write a note on ummayads with …

The conquest of large territories resulted in destruction of the caliphate based in Medina. In due course of time, an increasingly authoritarian polity took over. To consolidate their leadership within the umma, the Umayyads implemented a series of political measures. Muawiya, who was the first Umayyad caliph, moved his capital to Damascus. He adopted the court ceremonies and administrative institutions of the Byzantine Empire. He introduced hereditary succession. This innovation enabled the Umayyads to retain power for 90 years. In similar manner, the Abbasids ruled for two centuries.

The Umayyad state became an imperial power which was no longer based directly on Islam but on statecraft and loyalty of Syrian troops. There were Christian advisers, and Zoroastrian scribes and bureaucrats in the administration. But Islam continued to provide legitimacy to their rule. They always appealed for unity and suppressed rebellion in the name of Islam.