THE DESTRUCTION OF THE EASTERN UMAYYAD DYNASTY

THE DESTRUCTION OF THE EASTERN UMAYYAD DYNASTY

There are several factors that caused the Umayyad dynasty to be weak and brought it to

ruin, including: 1. The system of changing the caliph which previously used the principle and

deliberation system, was changed to a monarchy or royal system, making competition unhealthy

in the fight for the leadership. [19] Textbook on the History of Islamic Civilization- Introduction |

175 2. The background of the formation of the Umayyad dynasty was inseparable from the

conflicts during Ali's time. It caused opposition from the Shia and Khawarij factions who

continued to undermine the power of the Umayyad Bani. [20] 3. The ethnic conflict between the

tribes of North Arabia (Banu Qays) and South Arabia (Bani Kalb) that has existed since pre-Islamic

women and songs, which led to the collapse of the Umayyad dynasty. 5. The emergence of a new

opposition movement spearheaded by Ab

bas bin Abdul Muttalib who received full support from the Banu Hashim, Shia, and Mawali

who felt humiliated by the Umayyad government, which then became the forerunner of the

formation of a new civilization, the Abbasid Dynasty. 176 |Dr. H. Anwar Sewang, M.A. Finally in

750 AD, the Umayyad Dynasty was overthrown by the Banu Abbas who had assembled a new

force. Marwan bin Muhammad the last Umayyad Caliph fled to Egypt, then was captured and

killed there. Thus ended the rule of the Umayyads which lasted for approximately 90 years.

Textbook on the History of Islamic Civilization- Introduction | 177 CHAPTER VII Islamic

Civilization during the Western Umayyad Dynasty (705-1031 A.D.) After the end of the classical

Spain in Europe gained a lot of knowledge. In the classical period, when Islam managed to reach

the epoch, Spain was a very important center of Islamic civilization, rivaling Baghdad in the east.

At that time, many Christian Europeans studied in Islamic colleges there. Islam became the

"Guru" for Europeans. Therefore, the presence of Islam in Spain has attracted a lot of attention

from historians. [1] The entry of Islam into Spain Muslims succeeded in occupying the territory of

Spain (Andalusia)[1] during the time of Caliph al-Walid (705-715 AD) 178 |Dr. H. Anwar Sewang,

MA who was one of the caliphs of the Umayyad dynasty centered in Damascus. Before

conquering Spain, Muslims had ruled North Africa and made it one of the provinces under the

rule of the Umayyad Bani. The complete control of North Africa occurred during the time of Caliph

Abd al-Malik (685-705 AD). Caliph Abd al-Malik appointed Hasan ibn Nu'man al-Ghassani as the

became a stepping stone for Muslims in conquering Spanish territory. In the Spanish conquest,

there were three Islamic heroes who were most meritorious in leading the troops there. They were

Tharif ibn Malik, Thariq ibn Ziyad, and Musa ibn Nushair. Tharif was a pioneer and investigator of

the Spanish conquest. He crossed the strait in the History of Islamic Civilization Textbook-

Introduction | 179 between Morocco and the European Continent with one war force of which

500 men were cavalry. They boarded four boats prepared by Julian. In this raid, Tharif did not get

any significant resistance. He won and returned to North Africa with a lot of booty. With the

success of the first attack and the weakening of the defense of the Visigothic Kingdom that ruled

in Spain at that time, in 711 AD Musa ibn Nushair sent an army to Spain as many as 7000 men led

by Thariq ibn Ziyad who was better known as the conqueror of Spain because his army was more

The force then crossed the strait in the Mediterranean Sea that connected the African and

European continents. A mountain where Thariq ibn Ziyad and his troops first landed is known as

Gibraltar (Jabal 180 | Dr. H. Anwar Sewang, MA Thariq). [4] While King Roderick was in the north,

the Muslims managed to establish themselves in Algeciras. [5] With the control of this area, the

door was wide open to enter Spain. When Roderick finally moved south to face the Muslims, in a

battle somewhere called Bakkah, King Roderick was defeated. From there, Thariq and his army

continued to conquer important cities, such as Cordova, Granada, and Toledo. Before Thariq

conquered the city of Toledo, he asked Mus

a ibn Nushair for additional troops in North Africa. Moses sent an additional 5000 troops,

bringing the total number of Thariq's troops to 12,000 men, not yet comparable to the much larger

able to Textbook on the History of Islamic Civilization- Introduction | 181 defended himself until

the end of June 713 A.D. However, near the city of Merida, Moses encountered fierce resistance.

