The Umayyad Caliphate

By Sajed Hatem
Class 5-1
How it started

• The Umayyad Dynasty (661-750 CE), the first dynasty to take the
title of Caliphate, was established in 661 CE by Muawiya (l. c. 602-
680 CE), who had served as the governor of Syria under the
Rashidun Caliphate, after the death of the fourth caliph, Ali in 661
CE.
How it Ended

• 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. The last Umayyad caliph,
Marwān II, was killed while fleeing the forces of Abū al-ʿAbbās al-
Saffāḥ
The Areas they Ruled

• the Umayyad Caliphate controlled the Middle East, parts of India,

much of North Africa, and Spain. Historians estimate the Umayyad
Caliphate had a population of around 62 million people, which was
nearly 30% of the world's population at the time
Why was it called a dynasty?

•  The Umayyad family ruled for a long period of time.