Acknowledgments A Note on Transliteration, Place Names, and Dates Abbreviations 1. Introduction Early Islamic Syria: An Overview Contentious Syrians 2. Who Will Act Equitably Between the People?: The Dynamic of Provincial Power in Syria Administrative Geography in the "Syrias" The Dynamic of Provincial Power 3. A Good Reputation and Supporting Hands: Provincial Governors and Provincial Rebellion The Limits of Central Control, I: Early 'Abbasid Strategies 'Abbasid Kinsmen The Revolt of 'Abd Allah b. 'Ali The Rise of the Banu Salih The Khurasaniyya and 'Abbasid Clients The Limits of Central Control, II: Continuities and Changes After the Fourth Civil War Al-'Abbas b. al-Ma'mun and the Accession of al--Mu'tasim Syria and Samarra The Strange Success of 'Isa b. al-Shaykh The Last Governors of Early 'Abbasid Syria Conclusion 4. The Swords of Our Forefathers: Umayyads and the Alternatives to 'Abbasid Rule 'Abbasid "Revolution" and Umayyad "Rebellion" Stemming the Ride: Abu al-Ward and Abu Muhammad al-Sufyani Other Umayyad Counterrevolts Umayyad Legitimacy in the 'Abbasid Age Apocalyptic in Action: The Revolt of Abu al-Umaytir Context and Outbreak The Qaysiyya Respond The Aftermath of the Revolt Conclusion 5.

As One Face, Your Faces Are Marred: 'Asabiyya and the Ashraf of Syria A Short History of Factionalism in Syria The Umayyad Background The Third Civil War The Reign of Marwan II Initial Reactions to the 'Abbasid Revolutions in Syria The Joint Revolt of Habib b. Murra and Ibn Suraqa The Crisis of the Ashraf The Revolt of Abu al-Haydham al-Murri The Revolt Erupts Denouement Other Early Outbreaks of Factionalism The Ashraf of Syria and the Fourth Civil War Syria under the Ashraf Central Authority Restored The End of the Ashraf Conclusion 6. Worst Elements: The Impolitics of Unnotables in 'Abbasid Syria Urban Violence and the Lower Strata The Constraints upon Rural Contention The Revolt of Bundar/Theodore Abu Harb al-Mubarqa Banditry and the Zawaqil Conclusion 7. Conclusion: Standards of Revolt The View from Syria Contextualizing Syria Questions Appendix A: Governors of the jund of Dimashq Appendix B: Governors of the jund of Qinnasrin Appendix C: A Chronology of Contention in Syria Notes Works Cited General Index Prosopographical Index.