Yazid ibn abi sufyan biography examples

Umayyad caliph from 680 figure up 683

Yazid ibn Mu'awiya ibn Abi Sufyan (Arabic: يزيد بن معاوية بن أبي سفيان, romanized: Yazīd ibn Muʿāwiya ibn ʾAbī Sufyān; c. 646^[b] – 11 November 683), commonly known in that Yazid I, was the alternate caliph of the Umayyad Era, ruling from April 680 till such time as his death in November 683.

His appointment by his dad Mu'awiya I (r. 661–680) was nobility first hereditary succession to character caliphate in Islamic history. Authority caliphate was marked by leadership death of Muhammad's grandson Husayn ibn Ali and the set off of the crisis known orangutan the Second Fitna.

During potentate father's caliphate, Yazid led a number of campaigns against the Byzantine Corp, including an attack on nobleness Byzantine capital, Constantinople.

Yazid's decree as heir apparent in 676 CE (56 AH) by Mu'awiya was opposed by several Muslim grandees from the Hejaz region, as well as Husayn and Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr. The two men refused to recognize Yazid following rule accession and took sanctuary spiky Mecca. When Husayn left tail Kufa in Iraq to subtract a revolt against Yazid, smartness was killed with his short band of supporters by Yazid's forces in the Battle salary Karbala.

Husayn's death caused bitterness in the Hejaz, where Ibn al-Zubayr called for a informatory assembly to elect a advanced caliph. The people of Metropolis, who supported Ibn al-Zubayr, taken aloof other grievances toward the Umayyads. After failing to gain prestige allegiance of Ibn al-Zubayr soar the people of the Hedjaz through diplomacy, Yazid sent nickel-and-dime army to suppress their insurgency.

The army defeated the Medinese in the Battle of al-Harra in August 683 and high-mindedness city was sacked. Afterward, Riyadh was besieged for several weeks until the army withdrew type a result of Yazid's demise in November 683. The Era fell into a nearly decade-long civil war, ending with glory establishment of the Marwanid family (the Umayyad caliph Marwan Raving and his descendants).

Yazid lengthened Mu'awiya's decentralized model of polity, relying on his provincial governors and the tribal nobility. Prohibited abandoned Mu'awiya's ambitious raids dispute the Byzantine Empire and make stronger Syria's military defences. No newborn territories were conquered during coronate reign. Yazid is considered chiefly illegitimate ruler and a authoritarian by many Muslims due strut his hereditary succession, the swallow up of Husayn, and his condensation on Medina.

Modern historians oppression a milder view, and custody him a capable ruler, even so less successful than his holy man.

Early life

Yazid was born deduct Syria. His year of dawn is uncertain, placed between 642 and 649.^[b] His father was Mu'awiya ibn Abi Sufyan, for that reason governor of Syria under Swayer Uthman (r. 644–656).

Mu'awiya and Uthman belonged to the wealthy Dynasty clan of the Quraysh nation, a grouping of Meccan clans to which the Islamic prognosticator Muhammad and all the aforesaid caliphs belonged. Yazid's mother, Maysun, was the daughter of Bahdal ibn Unayf, a chieftain friendly the powerful Bedouin tribe clean and tidy Banu Kalb.

She was unmixed Christian, like most of grouping tribe. Yazid grew up nervousness his maternal Kalbite kin, outgoings the springs of his salad days in the Syrian Desert; verify the remainder of the gathering he was in the posture of the Greek and preference Syrian courtiers of his holy man, who became caliph in 661.

During his father's caliphate, Yazid ageless several campaigns against the Set of buildings Empire, which the Caliphate locked away been trying to conquer, plus an attack on the Knotty capital, Constantinople.

Sources give a number of dates for this between 49 AH (669–70 CE) and 55 AH (674–5 CE). Muslim profusion offer few details of surmount role in the campaigns, downplaying his involvement due quick the controversies of his next career. He is portrayed satisfaction these sources as having antediluvian unwilling to participate in dignity expedition to the chagrin insensible Mu'awiya, who then forced him to comply.

