An Unforgettable Time in Islamic History
While the Umayyad Caliphate lasted less than 100 years, it has indisputably had a profound impact on the history of the Arab nations. The Umayyads have constructed some of the most well-known and pious architectural buildings of Islamic history and have established a sophisticated and enriching academic society. Its lifespan, though short, is considered one of the most formative periods in Islamic history as it set the stage for a more sophisticated and well-built civilization. The Umayyad Caliphate, spanning across three various continents along the Mediterranean Sea and controlling nearly a third of the population of the time, utilized its ample resources to scaffold greater social contributions. With the privilege of temperate weather, convenient location, and arable land, the Umayyads advanced the Islamic and Arab presence throughout the world by enabling further trade of the Islam religion and the Arabic language.
The region of the Umayyads was favorable to the expansion of the Islamic civilization. Located between the latitude lines of 20 and 35, the Caliphate was able to command much land without burden as almost all the acquired land shared a similar climate and geography. This region falls into the latitude lines of what many historians deem, “lucky latitudes”, as much innovation and society have emerged from this area. The Mediterranean’s proximity to the equator allowed for prosperous cultivation of agriculture to grow. The Umayyads recognize two seasons– wet winters and dry summers. As a direct result, the Middle East had an advantage over the various other civilizations of its time. Without the burden of food supply and nutritional stability, the civilization could develop various other aspects of their culture such as land expansion and growth. The common latitude of their acquired territory, seen in the figure to the left, allows an effective trade of innovation and ideas. The Umayyad’s military technology and war tactics prevailed wherever they expanded into. The expectation of the environment remained the same, allowing their weapons and strategies to proceed successfully. When the Umayyads first took over the Islamic empire, they held warfare in North Africa. In 711, they conquered Spain and continued to France. On the Eastern borders, the Umayyad Caliphate took control of much of the Asian lands, such as modern-day Iran, Syria, and Afghanistan. At its apex, the Umayyad Caliphate spanned throughout North Africa to southern and central Spain and eastern towards central Asia and northern India. The Umayyad Caliphate succeeded in sustaining the amount of territory they had because of their central location. The region enabled them to maintain strong communication throughout their empire. The East-West orientation, along with the location of the empire, allows numerous trade routes and relatable innovations or notions. With the Mediterranean Sea to its access, naval routes and sea trade quickly developed. The Mediterranean Sea features consistent and strong winds, beneficent to sailors. The Umayyads were at the heart of the many networks of communication and trade in the ancient world: a factor to its rapid growth in both land and social contribution.
Along with land accumulation, the Umayyad Caliphate greatly influenced the future of the Islamic religion throughout the world. The spread of the Caliphate also included a dispersal of their prominent and centralized religion of Islam. The key evolution of religion happened under the Umayyad rule because as their region expanded, so did the Muslim community. It was the military who expanded the empire, but the citizens like merchants or pious people who spread the word of Muhammad. The Umayyads were incredibly successful in preserving political and religious unity from 661 CE to 750 CE. The particular reason which the Umayyads succeeded in controlling the Middle East was because of their strong affiliation towards religion. After years of turmoil caused by the First Civil War or First Fitna, dating between 656 and 661, Believers or Muslims wanted political and religious stability in their regime. There was a struggling leadership between various powerful and influential Muslim families. It was in this discourse where many subgroups that currently comprise the Muslim community first emerged in the fight for power and control. An example is a subgroup that includes “Shi’at’Ali”, supporters of Ali ibn Abi Talib (a profound figure in Muslim history). They believe that he should’ve become caliph. Many may better know the term for the supporters as Shi’ites or Shia Muslims. Nowadays, around 10 to 13 percent of the global Muslim population identify as Shia Muslims. The rise of the Umayyads had set the stage for the other Muslim subgroups. The Umayyad Caliphate acquired scholars to gather reports about the origins of Islam, playing a central role in establishing the Muslim identity and religion. As the Umayyads ruled, they made an effort to merge various cultures and affinities and hinder the prospects of an uprising such as tolerance towards other religions such as Christianity, Buddhism, and Judaism. Though these religions are permitted, they were seldom encouraged. Non-Muslims were instructed to pay a tax that offered them protection under the Caliphate rule. While conversions were not enforced, the Umayyad Caliphate offered many reasons to convert. There was an economic incentive, a political and social advantage, and newfound mobility concerning marital requirements. The natural appeal of these legislations allowed conversion rates to increase in substantial amounts. The graph to the left depicts the Muslim population percentage in millions over the period of its existence. The steady growth of the Muslim population in number and percentage sees an increase in the early 700’s, while the Umayyads were in power. When the Umayyad Caliphate first commanded the Arab nations, Believers remained a minority. While non-Muslims were the majority for many centuries, the Umayyads made great strides in expanding and developing the Islamic religion to the highly influential theology it is today.
