Yazid ibn al-Muhallab ( ar, يزيد بن المهلب) (672–720) was a provincial governor in the time of the
Umayyad dynasty
Umayyad dynasty ( ar, بَنُو أُمَيَّةَ, Banū Umayya, Sons of Umayya) or Umayyads ( ar, الأمويون, al-Umawiyyūn) were the ruling family of the Caliphate between 661 and 750 and later of Al-Andalus between 756 and 1031. In the ...
and an early member of the
Muhallabid
The Muhallabids () or the Muhallabid dynasty were an Arab family who became prominent in the middle Umayyad Caliphate and reached its greatest eminence during the early Abbasids, when members of the family ruled Basra and Ifriqiya.
The founders of ...
family that became important in early
Abbasid
The Abbasid Caliphate ( or ; ar, الْخِلَافَةُ الْعَبَّاسِيَّة, ') was the third caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abdul-Mutta ...
times.
Life
In
A.H. 78 (697-698 CE)
al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf
Abu Muhammad al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf ibn al-Hakam ibn Abi Aqil al-Thaqafi ( ar, أبو محمد الحجاج بن يوسف بن الحكم بن أبي عقيل الثقفي, Abū Muḥammad al-Ḥajjāj ibn Yūsuf ibn al-Ḥakam ibn Abī ʿAqīl al-T ...
, the Caliphate's viceroy of the eastern provinces, appointed Yazid's father
al-Muhallab ibn Abi Sufra
Abū Saʿīd al-Muhallab ibn Abī Ṣufra al-Azdī ( ar, أَبْو سَعِيْد ٱلْمُهَلَّب ابْن أَبِي صُفْرَة ٱلْأَزْدِي; 702) was an Arab general from the Azd tribe who fought in the service of the Ra ...
as governor of
Khurasan. In A.H. 82 (701-702) al-Muhallab's son Mughira died and al-Muhallab sent Yazid to replace him. Soon afterwards al-Muhallab died and al-Hajjaj appointed Yazid governor of Khurasan. There Yazid confronted external and internal enemies, including some rebels entering his province who were supporters of
Abd al-Rahman ibn Muhammad ibn al-Ash'ath
Abd al-Rahman ibn Muhammad ibn al-Ash'ath ( ar, عبد الرحمن بن محمد بن الأشعث, ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Muḥammad ibn al-Ashʿath; died 704), commonly known as Ibn al-Ash'ath after his grandfather, was a prominent Arab nobl ...
. Yazid defeated them. Yazid seized Nizak's fortress and made peace with him.
In A.H. 85 (704-705) al-Hajjaj replaced Yazid naming his younger brother
al-Mufaddal Mufaddal or al-Mufaddal is an Arabic name that may refer to:
* al-Mufaddal al-Dabbi (died –787), Arabic philologist of the Kufan school
* al-Mufaddal ibn Umar al-Ju'fi (died before 799), early Shi'i / ghulat leader and close confidant of Ja'far ...
governor of Khurasan. Various reasons are suggested, including that al-Hajjaj encountered a prophecy that his successor would be named Yazid and al-Hajjaj considered this Yazid the only one threatening enough to worry about. Al-Hajjaj imprisoned and tortured Yazid. In A.H. 90 (708-709) Yazid disguised escaped and made his way to Palestine where he was granted refuge by
Sulayman ibn Abd al-Malik
Sulayman ibn Abd al-Malik ( ar, سليمان بن عبد الملك, Sulaymān ibn ʿAbd al-Malik, – 24 September 717) was the seventh Umayyad caliph, ruling from 24 February 715 until his death. He began his career as governor of Palestine, w ...
. Al-Hajjaj pressed Caliph
al-Walid I
Al-Walid ibn Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan ( ar, الوليد بن عبد الملك بن مروان, al-Walīd ibn ʿAbd al-Malik ibn Marwān; ), commonly known as al-Walid I ( ar, الوليد الأول), was the sixth Umayyad caliph, ruling from O ...
who commanded his brother to send him Yazid in chains. Suleiman had his own son chained to Yazid approach the caliph and speak favouring Yazid's safety. Al-Walid accepted this and told al-Hajjaj to desist. Yazid returned to Sulayman and the two were very close to each other.
When Sulayman came to the throne in A.H. 96 (715), he appointed Yazid to govern
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
. The next year Sulayman appointed Yazid governor of Khurasan. Yazid fought in Jurjan and Tabaristan, personally engaging in combat. In A.H. 99 (717-718) the new caliph
Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz
Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz ( ar, عمر بن عبد العزيز, ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz; 2 November 680 – ), commonly known as Umar II (), was the eighth Umayyad caliph. He made various significant contributions and reforms to the society, an ...
dismissed Yazid due to his tortures against people of conquered territories, especially
Turks and
Sogd
Sogdia ( Sogdian: ) or Sogdiana was an ancient Iranian civilization between the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya, and in present-day Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. Sogdiana was also a province of the Achaemenid Empi ...
s. Yazid was captured on his way to Basra and brought before Umar who intensely disliked him. Umar imprisoned Yazid. In A.H. 101 (719-720) when Umar fell ill, Yazid escaped. Umar died.
Yazid approached Basra. Many joined him. He refused to swear allegiance to the new caliph,
Yazid II. He attacked those holding his brothers, defeated them and freed his brothers. His son Khalid was arrested in Kufa and sent to Damascus where he remained in prison until he died. Yazid was advised to head east, but he declined to follow this advice. In A.H. 102 (720-721)
Maslama ibn Abd al-Malik
Maslama ibn ʿAbd al-Malik ( ar, مسلمة بن عبد الملك, in Greek sources , ''Masalmas''; – 24 December 738) was an Umayyad prince and one of the most prominent Arab generals of the early decades of the 8th century, leading sever ...
and
al-Abbas ibn al-Walid
Al-ʿAbbās ibn al-Walīd ibn ʿAbd al-Malik was an Umayyad prince and general, the son of Caliph al-Walid I. A distinguished military leader in the Byzantine–Arab Wars of the early 8th century, especially in partnership with his uncle Maslama ...
led forces against him. On August 25, Maslama's troops advanced to battle, frightening some of Yazid's men who fled. Yazid had these beheaded. He then rode directly at Maslama. Maslama's cavalry intercepted him and cut him down.
Fighting continued. In Wasit, Yazid's son Mu'awiya on news of his father's death executed some prisoners, including
Adi ibn Artat, the Basran governor who had sent Yazid to Umar in A.H. 99. Mu'awiya and other surviving members of the Yazid's family sailed to Bahrayn, then near Kirman. They advanced to Qandabil where they were denied entrance. There was a glorious fight in which all but two died, those two making their way to Zabulistan. Some captured boys were sent to Yazid II who beheaded them.
See also
*
Farrukhan the Great
*
Qutayba ibn Muslim
Abū Ḥafṣ Qutayba ibn Abī Ṣāliḥ Muslim ibn ʿAmr al-Bāhilī ( ar, أبو حفص قتيبة بن أبي صالح مسلم بن عمرو الباهلي; 669–715/6) was an Arab commander of the Umayyad Caliphate who became governor of ...
*
Muhammad ibn Qasim
Notes
References
Bibliography
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Yazid Ibn Al-Muhallab
Muhallab
Muhallab
Umayyad governors of Khurasan
Umayyad governors of Iraq
Prisoners and detainees of the Umayyad Caliphate
Muhallabids
Medieval Arabs killed in battle
Rebellions against the Umayyad Caliphate
7th-century Arabs
8th-century Arabs