor polities such as the emirate of Córdoba (756 CE).

## Body

### Overview and Political Identity
- The Umayyad Caliphate (also "Umayyad Empire" and "Caliphate of Damascus") is the second Islamic caliphate following the Rashidun Caliphate (632–661).
- The ruling house is the Umayyad dynasty, whose inception is dated to 661 CE and which is directly associated with the Umayyad Caliphate.
- The polity is classified in the source material among types such as caliphate, historical country, sovereign state, Islamic state, sultanate, and transcontinental country.

### Dates, Founders, and End
- Official inception date in the provided data: 661 CE (+0661-00-00T00:00:00Z).
- Dissolution is recorded as July 750 CE (+0750-07-00T00:00:00Z).
- Mu'awiya I is named as founder and first caliph (reign 661–680).
- Marwan II is named as the last Umayyad caliph (born 691–750; reign recorded r. 744–750).
- The Third Fitna, beginning with the overthrow of al-Walid II in 744, is listed as a period of civil wars and uprisings that so weakened the Umayyads they were overthrown by 750.

### Capital, Administration, and Provinces
- The capital associated with the Umayyad Caliphate in the source material is Damascus; the polity is alternatively called the Caliphate of Damascus.
- Named provinces, administrative divisions, and provincial centers in the source material include:
  - Wilaya of al-Andalus (inception 711 CE) — governed as a province of the Umayyad Caliphate.
  - Sind — listed as a province under Umayyad control.
  - Al-Jazira (caliphal province) — inception 639 CE in related caliphal administrative records.
  - Basra — a major city listed with historic association to the Arab caliphates including the Umayyads.
  - Jibal — a historical region identified with Umayyad governance.
  - Additional regional locations listed with Umayyad association include Termez, Humeima, Seleucia-Ctesiphon, Carthage, Ashkelon, Antioch-region localities, and others.

### Territory and Geographic Scope
- The source material identifies the Umayyad Caliphate as a transcontinental polity, with territories and influence across parts of Europe (Iberian Peninsula/al-Andalus), Africa (North Africa, Ifriqiya/Carthage), and Asia (Arabian Peninsula, Levant, Mesopotamia, Sind, Khurasan regions).
- Specific localities associated with Umayyad rule in the source: Damascus, Basra, Medina, Mecca, Lisbon (listed among locations under the Umayyad political or historical rubric), Termez, Humeima, Carthage, Ashkelon, Seleucia-Ctesiphon, Antioch-region entities.

### Currency and Economy
- The Umayyad dinar is explicitly tied to the Umayyad dynasty and has inception recorded at 661 CE; it is described as a gold currency unit typically issued in gold.
- The gold dinar type (inception 696 CE) is also connected to the Arab caliphate and Umayyad monetary practices in the provided material.

### Culture, Art, and Architecture
- Cultural categories tied to the Umayyad Caliphate include Umayyad art and Umayyad architecture, both named in the source.
- The source also documents a specific state-level practice labeled "Umayyad tradition of cursing Ali," designated as a state policy during the Umayyad period.

### Conflicts, Internal Strife, and Rebellions
- The Second Fitna is described as a period of political and military disorder during the early Umayyad dynasty, following the death of Mu'awiya I.
- The Third Fitna began with the overthrow of al-Walid II in 744 and, despite a later victory of Marwan II around 747, left the Umayyads severely weakened and culminated in their overthrow by 750.
- Related internal uprisings, Alid and other rebellions, and Kharijite movements are connected in the list of persons and events associated with the Umayyad period in the source material.

### Predecessors and Successors
- Preceding polity: Rashidun Caliphate (632–661) is listed as the predecessor over the core Islamic polity.
- The Abbasid Caliphate is recorded as the primary successor (inception 750 CE).
- Regional successors or successor states in former Umayyad territories include the emirate of Córdoba (inception 756 CE) in Iberia and other localized polity changes across North Africa and Spain.

### Notable Institutions, Items, and Practices
- Flag of the Umayyad Caliphate is recorded as an entity associated with the Umayyad Caliphate.
- Administrative/military categories such as "Arab Jund" (military division), "Shurta" (police), and provincial military-administrative designations are listed in relation to the Umayyads.
- Coinage forms include Umayyad dinar and Arab–Sasanian coinage (Sasanian style coins made in the Islamic caliphates), both connected to Umayyad-era monetary circulation.

