document_title: Umayyad Caliphate

question_text: where did the umayyads move the capital of the muslim empire

question_tokens: where did the umayyads move the capital of the muslim empire

text: Umayyad Caliphate

text: Origins[edit]

text: This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (July 2010) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

text: According to tradition, the Umayyad family (also known as the Banu Abd-Shams) and Muhammad both descended from a common ancestor, Abd Manaf ibn Qusai, and they originally came from the city of Mecca in the Hijaz. Muhammad descended from Abd Manāf via his son Hashim, while the Umayyads descended from Abd Manaf via a different son, Abd-Shams, whose son was Umayya. The two families are therefore considered to be different clans (those of Hashim and of Umayya, respectively) of the same tribe (that of the Quraish).[10]

text: While the Umayyads felt deep animosity towards the Hashimites before Muhammad (born c. 570 CE), their animosity severely deepened after the Battle of Badr of 624 CE. The battle saw three top leaders of the Umayyad clan (Utba ibn Rabi'ah, Walid ibn Utbah and Shaybah) killed by Hashimites (Ali, Hamza ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib and Ubaydah ibn al-Harith) in a three-on-three melee.[11] This fueled the opposition of Abu Sufyan ibn Harb, the grandson of Umayya, to Muhammad, his family, and Islam as a whole.[12]

text: Abu Sufyan sought to exterminate the adherents of the new religion by waging another battle against the  Medina-based Muslims only a year after the Battle of Badr. He did this to avenge the defeat at Badr. Scholars generally regard the Battle of Uhud (March 625) as the first defeat for the Muslims, since they incurred greater losses than the Meccans. After the battle, Abu Sufyan's wife Hind, who was also the daughter of Utba ibn Rabi'ah, is reported to have cut open the corpse of Hamza, taking out his liver which she then attempted to eat.[12] In 629, however, within five years of the defeat in the Battle of Uhud, Muhammad  took control of Mecca[13] and announced a general amnesty for all. Abu Sufyan and his wife Hind embraced Islam on the eve of the conquest of Mecca, as did their son (the future caliph Muawiyah I). However, it has been noted that Muawiya and his family did not become Muslim because of belief in the religion, but rather as a result of the collapse of the pagan society when Mecca was conquered. Banu Umayya had fostered hatred of Islam in their hearts for many years, and they did not suddenly believe in the religion simply because they saw the army of Islam enter Mecca. Rather, it has been noted that Banu Umayya entered the religion of Islam as a "Trojan horse" -- instead of seeking to destroy it as an open enemy, they would seek to destroy the religion from within it.[14]

text: The Umayyad's ascendancy began when Uthman ibn Affan, who had been an early companian of Muhammad, became the third Caliph. Uthman (644–656) did not establish a dynasty but placed some members of his clan at positions of power.[15] Most notably, he appointed his first cousin, Marwan ibn al-Hakam, as his top advisor, which created a stir among the Hashimite companions of Muhammad, as Marwan (along with his father Al-Hakam ibn Abi al-'As) had been permanently exiled from Medina by Muhammad. Uthman also appointed his half-brother, Walid ibn Uqba, whom Hashimites accused of leading prayer while under the influence of alcohol, governor of Kufa[15] and appointed his foster-brother Abdullah ibn Saad as the Governor of Egypt, replacing Amr ibn al-As.

text: Most notably, Uthman consolidated Muawiyah's governorship of Syria by granting him control over a larger area.[16] Muawiyah proved a very successful governor. He built up a loyal and disciplined army composed of Syrian Arabs[17] and also befriended Amr ibn al-As, the ousted governor of Egypt. In 639 Muawiyah was appointed[by whom?] as the governor of Syria after the previous governor Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah died in a plague along with 25,000 other people.[18][19] In 649 Muawiyah set up a navy manned by Monophysite Christian, Copt and Jacobite Syrian Christian sailors and Muslim troops, who defeated the Byzantine navy at the Battle of the Masts in 655, opening up the Mediterranean.[20][21][22][23][24]

text: Uthman's rule also saw the relaxing of restrictions instituted by the second Caliph Umar ibn Al-Khattab. Umar had maintained a tight grip on the governors; if he felt that a governor or a commander was becoming attracted to wealth, he had him removed from his position.[25] Umar also ordered Muslim armies to stay in encampments away from cities because he feared that they might get attracted to wealth and turn away from the worship of God.[25][26][27][28] At the time, tribal differences among Arabs, which had been discouraged in Muhammad's life time,[29][30][page needed][31][32][33][34] resurfaced. Deep-rooted differences between Iraq and Syria, that had belonged to the long-warring Sassanid and Byzantine Empire respectively, also persisted.[35]

text: Conflicts over Uthman's policies led to his murder in 656. Ali, the cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad, became caliph and moved his capital from Medina to Kufa. He soon met with resistance from several factions, especially from Muawiyah, the governor of Syria, who wanted Uthman's murderers arrested. Muhammad's wife, Aisha, and two companions of Muhammad, Talhah and Al-Zubayr, supported this demand. The conflict resulted in the First Fitna ("civil war") from 656 until 661. Ali was victorious against Aisha in the Battle of the Camel in 656 but the Battle of Siffin (July 657) against Muawiyah was inconclusive. Ali's position als Caliph was weakened when he first agreed to an arbitration but then refused to accept the verdict, that both Ali and Muawiyah should step down and a new Caliph be chosen.[36] In 661, the most vociferous opponents of the arbitration, the Kharijites, tried to kill both rivals; while Ali was killed, the attempt on Muawiyah failed. Ali's son Hasan (the second Imam for the Shias), accepted Muawiyah as Caliph on the condition that he be just to the people and keep them safe and secure, and that he not establish a dynasty to rule after his death.[37][need quotation to verify][38] In spite of the latter condition, this marked the beginning of the Umayyad dynasty, with its capital in Damascus.[39]

text: History[edit]

text: Sufyanids[edit]

text: Muawiyah's personal dynasty, the "Sufyanids" (descendants of Abu Sufyan), reigned from 661 to 684, until his grandson Muawiya II. The reign of Muawiyah I was marked by internal security and external expansion. On the internal front, only one major rebellion is recorded, that of Hujr ibn Adi in Kufa. Hujr ibn Adi supported the claims of the descendants of Ali to the caliphate, but his movement was easily suppressed by the governor of Iraq, Ziyad ibn Abi Sufyan. Hujr, who had been a sahabah (companion of Muhammad), was sentenced to death by Muawiya for his support of Ali.[40]

text: Muawiyah also encouraged peaceful coexistence with the Christian communities of Syria, granting his reign with "peace and prosperity for Christians and Arabs alike",[41] and one of his closest advisers was Sarjun, the father of John of Damascus. At the same time, he waged unceasing war against the Byzantine Roman Empire. During his reign, Rhodes and Crete were occupied, and several assaults were launched against Constantinople. After their failure, and faced with a large-scale Christian uprising in the form of the Mardaites, Muawiyah concluded a peace with Byzantium.  Muawiyah also oversaw military expansion in North Africa (the foundation of Kairouan) and in Central Asia (the conquest of Kabul, Bukhara, and Samarkand).

text: Muawiyah was succeeded by his son, Yazid I, in 680. This hereditary accession was opposed by a number of prominent Muslims, most notably Abd-Allah ibn al-Zubayr, son of a companion of Muhammad, and Husayn ibn Ali, the younger son of Ali. The resulting conflict is known as the Second Fitna.[42] Ibn al-Zubayr had fled Medina for Mecca, where he remained in opposition until his death. The people of Kufa invited Husayn to their city and revolt against the Ummayads. However, Yazid I prevented this alliance by having Kufa occupied[43] and Husayn and his family intercepted on their way to Kufa in the Battle of Karbala, in which Husayn and his male family members were killed.[44] Word of Husayn's death fuelled further opposition movements, one centered in Medina and the other around Kharijites in Basra. In 683, Yazid's army suppressed the Medinese opposition at the Battle of al-Harrah and then besieged Mecca. During the campaign, widespread pillaging and the damaging of both the Grand Mosque in Medina and the Kaaba in Mecca caused deep resentment and became a major cause for censure of the Umayyads in later histories of the period.

text: Yazid died while the siege was still in progress, and the Umayyad army returned to Damascus, leaving Ibn al-Zubayr in control of Mecca. Yazid's son, Muawiya II (683–84), initially succeeded him but seems to have never been recognized as caliph outside of Syria. Two factions developed within Syria: the Confederation of Qays, who supported Ibn al-Zubayr, and the Quda'a, who supported Marwan, a descendant of Umayya via Wa'il ibn Umayyah. The partisans of Marwan triumphed at a battle at Marj Rahit, near Damascus, in 684, and Marwan became Caliph shortly thereafter.

text: First Marwanids[edit]

text: Marwan's first task was to assert his authority against the rival claims of Ibn al-Zubayr, who was at this time recognized as caliph throughout most of the Islamic world. Marwan recaptured Egypt for the Umayyads, but died in 685, having reigned for only nine months.

text: Marwan was succeeded by his son, Abd al-Malik (685–705), who reconsolidated Umayyad control of the caliphate. The early reign of Abd al-Malik was marked by the revolt of Al-Mukhtar, which was based in Kufa. Al-Mukhtar hoped to elevate Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah, another son of Ali, to the caliphate, although Ibn al-Hanafiyyah himself may have had no connection to the revolt. The troops of al-Mukhtar engaged in battles both with the Umayyads in 686, defeating them at the river Khazir near Mosul, and with Ibn al-Zubayr in 687, at which time the revolt of al-Mukhtar was crushed. In 691, Umayyad troops reconquered Iraq, and in 692 the same army captured Mecca. Ibn al-Zubayr was killed in the attack.

text: The second major event of the early reign of Abd al-Malik was the construction of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem. Although the chronology remains somewhat uncertain, the building seems to have been completed in 692, which means that it was under construction during the conflict with Ibn al-Zubayr. This had led some historians, both medieval and modern, to suggest that the Dome of the Rock was built as a destination for pilgrimage to rival the Kaaba, which was under the control of Ibn al-Zubayr.

text: Abd al-Malik is credited with centralizing the administration of the Caliphate and with establishing Arabic as its official language. He also introduced a uniquely Muslim coinage, marked by its aniconic decoration, which supplanted the Byzantine and Sasanian coins that had previously been in use. Abd al-Malik also recommenced offensive warfare against Byzantium, defeating the Byzantines at Sebastopolis and recovering control over Armenia and Caucasian Iberia.

text: Following Abd al-Malik's death, his son, Al-Walid I (705–15), became caliph. Al-Walid was also active as a builder, sponsoring the construction of Al-Masjid al-Nabawi in Medina and the Great Mosque of Damascus.