However, after being besieged for a year, the city was able to be conquered in July 713 AD. He

then joined Thariq in Toledo. Furthermore, the two managed to control all important cities in

Spain, including the northern part from Sarag

osa to Navarre. After that, there were also various conquests that occurred during the

time of Caliph Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz, including to the area around the Pyrenees and Southern

France, as well as the cities of Bordesu, Poitier and Tours, but this attempt failed. The Islamist

forces while between Tours and Poitier confronted Charles Martel, the prince of the Franks who

was building power in Central France. [8] In addition, there were attacks on Avirignon in 734 AD,

Sewang, MA Factors that Cause Islam to Easily Enter Spain The victories achieved by Muslims

during the Caliph of the Umayyad Dynasty cannot be separated from the existence of favorable

external and internal factors. [10] These external factors are the conditions that occur in Spain

itself. During the Spanish conquest by Muslims, the social, political, and economic conditions of

the country were in a deplorable state. Politically, the territory of Spain was torn apart and divided

into several small states. At the same time, the Gothic rulers were intolerant of the religious sect

embraced by the population, namely the Monophysite sect, let alone the adherents of another

religion, the Jews. Judaizers, who make up the majority of Spain's population, are forced to be

baptized according to Christianity. Meanwhile, those who are not willing are tortured and brutally

killed. Political divisions worsen the economic condition of the community. When Islam entered

conditions occurred during the reign of King Roderick, the last Goth King to be defeated by Islam.

The beginning of the destruction of the Gothic Kingdom was when Roderick moved the capital of

his country from Seville to Toledo, while Witiza, who was then the ruler of Toledo, was simply

dismissed. This situation provoked anger from Oppas and Achila, Witiza's sister and son. The two

then rose to gather strength to take down Roderick. They went to North Africa and joined the

Muslims. Meanwhile, there was also a conflict between Roderick and Queen Julian, the former

ruler of Septah. The conflict was because Roderick defamed Julian's daughter. Therefore, Julian

wanted revenge to defend his daughter's honor and good name. [11] Julian also joined the

ships used to cross the strait. Another thing that also benefited the Islamic army was that

Roderick's army, which consisted of oppressed slaves, no longer had a spirit of war. In addition,

the Jews who had been oppressed also held fellowships and provided assistance to the struggle

of the Muslims. 184 |Dr. H. Anwar Sewang, MA Meanwhile, the internal factors that supported the

entry of Islam into Spain were the conditions contained in the body of the rulers, warrior figures

and Islamic soldiers involved in the conquest of Spanish territory in particular. The leaders are

strong figures, the army is compact, united, a

nd full of confidence. They are also capable, courageous, and steadfast in facing every

problem. No less important is the Islamic teachings shown by the Islamic soldiers, namely

tolerance, brotherhood, and help. The attitude of religious tolerance and brotherhood contained

in the Muslims caused the Spanish people to welcome the presence of Islam there. From the first

time it ruled Spain until the fall of the last Islamic kingdom there, Islam played a very big role. That

period lasted more than 7.5 centuries. Globally, Islamic rule in Spain was divided into the

following three periods:[12] a. It was a province of the Umayyad Kingdom in Damascus. Ruled by

the deputy caliph sent there, from 93-138 H. b. Ruled by independent emirs, separate from the

within are in the form of disputes between the ruling elite, especially due to ethnic and class

differences. Meanwhile, the interference from the outside comes from the remnants of Islamic

enemies in Spain who live in mountainous areas that have never submitted to Islamic rule. They

continued to strengthen themselves and after struggling for approximately 500 years they were

finally able to expel Islam from the land of Spain. There were frequent internal conflicts and wars

against enemies from outside, in this period Spanish Islam had not yet entered development

activities in the field of civilization and culture. This period ended with the arrival of Abd ar-

