Q. & A. 711 to 1707 with solved Papers css 1971 to date

WAR WITH THE BYZANTINES
Towards the end of his reign, al-Walid had fitted out a fle^t to attack Constantinople by sea and ir-.-_r> fh.- ,n:;^ Pviinor and Armenia had been engaged in an attack by land. This was the third attempt of the Muslims to conquer Constantinople. 7’his project was undertaken by Sulayman under the command of his brother Maslamah, and another general of his name sake (S;»iayman) and the military operated from Dabiq in North Syria where a great assembly camp for the war against the Greeks was maintained. Reinforcements were received both from land and sea and also additional naval aid from Egypt. They were armed with naptha and siege engine. The Muslim navy with 1800 warships crossed the Dardanelles at Abydos and anchored near the walls of Constantinople on the Bosphorus and the Marmora in September 717.
The Muslims penetrated as far as Pergamos and Sardis and besieged the Byzantine capital for a year. The circumstances seemed favourable because rebellion had broken out among the Greeks and Leo, an Isaurian, of Syrian origin had joined hands vyjth Masiamah. The event took a different turn when Leo, the Isaurian, was raised to the throne. The chain barred the Muslim fleet from attacking the Golden Horn and the Greek fires forced the Muslim soldierc back. They were defeated on both sides of the Bosphorus and suffered from pestilence and famine and biting co’d and the fleet had to retreat after a long siege of about two jears (97-99A.H./715-17 A.D.).
Bernard Lewis says, ”During the reign of Sulayman a great but unsuccessful expedition was launched against Constantinople,
1 S.M. Imamuddm, A Political Histor> of the Muslims, vol, II, Part, I. Karachi 1984. P 56.

408 Political and Cultural History of Islam

the last assault by the Arabs in the grand style. Its failure brought a great moment for Umayyad power. The financial strain of equipping and maintaining the expedition caused an aggravation of the fiscal and financial oppression which had already aroused such dangerous opposition. The complete destruction of the fleet and army of Syria at the sea walls of Constantinople deprived the regime of the chief material basis of its power.”2
On receipt of the order from Sulayman’s successor, Umar b. Abdui A?iz the armada retired but was destroyed by tempest and only five of the ships could reach the Syrian coast.J This was the third and last attempt of the Umayyads to conquer Constantinople. The other two were made during the time of Mu’awiya and Abdul Malik with little results TR 4NSFER OF CAPITAL
,\s Sulaymaii was iond of pomp an grandeur he built for his residence a palace at Ramlah in Palestine and appointed eunuchs lo guard his harem. To rival the Dome of Rock in Jerusalem and the Umayyad Mosque at Damascus he constructed a mosque known as the White Mosque at Ramlah. The minaret of this White Mosque was rebuilt by the Mamluks in the 14th century. With Sulayman the royal capital of Damascus ceased to be the Caliph’s residence. DEATH OF SULAYMAN
Sulayman was in the habit of frequenting Dabiq, the base of the military operations against Constantinople, and he died at Dabiq in Safar 99/Sept. 717. His minor son, Ayyub a heir apparent, died before him and while on his death-bed in preference to his another son, Da’ud, he nominated his cousin Umar b. Abdul Aziz under the influence of one Reja ibn Hayat a saintly noble and after him his brother Yazid b. Abdul Malik to succeed him. This was his only blessed activity. He is otherwise responsible for the check on ever expanding Empire in the west, north and east and for the ruin of the ’life of four important Muslim generals Musa, Tariq, Qutaybah and Muhammad b. Qasim. For this impolitic act motivated by vanity and cruelty he will never be forgiven and forgotten in the history of Islam.
His reign was noted for the harem and good living. He was kind to his friends but cruel to his enemies. His only service rendered to the state was that he nominated his able cousin Umar to the throne for which act of greatness he was called ”the Key of Blessing”.
” Bernard Lewis. The Arabs in Histors London, 1970. P 76

1 Ilitti, History of the Arabs. PP 203. 212

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