text: In the year 712, Muhammad bin Qasim, an Umayyad general, sailed from the Persian Gulf into Sindh in Pakistan and conquered both the Sindh and the Punjab regions along the Indus river. The conquest of Sindh and Punjab, in modern-day Pakistan, although costly, were major gains for the Umayyad Caliphate. However, further gains were halted by the death of Al-Hajjaj bin Yusuf Al-Thaqafi, as after his death Muhammad was called back from his conquests. After this, Muslim chroniclers admit that the Caliph Mahdi "gave up the project of conquering any part of India".[citation needed]

text: A major figure during the reigns of both al-Walid and Abd al-Malik was the Umayyad governor of Iraq, Al-Hajjaj bin Yousef. Many Iraqis remained resistant to Umayyad rule, and to maintain order al-Hajjaj imported Syrian troops, which he housed in a new garrison town, Wasit. These troops became crucial in the suppression of a revolt led by an Iraqi general, Ibn al-Ash'ath, in the early eighth century.

text: Al-Walid was succeeded by his brother, Sulayman (715–17), whose reign was dominated by a protracted siege of Constantinople. The failure of the siege marked the end of serious Arab ambitions against the Byzantine capital. However, the first two decades of the eighth century witnessed the continuing expansion of the Caliphate, which pushed into the Iberian Peninsula in the west, and into Transoxiana in the Muslim conquest of Transoxiana (under Qutayba ibn Muslim) and northern India in the east.

text: Arab sources claim Qutayba ibn Muslim briefly took Kashgar from China and withdrew after an agreement[45] but modern historians entirely dismiss this claim.[46][47][48]

text: The Arab Umayyad Caliphate in 715 AD desposed Ikhshid, the king the Fergana Valley, and installed a new king Alutar on the throne. The deposed king fled to Kucha (seat of Anxi Protectorate), and sought Chinese intervention. The Tang dynasty Chinese sent 10,000 troops under Zhang Xiaosong to Ferghana. He defeated Alutar and the Arab occupation force at Namangan and reinstalled Ikhshid on the throne.[49]

text: The Tang dynasty Chinese defeated the Umayyad invaders at the Battle of Aksu (717). The Arab Umayyad commander Al-Yashkuri and his army fled to Tashkent after they were defeated.[50][51]

text: Sulayman was succeeded by his cousin, Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz (717–20), whose position among the Umayyad caliphs is somewhat unusual. He is the only Umayyad ruler to have been recognized by subsequent Islamic tradition as a genuine caliph (khalifa) and not merely as a worldly king (malik).

text: Umar is honored for his attempt to resolve the fiscal problems attendant upon conversion to Islam. During the Umayyad period, the majority of people living within the caliphate were not Muslim, but Christian, Jewish, Zoroastrian, or members of other small groups. These religious communities were not forced to convert to Islam, but were subject to a tax (jizyah) which was not imposed upon Muslims. This situation may actually have made widespread conversion to Islam undesirable from the point of view of state revenue, and there are reports that provincial governors actively discouraged such conversions. It is not clear how Umar attempted to resolve this situation, but the sources portray him as having insisted on like treatment of Arab and non-Arab (mawali) Muslims, and on the removal of obstacles to the conversion of non-Arabs to Islam.

text: After the death of Umar, another son of Abd al-Malik, Yazid II (720–24) became caliph. Yazid is best known for his "iconoclastic edict", which ordered the destruction of Christian images within the territory of the Caliphate. In 720, another major revolt arose in Iraq, this time led by Yazid ibn al-Muhallab.

text: Hisham and the limits of military expansion[edit]

text: The final son of Abd al-Malik to become caliph was Hisham (724–43), whose long and eventful reign was above all marked by the curtailment of military expansion. Hisham established his court at Resafa in northern Syria, which was closer to the Byzantine border than Damascus, and resumed hostilities against the Byzantines, which had lapsed following the failure of the last siege of Constantinople. The new campaigns resulted in a number of successful raids into Anatolia, but also in a major defeat (the Battle of Akroinon), and did not lead to any significant territorial expansion.

text: From the caliphate's north-western African bases, a series of raids on coastal areas of the Visigothic Kingdom paved the way to the permanent occupation of most of Iberia by the Umayyads (starting in 711), and on into south-eastern Gaul (last stronghold at Narbonne in 759). Hisham's reign witnessed the end of expansion in the west, following the defeat of the Arab army by the Franks at the Battle of Tours in 732. In 739 a major Berber Revolt broke out in North Africa, was probably the largest military setback in the reign of Caliph Hisham. From it, emerged some of the first Muslim states outside the Caliphate. It is also regarded as the beginning of Moroccan independence, as Morocco would never again come under the rule of an eastern Caliph or any other foreign power until the 20th century. It was followed by the collapse of Umayyad authority in al-Andalus. In India the Arab armies were defeated by the south Indian Chalukya dynasty and by the north Indian Pratiharas Dynasty in the 8th century and the Arabs were driven out of India.[52][53][54]

text: In the Caucasus, the confrontation with the Khazars peaked under Hisham: the Arabs established Derbent as a major military base and launched several invasions of the northern Caucasus, but failed to subdue the nomadic Khazars. The conflict was arduous and bloody, and the Arab army even suffered a major defeat at the Battle of Marj Ardabil in 730. Marwan ibn Muhammad, the future Marwan II, finally ended the war in 737 with a massive invasion that is reported to have reached as far as the Volga, but the Khazars remained unsubdued.

text: Hisham suffered still worse defeats in the east, where his armies attempted to subdue both Tokharistan, with its center at Balkh, and Transoxiana, with its center at Samarkand. Both areas had already been partially conquered, but remained difficult to govern. Once again, a particular difficulty concerned the question of the conversion of non-Arabs, especially the Sogdians of Transoxiana. Following the Umayyad defeat in the "Day of Thirst" in 724, Ashras ibn 'Abd Allah al-Sulami, governor of Khurasan, promised tax relief to those Sogdians who converted to Islam, but went back on his offer when it proved too popular and threatened to reduce tax revenues.

text: Discontent among the Khurasani Arabs rose sharply after the losses suffered in the Battle of the Defile in 731. In 734, al-Harith ibn Surayj led a revolt that received broad backing from Arabs and natives alike, capturing Balkh but failing to take Merv. After this defeat, al-Harith's movement seems to have been dissolved. The problem of the rights of non-Arab Muslims would continue to plague the Umayyads.

text: Third Fitna[edit]

text: Hisham was succeeded by Al-Walid II (743–44), the son of Yazid II. Al-Walid is reported to have been more interested in earthly pleasures than in religion, a reputation that may be confirmed by the decoration of the so-called "desert palaces" (including Qusayr Amra and Khirbat al-Mafjar) that have been attributed to him. He quickly attracted the enmity of many, both by executing a number of those who had opposed his accession, and by persecuting the Qadariyya.

text: In 744, Yazid III, a son of al-Walid I, was proclaimed caliph in Damascus, and his army tracked down and killed al-Walid II. Yazid III has received a certain reputation for piety, and may have been sympathetic to the Qadariyya. He died a mere six months into his reign.

text: Yazid had appointed his brother, Ibrahim, as his successor, but Marwan II (744–50), the grandson of Marwan I, led an army from the northern frontier and entered Damascus in December 744, where he was proclaimed caliph. Marwan immediately moved the capital north to Harran, in present-day Turkey. A rebellion soon broke out in Syria, perhaps due to resentment over the relocation of the capital, and in 746 Marwan razed the walls of Homs and Damascus in retaliation.

text: Marwan also faced significant opposition from Kharijites in Iraq and Iran, who put forth first Dahhak ibn Qays and then Abu Dulaf as rival caliphs. In 747, Marwan managed to reestablish control of Iraq, but by this time a more serious threat had arisen in Khorasan.

text: Abbasid Revolution[edit]

text: The Hashimiyya movement (a sub-sect of the Kaysanites Shia), led by the Abbasid family, overthrew the Umayyad caliphate. The Abbasids were members of the Hashim clan, rivals of the Umayyads, but the word "Hashimiyya" seems to refer specifically to Abu Hashim, a grandson of Ali and son of Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyya. According to certain traditions, Abu Hashim died in 717 in Humeima in the house of Muhammad ibn Ali, the head of the Abbasid family, and before dying named Muhammad ibn Ali as his successor. This tradition allowed the Abbasids to rally the supporters of the failed revolt of Mukhtar, who had represented themselves as the supporters of Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyya.

text: Beginning around 719, Hashimiyya missions began to seek adherents in Khurasan. Their campaign was framed as one of proselytism (dawah). They sought support for a "member of the family" of Muhammad, without making explicit mention of the Abbasids. These missions met with success both among Arabs and non-Arabs (mawali), although the latter may have played a particularly important role in the growth of the movement.

text: Around 746, Abu Muslim assumed leadership of the Hashimiyya in Khurasan. In 747, he successfully initiated an open revolt against Umayyad rule, which was carried out under the sign of the black flag. He soon established control of Khurasan, expelling its Umayyad governor, Nasr ibn Sayyar, and dispatched an army westwards. Kufa fell to the Hashimiyya in 749, the last Umayyad stronghold in Iraq, Wasit, was placed under siege, and in November of the same year Abul Abbas as-Saffah was recognized as the new caliph in the mosque at Kufa.[citation needed] At this point Marwan mobilized his troops from Harran and advanced toward Iraq. In January 750 the two forces met in the Battle of the Zab, and the Umayyads were defeated. Damascus fell to the Abbasids in April, and in August, Marwan was killed in Egypt.

text: The victors desecrated the tombs of the Umayyads in Syria, sparing only that of Umar II, and most of the remaining members of the Umayyad family were tracked down and killed. When Abbasids declared amnesty for members of the Umayyad family, eighty gathered to receive pardons, and all were massacred. One grandson of Hisham, Abd al-Rahman I, survived, escaped across North Africa, and established an emirate in Moorish Iberia (Al-Andalus). In a claim unrecognized outside of al-Andalus, he maintained that the Umayyad Caliphate, the true, authentic caliphate, more legitimate than the Abbasids, was continued through him in Córdoba. It was to survive for centuries.

text: Previté-Orton argues that the reasons for the decline of the Umayyads was the rapid expansion of Islam. During Umayyad period, mass conversions brought Persians, Berbers, Copts, and Aramaics to Islam. These mawalis (enslaved) were often better educated and more civilised than their Arab invaders. The new converts, on the basis of equality of all Muslims, transformed the political landscape. Previté-Orton also argues that the feud between Syria and Iraq further weakened the empire.[55]

text: Umayyad administration[edit]

text: The first four caliphs created a stable administration for the empire, following the practices and administrative institutions of the Byzantine Empire which had ruled the same region previously.[56] These consisted of four main governmental branches: political affairs, military affairs, tax collection, and religious administration. Each of these was further subdivided into more branches, offices, and departments.

