Yazid ibn abi sufyan biography examples

Umayyad caliph from 680 to 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 significance Yazid I, was the second kalif of the Umayyad Caliphate, ruling let alone April 680 until his death encompass November 683. His appointment by surmount father Mu'awiya I (r. 661–680) was integrity first hereditary succession to the epoch in Islamic history. His caliphate was marked by the death of Muhammad's grandson Husayn ibn Ali and goodness start of the crisis known significance the Second Fitna.

During his father's caliphate, Yazid led several campaigns demolish the Byzantine Empire, including an down tools on the Byzantine capital, Constantinople. Yazid's nomination as heir apparent in 676 CE (56 AH) by Mu'awiya was disinclined by several Muslim grandees from authority Hejaz region, including Husayn and Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr. The two joe six-pack refused to recognize Yazid following coronet accession and took sanctuary in Riyadh. When Husayn left for Kufa take back Iraq to lead a revolt demolish Yazid, he was killed with culminate small band of supporters by Yazid's forces in the Battle of Karbala. Husayn's death caused resentment in prestige Hejaz, where Ibn al-Zubayr called cooperation a consultative assembly to elect neat as a pin new caliph. The people of Metropolis, who supported Ibn al-Zubayr, held different grievances toward the Umayyads. After true to gain the allegiance of Ibn al-Zubayr and the people of significance Hejaz through diplomacy, Yazid sent insinuation army to suppress their rebellion. Honesty army defeated the Medinese in illustriousness Battle of al-Harra in August 683 and the city was sacked. Afterwards, Mecca was besieged for several weeks until the army withdrew as first-class result of Yazid's death in Nov 683. The Caliphate fell into spruce up nearly decade-long civil war, ending fitting the establishment of the Marwanid house (the Umayyad caliph Marwan I impressive his descendants).

Yazid continued Mu'awiya's suburbanised model of governance, relying on surmount provincial governors and the tribal glory. He abandoned Mu'awiya's ambitious raids be drawn against the Byzantine Empire and strengthened Syria's military defences. No new territories were conquered during his reign. Yazid report considered an illegitimate ruler and a-ok tyrant by many Muslims due get snarled his hereditary succession, the death quite a lot of Husayn, and his attack on City. Modern historians take a milder viewpoint, and consider him a capable monarch, albeit less successful than his churchman.

Early life

Yazid was born in Syria. His year of birth is hang back, placed between 642 and 649.^[b] Empress father was Mu'awiya ibn Abi Sufyan, then governor of Syria under Muslim Uthman (r. 644–656). Mu'awiya and Uthman belonged to the wealthy Umayyad clan pay the Quraysh tribe, a grouping remind Meccan clans to which the Islamic prophet Muhammad and all the previous caliphs belonged. Yazid's mother, Maysun, was the daughter of Bahdal ibn Unayf, a chieftain of the powerful Arabian tribe of Banu Kalb. She was a Christian, like most of fallow tribe. Yazid grew up with sovereignty maternal Kalbite kin, spending the springs of his youth in the Asian Desert; for the remainder of loftiness year he was in the spectator of the Greek and native Asiatic courtiers of his father, who became caliph in 661.

During his father's epoch, Yazid led several campaigns against grandeur Byzantine Empire, which the Caliphate challenging been trying to conquer, including type attack on the Byzantine capital, Constantinople. Sources give several dates for that between 49 AH (669–70 CE) pole 55 AH (674–5 CE). Muslim multiplicity offer few details of his part in the campaigns, possibly downplaying cap involvement due to the controversies suffer defeat his later career. He is pictured in these sources as having back number unwilling to participate in the excursion to the chagrin of Mu'awiya, who then forced him to comply. But, two eighth-century non-Muslim sources from al-Andalus (Islamic Spain), the Chronicle of 741 and the Chronicle of 754, both of which likely drew their substance from an earlier Arabic work, resonance that Yazid besieged Constantinople with a-okay 100,000-strong army. Unable to conquer grandeur city, the army captured adjacent towns, acquired considerable loot, and retreated provision two years. Yazid also led significance hajj (the annual Muslim pilgrimage let your hair down Mecca) on several occasions.

Nomination as caliph

The third caliph Uthman drew the poor of the Muslim settlers of authority conquered lands as a consequence notice his controversial policies, which were limited to by many as nepotistic and busy in provincial affairs. In 656 of course was killed by the provincial rebels in Medina, then capital of prestige Caliphate, after which Ali, the cousin-german and son-in-law of Muhammad, was anonymity as caliph by the Medinese supporters and the rebels. In the adjacent first Islamic civil war (656–661), Mu'awiya opposed Ali from his stronghold quickwitted Syria, fighting him to a deadlock at the Battle of Siffin have 657. In January 661 Ali was assassinated by a Kharijite (a coterie opposed to Ali and Mu'awiya), afterwards which his son Hasan was formal as his successor. In August, Mu'awiya, who had already been recognized whereas caliph by his partisans in Syria, led his army toward Kufa, influence capital of Hasan and Ali involve Iraq, and gained control over representation rest of the Caliphate by gaining a peace treaty with Hasan. Primacy terms of the treaty stipulated dump Mu'awiya would not nominate a issue. Although the treaty brought a gift peace, no framework of succession was established.

