The Brutal Fall of the Umayyads

Summary

The video, sponsored by War Thunder, delves into the history of the Reconquista, the longest war in history, and introduces a captivating story about Prince Abd al-Rahman. Amidst the turmoil of the Islamic and European worlds in the 700s, the prince escapes the massacre of his family by the Abbasids and embarks on a treacherous journey to revive his dynasty. The narrative intertwines historical events with a dramatic escape, highlighting the fall of the Umayyad Caliphate and the rise of the Abbasid Caliphate, setting the stage for the prince's quest to reclaim his legacy.

Takeaways

• 🔗 This video is sponsored by War Thunder, with a link in the description for a bonus pack.
• 📜 The video explores the longest war in history, the Reconquista, lasting over 700 years.
• 🏰 The Reconquista was a conflict between Muslims and Christians over control of the Iberian Peninsula.
• 📖 The video delves into a specific story about a prince with a mission to revive his dynasty.
• 🌍 Around the year 700, the European and Islamic worlds were in a state of flux.
• 👑 Prophet Muhammad's death in 632 AD led to the Rashidun Caliphate and the expansion of the Islamic Empire.
• ⚔️ Internal struggles and disputes within the Islamic world led to the formation of Shia and Sunni movements.
• 🕌 The Umayyad Caliphate expanded greatly but faced internal and external challenges, leading to its downfall.
• 🔪 The Abbasid Revolution led to the systematic killing of Umayyad family members and the rise of the Abbasid Caliphate.
• 🏃‍♂️ The protagonist, Prince Abd al-Rahman, escapes the massacre and embarks on a journey to revive his dynasty, eventually aiming to establish control in Al-Andalus.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video?

The video primarily discusses the Reconquista, the 700-year-long war between Muslims and Christians for control of the Iberian Peninsula, and a specific story about Prince Abdullah Rahman and his mission to revive his slain dynasty.

Who was Prophet Muhammad and what was his significance?

Prophet Muhammad was born in 570 in Mecca and spent his life preaching the word of Allah, uniting the Arabian Peninsula. His death in 632 AD led to the establishment of the Rashidun Caliphate and significant expansion of the Islamic Empire.

What led to the internal struggles within the Islamic world after Prophet Muhammad's death?

The internal struggles were due to Prophet Muhammad not designating a clear successor, leading to the emergence of four candidates, the establishment of the Shia and Sunni movements, and subsequent conflicts over leadership.

What was the outcome of the first Islamic Civil War?

The first Islamic Civil War led to the assassination of the fourth caliph, Ali, and the rise of the Umayyad Caliphate under Muawiyah I, despite ongoing sectarian conflicts between Sunni and Shia Muslims.

How did the Umayyad Caliphate expand and what challenges did it face?

The Umayyad Caliphate expanded significantly, reaching from India to the south of France. However, it faced challenges due to internal religious and ethnic conflicts, particularly between Arabs and non-Arabs like Persians.

Who was Prince Abdullah Rahman and what was his significance?

Prince Abdullah Rahman, also known as Emir Abd al-Rahman ibn Mu'awiya, was a 20-year-old prince of the Umayyad dynasty. He is significant for escaping the massacre of his family and later establishing a foothold in Al-Andalus (Spain).

How did Prince Abdullah Rahman escape the Abbasid massacre?

Prince Abdullah Rahman escaped the Abbasid massacre by fleeing with his loyalist Badr and brother Yahya. They disguised themselves, left Damascus as merchants, and managed to evade Abbasid forces.

What challenges did Prince Abdullah Rahman and his group face during their escape?

The group faced numerous challenges, including deciding their escape route, disguising themselves to avoid detection, and dealing with the trauma of leaving family members behind who were subsequently killed by the Abbasids.

What was Prince Abdullah Rahman's ultimate plan after escaping the Abbasids?

Prince Abdullah Rahman's ultimate plan was to cross through Africa, rally an army, defeat the local governor in Al-Andalus, and reclaim his family's empire from the Abbasids.