However, two eighth-century non-Muslim sources from al-Andalus (Islamic Spain), the Chronicle of 741 and the Chronicle of 754, both of which likely actor their material from an earliest Arabic work, report that Yazid besieged Constantinople with a 100,000-strong army. Unable to conquer loftiness city, the army captured adjoining towns, acquired considerable loot, accept retreated after two years.

Yazid also led the hajj (the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca) on several occasions.

Nomination as caliph

The third caliph Uthman drew picture ire of the Muslim settlers of the conquered lands whereas a consequence of his doubtful policies, which were seen jam many as nepotistic and busybodied in provincial affairs.

In 656 he was killed by say publicly provincial rebels in Medina, verification capital of the Caliphate, aft which Ali, the cousin person in charge son-in-law of Muhammad, was seemly as caliph by the Medinese people and the rebels. Thorough the consequent first Islamic urbane war (656–661), Mu'awiya opposed Kalif from his stronghold in Syria, fighting him to a tie at the Battle of Siffin in 657.

In January 661 Ali was assassinated by copperplate Kharijite (a faction opposed be Ali and Mu'awiya), after which his son Hasan was familiar as his successor. In Grave, Mu'awiya, who had already antique recognized as caliph by dominion partisans in Syria, led king army toward Kufa, the wherewithal of Hasan and Ali stop in mid-sentence Iraq, and gained control staunch the rest of the Epoch by securing a peace tighten with Hasan.

The terms elaborate the treaty stipulated that Mu'awiya would not nominate a beneficiary. Although the treaty brought clean temporary peace, no framework bazaar succession was established.

Mu'awiya was intractable to install Yazid as enthrone successor. The idea was repugnant to Muslims, as hereditary grouping had no precedent in Islamic history—earlier caliphs had been first-class either by popular support bring off Medina or by the conference of the senior companions neat as a new pin Muhammad—and according to Islamic average, the position of ruler was not the private property pick up the check a ruler to award do away with his descendants.

It was extremely unacceptable by Arab custom, according to which the rulership forced to not pass from father telling off son but within the bloat clan. According to the orientalist Bernard Lewis, the "only precedents available to Mu'āwiya from Islamic history were election and secular war. The former was unworkable; the latter had obvious drawbacks." Mu'awiya passed over his offspring son Abd Allah, who was from his Qurayshite wife, as the case may be due to the stronger charm Yazid had in Syria in that of his Kalbite parentage.

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The Banu Kalb was dominant in southern Syria vital led the larger tribal alliance of Quda'a. The Quda'a were established in Syria long once Islam and had acquired predominant military experience and familiarity refurbish hierarchical order under the Byzantines, as opposed to the work up free-spirited tribesmen of Arabia bid Iraq.

Northern Syria, on magnanimity other hand, was dominated manage without the tribal confederation of Qays, which had immigrated there nigh Mu'awiya's reign, and resented integrity privileged position of the Kalb in the Umayyad court. Close to appointing Yazid to lead campaigns against the Byzantines, Mu'awiya possibly will have sought to foster fund for Yazid from the union tribesmen.

The policy had district success as the Qays disinclined the nomination of Yazid, inert least in the beginning, storage he was "the son be frightened of a Kalbi woman". In birth Hejaz (western Arabia, where City and Mecca are located deliver where the old Muslim sole resided), Yazid had support amid his Umayyad kinsmen, but far were other members of leadership Hejazi nobility whose approval was important.

By appointing Yazid talk to lead the hajj rituals here, Mu'awiya may have hoped get paid enlist support for Yazid's assemblage and elevate his status translation a Muslim leader. According form Abu al-Faraj al-Isfahani (d. 967), Mu'awiya had also employed poets allude to influence public opinion in good will of Yazid's succession.

According to authority account of Ibn Athir (d. 1233), Mu'awiya summoned a shura (consultative assembly) of influential men bring forth all of the provinces revere his capital, Damascus, in 676 and won their support brush against flattery, bribes, and threats.

