Bonus - The Umayyad Caliphate 4-2 Promo

About this episode

The episode explores the challenges faced by the Umayyad Caliphate during the reign of Hisham ibn Abdul Malik, highlighting military campaigns and political crises.

In this episode of the Umayyad Caliphate, we continue our exploration of Caliph Hisham ibn Abdul Malik’s reign as the Umayyad Caliphate faces mounting crises across its vast empire. The year is 110 AH (728 CE), and the empire’s edges are on fire. In the Caucasus, Maslamah ibn Abdul Malik leads a grueling campaign against the Khazar Khaganate through the treacherous Darial Pass. Despite claiming victory, his retreat is chaotic, marked by ambushes, torrential rain, and widespread exhaustion. Meanwhile, cracks appear in the empire’s eastern front. In Khurasan, a well-intentioned tax policy by Governor Ashras unleashes a wave of conversions among non-Arab Muslims—but when the policy is reversed, these new converts revolt. Their rebellion draws in the powerful Turgesh Khaganate, sparking a devastating loss for the Umayyads at the Battle of Baykand and the bloody Siege of Karmajah. We also examine the collapse of Muslim authority in India, the chaotic military campaigns in Anatolia led by Hisham’s sons, and the shocking fall of Ardabil to the Khazars—a disaster that results in the death of a Muslim governor and the capture of tens of thousands of civilians. As we move through these…

Topics covered

• Umayyad Caliphate
• military campaigns
• political crises
• religious conversions
• historical analysis
• empire dynamics

Keywords

• Umayyad Caliphate
• Hisham ibn Abdul Malik
• Khazar Khaganate
• Turgesh Khaganate
• Battle of Baykand
• Siege of Karmajah
• Khurasan
• Anatolia
• religious conversions

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Khazar Khaganate, Turgesh Khaganate

Places: Khurasan, Anatolia, Ardabil

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