text: Provinces[edit]

text: Geographically, the empire was divided into several provinces, the borders of which changed numerous times during the Umayyad reign. Each province had a governor appointed by the khalifah. The governor was in charge of the religious officials, army leaders, police, and civil administrators in his province. Local expenses were paid for by taxes coming from that province, with the remainder each year being sent to the central government in Damascus. As the central power of the Umayyad rulers waned in the later years of the dynasty, some governors neglected to send the extra tax revenue to Damascus and created great personal fortunes.[57]

text: Government workers[edit]

text: As the empire grew, the number of qualified Arab workers was too small to keep up with the rapid expansion of the empire. Therefore, Muawiya allowed many of the local government workers in conquered provinces to keep their jobs under the new Umayyad government. Thus, much of the local government's work was recorded in Greek, Coptic, and Persian. It was only during the reign of Abd al-Malik that government work began to be regularly recorded in Arabic.[57]

text: Currency[edit]

text: The Byzantine and Sassanid Empires relied on money economies before the Muslim conquest, and that system remained in effect during the Umayyad period. Byzantine copper coins were used until 658, while Byzantine gold coins were still in use until the monetary reforms c.700.[58] In addition to this, the Umayyad government began to mint its own coins in Damascus, these were initially similar to pre-existing coins but evolved in an independent direction. These were the first coins minted by a Muslim government in history. Gold coins were called dinars while silver coins were called dirhams.[57]

text: Central diwans[edit]

text: To assist the Caliph in administration there were six Boards at the Centre: Diwan al-Kharaj (the Board of Revenue), Diwan al-Rasa'il (the Board of Correspondence), Diwan al-Khatam (the Board of Signet), Diwan al-Barid (the Board of Posts), Diwan al-Qudat (the Board of Justice) and Diwan al-Jund (the Military Board)

text: Diwan al-Kharaj[edit]

text: The Central Board of Revenue administered the entire finances of the empire. It also imposed and collected taxes and disbursed revenue.

text: Diwan al-Rasa'il[edit]

text: A regular Board of Correspondence was established under the Umayyads. It issued state missives and circulars to the Central and Provincial Officers. It co-ordinated the work of all Boards and dealt with all correspondence as the chief secretariat.

text: Diwan al-Khatam[edit]

text: In order to check forgery, Diwan al-Khatam (Bureau of Registry), a kind of state chancellery, was instituted by Mu'awiyah. It used to make and preserve a copy of each official document before sealing and despatching the original to its destination. Thus in the course of time a state archive developed in Damascus by the Umayyads under Abd al-Malik. This department survived till the middle of the Abbasid period.

text: Diwan al-Barid[edit]

text: Mu'awiyah introduced postal service, Abd al-Malik extended it throughout his empire, and Walid made full use of it. The Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik developed a regular postal service. Umar bin Abdul-Aziz developed it further by building caravanserais at stages along the Khurasan highway. Relays of horses were used for the conveyance of dispatches between the caliph and his agents and officials posted in the provinces. The main highways were divided into stages of 12 miles (19 km) each and each stage had horses, donkeys or camels ready to carry the post. Primarily the service met the needs of Government officials, but travellers and their important dispatches were also benefitted by the system. The postal carriages were also used for the swift transport of troops. They were able to carry fifty to a hundred men at a time. Under Governor Yusuf bin Umar, the postal department of Iraq cost 4,000,000 dirhams a year.

text: Diwan al-Qudat[edit]

text: [citation needed]

text: In the early period of Islam, justice was administered by Muhammad and the orthodox Caliphs in person. After the expansion of the Islamic State, Umar al-Faruq had to separate judiciary from the general administration and appointed the first qadi in Egypt as early as AD 643/23 AH. After 661, a series of judges succeeded one after another in Egypt under the Umayyad Caliphs, Hisham and Walid II.

text: Diwan al-Jund[edit]

text:
The Diwan of Umar, assigning annuities to all Arabs and to the Muslim soldiers of other races, underwent a change in the hands of the Umayyads. The Umayyads meddled with the register and the recipients regarded pensions as the subsistence allowance even without being in active service. Hisham reformed it and paid only to those who participated in battle.
On the pattern of the Byzantine system the Umayyads reformed their army organization in general and divided it into five corps: the centre, two wings, vanguards and rearguards, following the same formation while on march or on a battle field. Marwan II (740–50) abandoned the old division and introduced Kurdus (cohort), a small compact body.
The Umayyad troops were divided into three divisions: infantry, cavalry and artillery. Arab troops were dressed and armed in Greek fashion. The Umayyad cavalry used plain and round saddles. The artillery used arradah (ballista), manjaniq (the mangonel) and dabbabah or kabsh (the battering ram). The heavy engines, siege machines and baggage were carried on camels behind the army.

text: Social organization[edit]

text: The Umayyad Caliphate exhibited four main social classes:

text:
Muslim Arabs
Muslim non-Arabs (clients of the Muslim Arabs)
Dhimmis, non-Muslim free persons (Christians, Jews, Zoroastrians, and others)
Slaves

tag: ol

text: The Muslim Arabs were at the top of the society and saw it as their duty to rule over the conquered areas. Despite the fact that Islam teaches the equality of all Muslims, the Arab Muslims held themselves in higher esteem than Muslim non-Arabs and generally did not mix with other Muslims.

text: The inequality of Muslims in the empire led to social unrest. As Islam spread, more and more of the Muslim population was constituted of non-Arabs. This caused tension as the new converts were not given the same rights as Muslim Arabs. Also, as conversions increased, tax revenues from non-Muslims decreased to dangerous lows. These issues continued to grow until they helped cause the Abbasid Revolt in the 740s.[60]

text: Non-Muslims[edit]

text: Non-Muslim groups in the Umayyad Caliphate, which included Christians, Jews, Zoroastrians, and pagan Berbers, were called dhimmis. They were given a legally protected status as second-class citizens as long as they accepted and acknowledged the political supremacy of the ruling Muslims, i.e. paid a tax, known as jizya, which the Muslims did not have to pay, who would instead pay the zakat tax. If they converted to Islam they would cease paying jizya and would instead pay zakat. They were allowed to have their own courts, and were given freedom of their religion within the empire.[citation needed] Although they could not hold the highest public offices in the empire, they had many bureaucratic positions within the government. Christians and Jews still continued to produce great theological thinkers within their communities, but as time wore on, many of the intellectuals converted to Islam, leading to a lack of great thinkers in the non-Muslim communities.[61]

text: Legacy[edit]

text: Currently many Sunni scholars agree that Muawiyah I's family, including his progenitors, Abu Sufyan ibn Harb and Hind bint Utbah, were originally opponents of Islam and particularly of Muhammad until the Conquest of Mecca.

text: However many early history books like the Islamic Conquest of Syria Fatuhusham by al-Imam al-Waqidi state that after the conversion to Islam Muawiyah I's father Abu Sufyan ibn Harb and his brothers Yazid ibn Abi Sufyan were appointed as commanders in the Muslim armies by Muhammad. Muawiyah I, Abu Sufyan ibn Harb, Yazid ibn Abi Sufyan and Hind bint Utbah[62][63][63][64][65][66] fought in the Battle of Yarmouk. The defeat of the Byzantine Emperor Heraclius at the Battle of Yarmouk opened the way for the Muslim expansion into Jerusalem and Syria.

text: In 639, Muawiyah was appointed as the governor of Syria by the second caliph Umar after his brother the previous governor Yazid ibn Abi Sufyan and the governor before him Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah died in a plague along with 25,000 other people.[67][68] 'Amr ibn al-'As was sent to take on the Roman Army in Egypt. Fearing an attack by the Romans, Umar asked Muawiyah to defend against a Roman attack.

text: With limited resources Muawiyah went about creating allies. Muawiyah married Maysum the daughter of the chief of the Kalb tribe, that was a large Jacobite Christian Arab tribe in Syria. His marriage to Maysum was politically motivated. The Kalb tribe had remained largely neutral when the Muslims first went into Syria.[69] After the plague that killed much of the Muslim Army in Syria, by marrying Maysum, Muawiyah started to use the Jacobite Christians, against the Romans. Muawiya's wife Maysum (Yazid's mother) was also a Jacobite Christian.[70] With limited resources and the Byzantine just over the border, Muawiyah worked in cooperation with the local Christian population. To stop Byzantine harassment from the sea during the Arab-Byzantine Wars, in 649 Muawiyah set up a navy; manned by Monophysitise Christians, Copts and Jacobite Syrian Christians sailors and Muslim troops.[71][72]

text: Muawiya was one of the first to realize the full importance of having a navy; as long as the Byzantine fleet could sail the Mediterranean unopposed, the coast line of Syria, Palestine and Egypt would never be safe. Muawiyah along with Adbullah ibn Sa'd the new governor of Egypt successfully persuaded Uthman to give them permission to construct a large fleet in the dockyards of Egypt and Syria[71][72]

text: The first real naval engagement between the Muslim and the Byzantine navy was the so-called Battle of the Masts (Dhat al-sawari) or battle of Phoenix off the Lycian coast in 655.[73] This resulted in the defeat of the Byzantine navy at the Battle of the Masts in 655, opening up the Mediterranean.[71][72][74][75][76][77][78]

text: Muawiyah I came to power after the death of Ali and established a dynasty.

text: Historical significance[edit]

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text: The Umayyad caliphate was marked both by territorial expansion and by the administrative and cultural problems that such expansion created. Despite some notable exceptions, the Umayyads tended to favor the rights of the old Arab families, and in particular their own, over those of newly converted Muslims (mawali). Therefore, they held to a less universalist conception of Islam than did many of their rivals. As G.R. Hawting has written, "Islam was in fact regarded as the property of the conquering aristocracy."[79]

text: During the period of the Umayyads, Arabic became the administrative language. State documents and currency were issued in the language. Mass conversions brought a large influx of Muslims to the caliphate. The Umayyads also constructed famous buildings such as the Dome of the Rock at Jerusalem, and the Umayyad Mosque at Damascus.[80]

text: According to one common view, the Umayyads transformed the caliphate from a religious institution (during the rashidun) to a dynastic one.[80] However, the Umayyad caliphs do seem to have understood themselves as the representatives of God on earth, and to have been responsible for the "definition and elaboration of God's ordinances, or in other words the definition or elaboration of Islamic law."[81]

text: The Umayyads have met with a largely negative reception from later Islamic historians, who have accused them of promoting a kingship (mulk, a term with connotations of tyranny) instead of a true caliphate (khilafa). In this respect it is notable that the Umayyad caliphs referred to themselves not as khalifat rasul Allah ("successor of the messenger of God", the title preferred by the tradition), but rather as khalifat Allah ("deputy of God"). The distinction seems to indicate that the Umayyads "regarded themselves as God's representatives at the head of the community and saw no need to share their religious power with, or delegate it to, the emergent class of religious scholars."[82] In fact, it was precisely this class of scholars, based largely in Iraq, that was responsible for collecting and recording the traditions that form the primary source material for the history of the Umayyad period. In reconstructing this history, therefore, it is necessary to rely mainly on sources, such as the histories of Tabari and Baladhuri, that were written in the Abbasid court at Baghdad.