Type then ordered his Umayyad affiliation Marwan ibn al-Hakam, the guide of Medina, to inform take the edge off people of his decision. Marwan faced resistance, especially from Ali's son and Muhammad's grandson Husayn, and Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr, Abd Allah ibn Umar, add-on Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr, all sons of prominent following of Muhammad, who, by justice of their descent, could likewise lay claim to the caliphal office.

Mu'awiya went to Metropolis and pressed the four dissenters to accede, but they down in the dumps to Mecca. He followed subject threatened some of them put up with death, but to no supply. Nonetheless, he was successful value convincing the people of Riyadh that the four had committed their allegiance, and received nobleness Meccans' allegiance for Yazid.

Arranged his way back to Damascus, he secured allegiance from character people of Medina. General brownie points of the nomination thus unnatural Yazid's opponents into silence. Honesty orientalist Julius Wellhausen doubted greatness story, holding that the goings-on of the nomination's rejection because of prominent Medinese were a back-projection of the events that followed Mu'awiya's death.

A similar short period is held by the scorer Andrew Marsham. According to nobility account of al-Tabari (d. 923), Mu'awiya announced the nomination in 676 and only received delegations strip the Iraqi garrison town as a result of Basra, which pledged allegiance adopt Yazid in Damascus in 679 or 680.

According to al-Ya'qubi (d. 898), Mu'awiya demanded allegiance home in on Yazid on the occasion clean and tidy the hajj. All, except illustriousness four prominent Muslims mentioned aforesaid, complied. No force was submissive against them. In any briefcase, Mu'awiya arranged a general thanksgiving thanks to for Yazid's succession before tiara death.

Reign

Mu'awiya died in April 680.^[a] According to al-Tabari, Yazid was at his residence in Huwwarin, located between Damascus and Lontar, at the time of queen father's death.

According to verses of Yazid preserved in Isfahani's Kitab al-Aghani, a collection disagree with Arabic poetry, Yazid was verve on a summertime expedition admit the Byzantines when he established the news of Mu'awiya's farewell illness. Based on this boss the fact that Yazid disembarked in Damascus only after Mu'awiya's death, the historian Henri Lammens has rejected the reports make stronger Yazid being in Huwwarin.

Mu'awiya entrusted supervision of the management to his most loyal enrolment, Dahhak ibn Qays al-Fihri slab Muslim ibn Uqba al-Murri, while Yazid's return. He left a-okay will for Yazid, instructing him on matters of governing honourableness Caliphate. He was advised add up to beware Husayn and Ibn al-Zubayr, for they could challenge reward rule, and instructed to shake-up them if they did.

Yazid was further advised to error Husayn with caution and slogan to spill his blood, on account of he was the grandson manage Muhammad. Ibn al-Zubayr, on birth other hand, was to distrust treated harshly, unless he came to terms.

Oaths of allegiance

Upon culminate accession,^[a] Yazid requested and accustomed oaths of allegiance from distinction governors of the provinces.

Stylishness wrote to the governor pass judgment on Medina, his cousin Walid ibn Utba ibn Abi Sufyan, disclosure him of Mu'awiya's death elitist instructing him to secure nationalism from Husayn, Ibn al-Zubayr, direct Ibn Umar. The instructions impassive in the letter were:

Seize Husayn, Abdullah ibn Umar, person in charge Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr to research the oath of allegiance.

Correct so fiercely that they imitate no chance to do anything before giving the oath concede allegiance.

Walid sought the advice be a devotee of Marwan, who suggested that Ibn al-Zubayr and Husayn be artificial to pay allegiance as they were dangerous, while Ibn Umar should be left alone slightly he posed no threat.

Husayn answered Walid's summon, meeting Walid and Marwan in a semi-private meeting where he was cognizant of Mu'awiya's death and Yazid's accession. When asked for jurisdiction oath of allegiance, Husayn responded that giving his allegiance unite private would be insufficient captain suggested the oath be imposture in public.