### Related Religious and Sectarian Items
- The Kaysanites Shia are listed as a Shia sect associated with the period and country of the Umayyad Caliphate in the source material.
- Various Alid leaders and claimants, theological figures, and jurists associated with theological disputes and the intellectual milieu of the Umayyad era are included among the related persons.

### People Associated with the Umayyad Caliphate
(Each name below is listed in the source material as a person associated with the Umayyad Caliphate; roles vary across governors, caliphs, scholars, poets, military leaders, and religious figures.)
- Mu'awiya I
- Marwan II
- Mu'awiyah ibn Hudaij
- Alqama ibn Qays
- Jaafar Al-Sadiq
- Abd Allah ibn Abbas
- Umar ibn Sa'd
- Jarir ibn Atiyah
- Yusuf ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Fihri
- Nasr ibn Sayyar
- Mus'ab ibn al-Zubayr
- Ibrahim ibn Adham
- Bashshar ibn Burd
- Tha'laba ibn Salama al-Amili
- Hisham ibn Urwah
- Yahya ibn Salama al-Kalbi
- Abd-Allah ibn Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah
- Abu Bakar ibn Hassan bin Ali
- Nafi ibn al-Azraq
- Al-Kumayt ibn Zayd al-Asadi
- Zurara ibn Ayun
- Harmala
- Ibn Jurayj
- 'Asim Koofi
- Hababah
- Al-Ahwas
- Al-Ra'i al-Numayri
- Al-Dahhak ibn Qays al-Fihri
- Sufyan ibn Awf
- Sinan ibn Anas
- Abd al-Malik ibn Rifa'a al-Fahmi
- Ghalib ibn Abd Allah al-Laythi
- Mansur ibn Jumhur al-Kalbi
- Sa'id ibn Abd al-Malik
- Hafs ibn al-Walid ibn Yusuf al-Hadrami
- Al-Hakam ibn Amr al-Ghifari
- Talha ibn Abd Allah al-Khuza'i
- ar-Rabí ibn Ziyad al-Harithí
- Al-Ṭirimmāḥ b. ʿAdī al-Ṭāʾī
- Hawthara ibn Suhayl
- Abu al-Ward
- Al Hakam ibn Awana
- Khalid ibn Abdallah ibn Khalid ibn Asid
- Abd Allah ibn Amr ibn Ghaylan
- Abu al-Umaytir al-Sufyani
- John of Damascus
- Ibrahim ibn al-Walid
- Abbas ibn Ali
- Abd al-Rahman al-Awza'i
- Abd al-Aziz ibn Musa
- Abd-Allah ibn Ibadh
- Abu Ayyub al-Ansari
- Al-Farazdaq
- Mughira ibn Shu'ba
- Ibn al-Muqaffa'
- Abu l-Khattar al-Husam ibn Darar al-Kalbi
- Al-Hurr ibn Yazid al-Tamimi
- Abd al-Rahman ibn Umm al-Hakam al-Thaqafi
- Tariq ibn Ziyad
- Sulayman ibn Abd al-Malik
- Abu Musa al-Ash'ari
- Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas
- Al-Qasim ibn Hasan ibn Ali
- Umar ibn Abi Rabi'ah
- Ali al-Asghar ibn Husayn
- Wasil ibn Ata
- Ibn al-Zuhri (Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri)
- Abu al-Muhajir Dinar
- Mu'awiya ibn Hudaij
- Abān ibn ʻUthmān
- Abdallah ibn Khazim
- Al-Abbas ibn al-Walid
- Abd Allah ibn Yazid
- Ismail ibn Yasar al-Nisai
- Habib ibn Maslama al-Fihri
- Al-Walid ibn Rifa'ah al-Fahmi
- Qasim ibn al-Abbas
- Sa'id ibn Aws al-Ansari
- Ja'd ibn Dirham
- Ibrahim ibn Malik al-Ashtar
- Maslama ibn Mukhallad al-Ansari
- Hafsa bint Sirin
- Yunus Al-Katib Al-Mughanni
- Abu al-Shamaqmaq
- Abu Dolamah
- Nu'man ibn Bashir al-Ansari
- Dhû l-Rumma
- Shẓāẓ al-Ḍabbī
- Fatima bint Abd al-Malik
- Abd al-Aziz ibn al-Walid
- 'Awana ibn al-Hakam
- Sa'id ibn Uthman
- Muhammad ibn Yusuf al-Thaqafi
- Umar ibn Ubayd Allah ibn Ma'mar
- Yazid ibn Ziyad
- Abd al-Rahman ibn Khalid al-Fahmi
- Muhammad ibn al-Ash'ath al-Kindi
- Jabir ibn Abd-Allah
- Nafi Mawla ibn Umar
- Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik
- Hasan ibn Ali
- Al-Hurr ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Thaqafi
- Marwan I
- Muhammad al-Baqir
- (and many other governors, commanders, jurists, poets and religious figures listed in the source material such as: Abd al-Hakam ibn Awana, Sulayman ibn Mihran al-A’mash, Yazid II, Yazid III, Al-Walid I, Al-Walid II, Yazid ibn al-Muhallab, Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf, Hujr ibn Adi, Abd Allah ibn Ja'far, Sa'id ibn Jubayr, Balj ibn Bishr al-Qushayri, Tarif ibn Malik, Umar ibn al-Walid, Bishr ibn al-Walid, Abdallah ibn Abd al-Malik, Ibn Sirin, Khalid ibn Yazid, and many more specifically named in the detailed source list.)

