The Umayyad presence in the Bilad al-Sham: A toponymic study.

Format:

Book

Thesis/Dissertation

Author/Creator:

Smadi, Taleb Abdallah.

Contributor:

University of Pennsylvania.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Middle East--History.

Middle East.

History.

Archaeology.

Extinct languages.

0289.

0324.

0333.

Local Subjects:

0289.

0324.

0333.

Physical Description:

400 pages

Contained In:

Dissertation Abstracts International 53-01A.

System Details:

Mode of access: World Wide Web.

text file

Summary:

This dissertation presents a study of the toponymies of the Umayyad estates and establishments in the area between the desert and the sown in the Bilad al-Sham. The toponymies of the Umayyad sites have received scant attention from scholars studying the Umayyad period. In the past, very little was known of the Umayyad settlement policy in the Bilad al-Sham due to the lack of systematic explorations. In the last four decades, however, several comprehensive surveys and excavations have been carried out in the area. The time seems appropriate for a re-analysis of both archaeological and textual material.

The methodology used in this research involved the examination of both archaeological and textual record related to these establishments. Literary sources play a significant role in investigating the names of sites, although our sources are all from the Abbasid period. We have investigated the meaning of the names of these sites. The name of the building may be a clear reflection of intention of its owner and a further indication of his personal attitude toward it.

Archaeological investigations to the Umayyad sites showed that these constructions were located near water resources and they have canal irrigation, regardless whether these canals were already founded and just repaired and reused by the Umayyads. Our investigations demonstrated that the Umayyads had a settlement policy of turning the desert fringes into places of habitation (tamsir).

The view presented here is that the Umayyad sites served two purposes. First, the primary reason behind the Umayyad building program was related to agricultural exploitation. Second, the Umayyad caliphs built such a significant number of palaces between the desert and the sown to give themselves the opportunity to be in close contact with the Arab tribes. In fact, some of the Umayyad buildings might have been built for members of these tribes. Without establishing themselves among the Bedouin tribes, the Umayyads would have had difficulty in organizing their armies. Accordingly, as long as the Umayyads were able to keep their prestige among the Bedouin, they could organize their power. Once they neglected the source of their power among the Syrian Bedouin and left their desert residences, as was the case of the last Umayyad Caliphs, Yazid III and Marwan II, the Umayyad caliphate came to an end.

Finally, it has been widely believed that almost all Umayyad settlements were abandoned by the fall of the Umayyad dynasty in 132/750. Now this claim has been rejected because archaeological investigations in many of these sites indicate occupation continuity from the Umayyad into the Abbasid periods. (Abstract shortened with permission of author.)

Notes:

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 53-01, Section: A, page: 0280.

Supervisor: Renata Holod.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Pennsylvania, 1991.

Local Notes:

School code: 0175.

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license.