OMMIADS, OMAYYADS, or OMMEYADES. A dynasty deriving its name front an ancestor, Onmyya (Arabie rtnuiyah) which .-meemsleil to the Arabian caliphate on the death of Ali. the fourth Caliph and possessed it till superseded by the .;\ bbassides (q.v.) in 750. Mortwiyah (q.v.), the founder of the dynasty, was the son of the Nondsh leader who defeated Mohammed at Beth-, and his mother was the notorious Hinda. After the death of Othman, the third Caliph (656), Moawiyah, who was his cousin, claimed the throne, and during the whole of reign ruled over the western provinces of Syria and Egypt ; but it was not till the death of that Caliph, and the abdication of his son 1fassan, that authority as Caliph was recognized (661). He transferred the seat of the caliphate to cus, Kula having been the residence of Ali, and :Medina of the first three caliphs. The Arabs tinued to extend their conquests during his reign; the Turks in Khorasan were subdued, Turkestan was invaded, and several important quisitions were made in Asia The Caliph neglected no means of consolidating the Empire, and partly for this reason he made the succession hereditary, and caused his son YEZIU to be recognized as his heir. The reigns of Yezid
and his suecessors, AloAwlvAit II. (683) and .MERWAN I. are devoid of importance, as their sway extended only over Syria and Pales tine. :MELEE. (685-705), an able and warlike prince, succeeded in rendering self undisputed ruler of the Mohammedan world (692), but the latter part of his reign was much disturbed by rebellions in the eastern provinces. He was the first Caliph who interested himself in the promotion of liberal knowledge, causing the most celebrated cal and other works of the Persians to be trans lated into Arabic. Four of his SODS, \VALID