text:
Modern Arab nationalism regards the period of the Umayyads as part of the Arab Golden Age which it sought to emulate and restore.[dubious  – discuss]
This is particularly true of Syrian nationalists and the present-day state of Syria, centered like that of the Umayyads on Damascus.[citation needed]

text: The Umayyad dynastic color was white, after the banner of Muawiya ibn Abi Sufyan;[83] it is now one of the four Pan-Arab colors which appear in various combinations on the flags of most Arab countries.

text: Theological opinions concerning the Umayyads[edit]

text: Sunni opinions[edit]

text: Many Muslims criticized the Umayyads for having too many non-Muslim, former Roman administrators in their government. St John of Damascus was also a high administrator in the Umayyad administration.[84] As the Muslims took over cities, they left the peoples political representatives and the Roman tax collectors and the administrators. The taxes to the central government were calculated and negotiated by the peoples political representatives. The Central government got paid for the services it provided and the local government got the money for the services it provided. Many Christian cities also used some of the taxes on maintain their churches and run their own organizations. Later the Umayyads were criticized by some Muslims for not reducing the taxes of the people who converted to Islam. These new converts continued to pay the same taxes that were previously negotiated.[85]

text: Later when Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz came to power, he reduced these taxes. He is therefore praised as one of the greatest Muslim rulers after the four Rightly Guided Caliphs. Imam Abu Muhammad Adbullah ibn Abdul Hakam who lived in 829 and wrote a biography on Umar Ibn Adbul Aziz[86] stated that the reduction in these taxes stimulated the economy and created wealth but it also reduced the government budget and this then led to a reduction in the defense budget.

text: Only Umayyad ruler (Caliphs of Damascus), Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz, is unanimously praised by Sunni sources for his devout piety and justice. In his efforts to spread Islam he established liberties for the Mawali by abolishing the jizya tax for converts to Islam. Imam Abu Muhammad Adbullah ibn Abdul Hakam stated that Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz also stopped the personal allowance offered to his relatives stating that he could only give them an allowance if he gave an allowance to everyone else in the empire. Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz was later poisoned in the year 720. When successive governments tried to reverse Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz's tax policies it created rebellion.

text: Shi'a opinions[edit]

text: The negative view of the Umayyads by Shias is briefly expressed in the Shi'a book "Sulh al-Hasan".[87] According to Shia hadiths, which are not considered authentic by Sunnis, Ali described them as the worst Fitna.[88] In Shia sources, the Umayyad Caliphate is widely described as "tyrannical, anti-Islamic and godless".[89][90] Shias point out that the founder of the dynasty, Muawiyah, declared himself a caliph in 657 and went to war against Muhammad's son-in-law, ruling Rashidun caliph Ali, clashing at the Battle of Siffin. Muawiyah also declared his son, Yazid, as a successor in breach of a treaty with Hassan, Muhammad's grandson. Another of Muhammad's grandsons, Husayn ibn Ali, would be killed by Yazid in the Battle of Karbala. Further Shia Imams, such as Muhammad's great-grandson, Ali ibn Husayn Zayn al-Abidin would be killed at the hands of ruling Umayyad caliphs.

text: Early literature[edit]

text: The book Al Muwatta by Imam Malik was written in the early Abbasid period in Madina. It does not contain any anti-Umayyad content because it was more concerned with what the Quran and what Muhammad said and was not a history book on the Umayyads.

text: Even the earliest pro-Shia accounts of al-Masudi are more balanced. al-Masudi in Ibn Hisham is the earliest Shia account of Muawiyah.  He recounted that Muawiyah spent a great deal of time in prayer, in spite of the burden of managing a large empire.[91]

text: Az-Zuhri stated that Muawiya led the Hajj Pilgrimage with the people twice during his era as caliph.

text: Books written in the early Abbasid period like al-Baladhuri's "The Origins of the Islamic State" provide a more accurate and balanced history. Ibn Hisham also wrote about these events.

text: Much of the anti-Umayyad literature started to appear in the later Abbasid period in Persia.

text: After killing off most of the Umayyads and destroying the graves of the Umayyad rulers apart from Muawiyah and Umar Ibn Adbul Aziz, the history books written during the later Abbasid period are more anti-Umayyad.[92] The Abbasids justified their rule by saying that their ancestor Abbas ibn Abd al Muttalib was a cousin of Muhammad.

text: The books written later in the Abbasid period in Iran are more anti-Umayyad. Iran was Sunni at the time. There was much anti-Arab feeling in Iran after the fall of the Persian empire.[93] This anti-Arab feeling also influenced the books on Islamic history. Al-Tabri was also written in Iran during that period. Al-Tabri was a huge collection including all the texts that he could find, from all the sources. It was a collection preserving everything for future generations to codify and for future generations to judge whether the histories were true or false.

text: Bahá'í standpoint[edit]

text: Asked for an explanation of the prophecies in the Book of Revelation (12:3), `Abdu'l-Bahá suggests in Some Answered Questions that the "great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads,"[94] refers to the Umayyad caliphs who "rose against the religion of Prophet Muhammad and against the reality of Ali".[95][96]

text: The seven heads of the dragon is symbolic of the seven provinces of the lands dominated by the Umayyads: Damascus, Persia, Arabia, Egypt, Africa, Andalusia, and Transoxania. The ten horns represent the ten names of the leaders of the Umayyad dynasty; Abu Sufyan, Muawiya, Yazid, Marwan, Abd al-Malik, Walid, Sulayman, Umar, Hisham, and Ibrahim. Some names were re-used, as in the case of Yazid II and Yazid III, which were not counted for this interpretation.

text: List of Caliphs[edit]

text:
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Medieval[show] Kabul Shahi 565–879 Principality of Chaghaniyan 7th–8th centuries Rashidun Caliphate 652–661 Umayyads 661–750 Abbasids 750–821 Tahirids 821–873 Saffarids 863–900 Samanids 875–999 Ghaznavids 963–1187 Ghurids before 879–1215 Seljuks 1037–1194 Khwarezmids 1215–1231 Qarlughids 1224–1266 Ilkhanate 1258–1353 Chagatai Khanate 1225–1370 Khaljis 1290–1320 Karts 1245–1381 Timurids 1370–1507 Arghuns 1520–1591

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text:
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 Kushan Empire 30–275 Sasanian Empire 224–651 Afrighid dynasty 305–995 Hephthalite Empire 425–557 Kabul Shahi kingdom 565–879 Dabuyid dynasty 642–760 Bagratid Armenia 880s – 1045 Alania 8th/9th century – 1238 / 9 Kingdom of Georgia 1008–1490

Islamic[show] Patriarchal Caliphate 637–651 Umayyad Caliphate 661–750 Abbasid Caliphate 750–1258 Shirvanshah 799–1607 Tahirid dynasty 821–873 Dulafid dynasty 840–897 Zaydis of Tabaristan 864–928 Saffarid dynasty 861–1003 Samanid Empire 819–999 Sajid dynasty 889/90–929 Ziyarid dynasty 928–1043 Buyid dynasty 934–1055 Sallarid dynasty 941–1062 Ghaznavid Empire 975–1187 Ghurid dynasty pre-879 – 1215 Seljuk Empire 1037–1194 Khwarazmian dynasty 1077–1231 Sultanate of Rum 1077–1307 Salghurids 1148–1282 Ilkhanate 1256–1353 Kartids dynasty 1231–1389 Ottoman Empire 1299–1923 Muzaffarid dynasty 1314–1393 Chupanid dynasty 1337–1357 Jalairid Sultanate 1339–1432 Timurid Empire 1370–1507 Qara Qoyunlu Turcomans 1407–1468 Aq Qoyunlu Turcomans 1378–1508 Safavid Empire 1501–1722 Mughal Empire 1526–1857 Hotak dynasty 1722–1729 Afsharid dynasty 1736–1750 Zand dynasty 1750–1794 Durrani Empire 1794–1826 Qajar dynasty 1794–1925
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text:
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Muawiya I ibn Abu Sufyan
28 July 661 – 27 April 680

Yazid I ibn Muawiyah
27 April 680 – 11 November 683

Muawiya II ibn Yazid
11 November 683– June 684

Marwan I ibn al-Hakam
June 684– 12 April 685

Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan
12 April 685 – 8 October 705

al-Walid I ibn Abd al-Malik
8 October 705 – 23 February 715

Sulayman ibn Abd al-Malik
23 February 715 – 22 September 717

Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz
22 September 717 – 4 February 720

Yazid II ibn Abd al-Malik
4 February 720 – 26 January 724

Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik
26 January 724 – 6 February 743

al-Walid II ibn Yazid
6 February 743 – 17 April 744

Yazid III ibn al-Walid
17 April 744 – 4 October 744

Ibrahim ibn al-Walid
4 October 744 – 4 December 744

Marwan II ibn Muhammad (ruled from Harran in the Jazira)
4 December 744 – 25 January 750

