The Umayyad Dynasty: The Abbasid Revolution - How the Dynasty Collapsed (Part 4)

This episode traces the full arc of the collapse: the tribal factionalism that split the army in half, the betrayal of millions of non-Arab Muslims who were promised equality and taxed like outsiders, the four khalifas in a single year, and the most sophisticated underground revolutionary movement the pre-modern world had ever seen. It follows the Battle of the Zab, where a wall of Khorasani spears broke the finest cavalry in the Arab world. It follows the Banquet of Blood, where a commander dined over the groaning bodies of dying princes. And it follows one young man -- Abd al-Rahman ibn Mu'awiya -- who swam a river, crossed a continent, and built a kingdom in Spain that outlasted everything the revolution tried to erase.This episode draws on al-Tabari, al-Baladhuri, Ibn Kathir, Ibn al-Athir, and al-Mas'udi, alongside modern scholarship from G.R. Hawting, Hugh Kennedy, Khalid Yahya Blankinship, Moshe Sharon, M.A. Shaban, and Firas Alkhateeb. It is the final chapter of the Umayyad Dynasty series -- and a meditation on what actually falls when a dynasty falls, and what refuses to die.Content Warning: This episode contains descriptions of political massacres, desecration of graves, and warfare. Listener discretion is advised. Enjoyed this episode? Dive deeper into Islamic history with the Archives app - bite-sized lessons, real stories, and daily adventures you can finish in 5 minutes.📲 Download the Archives app here🌐 Learn more here 📸 Follow Basel on Instagram here If this episode helped you, share it with someone who needs to hear it. Assalamu alaykum, and we'll see you in the next one.