Reasons for the Fall of the Umayyad Dynasty

Umayyad Caliphate was the second Muslim Caliphate that emerged after Rashidun Caliphate. However, it is commonly known as Umayyad Dynasty due to its centralization on the Umayyad clan of the Quraysh tribe of Makkah. 

At its peak, the Umayyad Dynasty ruled the Middle East, North Africa, the Iberian Peninsula, Persia, and Central Asia. It makes it the largest Muslim dynasty and one of the largest empires in human history. Umayyad Caliphate also kept the unity of the Islamic Caliphate as more than one Muslim dynasty appeared soon after the fall of the Umayyad Dynasty.

But despite these prominent political and military achievements, Umayyad Dynasty could only last for around 90 years. The Abbasids took the throne from them in 750 AD (Later, Umayyad ruled the Iberian Peninsula from 756 to 1031 AD).

Fall of Umayyad Dynasty - Main Reasons

Surprisingly, such a vast and politically powerful umpire could only last 90 years. There are several reasons behind the fall of the Umayyad Dynasty. Some of these are unfortunate, while others happened due to political mistakes by the Umayyads.

Battle of Karbala

The first Umayyad caliph Muawiya bin Abi Sufyan (RA) appointed his son Yazid bin Muawiya as the new ruler of the Caliphate. This appointment was rejected by prominent sahaba, as many people viewed it as against the principles of Islam. The grandson of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), Hussain bin Ali (RA), was among those who opposed this decision. Yazid tried to take an oath of allegiance from him, which resulted in Hussain’s martyrdom in the Battle of Karbala. 

Due to the assassination of the Prophet’s grandson at the hands of an Umayyad ruler, many Muslims turned against the rule of the Umayyads. The Shia and Abbasids used it as propaganda against the Umayyads. It later proved to be a key reason for the fall of the Umayyad dynasty. The battle of Karbala increased hatred between Muslims and is considered a leading factor behind the Sunni-Shia conflict in the Muslim world. 

Shia and Kharijite

Shiites believe that only the members of the Prophet’s family have the right to rule over Muslims. On the other hand, the Kharijites had an anarchist ideology. Both these groups had different doctrines, but their hostility toward the Umayyads was similar.

They fought against almost every Umayyad ruler whenever they got the chance, and they never let the Umayyads rule peacefully. Shia also supported the Abbasid movement that brought the downfall of the Umayyad Caliphate. These two groups proved to be a constant nuisance for Umayyad.

Tribal differences

Different Arab tribes were hostile to each other before the arrival of Islam. The effects of Islamic unity weakened with time, and tribal differences emerged again during the Umayyad dynasty. 

A famous tribal rivalry was between the southern tribes of Yemen and the northern tribes of Egypt. Later, Umayyad rulers also supported various tribes for their benefit, which escalated these tribal differences. It intensified enmity between tribes and bloodshed in the country.

Before the arrival of Islam, several tribes of Syria and Iraq were under the influence of Byzantines and Persians, respectively. The enmity between them was deep-rooted. Their differences also played a vital role in the fall of the Umayyad Dynasty.  

Form of Government

During the era of the Rashidun Caliphate, any capable Muslim could become a ruler through Shura (consensus among Muslims). But it was not the case during the Umayyad dynasty. In this monarchial government, only a son, brother, or close relative of a caliph of the Umayyad clan could be the new ruler. This system was against the wishes of most Muslims. 

It also paved the way for several incompetent rulers in the later half of the Umayyad Dynasty. They were unable to solve the internal and external problems smoothly. The rise of incapable Umayyad rulers brought about the downfall of the dynasty.

Ill-Treatment of Faithful Generals

As stated above, large areas of Asia, Europe, and Africa came under Islamic rule during the era of the Umayyad Dynasty. Several Muslim Generals and military commanders played a notable role in these conquests. However, a few among them faced unfair treatment by Umayyad rulers due to internal differences.

Umayyad ruler Sulayman bin Abdul Malik punished Musa bin Nusayr (African governor), Muhammid bin Qasim (conqueror of Sindh and Multan), and Qutayba bin Muslim (conqueror of Transoxiana). Their crime was that they favored the succession of Walid’s son in place of Sulayman.

Another ruler Yazid bin Abdul Malik exterminated the faithful Yemenite tribes who played a prominent role in strengthening the rule of the Umayyads. These acts discouraged loyal generals and other political figures of the Umayyads that paved the way for their destruction.  

Battles against Khazars

Umayyad battles against Khazars in the Caucasus were also vital in the fall of the empire. Khazars proved bitter enemies, and they ferociously defended their land. The Umayyads later conquered most of the area under Khazar rule. But it was a Pyrrhic victory, achieved at the cost of heavy casualties. 

Due to stiff resistance from Khazars, a large part of the Umayyad army was placed in the Caucasus. It proved disastrous, as the revolt of Abbasids proved uncontrollable due to the absence of most of the military from the capital. If Umayyads didn’t have to send a large force to the Caucasus, they could defeat the Abbasids.

Arab Non-Arab Conflict

Umayyad Dynasty was mainly an Arab dynasty supported by Arab tribes. The Umayyads tried to flourish Arabian culture and language in non-Arab areas of the Caliphate. To increase the revenue, even the newly converted Muslims of non-Arab areas (commonly known as mawali) were heavily taxed. 

Such steps created the disliking of the Umayyad Caliphate in the non-Arab parts of the Caliphate. These newly converted Muslims also took a greater effect on Hussain’s martyrdom at the hands of the Umayyad. Shia and Kharijites took advantage of this situation and spread their ideologies in Persia and Maghrib (North Africa), respectively. Non-Arabs (especially Persians) also mainly supported Abbasids during their successful revolt against the Umayyads.

Abbasid Movement

In the later stage of the Umayyad dynasty, Abbasid (a clan of Hashemite Arabs) started their movement secretly against the Umayyads. It was well-received in the parts of the former Persian Empire (especially Khurasan), where many people disliked Umayyad rule. Abbasids gained support from these areas by using their close relation to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). 

The movement was initially secretive, but the Abbasids started an armed rebellion in 747 to take advantage of the internal conflicts of the Umayyads. Abbasids started gaining areas one after the other, and the entire Umayyad Caliphate fell in 750 with the decisive Battle of Zab. In the same year, the Abbasids replaced the Umayyads as the new rulers of the Islamic Empire.