744 Death of Walid in battle with his rival. =Yazid III= succeeds. Signs of disintegration become marked. Abd ar-Rahman b. Muhammed declares himself independent in Africa. Revolt of Emesa over Walid’s death, and defeat of rebels at Eagle’s Pass. Merwan, Yazid’s grandfather, attempts to obtain caliphate. Yazid makes him governor of Mesopotamia. Death of Yazid, after reign of six months. His brother, Ibrahim, succeeds. Merwan marches against Damascus. Ibrahim flees, after reign of two months, and =Merwan II= is acknowledged caliph. 746 Mohammedan invasion of Cyprus. 750 As a result of the ferment in the eastern part of the empire, the Abbasid Abul-Abbas assumes title of caliph. War between Omayyads and Abbasids. Battle of the Zab. Defeat of Merwan, and downfall of the Omayyad dynasty. THE ABBASID DYNASTY (750-1258 A.D.) 750 =Abul-Abbas= established in the caliphate. He has all the Omayyad princes (except Abd ar-Rahman b. Moawiyah, who escapes to Africa) put to death. Revolts break out, owing to his cruelty, but they are suppressed. Abul-Abbas fixes his residence at Anbar. 754 Death of Abul-Abbas. He has designated =Abu Jafar= (=Al-Mansur=), his cousin, as his successor. Abdallah b. Ali revolts, but is defeated at Nisibis. Several risings are suppressed. Revolt in Africa, which hereafter only nominally belongs to the caliphs. 755 The Mohammedans in Spain elect Abd ar-Rahman b. Moawiyah caliph. Spain lost to the Abbasids. 756 Foundation of the western Omayyad caliphate. 756-757 Invasion of Asia Minor. Capture of Malatiya. Defeat of the Byzantines in Cilicia. Seven years’ truce with the emperor. 762 Baghdad made the capital of the caliphate. 763 Muhammed Mahdi falls in battle, after having caused himself to be proclaimed caliph. His brother, Ibrahim, also revolts, and is killed in battle. 775 Death of Mansur. His son, =Muhammed= (=Al-Mahdi=), succeeds. He busies himself at once with improving internal conditions and restoring peace. Revolt of Hakim in Khorasan. Continued invasion of Asia Minor. 780 Capture of Semaluos by Harun ar-Rashid. 782 Renewal of war between Moslems and Byzantines. Victory for the latter in Cilicia. Harun ar-Rashid takes command. He marches to the Bosporus, and compels the empress Irene to pay large yearly tribute. 785 Rebellion of Mahdi’s eldest son, Musa, because Harun is preferred as heir. Death of Mahdi on his way to crush the rebellion. Musa, who takes the title Hadi, succeeds. Rising of Hosein b. Ali suppressed. 786 Hadi attempts to exclude Harun from the caliphate, and is smothered at instigation of his mother. =Harun ar-Rashid=, the most celebrated of the caliphs, succeeds without opposition. 789 The Arabs invade Rumania. 792-793 Suppression of the party formed by Yahya b. Abdallah.