Rahman ad-Dakhil to Spain in 138 AH/755 AD. 186 |Dr. H. Anwar Sewang, MA b. Second Period

(755-912 AD) During this period Spain was under the rule of an amir (commander or governor) but

was not subject to the center of Islamic government held by the Abbasid Dynasty in Baghdad at

Rahman, Munzir ibn Muhammad, and Abdullah ibn Muhammad. During this period, Muslims

began to make progress in the field of politics and in the field of civilization. Abd ar-Rahman ad-

Dakhil established mosques in Cordova and schools in major Spanish cities. Hisham is known

for his meritorious contributions to enforcing Islamic law. Hakam is known as a reformer in the

military who initiated mercenaries in Spain. Meanwhile, Abd ar-Rahman al-Awsath is a ruler who

loves knowledge. Philosophical thought has also begun to enter in this second period. Textbook

on the History of Islamic Civilization- Introduction | 187 Nevertheless, threats and riots also

occurred. In the mid-9th century, the stability of the country was disrupted by the emergence of

dom. However, this movement is not supported by other churches in Spain. [13] c. Third

AD). During this period, the Spanish Muslims reached the peak of progress and glory rivaled the

glory of the Abbasid Empire in Baghdad. Abd ar-Rahman an-Nasir founded the University of

Cordova. The library has a collection of hundreds of thousands of books. The beginning of the

destruction of the Umayyad Empire in Spain wa

s when Hisham ascended the throne at the age of eleven. 188 |Dr. H. Anwar Sewang, MA

The actual power is in the hands of officials. In 981 AD the Caliph appointed Ibn Abi 'Amir as the

absolute ruler. He was an ambitious man who managed to consolidate his power and get rid of

his rivals. He was then replaced by his children who did not have the quality to hold the position.

In just a few years, the once prosperous country was hit by chaos and finally completely

destroyed. In 1013 AD, the Council of Ministers ruling Cordova abolished the caliphate. At that

entered into internal strife. Ironically, in the event of a civil war, some of the warring parties asked

Christian kings for help. Seeing the weakness and political chaos of Muslims, for the first time

Christians took the initiative to attack. Although political life is unstable, intellectual life is still

developing. The palaces encouraged scholars and writers to get protection from one palace to

another. Textbook on the History of Islamic Civilization- Introduction | 189 e. Fifth Period (1086-

1248 AD) During this period, although Spanish Islam was divided into several countries, there

was one dominant force, namely the Murabithun Dynasty (1086-1143 AD) and the Muwahhidun

Dynasty (1146-1235 AD). The Murabithun Dynasty was originally a religious movement founded

by Yusuf ibn Tasyfin in North Africa. In 1062 he succeeded in establishing a kingdom centered in

Marrakech. And finally be able to enter Spain and master it. In 1143 AD, the Dynasty's rule ended

rulers and Seville fell in 1248 AD. All of Spain except Granada escaped Islamic rule. f. Sixth Period

(1248-1492 AD) During this period, Islam only ruled in Granada under the Ahmar Dynasty (1232-

1492 AD). civilization has again progressed as in the time of Abd ar-Rahman 190 |Dr. H. Anwar

Sewang, MA an-Nasir. However, politically this dynasty only ruled in a small area. Islamic rule,

which was the last defense in Spain, ended due to disputes between the people of the court. Abu

