The Umayyad dynasty ruled the Muslim world from 661 to 750 AD. Mu‘awiya, its founder, centralized power and transferred the political capital to Damascus in Syria. After the caliphate of Mu‘awiya (661 to 681 AD), the Umayyad dynasty ruled for another 70 years through nine successors amid extreme turmoil.

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              The second phase of Muslim expansion took place during periods of a certain internal calm in the Umayyad caliphate. The expeditions went in three directions: Constantinople and Asia Minor; North Africa and Spain; and Central Asia. During this period there were several sieges of the capital of the Byzantine Empire - Constantinople - but it resisted and would only fall seven centuries later with the invasion of the Turks.
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                In the direction of Central Asia, they advanced to the northeast of Iran, reaching the Indus River in 713 AD and arriving at the Buddhist center of Multan, which for some time was the most advanced point of Islam in India.

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            The last reign of 'Abd al-Malik saw a period of splendor that preceded the final years of anarchy between 744 and 750 AD, and ended with the fall of the Umayyad dynasty.

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