-The Role of the Kalb Tribe in the Political Crises of the Umayyad Period: The Transfer of Power from the Sufyānī Branch and Its Consolidation in the Marwāni Branch (683-705), Emphasizing the Role of the Baḥdal and the Abū Umamah Family

The Umayyads were rulers with Arab inclinations. During this period, the Arab tribes played an important role in governmental and military affairs, especially in the conquests. The relations of the Arab tribes with the the Umayyads were not on the same level. The tribe of Kalb, the tribe descended from the Al-Ḳuḍa’a, was one that had close relations with the Umayyad rulers, especially the Sufyānī branch. Kalb tribe had a long history of living in the deserts of Syria and a large population, which led to Mu’āwīyah marrying a Kalbi woman in order to gain the support of this tribe. The mother of Yazīd, Muāwīyah's successor, was a Kalbi woman, which led to the rise of the Kalb's political position. This article seeks to look at the role of the Kalb tribe in the period of Instability and crises that occurred after the death of Muāwīyah II, until the end of the rule of ‘Abd al-Malik by focusing on the Baḥdal and Abū-Umāmah families of the Banu Hāritha bin Janāb clan of the Kalb tribe. The results obtained show that these two families reached the highest levels of military administration during the period of Yazīd bin Muāwīyah and in the period of crisis, and despite the fall of four of the five region (Jund) in Syria in the hands of the forces belonging to al-Zubayr, they were able to manage the situation and lead the forces loyal to the Umayyads and bring them back to power. At this point, the Kalb tribe and its leaders from the Banu Hāritha bin Janāb clan, particularly the Baḥdal family, played a crucial role. During the reign of ‘Abd al-Malik ibn Marwān (685-705), this tribe also played an influential role in suppressing various uprisings in the Syria, Jazira, Irāq and Persia. During this period, the Baḥdal family's role gradually diminished, but the Abu-Umāma family had the upper hand in stabilizing the government leading Shāmi forces.