Emirs of Cordoba

Abd al-Rahman I
756–788

Hisham I
788–796

al-Hakam I
796–822

Abd ar-Rahman II
822–852

Muhammad I
852–886

Al-Mundhir
886–888

Abdallah ibn Muhammad
888–912

Abd ar-Rahman III
912–929

Caliphs of Cordoba

Abd ar-Rahman III, as caliph
929–961

Al-Hakam II
961–976

Hisham II
976–1008

Muhammad II
1008–1009

Sulayman ibn al-Hakam
1009–1010

Hisham II, restored
1010–1012

Sulayman ibn al-Hakam, restored
1012–1017

al-Mu'ayti, rival in Denia
1014–1016

Abd ar-Rahman IV
1021–1022

Abd ar-Rahman V
1022–1023

Muhammad III
1023–1024

Hisham III
1027–1031


document_title: Animal Kingdom (TV series)

question_text: who plays smurf's lawyer in animal kingdom

question_tokens: who plays smurf 's lawyer in animal kingdom

root

text: Animal Kingdom (TV series)

text: Cast and characters[edit]

text: Main cast[edit]

text:
Ellen Barkin as Janine "Smurf" Cody, the tough matriarch of the family and J's estranged grandmother. Smurf is protective of her family and presents a borderline-incestuous love towards them.
Scott Speedman as Barry "Baz" Blackwell, Smurf's adopted son and leader in the Codys' robberies. Despite his quiet semblance, he is manipulative and self-centered. He also had a past relationship with J's mother Julia before he was born.
Shawn Hatosy as Andrew "Pope" Cody, the oldest Cody son, who is mentally disturbed and considers suicide. He reappears after serving three years in Folsom State Prison and has an obsessive infatuation with Catherine. Smurf begins to secretly medicate Pope to control his unstable behavior.
Ben Robson as Craig Cody, the middle Cody son, who has a predilection for drugs and extremely risky activities. He also dated Nicky after her breakup with J.
Jake Weary as Deran Cody, the youngest Cody son, who is gay and is possessive of his on-again/off-again boyfriend, Adrian. He was also a competitive surfer and he has a legit side job running a bar.
Finn Cole as Joshua "J" Cody, Smurf's grandson who moves in with her and his uncles following the death of his mother, Julia, who was Pope's twin sister.
Daniella Alonso as Catherine Blackwell (season 1), Baz's wife, and mother to their daughter, Lena. She was later killed by Pope when Smurf hired him to kill her when she thought she was a criminal informant working for the cops.
Molly Gordon as Nicky Belmont, J's girlfriend who launches a career of crime by robbing her schoolmate's house. She also dated Craig after J broke up with her to try to protect her from his family's criminal lifestyle.
Carolina Guerra as Lucy (season 2; recurring season 1), Baz's girlfriend from Mexico who is thought to have conspired against the Cody Clan, and had Baz shot so that she could steal his family's money.

tag: ul

text: Recurring cast[edit]

text:
Aamya Deva Keroles as Lena Blackwell, Baz and Catherine's daughter.
Spencer Treat Clark as Adrian, Deran's on-again/off-again boyfriend who runs a surfboard shop and is a competitive surfer.
C. Thomas Howell as Paul Belmont (season 1), a United States Navy Lieutenant Commander at Camp Pendleton, and Nicky's father.[3]
Nicki Micheaux as Det. Sandra Yates (season 1), a sharp, focused detective trying to catch the Cody family.[4]
Dorian Missick as Patrick (seasons 1–2), a tough cop with a sweet spot for Catherine.[4]
Christina Ochoa as Ren Randall, Craig's drug dealer ex-girlfriend.
Ellen Wroe as Alexa Anderson (season 1), J and Nicky's teacher, who worked undercover with Det. Yates to try to take down the Codys. She also dated J.
Michael Bowen as Vin (season 1), a man previously incarcerated with Pope.
Alex Meraz as Javier "Javi" Cano (season 2), a man from a dangerous gang that Smurf worked with while her own sons were too young to commit crimes.[5]
Jennifer Landon as Amy (season 2), an employee at a megachurch Pope meets and dates. She also runs a Bible study group and an ex-con rehabilitation program at the megachurch. [6]
Tembi Locke as Monica (season 2), a smart, low-key woman who’s the technical brains of a criminal operation that the Codys rely on to fence their stolen goods.[7]
Laura San Giacomo as Morgan Wilson (season 2), Smurf's lawyer who arranged for J to be named power of attorney.

text: Series overview[edit]

text:
Season
Episodes
Originally aired

First aired
Last aired

1
10
June 14, 2016 (2016-06-14)
August 9, 2016 (2016-08-09)

2
13
May 30, 2017 (2017-05-30)
August 29, 2017 (2017-08-29)

tag: table

text: Production[edit]

text: TNT ordered the pilot of Animal Kingdom in May 2015,[8] with Barkin and Speedman the first to be cast in July 2015 as matriarch Smurf and her adopted son Baz, respectively.[9] In August, Cole and Weary were added as J and Deran,[10] with Hatosy and Robson soon cast as the remaining Cody brothers Pope and Craig.[11][12] Alonso was later announced as Baz's wife Catherine,[13] and Gordon as J's girlfriend Nicky.[14]

tag: p

text: The project was picked up to series with a 10-episode order in December 2015.[15] The show debuted on June 14, 2016,[16] and on July 6, 2016 TNT renewed it for a 13-episode second season.[17]

text: Reception[edit]

text: The first season of Animal Kingdom has received positive reviews. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the season has an approval rating of 74% based on 31 reviews. The consensus is: "Bolstered by Ellen Barkin's acting prowess, Animal Kingdom is a darkly intriguing, although occasionally predictable, twisted family drama."[18] On Metacritic, the series has a score of 65 out of 100, based on 27 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[19]

text: Home media[edit]

text: The first season was released in DVD and Blu-ray formats on April 28, 2017. Each set contains behind-the-scenes featurettes and deleted scenes. The home media is distributed by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.[20]


document_title: The Longest Ride (film)

question_text: where was the longest ride filmed in north carolina

text: The Longest Ride (film)

text: Plot[edit]

text: Luke Collins (Scott Eastwood) is a bull rider on the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) tour, who is seriously injured one night while performing. A year later after recovering, he starts riding again and meets Sophia Danko (Britt Robertson) after she attends the show. She is an art lover living at a sorority house with an internship secured in New York City. On the way home from their first date, they spot a car crash in the woods and help rescue an older man who is stuck inside. Sophia also pulls a wicker box from the vehicle.

text: While in the hospital, Sophia continuously visits the man she and Luke rescued, Ira Levinson (Alan Alda). He explains that there are letters in the box, which he wrote as a teenager, and she offers to read them to him. They tell the story of how he met his late wife, Ruth (Oona Chaplin), on April 10, 1940. Their stories start to interweave. Luke finds an old photograph of Ira and Ruth that fell out of the box in his car and takes it to him at the hospital. In flashbacks, Ruth tells a young Ira that she wants a big family and, eventually, he proposes to her before leaving to fight in World War II. However, Ira is shot during an attack and is later informed by the doctor that he can no longer have children, news that causes distance between him and Ruth when he returns; as he knows how much she wants to be a mother. They decide to make it work regardless and move in together, decorating the house with many paintings that he and Ruth love.

text: Luke continues riding bulls, no matter the risk of being hurt again, while he and Sophia fall in love. Ira is now out of the hospital and has been moved to a nursing home, where Sophia continues to visit. She gets a call from her boss in New York asking her to attend an art exhibit in Charlotte the following week, which she invites Luke to. While they're there, Luke makes a rude comment to Sophia's boss, which causes an argument between them. They talk about how their worlds are so different and Luke doesn't feel that their romance will work out because of it. Back home, Sophia goes to Ira for advice. He then tells the story of how they made their situation work. Ruth was a school teacher who became very attached to a young boy named Daniel McDonald in her class. Because Daniel lives with his uncaring half-brother and his wife, she and Ira begin taking him in as their own and Ruth later decides to officially adopt him as her son, but his hardhearted relatives wouldn't allow it.

text: Meanwhile, Luke injures himself again, causing him to be rushed to the hospital. As Sophia is leaving for New York, she gets a call and goes to see him. Luke is advised not to ride again but refuses to accept that his career is over. Following an argument, Luke and Sophia break up. In flashbacks, Ira and Ruth also break up because she can't see a life with him without children in their future. However, weeks later, Ruth returns and they confess their love for one another. One morning, now eighty years old, Ira wakes up to find Ruth has died in her sleep. He boxes up all of the paintings they collected together to sell them at an auction. One night, a woman knocks on his door claiming to be the wife of Daniel McDonald, the child they almost adopted when they were younger, to inform him that Daniel, who later became an astronomer in Britain, has died. She gives him a portrait of Ruth that Daniel had painted and the photograph Daniel had kept of Ira and Ruth (the one Luke found in his car the day of the crash) with a message on the back that reads: "Ruth Levinson, third grade teacher. She told me I could be anything I wanted to be when I grew up". Daniel became a professor of astronomy in memory of his favorite teacher.

text: Sophia continues her studies at Wake Forest and Luke continues to ride bulls. One day, they are both contacted by Ira's attorney, (Sophia receives a phone call while in class; Luke opens a letter after a difficult ride) to inform them that Ira has died and that there will be an auction held for the paintings. Luke wins his last ride and wins the championship bull cup, but feels disappointed because Sophia isn't there with him. He then decides to go to the auction, where he buys the first painting, Daniel's portrait of Ruth. Sophia and Luke talk, and he tells her he won't ride anymore because what he really wants is to be with her. While they kiss, an uproar breaks out in the auction room. Luke is informed that he is now the owner of all of Ira's paintings since Ira left a message in his will stating that whoever bought the portrait would get them all since it was the most important one to him, making Luke very wealthy in the process.

text: One year later, Luke and Sophia, now married, have built a museum dedicated to Ira and Ruth and their paintings. Luke takes Sophia to the old college where Ira and Ruth used to spend their wedding anniversary. They sit under exactly the same tree and read Ira's letters together.

text: Cast[edit]

text:
Scott Eastwood as Luke Collins
Britt Robertson as Sophia Danko
Alan Alda as Ira Levinson
Jack Huston as Young Ira
Oona Chaplin as Ruth
Melissa Benoist as Marcia
Lolita Davidovich as Linda Collins
Gloria Reuben as Adrienne Francis
Barry Ratcliffe as the Auctioneer
Brett Edwards as Jared Middleton
Hunter Burke as David Stein
Alina Lia as Brooke
Rango the Bull as Himself[4][5]

text: Production[edit]

text: Development[edit]

text: In April 2014, Fox 2000 Pictures set a film adaptation to be released on April 10, 2015, with George Tillman Jr. in final talks to direct, Craig Bolotin adapting the screenplay, and Britt Robertson as Sophia Danko, Oona Chaplin as Ruth, Scott Eastwood as Luke Collins, Jack Huston as Young Ira, and Alan Alda as old Ira.[6][7][8][9][10]

text: Filming[edit]

text: Principal photography began on June 16, 2014, in Wilmington and Winston-Salem, North Carolina.[11][12][13] On July 28, filming started in Jacksonville, where a major rodeo scene was shot. The PBR was the technical advisor and producer for all of the bull riding events.[14] PBR bull riders doubled for Scott and appeared in the film.[14] The star bull in the movie is played by beloved top ranking PBR bull Rango.[5] The crew then moved to Winston-Salem at the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum.[15][16]

text: Reception[edit]

text: Box office[edit]

text: The Longest Ride has grossed $37,446,117 in North America and $25,498,698 in other territories for a worldwide total of $62,944,815.[3]

text: In its opening weekend, the film grossed $13,019,686, finishing third at the box office behind Furious 7 ($59,585,930) and Home ($18,532,280).[3]

text: Critical reception[edit]

text: The Longest Ride has received negative reviews from critics. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a rating of 29%, based on 112 reviews, with an average rating of 4.4/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "The Longest Ride is less manipulative than the average Nicholas Sparks film, but it's still saccharine and hopelessly contrived — not that it'll matter to the target audience."[17] On Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating, the film has a score of 33 out of 100, based on 30 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".[18] It earned an average grade of "A" in CinemaScore poll on an A+ to F scale,[19] marking the first Sparks feature adaptation to earn an A in 11 years since The Notebook (2004).[20]

text: Accolades[edit]

text:
Year
Ceremony
Category
Recipient(s)
Result

2015
Teen Choice Awards
Choice Movie: Drama
The Longest Ride
Nominated

Choice Movie Actor: Drama
Scott Eastwood
Won

Choice Movie Actress: Drama
Britt Robertson
Nominated

Choice Movie: Breakout Star
Scott Eastwood
Nominated

2016
People's Choice Awards
Favorite Dramatic Movie
The Longest Ride
Nominated

text: Home media[edit]

text: The Longest Ride was released on DVD and Blu-ray on July 14, 2015.


