Arabia & the CaliphatesAsiaAfricaEuropeMajor empire

Umayyad Caliphate

661 CE – 750 CE · about 89 years

The Umayyad Caliphate, ruled from Damascus, expanded Muslim rule from al-Andalus to Central Asia and Sindh, and made Arabic the language of administration. Its reign included the tragedy of Karbala (680) and the second civil war. The Abbasid revolution overthrew it in 750, though a branch survived in al-Andalus.

Key facts

Dates	661 CE – 750 CE
Region	Arabia & the Caliphates
Continent	Asia, Africa, Europe
Capitals	Damascus, Harran (744–750)
Founder	Mu'awiya I
Religion(s)	Islam
Peak extent	≈ 11.1 million km² (c. 720 CE) – source

Before & after

Preceded by

Rashidun Caliphate Visigothic Kingdom Chach (Brahmin) dynasty of Sindh

Followed by

Abbasid Caliphate Emirate of Córdoba Rustamid dynasty Barghawata Midrarid dynasty Emirate of Nekor

In the Islamic timeline

Umayyad Caliphate — Topic node for the same caliphate.
Mu'awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan (RA) — Founder and first Umayyad caliph (661–680).
al-Hasan ibn Ali (RA) — His peace treaty with Mu'awiya (661) began Umayyad rule.
Yazid ibn Mu'awiyah — Second Umayyad caliph (680–683).
al-Husayn ibn Ali (RA) — Martyred at Karbala in 680 under Yazid.
Ubaydullah ibn Ziyad — Umayyad governor of Kufa at the time of Karbala.
Marwan ibn al-Hakam — Caliph 684–685; founder of the Marwanid line.
Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr (RA) — Rival caliph in Makkah (683–692).
al-Mukhtar ibn Abi Ubayd al-Thaqafi — Led a revolt in Kufa (685–687).
Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz (RH) — Umayyad caliph (717–720) known for his justice.
Ali ibn al-Husayn (Zayn al-Abidin) (RH) — Survivor of Karbala who lived under Umayyad rule.
Zayd ibn Ali (RH) — Rose against the Umayyads in 740.
al-Hasan al-Basri (RH) — Leading scholar and preacher of the Umayyad era.

Sources

Dates follow widely used reference works; many ancient dates are approximate or debated. Neutral summary for general reference.