The Umayyads also constructed and forced Arabic to become the administrative language to express and establish the legitimacy of the Islamic identity and religion. A theme of writing is prevalent throughout the Umayyad period. With the spread of the Islamic religion, there was also growth in the Arab-speaking population. Abd al-Malik, an Umayyad caliphate, imposed the Arabic language throughout the Arab nations, in which many legislations, state documents, currency, and art were written. The Qur’ān had set the foundation for Arabic, which meant that the Qur’ān cannot be precisely and accurately replicated in any other language. This required the study of at least a certain amount of Arabic to be required of every Muslim. The development of a strong linguistic foundation even became an incentive for non-Muslims to convert and seek Islam. Science, mathematics, medicine, humanities, and technology too evolved and flourished because of the use of the Arabic language. Scientists, philosophers, mathematicians, inventors, and researchers were able to convey difficult and complex concepts in written words in a more fluid fashion. Words such as algebra, algorithm, alkaline, and alcohol were all derived from Arabic and contributed to by Arab scholars. Due to the cultural and linguistic unity in conquered lands, citizens also exchanged various scientific knowledge with each other. The Umayyad period supported and was the basis of many scientific developments in the Middle East which include astronomy: a widespread and extensive science that has grown to be revered. A unified currency was also introduced with the new establishment of Arabic. Inspired by the currencies in Byzantine and Iran, Abd al-Malik created Islamic coinage. Unlike the Byzantine and Iranian Empire, the Umayyad Caliphate minted its coins with Arabic script instead of images or symbols. These words were all passages and statements derived from the Qur’ān. The Islamic coins, seen below, was another example of the integration between the Arab and Islamic identity.
The greater integration of the Arabic language throughout the Caliphate Empire also enriched the world’s artistic understanding. The period of the Umayyad conquest is generally regarded as the most influential period in Islamic art. Abd al-Malik ordered a majority of these initiatives, some notable architectural projects as the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem and the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus. Abd al-Malik regarded architecture and art to express his power as caliph. He was able to convey the Islamic religion to the masses in a method that had never been explored before. All of the monuments were built upon sites of historical or religious significance and had words inscribed in them. The Umayyads saw the written form of the Arabic language as a type of decoration. The Dome of the Rock was the first example of Islamic architecture, built on the place where Muhammad had ascended to heaven. As shown in the figure to the right, on the round-headed dome, two long bands of inscriptions encircle the ceiling which contains pious phrases from the Qur’ān. Decorated by Arabic words, glass mosaics, and colors, the Dome of the Rock’s architectural design is acutely unique and has redesigned and set the precedent for the future of Islamic, and even broadly, religious architecture. The Umayyads utilized arabization to expand the cultural and religious influence on areas subjected to their rule. The government intended to emphasize the victory of Islam and challenge the Christian and Jewish religions.
The dissemination of Arab culture and the Islamic religion was chiefly attributed to the location and large landmass of the Umayyad Caliphate. The creation of a unified language and religion led to a clearer establishment of the Arab and Muslim identity, a population that increased rapidly during the Umayyad period. More so, its legacy in the arts, religious practices, and academic society has been carried on after hundreds of centennials. Though short-lived, the Umayyad Caliphate has left an indelible mark on the Arab Nations.
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