document_title: Jersey Boys (film)

question_text: movie about frankie valli and the four seasons

text: Jersey Boys (film)

text: Plot[edit]

text: In Belleville, New Jersey in 1951, Tommy DeVito performs together with his brother Nicky, and their friend Nick Massi, as The Variety Trio. He meets 16-year-old Frankie Castelluccio, a barber's son, already well known in the neighborhood for his singing voice. Frankie has the admiration of Genovese Family mobster Angelo "Gyp" DeCarlo, who takes a personal interest in him.

text: One night, the group attempts a robbery of a safe, resulting in the police later arresting them. In court, Frankie is let off with a warning, but Tommy is sentenced to six months in prison. After his release, Tommy reunites with the group, and adds Frankie as lead singer. Frankie changes his professional name to Frankie Vally, and then Frankie Valli. At a performance, Frankie is entranced by a woman named Mary Delgado. He takes her to dinner, and they are soon married.

text: The group, now called "The Four Lovers," is in need of a songwriter after Nicky leaves. Tommy's friend, Joe Pesci, tells him about a talented singer-songwriter, Bob Gaudio, and invites him to hear the group perform. Gaudio is impressed with Valli's vocals, and agrees to join.

text: The band, having recorded several demos, attempts to attract interest, but has little success. One day, in New York City, producer Bob Crewe signs them to a contract. However, they quickly realize that it only allows them to perform back-up vocals for other acts. Crewe says that the group does not have a distinctive image or sound yet. Inspired by a bowling alley sign, the band is renamed "The Four Seasons," and they sing a new song Gaudio has written, "Sherry", to Crewe, who agrees to record it.

text: "Sherry" quickly becomes a commercial success, followed by two more, "Big Girls Don't Cry" and "Walk Like a Man". However, before an appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, Valli is approached by mobster Norman Waxman, a loan shark for one of the other Five Families, who claims that Tommy owes him $150,000. Frankie goes to DeCarlo, who gets Waxman to allow the group to pay the debt, which turns out to be considerably larger. Tommy must go to work for the mob's associates in Las Vegas until it is paid. Nick, irritated by Tommy's irresponsibility, not being involved in the group's decisions, and never being able to see his family, also leaves the group.

text: Forced to tour constantly to pay the debt, the band hires a set of studio musicians, and becomes Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, with Gaudio now acting solely as songwriter and producer. Valli learns from his now ex-wife, Mary, that his daughter, Francine, now a drug addict, has escaped from home. Valli meets his estranged daughter and regrets not acting as a better father for her when she was growing up. He also arranges for Gaudio to offer her singing lessons and for Crewe to cut a demo for her.

text: A few years later, the group has finally paid off Tommy's debt. However, this coincides with the news of Francine's death by drug overdose. Frankie and Mary both grieve for their daughter. Gaudio composes a new number for Valli to sing, his first as a solo artist. At first, Frankie is hesitant, as he is still in mourning, but eventually agrees. The track, "Can't Take My Eyes Off You", becomes a commercial success.

text: In 1990, the Four Seasons are about to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The band performs "Rag Doll" onstage, their first performance together in over twenty years. The music fades as the four men take turns addressing the audience. Tommy, in an ironic twist, now works for Joe Pesci, who has gone on to become an Oscar-winning actor. Nick claims to have no regrets about leaving the group, enjoying the time he spends with his family. Bob has retired to Nashville, Tennessee. Lastly, Frankie states that the best time he had during his time with the Four Seasons was before their success, "when everything was still ahead of us and it was just four guys singing under a street lamp."

text: Cast[edit]

text:
John Lloyd Young[6] as Francis "Frankie" Castelluccio/Valli
Erich Bergen[7] as Bob Gaudio
Michael Lomenda[8] as Nick Massi
Vincent Piazza[9] as Gaetano "Tommy" DeVito
Christopher Walken[10] as Gyp DeCarlo
Renée Marino[11] as Mary Delgado
Kathrine Narducci[12] as Mary Rinaldi
Lou Volpe[13] as Anthony Castelluccio
Freya Tingley as Francine Valli (age 17)

Elizabeth Hunter as Francine Valli (age 7)
Grace Kelley as Francine Valli (age 4)

Mike Doyle as Bob Crewe
Rob Marnell as Joe Long
Johnny Cannizzaro[14] as Nick DeVito
Donnie Kehr[15] as Norm Waxman
Jeremy Luke[16] as Donnie
Joey Russo[16] as Joe Pesci
James Madio[17] as Stosh
Erica Piccininni[12] as Lorraine
Steve Schirripa[18] as Vito
Barry Livingston[19] as Accountant
Miles Aubrey[20] as Charles Calello
Kim Gatewood as Angel #1
Jackie Seiden as Angel #2
Kyli Rae as Angel #3
Troy Grant as Ed Sullivan
Heather Ferguson Pond as Miss Frankie Nolan
Hayden Fein as The Good Jersey Boy
Zack Firtel as Another Good Jersey Boy
Matt Colton as A Jersey Boy
Andrew Ward as the Bad Jersey Boy
John Griffin as Billy Dixon
Chaz Langley as Hal Miller
Billy Gardell as Georgie
Francesca Eastwood[13] as Waitress
Sean Whalen[13] as Engineer

text: Production[edit]

text: In 2010, GK Films acquired the rights to produce a film adaptation of the musical, with Brickman and Elice writing the script for the film.[21][22] By August 2012, Jon Favreau was engaged to direct and casting had begun.[23]

text: However, in November 2012, it was reported that Warner Bros. had put the film in turnaround;[24][25] Despite this in May 2013, Frankie Valli noted that production was still underway.[26] By that June, Eastwood became attached to the project as a director. [27] The project came three years after the release of Eastwood's previous film, J. Edgar, which Variety notes was "his longest gap between directing projects since 1980" [28] Although Eastwood enjoyed the script, he asked for a rewrite, noting that the version "was missing a lot of things." This was considered unusual for Eastwood as he became somewhat notorious for using first drafts as the eventual script.[28] A trailer was released for the film on April 17, 2014.[29]

text: For casting, Eastwood sought to cast actors from the play itself rather than more marketable film stars. Eastwood noted that he was pressured to cast more famous leads; however, he refused, stating "You’ve got people who’ve done 1,200 performances; how much better can you know a character?" [28] The film was shot in Los Angeles, California, where it spent $58.6 million and received the California Film & Television Tax Credit.[30]

text: Musical numbers[edit]

text: Includes all the songs sung in the film.

text:
"Silhouettes - Frankie Valli
"You're the Apple of My Eye"– Variety Trio
"I Can't Give You Anything but Love" – Frankie Valli and Variety Trio
"Earth Angel" – Tommy DeVito
"A Sunday Kind of Love" – Frankie Valli, Nick Massi, Nick's date and Tommy DeVito
"My Mother's Eyes" - Frankie Valli (also with Gyp DeCarlo in the opening)
"I'm in the Mood for Love" – Frankie Valli
"Cry for Me" – Bob Gaudio, Frankie Valli, Tommy DeVito and Nick Massi
"I Still Care" – Miss Frankie Nolan and The Romans
"Trance" – Billy Dixon and The Topix
"Sherry" – The Four Seasons
"Big Girls Don't Cry" – The Four Seasons
"Walk Like a Man" – The Four Seasons
"My Boyfriend's Back" – The Angels
"My Eyes Adored You" – Frankie Valli
"Working My Way Back to You" – The Four Seasons
"Dawn (Go Away)" – The Four Seasons
"Opus 17 (Don't You Worry 'bout Me)" – Frankie Valli and The New Seasons
"Can't Take My Eyes Off You" – Frankie Valli
"Rag Doll" – The Four Seasons
"Who Loves You" – The Four Seasons
"Sherry"/"December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night) - (Reprise)" - Frankie Valli, Tommy DeVito, Bob Gaudio, Nick Massi and Full Cast

text: Background songs[edit]

text: Includes songs heard only on the background.

text:
"(Who Wears) Short Shorts" – The Royal Teens
"Stay" – Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons
"Bye Bye Baby" – Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons

text: Soundtrack[edit]

text: A soundtrack album Jersey Boys: Music from the Motion Picture and Broadway Musical was released on June 25, 2014. The albums is a mix of original recordings by Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, new recordings by the film cast, and tracks from the original Broadway cast recording.

text: Track listing:[31]

text: All tracks written by Bob Gaudio and Bob Crewe.

text:
No.
Title
Performer(s)
Length

1.
"Prelude"

0:18

2.
"December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)"
Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons
3:13

3.
"My Mother's Eyes"
Frankie Valli
1:58

4.
""I Can't Give You Anything But Love""
John Lloyd Young
1:05

5.
"A Sunday Kind of Love"
John Lloyd Young, Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons
1:55

6.
"Moody Mood's For Love"
John Lloyd Young
1:35

7.
"Cry For Me"
Erich Bergen
2:24

8.
"Sherry"
John Lloyd Young
2:06

9.
"Big Girls Don't Cry"
John Lloyd Young
2:19

10.
"Walk Like A Man"
John Lloyd Young
1:55

11.
"My Boyfriend's Back"
Kimmy Gatewood, Kyli Rae, Jackie Seiden
1:41

12.
"My Eyes Adored You"
John Lloyd Young
2:27

13.
"Dawn (Go Away)"
John Lloyd Young
2:39

14.
"Big Man in Town"
John Lloyd Young
2:19

15.
"Beggin'"
Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, Ryan Molloy, John Lloyd Young
3:21