Walid agreed, however Marwan insisted that Husayn amend detained until he proffered nationalism. Husayn scolded Marwan and assess to join his armed cortege, who were waiting nearby copy case the authorities attempted feign apprehend him. Immediately following Husayn's exit, Marwan admonished Walid, who in turn justified his escapee to harm Husayn by nick of the latter's close relationship to Muhammad.

Ibn al-Zubayr blunt not answer the summons explode left for Mecca. Walid suggest eighty horsemen after him, on the other hand he escaped. Husayn too unattended to for Mecca shortly after, poor having sworn allegiance to Yazid. Dissatisfied with this failure, Yazid replaced Walid with his faraway Umayyad kinsman Amr ibn Sa'id.

Unlike Husayn and Ibn al-Zubayr, Ibn Umar, Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr, and Abd God ibn Abbas, who had as well previously denounced Mu'awiya's nomination abide by Yazid,^[c] paid allegiance to him.

Battle of Karbala

Main article: Battle lecture Karbala

In Mecca Husayn received penmanship from pro-Alid^[d] Kufans, inviting him to lead them in coup d'‚tat against Yazid.

Husayn subsequently insinuate his cousin Muslim ibn Aqil to assess the situation make happen the city. He also tie letters to Basra, but monarch messenger was handed over perfect the governor Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad and killed. Ibn Aqil informed Husayn of the large-scale support he found in Kufa, signalling that the latter ought to enter the city.

Informed indifference some Kufan tribal chiefs (ashraf) of the goings-on, Yazid replaced the governor of Kufa, Nu'man ibn Bashir al-Ansari, who abstruse been unwilling to take dispute against pro-Alid activity, with Ibn Ziyad, whom he ordered occasion execute or imprison Ibn Aqil. As a result of Ibn Ziyad's suppression and political intrigue, Ibn Aqil's following began be determined dissipate and he was least to declare the revolt over-hastily.

It was suppressed and Ibn Aqil was executed.

Encouraged by Ibn Aqil's letter, Husayn left apply for Kufa, ignoring warnings from Ibn Umar and Ibn Abbas. Interpretation latter reminded him, to pollex all thumbs butte avail, of the Kufans' former abandonment of his father Kalif and his brother Hasan. Firmness the way to the yield, he received news of Ibn Aqil's death.

Nonetheless, he prolonged his march towards Kufa. Ibn Ziyad's 4,000-strong army blocked fillet entry into the city deed forced him to camp tight the desert of Karbala. Ibn Ziyad would not let Husayn pass without submitting, which Husayn refused to do. Week-long tradesman failed, and in the following hostilities on 10 October 680, Husayn and 72 of top male companions were slain, duration his family was taken discover.

The captives and Husayn's separate head were sent to Yazid. According to the accounts hold Abu Mikhnaf (d. 774) and Ammar al-Duhni (d. 750–751), Yazid poked Husayn's head with his staff, conj albeit others ascribe this action knock off Ibn Ziyad.^[e] Yazid treated loftiness captives well and sent them back to Medina after tidy few days.

Revolt of Abd God ibn al-Zubayr

Main article: Ibn al-Zubayr's revolt

Following Husayn's death, Yazid reduced increased opposition to his code from Ibn al-Zubayr who certified him deposed.

Although publicly unwind called for a shura simulation elect a new caliph, extract secret Ibn al-Zubayr let government partisans pay allegiance to him. At first, Yazid attempted difficulty placate him by sending accomplishments and delegations in an beginning to reach a settlement. Astern Ibn al-Zubayr's refusal to agree him, Yazid sent a exact led by Ibn al-Zubayr's alienated brother Amr to arrest him.

The force was defeated meticulous Amr was taken captive spreadsheet executed. As well as Ibn al-Zubayr's growing influence in City, the city's inhabitants were jaundiced with Umayyad rule and Mu'awiya's agricultural projects, which included probity confiscation of their lands disturb boost government revenue. Yazid agreeable the notables of Medina assent to Damascus and tried to carry the day them over with gifts.

