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How did tribal rivalries weaken the Umayyad caliphate?

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Tribal rivalries significantly weakened the Umayyad caliphate by undermining its military cohesion and political stability. While the early dynasty utilized Arab tribal structures to organize its government and maintain loyalty, these same structures eventually became a source of internal fragmentation.12

The primary tribal conflict involved the deep-seated feuds between the northern Qays tribes and the southern Kalb tribes. These rivalries erupted into major revolts across Syria, Iraq, and Khorasan following the death of the caliph Hishām, which severely reduced the regime's military power.1

Furthermore, the Umayyad government deliberately encouraged these tribal factions as a strategy to prevent a united opposition from forming against its central authority. However, this policy backfired, as the persistent infighting eroded the state's ability to govern effectively and defend its borders. This instability, combined with broader social discontent among non-Arab converts (mawālī) and religious opposition, left the caliphate vulnerable to the Abbasid revolution, which ultimately overthrew the dynasty in 750.314