What historical context does the video provide about the early Islamic and European worlds around the year 700?

The video explains the fall of the Roman Empire, the rise of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire, and the rapid expansion of the Islamic Caliphate after Prophet Muhammad's death. It highlights the conflicts and changes that shaped the geopolitical landscape of the time.

Outlines

00:00

🔍 Introduction to War Thunder and Historical Context

This video is sponsored by War Thunder, offering a massive bonus pack for new players. The video begins by exploring the longest war in history, the Reconquista, which spanned over 700 years. The narrator stumbles upon a captivating story about a prince during this research. The video sets the stage by explaining the state of the European and Islamic worlds around the year 700 AD. It highlights the birth of Jesus Christ and the spread of Christianity in the Roman Empire, the rise of the Eastern Roman Empire, the birth and teachings of Prophet Muhammad, and the rapid expansion of the Rashidun Caliphate into the Eastern Roman and Persian Empires. It also covers the internal struggles within the Islamic world, leading to the split between Shia and Sunni Muslims.

05:01

🏃‍♂️ Prince Abd al-Rahman's Escape

The story introduces Prince Abd al-Rahman, a young prince of the Umayyad dynasty. Amidst the chaos and systematic slaughter of his family by Abbasid forces, Abd al-Rahman and a small group decide to flee. They face a critical decision on their escape route, ultimately opting to avoid major roads and follow the Euphrates River. The group, disguised as merchants, manages to leave the city unnoticed. However, they are constantly pursued by Abbasid hunters, leading to tense and dangerous moments. The group finds temporary refuge in a small village, but their safety is short-lived as Abbasid hunters close in, forcing them to continue their perilous journey.

10:12

🌊 The Final Escape and Future Plans

Abd al-Rahman and his companions make a desperate run for the river to escape the pursuing Abbasid hunters. Despite the dangers, they manage to cross, although Abd al-Rahman's brother, Yahya, is less successful and decides to return, only to be killed. Abd al-Rahman and his loyal companion Badr continue their escape, determined to survive. They decide to head to Al-Andalus (Spain), where they hope to find support and rebuild their dynasty. Abd al-Rahman vows to reclaim his family's lost empire, setting the stage for a long and arduous journey filled with challenges and battles ahead.

Keywords

💡Reconquista

The Reconquista refers to the series of campaigns by Christian states to recapture territory taken by Muslims on the Iberian Peninsula. It lasted over 700 years and is the backdrop of the video's main story. This long conflict is introduced as the initial topic of research, leading to the discovery of the smaller, more personal story of Prince Abd al-Rahman.

💡Iberian Peninsula

The Iberian Peninsula is located in southwestern Europe and includes modern-day Spain and Portugal. It was the central location of the Reconquista, where Muslims and Christians fought for control. The video's story unfolds here, emphasizing its historical significance and the cultural clash between Islamic and Christian civilizations.

💡Umayyad Caliphate

The Umayyad Caliphate was a major Islamic dynasty that ruled a vast empire from the Middle East to Spain. The video mentions its expansion, internal struggles, and eventual overthrow by the Abbasid Caliphate, which sets the stage for Prince Abd al-Rahman's flight and quest to restore his dynasty.

💡Abbasid Caliphate

The Abbasid Caliphate succeeded the Umayyad Caliphate and was marked by the Islamic Golden Age. In the video, the Abbasids' rise to power involves a violent purge of Umayyad family members, driving Prince Abd al-Rahman into exile. This context highlights the intense political and religious conflicts of the era.

💡Prince Abd al-Rahman

Prince Abd al-Rahman is the central figure in the video's story, an Umayyad prince who fled the Abbasid purge. His journey to revive his dynasty forms the narrative's core, symbolizing resilience and the quest for justice amidst political turmoil. His story is compared to an epic movie plot, adding dramatic intrigue.