Abdullah Muhammad was unhappy with his father for appointing his other son as his successor

as king. He rebelled and tried to seize power. In the rebellion, his father was killed and replaced

by Muhammad ibn Sa'ad. Abu Abdullah then asked Ferdinand and Isabella for help to bring him

ascended the throne. Of course, Ferdinand

Civilization in Spain Textbook on the History of Islamic Civilization- Introduction | 191 The

progress of Islam in Spain is very prominent in various fields, both in the intellectual field that led

to the current European revival, in the field of culture which in this case is physical or

architectural buildings, and in other fields. The peak of the progress of Islamic civilization in Spain

had an impact on the progress of European civilization. a. Intellectual Progress 1) Islamic

philosophy in Spain has recorded a very brilliant cultural chapter in the history of Islam. It served

as a bridge between Greek-Arab science and Europe in the 12th century. Interest in philosophy

and science began to develop in the 9th century AD during the reign of Caliph Muhammad ibn

characterized by meticulousness in interpreting Aristotle's texts and prudence in dealing with

chronic problems of philosophical and religious harmony. He is also known as a fiqh expert with

his work Bidaayah alMujtahid. He also wrote a medical book entitled alKulliyyah fi ath-Thibb. 2)

Science Science consisting of medical sciences, physics, mathematics, astronomy, chemistry,

botany, zoology, geology, pharmacy, is also well developed. In the field of history and geography,

the western Islamic region gave birth to many famous thinkers. Ibn Jubayr of Valencia wrote

about the Muslim countries of the Mediterrane

an and Sicily. Ibn Batuthah from Tangier traveled the world to the Pasai Ocean and China.

Ibn Khatib compiled a history of Granada. Meanwhile, Ibn Khaldun from Tunisia is the formulator

of historical philosophy. [15] Some of the scientific figures in the field of astronomy are Abbas ibn

Farnas, Ibrahim ibn Yahya an-Naqqash, Ibn Safar, and al-Bitruji. In the field of pharmacy, among

appeared, such as al-'Iqd al-Farid by Ibn Abd Rabbih, Kitab adz-Dzakirah fii Mahaasin Ahl al-

Jaziirah by Ibn Bassam, Kitab alQalaaid by al-Fath ibn Khaqan and many others. 4) Music and Arts

Music and art during the Islamic period in Spain were very famous. Music and art received a lot

of appreciation from the court rulers. His figures include al-Hasan ibn Nafi' who received the title

of Zaryab. He is also famous as the composer o

f the song 5) Tafsir One of the famous mufassirs from Andalusia is al-Qurthubi. His full

name is Abu Abdillah Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Abu Bakr ibn Farh al-Anshari alAndalusi. His

work is al-Jamii' li Ahkaam alQur'an which is famous by the name of Tafsir al-Qurthubi which

consists of 20 volumes. 6) Fiqh In the field of fiqh, Islamic Spain is known as the center of the

high architectural value. Roads as trade routes were built. Markets are built to build the economy.

Similarly, dams, canals, aqueducts, and bridges. 1) Cordova Cordova was the capital of pre-

Islamic Spain which was later taken over by the

Umayyad Dynasty. The city of Cordova was built and beautified by Muslim rulers. A large

bridge is built over a river that flows in the middle of the city. Gardens were built to decorate the

capital of Islamic Spain. The majestic trees were imported from the East. Around the capital

stand magnificent palaces that further beautify the scenery. Among the other pride of Cordova

City is the Cordova Mosque known as La Mezquita and has been converted into a church. [16]

The mosque has a marble minaret, yellow copper doors, and even one of the History of Islamic

Civilization Textbooks- Introduction | 195 of the doors are made of pure gold. [17] The city has

Girilda Tower. 3) Seville The city of Seville was built during the reign of al-Muwahhidun. Seville

was once a beautiful historical capital. Originally this city was a swamp. In Roman times this city

was called Romula Agusta, then changed to Ashibiliyah (Seville). Seville has been under Islamic

rule for approximately 500 years. One of the mosque buildings that was erected in 1171 during

the reign of Sultan Yusuf Abu Ya'kub has now been transformed into a church with the name

Santa Maria de la Sede. The city of Seville fell to Ferdinand's rule in 1248. 4) Toledo Toledo was

an important city in Andalusia before it was ruled by Islam. When the Romans took control of

Many factors support the progress of Islam in Spain, including the existence of a strong

and authoritative ruler who is able to unite the power of Muslims. The political success of these

leaders was supported by the wisdom of other rulers who pioneered scientific activities. In

even though Muslims are divided in several political units, there is still what is called cultural

unity in Islam. The Influence of Islamic Spanish Civilization in Europe Textbook on the History of

