Umayyad Caliphs
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The Umayyad Caliphs were a series of leaders from the Banu Umayya family, part of the Quraysh tribe. They ruled the largest Islamic state during the first and second centuries of the Islamic calendar, with their capital in Damascus, Syria.
Their rule began after Muawiyah ibn Abi Sufyan took the position of caliph. It then split into two branches: the Sufyanid line and the Marwanid line. The Marwanids held power for most of the period, until the Abbasids seized it in the middle of the third century of the Islamic calendar.
Sufyanid Line
This line descended from Abu Sufyan. It included Muawiyah ibn Abi Sufyan, his son Yazid, and Muawiyah ibn Yazid, who ruled for a short time. After his death, power passed to the other branch of the family, followed by internal conflict.
Marwanid Line
Marwan ibn al-Hakam began this line, followed by his son Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan, who reformed administration: a standardized Islamic currency was minted, and Arabic was adopted as the language of state records. His sons Walid, Sulayman, Yazid, and Hisham passed the office among themselves, while Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz ruled for a brief period, remembered for administrative and fiscal reforms.
End of Damascus Rule
In the final years, internal discord and regional revolts broke out, particularly in Khurasan. Marwan ibn Muhammad was the last caliph ruling from Damascus. The seat of the caliphate shifted to the Abbasids, who established their capital in Iraq.
Al-Andalus
One member of the family, Abd al-Rahman I, fled to the Iberian Peninsula and founded the Emirate of Córdoba. His descendant Abd al-Rahman III later adopted the title of caliph, and for this reason the rulers of Andalus are often included in lists of Umayyad Caliphs.