y ad ▁C ali ph ate ▁( 6 6 1 – 7 5 0 ▁CE ; ▁, ▁; ▁) ▁was ▁the ▁second ▁of ▁the ▁four ▁major ▁cal i ph ates ▁established ▁after ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁Muhammad . ▁The ▁cal i ph ate ▁was ▁ruled ▁by ▁the ▁Um ay y ad ▁dynast y ▁( , ▁al - ʾ U ma w ī y ū n , ▁or ▁, ▁Ban ū ▁ ʾ U may y ah , ▁" S ons ▁of ▁Um ay y ah "). ▁The ▁third ▁C ali ph , ▁U th man ▁ibn ▁Aff an ▁( r . ▁ 6 4 4 – 6 5 6 ), ▁was ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Um ay y ad ▁cl an . ▁The ▁family ▁established ▁d yn astic , ▁her edit ary ▁rule ▁with ▁Mu aw i ya ▁ibn ▁Ab i ▁S uf yan , ▁long - time ▁governor ▁of ▁Sy ria , ▁who ▁became ▁the ▁sixth ▁C ali ph ▁after ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁First ▁Muslim ▁Civil ▁War ▁in ▁ 6 6 1 . ▁After ▁Mu ' aw iy ah ' s ▁death ▁in ▁ 6 8 0 , ▁conflicts ▁over ▁the ▁succession ▁resulted ▁in ▁a ▁Second ▁Civil ▁War ▁and ▁power ▁eventually ▁fell ▁into ▁the ▁hands ▁of ▁Mar wan ▁I ▁from ▁another ▁branch ▁of ▁the ▁cl an . ▁Sy ria ▁remained ▁the ▁Um ay y ads ' ▁main ▁power ▁base ▁there after , ▁and ▁Dam asc us ▁was ▁their ▁capital . ▁ ▁The ▁Um ay y ads ▁continued ▁the ▁Muslim ▁con quest s