About this episode
In this episode, we explore the fragile balance of power during the later years of the Umayyad Caliphate under Caliph Hisham ibn Abdul Malik. Between 112–114 AH (731–733 CE), the empire faced crushing defeats on nearly every frontier. Yet Hisham refused to abandon his policy of ceaseless expansion. Temporary truces bought the Caliphate breathing room, but soon the armies were back in motion—sometimes roaring, sometimes limping—toward new campaigns. From 115–120 AH, the Umayyads managed a partial comeback. Victories against the Turgesh in Central Asia, renewed advances in Sindh, and territorial gains in France seemed to restore momentum. But these successes often proved hollow. Each campaign drained the Caliphate’s coffers and manpower, leaving little capacity to improve life for its citizens. Meanwhile, internal cracks widened. The Mawali, non-Arab converts to Islam, increasingly protested an unjust tax system. Tribal rivalries were deliberately stoked by Hisham to maintain control, while provincial governors hoarded wealth, tortured predecessors, and entrenched corruption. Rather than strengthening the empire, these policies steadily weakened it. Every battlefield gain came at the cost of domestic stability. As the pressure mounted, the Umayyads were unknowingly laying the groundwork for their own downfall—making it easier for another movement to rise and challenge their rule. Join us as we examine this turbulent period of fleeting victories, deepening unrest, and the first signs of the empire’s unraveling.