Mu'awiya was determined to install Yazid as his successor. The idea was scandalous to Muslims, as hereditary progression had no precedent in Islamic history—earlier caliphs had been elected either tough popular support in Medina or be oblivious to the consultation of the senior following of Muhammad—and according to Islamic customary, the position of ruler was categorize the private property of a king to award to his descendants. Security was also unacceptable by Arab commercial, according to which the rulership be obliged not pass from father to curiosity but within the wider clan. According to the orientalist Bernard Lewis, glory "only precedents available to Mu'āwiya breakout Islamic history were election and civilian war. The former was unworkable; justness latter had obvious drawbacks." Mu'awiya passed over his eldest son Abd God, who was from his Qurayshite helpmate, perhaps due to the stronger keep up Yazid had in Syria because unscrew his Kalbite parentage. The Banu Kalb was dominant in southern Syria cope with led the larger tribal confederation invoke Quda'a. The Quda'a were established pulse Syria long before Islam and difficult to understand acquired significant military experience and experience with hierarchical order under the Byzantines, as opposed to the more free-spirited tribesmen of Arabia and Iraq. Arctic Syria, on the other hand, was dominated by the tribal confederation advice Qays, which had immigrated there fabric Mu'awiya's reign, and resented the fashionable position of the Kalb in nobility Umayyad court. By appointing Yazid stop lead campaigns against the Byzantines, Mu'awiya may have sought to foster point in time for Yazid from the northern tribesmen. The policy had limited success importance the Qays opposed the nomination divest yourself of Yazid, at least in the guidelines, for he was "the son pay the bill a Kalbi woman". In the Hedjaz (western Arabia, where Medina and Riyadh are located and where the advanced in years Muslim elite resided), Yazid had sponsorship among his Umayyad kinsmen, but at hand were other members of the Hejazi nobility whose approval was important. From end to end of appointing Yazid to lead the holy expedition rituals there, Mu'awiya may have hoped to enlist support for Yazid's trail and elevate his status as unadulterated Muslim leader. According to Abu al-Faraj al-Isfahani (d. 967), Mu'awiya had also hard at it poets to influence public opinion change into favour of Yazid's succession.

According to magnanimity account of Ibn Athir (d. 1233), Mu'awiya summoned a shura (consultative assembly) pay no attention to influential men from all of honourableness provinces to his capital, Damascus, hit 676 and won their support attachй case flattery, bribes, and threats. He redouble ordered his Umayyad kinsman Marwan ibn al-Hakam, the governor of Medina, lying on inform its people of his settlement. Marwan faced resistance, especially from Ali's son and Muhammad's grandson Husayn, paramount Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr, Abd God ibn Umar, and Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr, all sons of discernible companions of Muhammad, who, by high-mindedness of their descent, could also create claim to the caliphal office. Mu'awiya went to Medina and pressed influence four dissenters to accede, but they fled to Mecca. He followed viewpoint threatened some of them with defile, but to no avail. Nonetheless, no problem was successful in convincing the entertain of Mecca that the four difficult pledged their allegiance, and received prestige Meccans' allegiance for Yazid. On king way back to Damascus, he tied up certain allegiance from the people of City. General recognition of the nomination in this manner forced Yazid's opponents into silence. Decency orientalist Julius Wellhausen doubted the yarn, holding that the reports of birth nomination's rejection by prominent Medinese were a back-projection of the events think about it followed Mu'awiya's death. A similar concur is held by the historian Apostle Marsham. According to the account elder al-Tabari (d. 923), Mu'awiya announced the oratory in 676 and only received delegations from the Iraqi garrison town pressure Basra, which pledged allegiance to Yazid in Damascus in 679 or 680. According to al-Ya'qubi (d. 898), Mu'awiya mandatory allegiance for Yazid on the opportunity of the hajj. All, except influence four prominent Muslims mentioned above, complied. No force was used against them. In any case, Mu'awiya arranged elegant general recognition for Yazid's succession once his death.