Islamic Civilization- Introduction | 197 Spain was the most important country for Europe to

absorb Islamic civilization. When the country was under the rule of the Umayyad Dynasty, it

experienced rapid development in terms of science. Europeans witnessed the fact that Spain,

which was under Islamic rule, was far behind the rest of Europe in thought, science, and

development. [1] From Spain Islamic scientific thought and philosophical thought were

transmitted to Europe. With the conquest of T

oledo in 1085 and the conquest of Saragossa in 1118, Islamic culture became very

influential in the pattern of Christian life. European nobles and church councils built their homes

from this Averroism movement that the Reformation in the 16th century AD and rationalism in

17th century AD were born in Europe.[3] Some o

f Ibn Rushd's works were printed in Venice, Italy in 1481, 1482, 1483, 1489, and 1500 AD

as well as in Naples, Bologna, Lyon, and Strasbourg, France in the 16th century. Then in Geneva

in the early 17th century. The influence of Islamic civilization, including Ibn Rushd's thinkers, on

Europe began with the large number of young European Christians who studied at various Islamic

universities in Spain, such as the University of Cordova, Seville, Malaga, and Granada. During

their studies, they actively translated books by Muslim scientists. After returning to their

homeland, they established the same school and university. [4] Among them was the University

of Paris in 1231 AD, then in the late medieval period Europe stood 18 universities. In the

Renaissance movement of Greek heritage in Europe in the 14th century AD. The development of

Greek thought in Europe was through Arabic translation books that were studied and then

translated back into Latin. The science of algebra had spread to the West through Latin

translations by Adelard of Bath, John of Seville, and Robert of Chester. Geometry reached Europe

through Arabic translations. [6] Ibn al-Haitsam's book al-Manazir, which expounds on optics, has

been translated into Latin by Gerard of Cremona. [7] Likewise with trigonometry, astronomy,

chemistry, medicine, and others. 200 |Dr. H. Anwar Sewang, MA Likewise, Arabic has a great

influence in Europe. During the reign of Islam in Spain, many of the names of objects known in

the West came from Arabic. No less than 7,000 Spanish words are derived from Arabic. [8] Among

the Arabic words that fall into the syllables of European languages: Spanish and English, for

in the intellectual fields (philosophy, science, jurisprudence, music and art, language and

historical record in the intellectual field, many of the achievements they have obtained,

especially the development of Islamic education. The growth of Islamic educational institutions

is highly dependent on the ruler who is the main driver of educational activities. The progress of

Europe, which continues to develop until now, owes a lot of gratitude to the treasures of Islamic

science that developed in the classical period. Indeed, there are many textbooks on the history

of Islamic civilization- Introduction | 201 channels of Islamic civilization influenced Europe, such

as through trade routes in Sicily and the Crusades, but the most important channel was the

Umayyad state in Andalusia (Islamic Spain). The Umayyads were the rulers of Islam after the

the Islamic forces under the leadership of Tariq bin Ziyad succeeded in controlling Gibraltar

(Jabal Tariq) and succeeded in conquering important cities such as Cordoba, Granada and

Toledo then gradually the Andalusian region was controlled by Islamic forces. Since then, a new

chapter of Islamic rule in Andalusia has begun. The Umayyad state of Andalusia ended after three

and a half centuries of rule in Andalusia, in 1031 A.D. When the authority of the Umayyad

sovereignty began to be paralyzed, the local governors freed themselves and established local

kingdoms in their respective regions. This is what is called Muluk-al-Thawaif in Islamic history in

yed a very big role. That time 202 |Dr. H. Anwar Sewang, MA lasted more than seven and

a half centuries. During this period scientific movements have also developed, such as in the

fields of religion, history and philosophy. Spain (one part of the Andalusian region) is the most

important place for Europe to absorb Islamic civilization, both in the form of political, social, and

economic relations and civilizations between countries. Europeans witnessed the fact that Spain

Andalusian country to learn various sciences from the Spanish Muslims, by studying the books

of Andalusian scholars both secretly mastered by ibn Ziyad, so this city became the center of the

activities of the people