16.
"Medley("Stay"/"Let's Hang On! (To What We've Got)"/"Opus 17 (Don't You Worry 'bout Me)"/"Bye Bye Baby")"
John Lloyd Young
4:53

17.
"C'Mon Marianne"
John Lloyd Young
1:16

18.
"Can't Take My Eyes Off You"
John Lloyd Young
3.23

19.
"Working My Way Back to You"
John Lloyd Young
1:48

20.
"Fallen Angel"
Frankie Valli
3.57

21.
"Who Loves You"
Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, John Lloyd Young
4:20

22.
"Closing Credits "Sherry/December 1963, Oh What A Night"
John Lloyd Young, Erich Bergen, Michael Lomenda, Vincent Piazza
2:22

23.
"Sherry"
Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons
1:29

24.
"Dawn (Go Away)"
Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons
1:29

25.
"Rag Doll"
Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons
1:29

text: Reception[edit]

text: Critical response[edit]

text: Jersey Boys received mixed reviews from critics. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 53% based on 205 reviews, with an average rating of 5.9/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Jersey Boys is neither as inventive nor as energetic as it could be, but there's no denying the powerful pleasures of its musical moments."[32] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 54 out of 100, based on 44 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[33] On CinemaScore, audiences gave the film an average grade of "A-" on an A+ to F scale.[34]

text: Richard Roeper gave the film a "C+" grade, stating that at times the film "captures the electric excitement of the musical, but for every soaring moment, there are 10 minutes of bickering or brooding".[35] Andrew Barker of Variety felt that "Christopher Walken creates most of the film’s laughs by simple virtue of being Christopher Walken, but his doddering don screams out for a bigger, broader performance."[36]

text: Box office[edit]

text: Jersey Boys grossed $47 million in North America and $20.6 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $67.6 million, against a budget of $58.6 million.[37]

text: The film grossed $4.6 million on its opening day, almost $8 million less than fellow newcomer Think Like a Man Too.[38] In its opening weekend, the film grossed $13.3 million, finishing in fourth place at the box office.[39]


document_title: Vanessa Abrams

question_text: who does vanessa end up with gossip girl

text: Vanessa Abrams

text: Novel series[edit]

text: Described as sullen, with a shaved head and black clothing, Vanessa is a budding filmmaker and Constance student on scholarship. Her dream is to one day attend NYU and major in film. Her hippie artist parents live in Vermont but allowed her to move to Williamsburg, Brooklyn to live with her sister Ruby.

text: In the first books, she stays away from Blair Waldorf and Serena van der Woodsen's social scene, resenting the Upper East Side way of life and preferring the company of Dan Humphrey, her best friend, and her sister Ruby. She has had a huge crush on Dan ever since they met on a fire escape when they were both locked out of a party, but Dan had always been too in love with Serena van der Woodsen to realize it. Dan and Vanessa finally get together in the second book, but break up when Dan cheats on her with a writer named Mystery.

text: Vanessa is very fond of making dark films and spends most of her time filming people and objects. She later becomes friends with Blair Waldorf, and they become short-lived roommates. She takes much from her, becoming more open to the Upper East Side way of life and later semi-adapting to Blair's sense of fashion (though she once quipped that she would not be wearing snakeskin Manolos anytime soon) She begins a relationship with Aaron Rose, Blair's stepbrother, only to cheat on him with Dan come graduation.

text: Dan and Vanessa once again become a couple, but with Vanessa taking a job as an assistant for Ken Mogul (and later a babysitter) and Dan cheating on her yet again with a leggy blond named Bree, they break up. Dan has a period of crisis when he thinks that he is gay after kissing a guy at work, but Vanessa stands by him. She agrees to move in with Rufus Humphrey (having been kicked out of her apartment by her sister Ruby and her new fiance Piotr) during the fall when she goes to NYU. Dan turns out to be straight, and they spend the time they have together before college being a real couple. In I Will Aways Love You, it was revealed that Vanessa grew her hair out.

text: Television series[edit]

text: Casting[edit]

text: After a recurring role in the short-lived series What About Brian, Yahoo! stated her "capitalizing on that minor success" and eventually earned the role of "the stunning and unpredictable aspiring filmmaker ensconced in the highly dramatic lives of privileged teenagers on Manhattan's Upper East Side world".[1][2] Szohr began her stint on Gossip Girl in a recurring role until her promotion to regular status in the show's fourteenth episode. Szohr said in Nylon magazine: Producers originally didn’t want to cast her on Gossip Girl because her straight, shiny hair was too preppy. “I told my agent, you send every picture of my hair short, curly, black, blonde, I don’t care.” In Teen Vogue she said the story of how she snagged her breakthrough role on Gossip Girl: "Two of my friends in L.A. invited me to this Labor Day barbecue, but I really just wanted to stay on the couch with my French bulldog," she says. They kept calling, though, so off she went. "I remember hanging out by the pool in an old T-shirt and jean shorts, just talking to people. Three days later, my manager calls to tell me that I'd been with the show's executive producer and one of the creators and they want me to audition." Less than a week after that, Jessica was on her way to New York. "Nuts," she says.

text: Characterization[edit]

text: Szohr's character enters the wealthy world of Manhattan and occasional love interest of her longtime best friend, Dan Humphrey.[3] People magazine cites her television portrayal of her character especially Ziegesar saying that Vanessa on the show "has more of a bohemian hipster look".[4] During an interview for Ocean Drive magazine Szohr commented on her character's noted honesty, stating that "Vanessa doesn't change for other people. She says what she thinks, and that's a hard thing to do in high school[...] she’s just a badass girl from Brooklyn". Szohr finds her character as the most relatable series since Vanessa doesn't have the same lifestyle as most of the other wealthy characters on the show do.[5] During an interview for Vanity Fair, Eric Daman described Vanessa's style as "a breath of fresh air. She’s the Lower East Side, Raising Victor Vargas home-girl." and cited two-time Grammy award-winning artist M.I.A. as an influence.[6]

text: Season 1[edit]

text: Vanessa is officially introduced in the sixth episode of the season, entitled "The Handmaiden's Tale." While talking on the phone with Dan, she appears on his fire escape and the two gladly reunite. She announces that she's decided to move back to the city and live with her sister, Ruby. She also mentions that she missed Dan while she was away and has repeatedly thought about the last words he said to her before she moved to Vermont. Vanessa helps Dan's younger sister, Jenny Humphrey, sneak into a masquerade ball, and she decides to sneak in herself, where she spots Dan and attempts to reconcile their relationship. It is then revealed that Dan's last words to Vanessa were "I love you," but despite this fact, Dan says that he's moved on and is dating Serena. Vanessa gets teary-eyed and abandons the party, however the two friends make up later in Dan's bedroom. They share a snack while Dan fills her in on everything that's changed in his life.

text: In " Victor/Victrola," Vanessa acts as a mentor for Jenny, giving the young blond some advice about parental issues. She seems to express some jealousy when she stumbles in on Dan and Serena about to have sex. However, in the next episode, she and Serena bond over Guitar Hero after Dan explains that Vanessa is his best friend and that the two will always share a special bond from their childhood. Later, Serena and Vanessa engage in conversation and get to know each other better. On Christmas Day, Serena feels a bit jealous when Vanessa gets Dan the perfect present (by publishing his short story in The New Yorker). Vanessa makes a rival out of Blair Waldorf when Blair suspects her of liking Dan as 'more than a friend.' Despite her suspicions, Vanessa helps Serena create the only thing Dan wanted for Christmas – snow.

text: In "School Lies," Vanessa accompanies Dan to a pool party on school property. Someone nearly dies at the party, however, and when Vanessa catches a confidential conversation between Chuck and Blair on camera, it becomes the most sought-after item on the Upper East Side. Chuck tries to bribe Vanessa into giving her the tape, but she tricks him and takes his money anyway. When Blair asks for the tape, Vanessa concedes without any conditions attached. Despite this, Blair pays Vanessa's rent for a year to thank her for giving up the tape, which would have ruined Blair's reputation.

text: When the SATs roll around, Vanessa helps Dan with his studying. This leads to her official introduction to Nate Archibald. The two bicker and banter light-heartedly, but when Vanessa finds a practice essay Nate wrote for the SATs, she sees a more vulnerable side to him. The two spend the day together and Vanessa listens to his problems. Despite their coming from different worlds, they realize they have a lot in common and end the night with a kiss. The next day, Nate takes Vanessa on a 'surprise date' where he tells her she should take the SATs just to ensure that she has options. He pays and registers for her, and after finally giving in, the two enter into a relationship. When she finds out that Georgina Sparks is not who she says she is, Vanessa confronts her and says she knows her real name, as well as her intentions. Despite this fact, Georgina escapes with Dan, who continues to believe the lies she tells him.

text: In the season finale, "Much 'I Do About Nothing" Vanessa prepares for Lily and Bart Bass's wedding. Once she's all dressed up in one of Jenny's designs, Dan tells her that she 'cleans up nice,' before the two proceed to the wedding together. After the ceremony, Nate, burdened by the myriad of problems with his father, tells Vanessa he's not ready to be in a relationship, and the two break up. Later, Vanessa and Dan's friendship grows as they bond over their break-ups.

text: Season 2[edit]

text: Vanessa spends the summer redecorating Rufus's art gallery and turning the extra space into a cafe. Nate confides in her the financial circumstances of his father's debts and although the two seem interested in each other, Nate is continuously too busy to hang out with her. Vanessa pushes him away because of this, but he confesses that he does want a relationship with her. During a citywide blackout, however, the older woman Nate slept with throughout summer, Catherine, threatens to turn Nate's father into the police if Nate ever leaves her. Vanessa sacrifices her relationship with Nate for the Captain's safety and tells Nate she doesn't want to be with him. Later, Vanessa snaps a photo of Catherine when she sees the older woman making out with her stepson, hoping to use it as blackmail. She learns the consequences of her meddling, however, when she realizes that telling Catherine's husband of her affairs left Nate as penniless as ever, whereas Blair was going to gain back the Archibald's riches. Nate becomes upset with Vanessa, not because she made him lose the money, but because she never confided in him.

text: Vanessa helps Jenny convince Rufus to let her do home-schooling. She further displays her charitable side by helping save the Brooklyn Inn from auction and petitioning for landmark status. When Blair refuses to cooperate with the charity, Vanessa blackmails her by using the photo of Catherine and Lord Marcus kissing, which, if exploited, would humiliate Blair. The Queen of Constance is therefore forced to comply, but conspires with Chuck to destroy Vanessa. The two intend to seduce and humiliate her. At Lily's housewarming party, Vanessa witnesses the more vulnerable side of Chuck and the two bond briefly. She's embarrassed, however, when she learns it was all Blair's ploy, and turns her back on them both. During Jenny's guerrilla fashion show, Vanessa spots Nate and Jenny kissing. She feels betrayed by both of them, since she still had feelings for Nate and since she and Jenny were such close friends. In turn, on Thanksgiving, Vanessa hides an important letter from Jenny. This letter was a confession of Nate's feelings for Jenny and his desire to be with her. Not knowing about the letter that was kept from her, Jenny reconciles her friendship with Vanessa.

