The First Dynasty

Useful Vocab: Mu’awiya b. Abi Sufyan

A 7th-century Inscription

This inscription was discovered in the bath houses of Hammat Gader. It is in Greek and mentions the first Umayyad caliph (after ‘Uthman), Mu’awiya b. Abi Sufyan.

A 7th-century Coin

This coin was minted by the first Umayyad caliph (not counting ‘Uthman), Mu’awiya b. Abi Sufyan.

On the obverse: the image of Yazdegerd, the last Sasanian king. To the left of his head is an inscription in Middle Persian language, Pahlavi script: “may his kingship increase.” To the right of his head, also in Middle Persian language, Pahlavi script: “Mu’awiya, Commander of the Faithful.” On the margin, in Arabic: “In the name of God.” On the reverse: Middle Persian inscription with date and mint (Darabjird).

A 7th-century Coin

This coin does not list a date or ruler, so it is not possible to say for sure who minted it. But some have argued that coins of this type were minted by Mu’awiya.

On the obverse: down the left side, in Arabic: “in the name of God.” On the reverse, the mint name in Greek, but backwards (Emesa, modern: Hims, Syria). On bottom, in Arabic: “good.”

A 7th-century Coin

This coin does not list a date or ruler, so it is not possible to say for sure who minted it. But some have argued that coins of this type were minted by Mu’awiya.

On the reverse: two lines in Greek, read vertically: “H[e]liopol[i]s,” at bottom in Arabic: “Ba’albak.” These are both the names of a city in modern Lebanon.

A 7th-century Description

This passage is from the Maronite Chronicle, a text written in Syriac sometime shortly after 664. It uses the Seleucid era, counting from 312 BCE.

In AG 971, Constans’s 18th year, many Arabs gathered at Jerusalem and made Muʿawiya king and he went up and sat down on Golgotha; he prayed there, and went to Gethsemane and went down to the tomb of the blessed Mary to pray in it. In those days, when the Arabs were assembled there with Muʿawiya, there was an earthquake and a violent tremor and the greater part of Jericho fell, including all its churches, and of the House of Lord John at the site of our Savior’s baptism in the Jordan every stone above the ground was overthrown, together with the entire monastery. The monastery of Abba Euthymius, as well as many convents of monks and solitaries and many other places also collapsed in this (earthquake). In July of the same year the emirs and many Arabs gathered and proffered their right hand to Muʿawiya. Then an order went out that he should be proclaimed king in all the villages and cities of his dominion and that they should make acclamations and invocations to him. He also minted gold and silver, but it was not accepted, because it had no cross on it. Furthermore, Muʿawiya did not wear a crown like other kings in the world. He placed his throne in Damascus and refused to go to Muhammad’s throne. The following year there was frost in the early morning of Wednesday, 13 April, and the white grapevines were withered by it. When Muʿawiya had acquired the power which he had aimed at and was at rest from the (civil) wars of his people, he broke the peace settlement with the Romans and refused to accept peace from them any longer. Rather he said, ‘If the Romans want peace, let them surrender their weapons, and pay the tax {Ar. jizya}.’

Source, pp. 31-32.