Yazid III
Encyclopedia
Yazid ibn al-Walid ibn 'Abd al-Malik or Yazid III (701 - 744) was an Umayyad
caliph
. He reigned for six months, from April 15 to October 3 or 4, 744; and died in that office.
Yazid was the son of a Persian princess who had been gifted as a concubine to Caliph al-Walid I. Al-Tabari
quotes a couplet of Yazid's on his own ancestry:
Tabari further records descriptions of Yazid as tall and handsome
During the reign of his cousin al-Walid II
, Yazid spoke out against Walid's "immorality" which included discrimination on behalf of the Banu Qays Arabs against Yemenis and non-Arab Muslims
, and Yazid received further support from the Qadariya and Murji'iya (believers in human free will
). Yazid slipped into Damascus and deposed Walid in a coup; following this up with a disbursement of funds from the treasury.
According to Yazid's own account, Yazid sent 'Abd al-Aziz ibn al-Hajjaj to meet Walid at al-Bakhra'. 'Abd al-Aziz offered to set up a shura
to decide on the future of the realm. Walid rejected this offer and attacked, by which action he lost his life. Yazid had Walid's head hoisted "on a lance and paraded around Damascus"; Yazid then imprisoned Walid's sons 'Uthman and Hakam, whom Walid had designated as his heirs.
On accession, Yazid explained that he had rebelled on behalf of the Book of Allah and the Sunna of His Prophet, and that this entailed ensuring that the strong not prey upon the weak. He promised "to engage in no building works, squander no money on wives or children, transfer no money from one province to another" without reason, "keep no troops on the field too long", and not to overtax the ahl al-dhimma
; instead, he would eschew discrimination and would make his payments on time. He promised abdication if he failed to meet these goals, and held in principle to al-amr shura
- to an elected caliphate.
Tabari records Yazid's nickname "the Diminisher (Naqis)", for his reduction in military annuities by 10%, where his predecessor had promised a raise. Islamic popular tradition, recorded in apocalyptic, comments that Yazid would go himself into the marketplace.
The city of Hims refused allegiance to Yazid, and there were several other dissident movements against him. Another cousin Marwan ibn Muhammad ibn Marwan
, governor of Armenia, had initially supported Walid and on that one's death entered Iraq to avenge him. Marwan eventually rallied around Yazid.
Yazid appointed Mansur ibn Jumhur to replace Yusuf ibn 'Umar as governor of Iraq. On May 15, Yazid wrote a letter, preserved from oral sources in al-Mada'ini (reproduced in Tabari) and in al-Baladhuri. It supports the Umayyad dynasty up to but not including "the enemy of Allah" al-Walid II; at which point it lays out Yazid's version of the event at al-Bakhra'. At the end, Tabari's rendition has Yazid exhorting the Iraqis to follow Mansur ibn Jumhur.
Yusuf ibn 'Umar was subsequently imprisoned and later killed by the son of Khalid ibn 'Abd Allah. Mansur attempted to dismiss the Khurasani governor Nasr ibn Sayyar, but Nasr refused to accept this. Facing opposition from al-Kirmani, Nasr invited al-Harith to return from his thirteen year stay in Turkish territory. Al-Harith arrived wearing a fine suit of armour the Khaqan had given him and gaining the support of many people in Khurasan.
Yazid named his brother Ibrahim
as his successor. Yazid fell ill of a brain tumour. He died on October 3 or 4, 744. Ibrahim duly succeeded him.
Umayyad
The Umayyad Caliphate was the second of the four major Arab caliphates established after the death of Muhammad. It was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty, whose name derives from Umayya ibn Abd Shams, the great-grandfather of the first Umayyad caliph. Although the Umayyad family originally came from the...
caliph
Caliph
The Caliph is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the ruler of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah. It is a transcribed version of the Arabic word which means "successor" or "representative"...
. He reigned for six months, from April 15 to October 3 or 4, 744; and died in that office.
Yazid was the son of a Persian princess who had been gifted as a concubine to Caliph al-Walid I. Al-Tabari
Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari
Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari was a prominent and influential Sunni scholar and exegete of the Qur'an from Persia...
quotes a couplet of Yazid's on his own ancestry:
- I am the son of ChosroesKhosrau II250px|thumb|Khosrau II 250px|thumb|Khosrau II 250px|thumb|Khosrau II (Khosrow II, Chosroes II, or Xosrov II in classical sources, sometimes called Parvez, "the Ever Victorious" – (in Persian: خسرو پرویز), was the twenty-second Sassanid King of Persia, reigning from 590 to 628...
, my ancestor was MarwanMarwan IMarwan ibn al-Hakam was the fourth Umayyad Caliph, who took over the dynasty after Muawiya II abdicated in 684. Marwan's ascension pointed to a shift in the lineage of the Umayyad dynasty from descendants of Abu Sufyan to those of Hakam, both of whom were grandsons of Umayya...
