Islamic History Podcast · Islamic History Podcast

Bonus: The Umayyad Caliphate 4-3 Promo

·30 min·1 clip

Asim ibn Abdullah and al-Harith drew up a document saying they might join together against Hisham.

1. Islamic History Podcast’s “Bonus: The Umayyad Caliphate 4-3 Promo” covers the Umayyad Caliphate from 114 AH to 120 AH, or roughly 732 to 738 CE. 2. The host presents the season as a recap of defeats at Ardabil, the Battle of the Defile, and Poitiers, then explains why Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik kept pressing expansion. 3. The episode asks how the Umayyads kept fighting after setbacks, and the answer centers on compromises, tax pressure, and dependence on unreliable troops. 4. Syria and Khorasan are described as suffering drought and famine in 115 AH, while Junaid al-Murari asks nearby regions to send food to Merv. 5. The plague that began in 115 AH is said to continue into 116 AH and spread to Iraq, with the speaker suggesting a link to the first plague pandemic. 6. In 116 AH, Junaid al-Murari marries Fadila bint Yazid, the daughter of Yazid ibn Muhallab, whose earlier revolt against Yazid ibn Abd al-Malik is recalled. 7. Hisham reacts by deposing Junaid and appointing Asim ibn Abdullah, while the speaker says Hisham also ordered Junaid killed if he reached Khorasan. 8. Junaid dies of dropsy before Asim arrives, and Asim then imprisons and tortures Junaid’s officials. 9. Al-Harith ibn Suraj returns in rebellion in 116 AH, now demanding that the Umayyads honor the Mawali and rule by the Qur’an and Sunnah. 10. The rebellion draws northern and southern Arab clans, Muslim Turks, and non-Muslim Turks, and the speaker notes that this looks like one of the first Muslim alliances with non-Muslims against other Muslims. 11. Al-Harith advances from Andkhui toward Bakh and then Merv, while Asim has to pay Merv’s soldiers extra to get them to fight. 12. Asim destroys bridges and fortifies positions outside Merv, but defectors and drowning in the canals help defeat al-Harith’s larger force. 13. In the Caucasus, Hisham repeatedly changes governors between Maslama ibn Abd al-Malik, al-Jarrah al-Hakami, Marwan ibn Muhammad, and Sa’id al-Hadashi. 14. Marwan ibn Muhammad’s relationship with Christian Armenians is mentioned, but Hisham still replaces him when he does not see enough battlefield success. 15. Sa’id al-Hadashi does not launch new Caucasus campaigns in 115 or 116 AH, and the speaker links this to exhausted troops and thin resources. 16. In Egypt, the Bija agree to pay annual tribute in slaves, and Ubaidullah ibn al-Habhab later raises taxes on the Copts by 4.17% and then by 12.5%. 17. The episode also mentions a Kharijite revolt in Fustat in 117 AH, soldiers breaking their ration scoops over reduced grain, and a failed naval attack on a Byzantine island in 118 AH. 18. In Ifriqiya, the speaker says Berbers are accepting Islam in large numbers while learning from scholars and da’is about Umayyad behavior, and a failed attack on Trapani leads to another governor change. 19. The tone is explanatory and chronological, with frequent recaps, place names, and direct quotations from al-Tabari and Khalid Yahya Blankinship. 20. Listeners interested in Khorasan, Mawali grievances, and Umayyad provincial politics will get the most from it, while listeners wanting a fast narrative with minimal geography may skip it.

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