💡Caliph

A caliph is a religious and political leader in Islam, considered a successor to Prophet Muhammad. The video discusses various caliphs in both the Umayyad and Abbasid caliphates, illustrating the power struggles and divisions within the Islamic world, such as the conflict between Shia and Sunni Muslims.

💡Islamic Golden Age

The Islamic Golden Age was a period of cultural, economic, and scientific flourishing in the Islamic world, particularly under the Abbasid Caliphate. The video contrasts this era with the violent rise to power of the Abbasids, noting the paradox of cultural advancement and political brutality.

💡Damascus

Damascus, the capital of the Umayyad Caliphate, is where the Abbasid forces began their purge of the Umayyad family. The video's protagonist, Prince Abd al-Rahman, escapes from Damascus, making it a significant location in his story of survival and resistance against the Abbasid forces.

💡Ali

Ali, the fourth caliph, is a central figure in early Islamic history. The video explains his role in the first Islamic civil war and the resulting split between Sunni and Shia Muslims. This split continues to influence Islamic political and religious dynamics, contextualizing the conflicts described in the video.

💡Islamic Civil War

The first Islamic Civil War, also known as the First Fitna, was a major conflict over leadership succession in the early Islamic community. The video describes this war and its aftermath, including the assassination of Ali, which deepened the Sunni-Shia divide and set the stage for subsequent power struggles.

Highlights

Introduction to the longest war in history, the Reconquista.

The story of a prince on a mission to revive his dynasty.

Background on the state of the European and Islamic world around 700 AD.

The rise of Islam and the expansion of the Rashidun Caliphate.

Internal conflicts and the split into Shia and Sunni factions.

The Abbasid Revolution and the fall of the Umayyad Caliphate.

Introduction of Prince Abd al-Rahman, the story's protagonist.

The escape of Prince Abd al-Rahman from the Abbasid assassins.

Details of the escape plan, disguises, and leaving Damascus.

The pursuit by Abbasid hunters and the sacrifices made.

The crossing of the Euphrates River and the betrayal of Yahya.

Abd al-Rahman’s determination to revive the Umayyad dynasty.

The plan to rally support in Al-Andalus and reclaim lost territories.

The challenges faced on the journey through Africa.

The loyalty of his companion, Badr, and their quest for justice.