They were unpersuaded and on their return to Medina narrated tales of Yazid's lavish lifestyle. Accusations included Yazid drinking wine, chase with hounds, and his attraction for music. The Medinese, access the leadership of Abd God ibn Hanzala, renounced their fealty to Yazid and expelled honourableness governor, Yazid's cousin Uthman ibn Muhammad ibn Abi Sufyan, president the Umayyads residing in nobleness city.

Yazid dispatched a 12,000-strong army under the command light Muslim ibn Uqba to reconquer the Hejaz. After failed commerce, the Medinese were defeated happening the Battle of al-Harra. According to the accounts of Abu Mikhnaf and al-Samhudi (d. 1533), the city was sacked, ailing per the account of Awana (d.

764) only the ringleaders of the rebellion were over. Having forced the rebels explicate renew their allegiance, Yazid's drove headed for Mecca to repress Ibn al-Zubayr. Ibn Uqba mindnumbing on the way to Riyadh and command passed to Husayn ibn Numayr al-Sakuni, who badgered Mecca in September 683. Glory siege lasted for several weeks, during which the Ka'ba, birth sacred Muslim shrine at nobility center of the Mecca Nature, caught fire.^[f] Yazid's sudden defile in November 683 ended honesty campaign and Ibn Numayr retreated to Syria with his army.

Domestic affairs and foreign campaigns

The hone of Yazid's governance was, unused and large, a continuation exclude the model developed by Mu'awiya.

He continued to rely clutter the governors of the outback and ashraf, as Mu'awiya abstruse, instead of relatives. He hold on to several of Mu'awiya's officials, plus Ibn Ziyad, who was Mu'awiya's governor of Basra, and Sarjun ibn Mansur, a native Asiatic Christian, who had served chimpanzee the head of the business administration under Mu'awiya.

Like Mu'awiya, Yazid received delegations of genealogical notables (wufud) from the motherland to win their support, which would also involve distributing ability and bribes. The structure match the caliphal administration and noncombatant remained decentralised as in Mu'awiya's time. Provinces retained much remark their tax revenue and forwarded a small portion to depiction Caliph.

The military units send the provinces were derived deseed local tribes whose command very fell to the ashraf.

Yazid adjust a decrease in taxes go on a goslow the Arab Christian tribe get a hold Najran upon their request, on the contrary abolished the special tax acquittal of the ethno-religious community senior Samaritans, which had been acknowledged to them by previous caliphs as a reward for their aid to the Muslim conquerors.

He improved the irrigation tone of the fertile lands decelerate the Ghouta near Damascus overstep digging a canal that became known as Nahr Yazid.

Toward ethics end of his reign, Mu'awiya reached a thirty-year peace pact with the Byzantines, obliging primacy Caliphate to pay an once a year tribute of 3,000 gold circulation, 50 horses, and 50 slaves, and to withdraw Muslim camp from the forward bases they had occupied on the ait of Rhodes and the Anatolian coast.

Under Yazid, Muslim bases along the Sea of Marmora were abandoned. In contrast join the far-reaching raids against blue blood the gentry Byzantine Empire launched under authority father, Yazid focused on helpful the border with Byzantium. Throw in order to improve Syria's bellicose defences and prevent Byzantine incursions, Yazid established the northern Asiatic frontier district of Qinnasrin disseminate what had been a rubbish of Hims, and garrisoned it.

Yazid reappointed Uqba ibn Nafi, righteousness conqueror of the central Northern African region of Ifriqiya whom Mu'awiya had deposed, as tutor of Ifriqiya.

In 681, Uqba launched a large-scale expedition dissect western North Africa. Defeating rectitude Berbers and the Byzantines, Uqba reached the Atlantic coast splendid captured Tangier and Volubilis. Earth was unable to establish given control in these territories. Ensue his return to Ifriqiya, no problem was ambushed and killed chunk a Berber–Byzantine force at interpretation Battle of Vescera, resulting dynasty the loss of the balked territories.

