The demise of the Umayyad Caliphate and its replacement by the Abbasid Caliphate is an event that started under Abd al-Malik leadership way back in 685-705. The Umayyad Caliphate was at its peak during this era, and the Muslim armies ruled the huge part of Spain who occupied the West. Similarly, the troops invaded the Indian Sindh and Mukrān. Contrarily, the Khorāsānian took control of the Samarkand, Fergana, Khwārezm, Tashkent, and Bukhara in Central Asia. The events were marred by the Arabization program which saw Arabs make Arabic the official language and reorganize financial administration. During the activities, the Arabs replace the officials of Greek and Persia. They also replaced the copies of Sāsānian and Byzantine coins by Arabic coins. Nonetheless, there was the development of communications and architecture which incorporated the mihrab, desert palace, and Khan (Judd, 2016).
It was through the conquering of the Syrian army by Leo III, the Byzantine Empire and subsequent reforms in the Umar II finance that the demise of Umayyad began. The reforms were strategical to calm down fed up mawālī through the classification of the entire Muslims regardless of respect to nationality on a steady footing. Parallel to the events, cessation of clashes between the Arabian tribes of Southern/Kalb and Northern/Qays destabilized the military power.
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Islamic History on the Umayyad Caliphate states that this made HishāmibnʿAbd Al-Malik take control of the country in the short term. As years passed by there were death feuds of Hishām that emerged between the Kalb and Qays and found its way to a major Syrian, Khorāsānian and Iraqi revolution. Mawālī took part in the revolution as a religion-political group known as the Hāshimiyyah. Hāshimiyyah denied the lawfulness of Umayyad rule. Hāshimiyyah (Abū al-ʿAbbās al-Saffāḥ), in 749 through the aid of West provinces was the first Abbāsid'dynasty. The event took place after Marwān II. The latter Umayyad was conquered at the battle of the Great RiverZāb. The members of the Umayyad were killed, and the survived ʿAbd al-Raḥmānfled to institute himself in Spain as a Muslim sovereign.
The opposition of Umayyad rule was mostly ostracized with the highest unpopularity experienced in the eastern territories of the caliphate. The Umayyad worked in favour of the Syrian Arabs as opposed to some Muslims. Further, they treated the new Muslims converts referred to as mawali as second class citizens. A greater group of mawali was persons of Persian origin. Persians were living in at one place with the Arabs and felt undermined by the favouritism offered to Syrian Arabs other than all groups. At the worst, Persians were prepared for a revolt. A section of the Muslim as well felt irritated by the Umayyad for making the caliphate inherited. Some held the belief that one family cannot be in power. On the other hand, Shiites believed that real authority was bestowed on Prophet Muhammad Ali who was the son-in-law. In their perception, the Umayyad did not form any part of the Muhammad family (Nawas, 2015).
Due to the nature of the Umayyad rule, all the diverse groups that opposed his dynasty came together and formed an alliance under one Abbasids. The rebellion began in Persia under Abbasids where he formed an alliance with Persian group of mawali, Eastern group of Arabs and the group of Shiites. The Abbasids enjoyed massive support since through Muhammad's uncle, Abbas they derived their lineage from Muhammad. Abu as well rose to power to be the leader of Abbasids' army. He was a Persian general who supported Abbasids. It is through Abbasids conquests that enabled the Abdul Abbas al-Saffah, the army leader to conquer Kufa city in 748 which was majorly the Shiite-dominated. The Abbasid Caliphate captured the earlier Umayyad Sovereignty in Damascus, Syria.
The first dynasty of Muslims was the Umayyad Caliphates also referred to as the first rulers of Islamic Empire to down pass authority within their family. The role of the Umayyad was to change the first Islamic community into the greatest mighty Empire. Besides, they established ways in the Empire of Islam would be ruled. Though, not when the Abbasids emerged, the Umayyad was disputed descendants of Muhammad and passed the authority from the father to the son. Moreover, they ill-treated non-Arabs Muslims. The allegations made the Umayyad a dynasty of controversy which eventually resulted in their fall and giving way to the rise of Abbasids.
The Umayyad Caliphate was different from the Abbasid Caliphate in their regime and holding of family generation. Whereas Umayyad Caliphate was the first Muslim dynasty that held a family generation, the Umayyad family had been against Muhammad. In their opposition of the Muhammad, they later become Islamic converts and rebel against the Umayyad and Abbasid is seen to rise to power by rebelling against the Umayyad. The Abbasids came up with an alliance of various forces of groups offended by the Umayyad. But, when the Abbasids rose to power, they proceeded to implement the policies of the Umayyad. Contrarily, the Abbasids were different from the Umayyad since the Abbasids applied the culture of Persians. According to the Middle East Teaching Tools (2017), the Abbasid as well moved the country's capital to another city known as Baghdad and it was a close old capital city of Persia. Baghdad was one of the world's cultural cities incorporating arts, sciences alongside literature materials which were sponsored by Caliph Haru al-Rashid. Al-Ma'mum, the son to Caliph Haru al-Rashid, came up with the house of wisdom where the world's knowledge was translated into Arabic. Muawiya was Syria's governor under Umayyad Caliphate. But, when the assassination of Muawiya's uncle, Uthman was conducted, Caliph Ali did not hand over those who perpetrated the act rather he did not recognize Ali as well. Muawiya took over the place of Ali after his assassination. Both administration center and the capital of the Empire were relocated to Damascus in Syria which was his power base away from Medina. Christain Byzantines were appointed to a government position and initiated their way of finance and administration incorporated with Byzantine system.
Lastly, the opposition of the Umayyad dynasty as a result of hereditary leadership there was insignificant transformation achieved when the Abbasid came to power. The Abbasid only executed the same policies that were implemented by the Umayyad caliphate.
References
Islamic History.The Umayyad Caliphate.n.d. 16 March 2017 <http://islamichistory.org/the-umayyads>.
Judd, Steven C. "Umayyad Caliphate." The Encyclopedia of Empire (2016).
Nawas, John. "Abbasid Caliphate." The Encyclopedia of Empire (2015).
Portland State University: Middle East Teaching Tools. Lesson 1: History of the Abbasid and Umayyad Dynasties. n.d. 16 March 2017 <http://www.middleeastpdx.org/resources/original/the-golden-age-of-islamic-achievement/lesson-1-history-of-the-abbasid-and-umayyad-dynasties/>.