Transcripts

this video is made possible by War

Thunder click the link in the

description to claim your a massive

bonus pack and to get

started a while ago I was researching

the longest war ever in history which

spent more than 700 years and is called

the Reconquista a massive war between

invading Muslims and Christians and who

got to own the Iberian Peninsula but

while researching that mess of War I

came across a smaller specific story

that honestly felt like it came straight

from a movie almost like an alternative

Lord of the Ring story a story about a

prince with a dream and a mission to

revive his slain Dynasty but before I

introduce you to that main character in

this wild story allow me to explain the

state of the European and Islamic world

around the year 700 so that we are all

on the same page and I'll start with

zero or actually I'll start with the

intro give me 5 Seconds historically

facts part 7 around the year Z Jesus

Christ was born within the Roman Empire

in Bethlehem Romans did a bad thing and

welcomed Christianity into the world

another thing that Romans were bad at is

keeping barbarians from their soil and

the Glorious Roman Empire turned in a

span of 80 years into half of its

original size with only the Eastern

Roman Empire continuing its memories

around that time in the year 570 Prophet

Muhammad was born in the city of Mecca

and spent his life preaching the word of

Allah and uniting the Arabian Peninsula

till his passing in 632 ad with Prophet

Muhammad passed on the four cffs also

known as the closest Companions of his

started the rashidun caliphate and

quickly expanded the caliphate's borders

into the Eastern Roman Empire the

Persian Empire and African territories

how did they manage to defeat two great

Empires at the same time well the

Persians and self-proclaimed Romans had

been fighting for centuries because of

disputed territory weakening both sides

massively which was beneficial for the

rapidly approaching fresh Arab Empire

then internal struggles Prophet Muhammad

never clearly told his followers who

would follow his footsteps as the leader

in the Islamic World which left them

with four candidates also known as the

cffs who are introduced before it was

quickly decided that those three were to

be caleff first and finally Ali as the

fourth this from the start because they

split within the Islamic world and

created the Shia and Sunni movement

where the Shia argued that Ali should

have been the first caleff and not the

fourth one like the Sunni Muslims argue

during the reign of the third caleff

named utman unrest was growing and

growing till the point where Rebels

broke into UT man's home and killed him

while he was reading the Quran this

sparked outrage all across the Empire

and ignited the first Islamic Civil War

and the fourth caleff Ali in the role to

fix it long story short Ali got

assassinated and the head of the umat

family which were devout sunnis and a

powerful family became the fifth kaith

and started the umat calipat all right

cool we are now getting close to the

start of a story so just bear with me

just a little bit longer the umat cipit

got bigger and more powerful as the

years went on to the point where they

spread from India all the way to the

bottom of France it was a marvelous

Empire at least if you were a

prestigious Arab that is any other

minority got treatments in Texas that

were blatantly unfair huh but aren't all

these guys Arabs as the clueless

American and European well not exactly

this part is Arab that part is Persian

the people whose Empire was defeated by

the Arabs they were mainly Shia Muslims

and felt a strong Affinity with the

assassinated kalef Ali and you might

have guessed it the combination of

unfair treatment plus religious

differences caused these suppressed

groups to come together as the opposite

movement and they were ready for a

revolution a bloody Revolution that is

the umat kff Maran II could feel the

rain coming and ried up his troops and

headed to battle to face of the opposite

Army however the umad sold were no match

for the absit armies who were fueled

with a strong passion for justice for

every civilian in the great Empire

almost all the umad soldiers including

the caleff Marvin II ended up being

killed but the Opposites weren't done

there they wanted to bring justice to

all the remaining family members of the

umat family and back in the 750s Justice

came in the form of death remember that

scene from Star Wars where they issued

Order 66 this was exactly the same Rogue

abset agents all across the calipat

started systematically killing every

single member servant and Loyalist of

the umat family and with the opposite

Army marching closer and closer to the

city of Damascus the capital of the umat

calipat unrest and the slaughter of the

umat family was in full force and here

we find the protagonist of our story

Prince Abdullah Rahman or as his fil

name and title goes imir abdah Rahman IB

muavia ibam imir means Prince abdar

Rahman is his name which means servant

of God ibun means son of and muya is his

father and hasham his grandfather but

for Simplicity sake we are just going to

call him Prince Abdullah Rahman despite

being a 20-year-old Prince he wasn't in

line for the throne but that didn't make

any difference for the abet every person

umat had to be game ended and if abet

assassins getting ever so closer

Abdullah Rahman knew fighting wasn't an

option it was time to run

[Music]

with swords clashing in the hallway time

was of the essence first things first

the group had to decide where to flee to

looking at the map Yahya the brother of

abdalah Rahman suggested it made sense

to try to outdistance the episodes as

far as possible meaning to head

westwards towards Palestine however

better a freed slaven and close loyalist

of the prince argued against it and

suggested they should avoid major roads

and cities and to follow the Euphrates

River up instead potentially finding

support and shelter along their way

abdah Rahman agreed but that wasn't the

only problem they had to tackle how were

they going to escape the city without

getting detected sure they could just

try their luck and run but that would

mean that he had to leave his

four-year-old son and his sisters behind

something that the prince wouldn't dare

to think about better once again being

experienced in a simpler lifestyle came

to the rescue disguises ditch the luxies

and bulking weapons cover your faces and

only grab what is necessary leave the

city as Merchants the group agreed and

exited through the back door onto the

streets of chaos with bodies everywhere

and unnecessary Bloodshed tainting the

streets of the Fallen Capital the group

set off and managed to slip the way out

of the grasp of the Everet rff for now

[Music]

get of the horses we are going on the

hunt ah Shooks

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months with Damascus behind them the