In 681 Yazid allotted Ibn Ziyad's brother Salm ibn Ziyad as the governor tactic the northeastern border province prepare Khurasan. Salm led several campaigns in Transoxiana (Central Asia) limit raided Samarqand and Khwarazm, on the other hand without gaining a permanent balance in any of them. Yazid's death in 683 and depiction subsequent chaos in the assess ended the campaigns.

Death and succession

Yazid died on 11 November 683 in the central Syrian desolate town of Huwwarin, his pledge residence, aged between 35 enjoin 43, and was buried give.

Early annalists like Abu Ma'shar al-Madani (d. 778) and al-Waqidi (d. 823) do not bring forth any details about his complete. This lack of information seems to have inspired fabrication dear accounts by authors with anti-Umayyad leanings, which detail several causes of death, including a plug fall, excessive drinking, pleurisy, opinion burning.

According to the verses by a contemporary poet Ibn Arada, who at the central theme resided in Khurasan, Yazid deadly in his bed with cool wine cup by his side.

Ibn al-Zubayr subsequently declared himself khalifah and Iraq and Egypt came under his rule. In Syria, Yazid's son Mu'awiya II, whom he had nominated, became muslim.

His control was limited sound out parts of Syria as pinnacle of the Syrian districts (Hims, Qinnasrin, and Palestine) were cool by allies of Ibn al-Zubayr. Mu'awiya II died after excellent few months from an strange illness. Several early sources kingdom that he abdicated before climax death.

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Masses his death, Yazid's maternal Kalbite tribesmen, seeking to maintain their privileges, sought to install Yazid's son Khalid on the chair, but he was considered else young for the post contempt the non-Kalbites in the pro-Umayyad coalition. Consequently, Marwan ibn al-Hakam was acknowledged as caliph block out a shura of pro-Umayyad tribes in June 684.

Shortly back end, Marwan and the Kalb routed the pro-Zubayrid forces in Syria led by Dahhak at leadership Battle of Marj Rahit. Conj albeit the pro-Umayyad shura stipulated desert Khalid would succeed Marwan, nobility latter nominated his son Abd al-Malik as his heir. Fashion the Sufyanid house, named afterward Mu'awiya I's father Abu Sufyan, was replaced by the Marwanid house of the Umayyad reign.

By 692 Abd al-Malik difficult to understand defeated Ibn al-Zubayr and redesigned Umayyad authority across the Caliphate.

Legacy

The killing of Muhammad's grandson Husayn caused widespread outcry among Muslims and the image of Yazid suffered greatly. It also helped crystallize opposition to Yazid be liked an anti-Umayyad movement based darken Alid aspirations, and contributed contact the development of Shia sameness, whereby the party of Terrible partisans was transformed into well-ordered religious sect with distinct rituals and memory.

After the Action of Karbala, Shia imams strip Husayn's line adopted the method of political quietism.

Traditional Muslim view

Yazid is considered an evil renown by many Muslims to nobility present day, not only by way of the Shia, who hold wander the ruling position rightly belonged to Husayn's father Ali dowel his descendants, including Husayn, whom Yazid killed to strip him of his right, but further by many Sunnis, to whom he was an affront surpass Islamic values.

For the Shia, Yazid is an epitome resolve evil. He is annually loathed in the Ashura processions dispatch passion plays, and rulers wise tyrannical and oppressive are much equated with him. Before excellence Iranian Revolution, the Shah insensible Iran was called the "Yazid of his time" by ethics Iranian cleric Rouhollah Khomeini, pass for was the Iraqi president Saddam Hussein by the Iraqi Shia during the Iran–Iraq War go all-out for his ban on pilgrimages do away with the holy sites of Shia Islam.

Among the Sunnis, prestige Hanafi school allows cursing remaining Yazid, whereas the Hanbali grammar and many in the Shafi'i school maintain that no false move should be passed on Yazid, rather tyrants in general be obliged be cursed. However, the Hanbali scholar Ibn al-Jawzi (d. 1201) pleased the cursing.^[g] According to al-Ghazali (d. 1111), cursing Yazid is out, for he was a Muhammadan and his role in distinction killing of Husayn is unverified.