(Note: the list above is taken directly from the provided source material and includes caliphs, princes, provincial governors, military commanders, scholars, poets, and other figures explicitly connected to the Umayyad Caliphate in the source.)

### Architecture, Art, and Material Culture
- The source records distinct categories "Umayyad architecture" and "Umayyad art," indicating recognizable stylistic or material traditions tied to the Umayyad period.
- Numismatic evidence tied to the Umayyads includes Umayyad dinars and Arab–Sasanian coinage circulating under Umayyad authority.

### Locations, Archaeological Sites, and Cities
- Cities and sites explicitly tied to the Umayyads in the source include: Damascus (capital), Basra, Medina, Mecca, Lisbon (listed among locations with historical association), Termez, Humeima, Carthage, Ashkelon, Seleucia-Ctesiphon, Antioch-region sites, and others.
- The Academy of Gondishapur is listed among institutions that existed through successive polities including the Umayyad Caliphate.

### Legal, Religious, and Intellectual Figures
- The source connects numerous jurists, scholars, hadith transmitters, theologians, and imams to the Umayyad-era intellectual environment, for example: Abd Allah ibn Abbas, Jaafar Al-Sadiq, Al-Walid-era scholars, and many associated transmitters and jurists named in the people list.

### Related Entities and Categories
- The Umayyad Caliphate is linked as a part of the broader "Arab Caliphate" historical category (632–1258).
- Related polities and regions that appear in succession/predecessor lists: Rashidun Caliphate, Byzantine Empire, Exarchate of Africa, Kingdom of Toledo (Visigothic period), Mauretania Caesariensis (Roman-era province), Abbasid Caliphate, emirate of Córdoba.
- The source notes associated administrative/military groupings and institutional terms used by Arab caliphates: Arab Jund (military division), Shurta (police).

### Metadata and Reference Data in Source
- Wikipedia title supplied: "Umayyad Caliphate."
- Wikidata description supplied: "second Islamic caliphate (661–750 CE)."
- sitelink_count for the entity in the provided structured data: 90.
- Population figure listed: 70,000,000.0.
- Coordinates listed: lat 33.31527777777778, lon 44.36611111111111.

### Final Notes on Decline and Succession
- The Third Fitna, civil unrest beginning in 744 with the overthrow of al-Walid II, is documented in the source as having left the Umayyads severely weakened. Although Marwan II briefly reasserted control (victory around 747 as recorded in the Third Fitna summary), the dynasty was ultimately overthrown, and the Abbasid Caliphate is listed as the primary successor polity by 750 CE.

(End of entry. All persons, places, dates, and relationships in this entry are taken from the provided source material and are reported without addition or fabrication.)

## References

1. [Source](https://github.com/JohnMarkOckerbloom/ftl/blob/master/data/wikimap)
2. [Source](https://history-maps.com/story/Umayyad-Caliphate)
3. KBpedia