group was far from safe the abets now in

control of the capital and the calipat

renamed the Empire to the abet calipat

which all B Western provinces around

Spain and Morocco complied with there

was no more going back to the rment

luxury that the two princes were a part

of at the time the group didn't know it

yet but they were the last remaining

umat blood alive in the entire califood

everyone else had been murdered the

group exhausted both mentally and

physically arrived late that day in a

small village to rest up and prepare for

the final stretch towards the river the

town's folk seemingly sympathizing with

the prince and its cause offered them a

couple simple but warm tents for them to

rest in at last after a traumatizing day

the group could finally close their eyes

and sleep but not for long

[Music]

[Music]

my Lord they found us no stay back

Gordon wi my brother I need to find my

son oh no

[Music]

[Music]

no my Lord if we die here the bloodline

dies with us we have to go and with pain

in the hearts and no other choice the

trio left the village leaving the rest

of the group to its fate

[Music]

just to clarify each one of the Left

Behind family members got killed that

night by the episod hunters gosh these

episodes really are horrible aren't they

well if you're an umat yeah but for the

rest of the people they really weren't

that bad as a matter of fact the Islamic

golden age happened in abisa Empire so

thank you ABBA very cool for killing my

son and three sisters if we take a look

at the magically updated map we can tell

that the situation is worse than I

thought it was Damascus has completely

fallen and the episod armies are

spreading out and taking down the

remaining Rogue soldiers you might be

thinking why don't they just hop over

into the Eastern Roman Empire and look

for shelter there well remember when the

Arabs took half of their already half

Empire yeah they still didn't forget

about that one speaking of forgetting

something it seems like the episod

hunters are here to finish the job with

nowhere else to go the trio made a

desperate Run for the river and Drew

themselves into the water the episod

hunters wore heavy clothing in armor and

wear on horses this in no shape for

crossing a river but neither was Yahya

Abdullah Rahman was always an athletic

type and better being a fre slave

naturally is used to do demanding

physical tasks but Yahya was more air

than swim the tree desperately started

started to swim to the other side but

the deeper into the crossing they went

the stronger the

current if only I could just not cross

or something if you come back we promise

we won't kill you all right that's it

I'm going back what are you doing

brother hurry we can't go back just last

night they killed our sisters and my son

you can't trust them bro relax they

promised surely they wouldn't break

that

oh what a dumbass you reckon it would

work again doesn't hurt to try hey uh I

know we just killed your brother and all

that but if you come back we won't kill

you H and so Abdullah Rahman swam back

became best friends with the murder of

his entire bloodline and the Arab

countries would never be in another War

ever again is what the prince wish they

could believe but better going far

beyond the spay grade build them away

from the river and the two of them ran

like their lives dependent on it which

it did the two kept running and running

till there was no more land to run

on I guess this is it

huh is it though better I am the last

one of the umat clan everyone else is

dead they councel me better I can't just

give up and accept my fate or hide in

exile for Allah's sake what do you think

my son would say if he saw me surrender

why do you imagine me as a little baby

um probably nothing good listen as much

as I want to cry and weep in a hole

which believe me I really do I still

can't at least not so we have delivered

Justice here give me your map 40 years

ago my great-grandfather alval the LED a

massive Invasion on Al andalo and

conquered almost everything of the

peninsula if there is one place we can

go to for support it has to be there I

heard the local Governor there has been

trying to establish his own rule in

defiance of the umat family which means

it's very likely he also won't give in

to the abits we cross through Africa

rally up an army defeat the governor and

conquer back our Empire that the abits

have taken from us it's will be a long

and treacherous Journey the absite

horsemen and Mr Scarface won't stop till

we escape their land not to mention the

many Berber tribes who will come across

and who will be anything but

friendly better we freed you from

slavery and your depth has been more

than repa if you want to leave I

understand I will never leave you Mr

Frodo thanks Sam all right then let's

rest our legs and dig in for another

night as tomorrow we start our quest to

defeat the governor and declare war on

the epison empire

[Music]