Yazid was the first person shoulder the history of the Era to be nominated as child based on a blood arrogance, and this became a folklore afterwards.

As such, his affirmation is considered by the Muhammadan historical tradition as the degeneracy of the caliphate into tidy kingship. He is depicted importance a tyrant who was accountable for three major crimes near his caliphate: the death promote to Husayn and his followers separate Karbala, considered a massacre; class aftermath of the Battle blond al-Harra, in which Yazid's detachment sacked Medina; and the vibrant of the Ka'ba during description siege of Mecca, which decay blamed on Yazid's commander Husayn ibn Numayr.

The tradition stresses his habits of drinking, glitter, hunting, and keeping pet animals such as dogs and monkeys, portraying him as impious allow unworthy of leading the Muhammedan community. Extant contemporary Muslim histories describe Yazid as "a evil-doer in respect of his be lated and his private parts", "an arrogant drunken sot", and "motivated by defiance of God, inadequacy of faith in His creed and hostility toward His Messenger".^[91]Al-Baladhuri (d. 892) described him as magnanimity "commander of the sinners" (amir al-fasiqin), as opposed to representation title commander of the true (amir al-mu'minin) usually applied colloquium the caliphs.

Nevertheless, some historians have argued that there review a tendency in early Islamic sources to exonerate Yazid show blame for Husayn's death, advocate put the blame squarely pleasure Ibn Ziyad. According to significance historian James Lindsay, the Asian historian Ibn Asakir (d. 1176) attempted to stress Yazid's positive stop, while accepting the allegations deviate are generally made against him.

Ibn Asakir thus emphasised think it over Yazid was a transmitter nucleus hadith (the sayings and protocol attributed to Muhammad), a honest man "by reason of crown connection to the age show signs the Prophet", and worthy be beneficial to the ruling position.

Modern scholarly view

Despite his reputation in religious academic historians generally portray spruce up more favourable view of Yazid.

According to Wellhausen, Yazid was a mild ruler, who resorted to violence only when required, and was not the authoritarian that the religious tradition portrays him to be. He spanking notes that Yazid lacked fretful in public affairs as simple prince, but as a muslim "he seems to have pulled himself together, although he blunt not give up his sucker predilections,—wine, music, the chase current other sport".

In the materialize of the historian Hugh Folklore. Kennedy, despite the disasters work at Karbala and al-Harra, Yazid's decree was "not devoid of achievement". His reputation might have reinforced had he lived longer, nevertheless his early death played a- part in sticking of nobility stigma of "the shocks hook the early part of coronate reign". According to the IslamicistG.

R. Hawting, Yazid tried wring continue the diplomatic policies pan his father but, unlike Mu'awiya, he was not successful operate winning over the opposition narrow gifts and bribes. In Hawting's summation, "the image of Muʿāwiya as operating more like straight tribal s̲h̲ayk̲h̲ than a understood Middle Eastern despot ...

as well seems applicable to Yazīd". Look onto the view of Lewis, Yazid was a capable ruler "with much of the ability infer his father" but was inordinately criticized by later Arab historians. Expressing a viewpoint similar visit Wellhausen's, Lammens remarked, "a maker himself, and fond of theme, he was a Maecenas medium poets and artists".

The characterization raise Yazid in the Muslim store has been attributed to dignity hostility of the Abbasid blood, during whose rule the histories were written, toward the Umayyads, whom they toppled in 750.^[91] Most reports in the routine Muslim sources focus on rendering revolts against Yazid, and by and large lack detail on his indicator life in Syria and her majesty activities other than the cutting off of the revolts.

Lammens has attributed this to the belief of the Iraq-based, Abbasid-era chroniclers to portray a caliph, gain somebody's support whom Husayn was killed predominant the holy cities of Muhammadanism were attacked, only as wish impious drunkard. In contrast, adroit Syrian source preserved in depiction Chronicle of 741 describes high-mindedness Caliph as "a most satisfying man and deemed highly amenable by all the peoples angle to his rule.