text: Around Christmastime, Vanessa and Nate repair their relationship, which they try to hide from Jenny. The blond discovers a picture of them kissing on Gossip Girl, however, and embarrasses Vanessa by giving her a see-through dress, which everyone mocks at the Snowflake Ball. A teary-eyed Vanessa runs off, leaving Nate to tell Jenny that he's not the girl he thought she was. He chooses Vanessa and the two speed away in a taxi as a brokenhearted Jenny watches from afar. Vanessa tries not to interfere with Serena and Dan's relationship, and instead celebrates her 2-month anniversary with Nate at the opera, where the two happily kiss and mock the other theater-goers.

text: When the seniors of Constance Billiard and St. Jude's are forced to put on a play, Nate worries that Vanessa is attracted to the play's director, seeing as the two have so much in common. This leads to a heated argument between Vanessa and him, in which the two fight about their differences and insecurities. Later, Vanessa goes to Nate's house and they make up, deciding to watch the Age of Innocence together.

text: Vanessa and Nate make plans to travel Europe together over summer break. Nate feels manipulated by his family to intern at the mayor's office and Vanessa worries that he's being controlled by his grandfather. Eventually, Nate decides he will intern for the mayor, which he announces in a speech. After hearing this, a disappointed Vanessa leaves the party. She goes over to the Humphreys, where she tells Jenny that her relationship with Nate might in fact be over.

text: A week later, Vanessa and Chuck see Blair and Nate hugging. The two then conspire to tear their friendship apart. Vanessa attempts to make Nate jealous by kissing Chuck at Jenny's party, but when Nate and Blair appear unfazed, Vanessa and Chuck really do sleep together. In "Southern Gentlemen Prefer Blondes," Vanessa and Dan play the drinking game I Never, in which she admits to sleeping with Chuck twice and regretting it both times. In the season finale, Vanessa and Nate catch up and become friends at the Constance-St. Jude's Graduation. A week later, Nate tells her that the mayor hit on him, so he quit his internship. He and Vanessa reinstate their summer plans to go backpacking through Europe. The three unknowingly get to know Scott Rosson, the lovechild of Lily and Rufus. Afterwards, Dan receives a suspicious phone call from Georgina who tells both Vanessa and Dan that she'll be seeing them at NYU next year.

text: Season 3[edit]

text: It's revealed that Vanessa did indeed spend her summer backpacking through Europe with Nate and the two had a fling one night, but remain good friends and nothing more. When she returns to New York, she gets to know Scott Ronsson, and develops a crush on him. When she discovers that Dan's been living the high life thanks to the van der Woodsens and has been hiding it from her, she fights with him and eventually tells him that despite his wealth, he needs to be himself in order for her to be friends with him. Scott and Vanessa begin dating and Scott encourages Vanessa to stay friends with Dan. When Vanessa moves into her dorm at NYU, she realizes that she shares the hall with Blair Waldorf and Georgina Sparks. Vanessa and Georgina become friends after Vanessa forgives her for her past behavior, whereas Vanessa and Blair's rivalry deepens. She grows suspicious of Scott and eventually discovers he is not a student at NYU. When she confronts him, he confesses that he's Lily and Rufus' son and she encourages him to tell them. Scott eventually tells Lily and Rufus the truth at their wedding and moves back to Boston, promising to come down and visit the now broken-hearted Vanessa.

text: Famous actress Olivia Burke becomes Vanessa's new roommate, and the two become immediate friends. Olivia and Dan embark on a relationship, but when they have a threesome with Vanessa, the trio become awkward around each other, resulting in Vanessa and Olivia fighting over Dan. Once Olivia realizes that Dan's true feelings lie with Vanessa, she breaks up with him and moves out of NYU to continue pursuing her acting career. Dan finally confessed his love for Vanessa, who becomes confused and tries to brush off the subject. Later, however, she admits that she loves him as well and that although she doesn't want to ruin her friendship with him, she wants to explore these feelings, starting with being "friends with benefits". The two finally begin their relationship.

text: Their relationship becomes problematic when Vanessa secretly applies to NYU's program for writers, Tisch, which Dan has also applied for. Despite their competition, Vanessa is chosen by the program and although this causes further issues between the two, Dan eventually expresses pride in Vanessa. Later, however, their relationship hits another obstacle when Dan discovers that Vanessa has received an offer difficult to reject: to work in Haiti, assisting the disaster aid as well as filming for CNN. When Dan tells Vanessa he knows she's been offered this position, she insists on not going and staying in the city with Dan to work on their relationship. Dan eventually convinces Vanessa to accept the offer, however, when he informs her that it's a once in a lifetime opportunity. Thus, Vanessa says a tearful goodbye to Dan and leaves, the couple planning on engaging in a long-distance relationship.

text: In the finale, while Vanessa is still in Haiti, Nate sends her a Gossip Girl blast that includes a picture of Dan and Serena in bed together, implying that Dan has cheated on her.

text: Season 4[edit]

text: Vanessa returns from Haiti to find Dan with Georgina. Suspecting a relationship between the two, Vanessa is shocked to discover that they are raising his son, Milo. Vanessa confronts Dan regarding Milo's paternity and realizes that Dan has kept his son's existence from his immediate family. Before Georgina leaves for an extended vacation, she answers a call from Vanessa, who tells her to pass a message to Dan that she will be there for him when he needs her. After meeting Juliet Sharp, Vanessa gets entangled in one of her schemes to break the love triangle between Dan, Nate and Serena, using Vanessa's feelings for Dan to sway him away from Serena. Vanessa later finds out that Dan does not feel the same way about her after sex but Dan comes forward to her and professes his love. With Dan's struggles in raising Milo increase, Vanessa offers her aid to raise him and moves in with him. Dan accepts but Georgina returns to take Milo from Dan. Vanessa unsuccessfully attempts to comfort Dan on losing his son but only succeeds in driving him towards Serena and avoid facing his problems. Dan lies about his whereabouts until Vanessa finds out that he will be arriving at a party with Serena. Realizing his mistake, Dan and Vanessa reconcile and resume their relationship. With Serena's enrollment in Columbia, Gossip Girl spreads a blast implying that Serena has a sexually transmitted disease, causing Vanessa and Juliet to panic considering that their respective partners have a sexual history with Serena. Hoping to confirm on whether or not Dan had slept with Serena and if he still had residual feelings for her, Vanessa and Juliet steal Serena's phone. Vanessa happily finds out that Dan loves her and discovers that Juliet was responsible for another blast against Serena, one stating that she was soliciting sex for grades. Fearing backlash against her, Juliet frames Vanessa for the blast, causing Vanessa to leave and effectively ending her relationship with Dan. In the aftermath of ruining Blair's 20th birthday, Vanessa listens to Dan's troubles, replying to his conclusion on the contagious scheming of the Upper East side by saying that they need rest and a good dose of Brooklyn.

text: Nate turns to Vanessa when he uncovers one of her lies and she accepts, knowing that helping Nate would clear her name. Distracting Juliet from returning to her apartment, Nate calls off their scheme when he finds out about Juliet's background but Vanessa sneaked in, finding pictures of Serena kissing her college professor, Colin. Vanessa confronts Juliet, hoping to recruit her in vindicating her name and exposing Serena but Juliet declines her offer, unaware that Vanessa took the pictures with her.

text: Following Charlie's mental breakdown at the Constance Billiard alumni party, Vanessa scouts out Dan's apartment to look for her but instead finds a novel that Dan has been working on and reads it. When Dan calls her if she found Charlie, Vanessa pours out her admiration for Dan's work and suggests that he publish it, further concluding that in the five years that he wrote the novel, she deduced Dan's secret desire to be a part of the Upper East side, one that even surpasses Jenny's from years ago. Dan had been reluctant to publish it, fearing backlash against his friends for writing a novel that satirizes them. Vanessa tells him to stop dropping everything for his friends and instead be a great person, stating that he was a better person before he met Serena. Dan angrily shoots back at her, saying that his life was better before she climbed into his fire escape years ago. Vanessa steals his manuscript and has it published. When asked where the money will be directed, Vanessa reveals that she will be living in Spain and that she'll make sure the money goes to the right place.

text: Season 6[edit]

text: Vanessa received an SMS which reveals that Dan was "Gossip Girl". Her cameo was filmed on the set of the Sex and The City prequel, The Carrie Diaries; the producers like to imagine that she was directing an episode.[7]

text: Reception[edit]

text: Originally set for a four or five-episode guest appearance, Yahoo! cites Szohr "who so clicked with viewers that producers eventually added her to series regular status." Szohr's performance even led her to making People magazine's famous yearly list of its "Most Beautiful People" in 2008.[1] Szohr's portrayal of Vanessa in the TV series has drawn criticism from Ziegesar, who claimed Vanessa is "one character they ruined", in response to the show's deviation from the novels where Vanessa is bald and often clothed in black.[4] TV Guide named her one of TV's Worst-Dressed Characters.[8]

text: Isabelle Carreau of TV Squad brushed off initial fans' dislike of the character when reviewing the second-season episode, The Dark Night, stating "I'm glad that, contrary to how most characters on GG react, Vanessa didn't scream, throw things, and pull hair when telling Nate how disappointed in him she is. Vanessa is not my favorite character, but she is slowly growing on me because of the calmness and maturity she can show.".[9]

text: Regarding the direction of her character as the show progressed to its fourth season, Vanessa received negative reviews from critics. Mark O. Estes from Tv Overmind was displeased with her character inconsistency that she displayed on the fourth-season episode, Gaslit, stating "even I can't speak up for her throwing Jenny under the bus the way she did." and further expressed disappointment that the show's writers are catering to fans' negative reception of Vanessa.[10] TV Guide heavily panned the character, describing her direction "from a borderline interesting counterpoint to all the glamour of her surroundings to a sniveling buttinsky with nothing better to do than meddle for the sole sake of spoiling everyone's fun.", laying out the possibility of her character leaving or becoming a villain.[11] On May 9, 2011, it was announced that Taylor Momsen and Jessica Szohr would not be back as series regulars for the fifth season of the show, although both have been invited back as guest stars.[12] Szohr left the show after discussing with producers on the direction of her character, having felt that her portrayal of Vanessa had run its course. "I had so much fun and I made friends I'll have for a lifetime and it was so great to work in the city, but I got the most I could out of Vanessa."[13]