, - Caesar was my grandsire and my grandsire was KhaganKhaganKhagan or qagan , alternatively spelled kagan, khaghan, qaghan, or chagan, is a title of imperial rank in the Mongolian and Turkic languages equal to the status of emperor and someone who rules a khaganate...
.
Tabari further records descriptions of Yazid as tall and handsome
During the reign of his cousin al-Walid II
Al-Walid II
Walid ibn Yazid or Walid II was an Umayyad caliph who ruled from 743 until 744. He succeeded his uncle, Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik....
, Yazid spoke out against Walid's "immorality" which included discrimination on behalf of the Banu Qays Arabs against Yemenis and non-Arab Muslims
Mawali
Mawali or mawālá is a term in Classical Arabic used to address non-Arab Muslims.The term gained prominence in the centuries following the early Arab Muslim conquests in the 7th century, as many non-Arabs such as Persians, Egyptians, and Turks converted to Islam...
, and Yazid received further support from the Qadariya and Murji'iya (believers in human free will
Free will
"To make my own decisions whether I am successful or not due to uncontrollable forces" -Troy MorrisonA pragmatic definition of free willFree will is the ability of agents to make choices free from certain kinds of constraints. The existence of free will and its exact nature and definition have long...
). Yazid slipped into Damascus and deposed Walid in a coup; following this up with a disbursement of funds from the treasury.
According to Yazid's own account, Yazid sent 'Abd al-Aziz ibn al-Hajjaj to meet Walid at al-Bakhra'. 'Abd al-Aziz offered to set up a shura
Shura
Shura is an Arabic word for "consultation". The Quran and Muhammad encourage Muslims to decide their affairs in consultation with those who will be affected by that decision....
to decide on the future of the realm. Walid rejected this offer and attacked, by which action he lost his life. Yazid had Walid's head hoisted "on a lance and paraded around Damascus"; Yazid then imprisoned Walid's sons 'Uthman and Hakam, whom Walid had designated as his heirs.
On accession, Yazid explained that he had rebelled on behalf of the Book of Allah and the Sunna of His Prophet, and that this entailed ensuring that the strong not prey upon the weak. He promised "to engage in no building works, squander no money on wives or children, transfer no money from one province to another" without reason, "keep no troops on the field too long", and not to overtax the ahl al-dhimma
Dhimmi
A , is a non-Muslim subject of a state governed in accordance with sharia law. Linguistically, the word means "one whose responsibility has been taken". This has to be understood in the context of the definition of state in Islam...
; instead, he would eschew discrimination and would make his payments on time. He promised abdication if he failed to meet these goals, and held in principle to al-amr shura
Shura
Shura is an Arabic word for "consultation". The Quran and Muhammad encourage Muslims to decide their affairs in consultation with those who will be affected by that decision....
- to an elected caliphate.
Tabari records Yazid's nickname "the Diminisher (Naqis)", for his reduction in military annuities by 10%, where his predecessor had promised a raise. Islamic popular tradition, recorded in apocalyptic, comments that Yazid would go himself into the marketplace.
The city of Hims refused allegiance to Yazid, and there were several other dissident movements against him. Another cousin Marwan ibn Muhammad ibn Marwan
Marwan II
Marwan ibn Muhammad ibn Marwan or Marwan II was an Umayyad caliph who ruled from 744 until 750 when he was killed. He was the last Umayyad ruler to rule from Damascus.In A.H. 114 Caliph Hisham appointed Marwan governor of Armenia and Azerbaijan. In A.H...
, governor of Armenia, had initially supported Walid and on that one's death entered Iraq to avenge him. Marwan eventually rallied around Yazid.
Yazid appointed Mansur ibn Jumhur to replace Yusuf ibn 'Umar as governor of Iraq. On May 15, Yazid wrote a letter, preserved from oral sources in al-Mada'ini (reproduced in Tabari) and in al-Baladhuri. It supports the Umayyad dynasty up to but not including "the enemy of Allah" al-Walid II; at which point it lays out Yazid's version of the event at al-Bakhra'. At the end, Tabari's rendition has Yazid exhorting the Iraqis to follow Mansur ibn Jumhur.
Yusuf ibn 'Umar was subsequently imprisoned and later killed by the son of Khalid ibn 'Abd Allah. Mansur attempted to dismiss the Khurasani governor Nasr ibn Sayyar, but Nasr refused to accept this. Facing opposition from al-Kirmani, Nasr invited al-Harith to return from his thirteen year stay in Turkish territory. Al-Harith arrived wearing a fine suit of armour the Khaqan had given him and gaining the support of many people in Khurasan.
Yazid named his brother Ibrahim
Ibrahim ibn al-Walid
Ibrahim ibn Al-Walid was an Umayyad caliph. He only ruled for a short time in 744 before he abdicated, and went into hiding out of fear of his political opponents. The shortness of this time and his incomplete acceptance led Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari to state that he did not succeed in...
as his successor. Yazid fell ill of a brain tumour. He died on October 3 or 4, 744. Ibrahim duly succeeded him.