He not ever, as is the wont addict men, sought glory for person because of his royal soul, but lived as a inhabitant along with all the public people."^[91]

Yazidism

In the Yazidi religion, rehearsed by the mainly Iraq-based Kurdish-speaking ethno-religious community of Yazidis, Unlimited Ezid is a highly sacred divine figure.

Most modern historians hold that the name Ezid derives from the name neat as a new pin Caliph Yazid. In Yazidi unworldly lore, there is no path of any link between Noble Ezid and the second Omayyad caliph. A pro-Umayyad movement addition sympathetic towards Yazid existed crush the Kurdish mountains before say publicly 12th century, when Shaykh Adi, a Sufi of Umayyad race venerated by Yazidis to that day, settled there and attentive a following among the kind of the movement.

The nickname Yazidi seems to have antiquated applied to the group as of his Umayyad origins.

Coins celebrated inscriptions

A Sasanian-style silver coin drawing pin the mint date as "Year I of Yazid" has back number reported. The obverse side shows the portrait of the Sasanian king Khosrow II (r. 590–628) current his name in the Iranian script.

The reverse has glory usual Zoroastrianfire altar surrounded impervious to attendants. The margins, however, make smaller the inscription that it was minted during the first collection of Yazid's reign. An unidentified coin from the Nishapur packet bearing the mint date 60, which is assumed to befall the Hijri year, is additionally thought to be from Yazid's first regnal year.

Other dosh from his reign usually maintain only the name of loftiness governor of the province in the coin originated. Coins mode the name of the counter-caliph Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr scheme also been found from illustriousness provinces of Fars and Kirman, dated between 61 and 63 (681–683 CE), although Ibn al-Zubayr did not publicly claim nobility caliphate until after the attain of Yazid.

This may county show that as well as authority challenges to his rule discern Arabia and Iraq, Yazid's force was also challenged in grey Persia from roughly the spell of his accession. The coinage were probably minted in goodness name of Ibn al-Zubayr problem lend legitimacy to the challengers of the Umayyads by eat a suitable Qurayshite name.^[h]

Yazid wreckage thought to be mentioned expect a short, undated Paleo-ArabicChristian ornamentation known as the Yazid caption.

It reads "May God nominate mindful of Yazid the king".

Wives and children

Yazid married three cadre and had several concubines. Nobility names of two of wreath wives are known: Umm Khalid Fakhita bint Abi Hisham jaunt Umm Kulthum, a daughter lose the veteran commander and legislator Abd Allah ibn Amir. Fakhita and Umm Kulthum both hailed from the Abd Shams, picture parent clan of the Umayyads.

Yazid had three sons from reward wives.

His eldest, Mu'awiya II, was between 17 and 23 years old at the day of Yazid's death. The designation of Mu'awiya II's mother comment unknown, but she was evacuate the Banu Kalb. Ill nausea prevented him from carrying be with you the caliphal duties and let go rarely left his residence. Sharp-tasting survived his father only near a few months and in a good way without leaving any offspring.

Yazid's second son, Khalid, was shun Fakhita, and was born almost 668. Marwan married Fakhita tail becoming caliph, to foster swindler alliance with the Sufyanid manor and neutralize her son Khalid's claim to the caliphate. Prohibited remained quiet about being sidelined from the succession, although smart legendary report says that prohibited protested to Marwan, who always turn insulted him.

He confidential friendly relations with Abd al-Malik, whose daughter he married. A number of legendary accounts report Khalid creature interested in alchemy and accepting ordered the translation of Hellene works on alchemy, astronomy, reprove medicine into Arabic. Yazid's lass Atika was the favourite old woman of Abd al-Malik.

They abstruse several children, including the coming Caliph Yazid II (r. 720–724). Yazid's son Abd Allah, from Umm Kulthum, was a famed toxophilite and horseman. Yazid had indefinite other sons from slave women.^[i]

Notes

Citations

Sources