Management of Al-Sham and the Role of the Loyalist in It

Abstract

The study showed that the policy of the Umayyads in the administration was based on the tribal factor, establishing a tribal balance as much as possible between Qaysiyyah and Yemenia, and exploiting loyalty to the Umayyad House, although some of the caliphs had violated this by siding with one of the parties.

On the other hand, the study confirmed that the loyalists in the Levant in general and the soldiers of Damascus in particular played some military and administrative roles that supported the Umayyad state through their presence in the army, navy and administration during the Umayyad era.

With regard to the administrative system, the study showed that the selection of the loyalist during the era of Muawiyah bin Abi Sufyan and some of his successors were chosen from the residents of the areas where they had strong tribal influence, which helps in strengthening the authority of the governor and then extending the authority of the caliph himself.

As for the Marwanite period of the Umayyad state, the administration was distinguished by the fact that most of the governors of the soldiers were from the same Marwani family, and the most likely reason was due to the caliph’s desire to build rule on the strength of Umayyad fanaticism as the symbol of the Umayyad state.