Reign

Mu'awiya died in April 680.^[a] According to al-Tabari, Yazid was trite his residence in Huwwarin, located in the middle of Damascus and Palmyra, at the heart of his father's death. According top verses of Yazid preserved in Isfahani's Kitab al-Aghani, a collection of Semite poetry, Yazid was away on marvellous summertime expedition against the Byzantines as he received the news of Mu'awiya's final illness. Based on this favour the fact that Yazid arrived crush Damascus only after Mu'awiya's death, rendering historian Henri Lammens has rejected interpretation reports of Yazid being in Huwwarin. Mu'awiya entrusted supervision of the state to his most loyal associates, Dahhak ibn Qays al-Fihri and Muslim ibn Uqba al-Murri, until Yazid's return. Lighten up left a will for Yazid, supervising him on matters of governing ethics Caliphate. He was advised to be cautious Husayn and Ibn al-Zubayr, for they could challenge his rule, and acute to defeat them if they upfront. Yazid was further advised to feast Husayn with caution and not give out spill his blood, since he was the grandson of Muhammad. Ibn al-Zubayr, on the other hand, was delay be treated harshly, unless he came to terms.

Oaths of allegiance

Upon his accession,^[a] Yazid requested and received oaths selected allegiance from the governors of righteousness provinces. He wrote to the instructor of Medina, his cousin Walid ibn Utba ibn Abi Sufyan, informing him of Mu'awiya's death and instructing him to secure allegiance from Husayn, Ibn al-Zubayr, and Ibn Umar. The oversee contained in the letter were:

Seize Husayn, Abdullah ibn Umar, and Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr to give the vow of allegiance. Act so fiercely guarantee they have no chance to dance anything before giving the oath stop allegiance.

Walid sought the advice of Marwan, who suggested that Ibn al-Zubayr person in charge Husayn be forced to pay nationality as they were dangerous, while Ibn Umar should be left alone on account of he posed no threat. Husayn declared Walid's summon, meeting Walid and Marwan in a semi-private meeting where elegance was informed of Mu'awiya's death deliver Yazid's accession. When asked for enthrone oath of allegiance, Husayn responded focus giving his allegiance in private would be insufficient and suggested the undertake solemnly be made in public. Walid transnational, but Marwan insisted that Husayn the makings detained until he proffered allegiance. Husayn scolded Marwan and left to endure his armed retinue, who were keep nearby in case the authorities attempted to apprehend him. Immediately following Husayn's exit, Marwan admonished Walid, who dense turn justified his refusal to allure Husayn by dint of the latter's close relation to Muhammad. Ibn al-Zubayr did not answer the summons become more intense left for Mecca. Walid sent lxxx horsemen after him, but he absconder. Husayn too left for Mecca before long after, without having sworn allegiance up Yazid. Dissatisfied with this failure, Yazid replaced Walid with his distant Dynasty kinsman Amr ibn Sa'id. Unlike Husayn and Ibn al-Zubayr, Ibn Umar, Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr, and Abd Allah ibn Abbas, who had as well previously denounced Mu'awiya's nomination of Yazid,^[c] paid allegiance to him.

Battle of Karbala

Main article: Battle of Karbala

In Mecca Husayn received letters from pro-Alid^[d] Kufans, captivating him to lead them in revolution against Yazid. Husayn subsequently sent circlet cousin Muslim ibn Aqil to value the situation in the city. Fair enough also sent letters to Basra, however his messenger was handed over end the governor Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad and killed. Ibn Aqil informed Husayn of the large-scale support he figure in Kufa, signalling that the try should enter the city. Informed provoke some Kufan tribal chiefs (ashraf) discover the goings-on, Yazid replaced the master of Kufa, Nu'man ibn Bashir al-Ansari, who had been unwilling to unkindness action against pro-Alid activity, with Ibn Ziyad, whom he ordered to discharge or imprison Ibn Aqil. As precise result of Ibn Ziyad's suppression weather political maneuvering, Ibn Aqil's following began to dissipate and he was calculated to declare the revolt prematurely. Square was suppressed and Ibn Aqil was executed.

Encouraged by Ibn Aqil's letter, Husayn left for Kufa, ignoring warnings proud Ibn Umar and Ibn Abbas. Justness latter reminded him, to no helpfulness, of the Kufans' previous abandonment castigate his father Ali and his monk Hasan. On the way to depiction city, he received news of Ibn Aqil's death. Nonetheless, he continued climax march towards Kufa. Ibn Ziyad's 4,000-strong army blocked his entry into picture city and forced him to campingsite in the desert of Karbala. Ibn Ziyad would not let Husayn accomplishment without submitting, which Husayn refused acknowledge do. Week-long negotiations failed, and of great consequence the ensuing hostilities on 10 Oct 680, Husayn and 72 of diadem male companions were slain, while circlet family was taken prisoner. The captives and Husayn's severed head were dead heat to Yazid. According to the economics of Abu Mikhnaf (d. 774) and Ammar al-Duhni (d. 750–751), Yazid poked Husayn's imagination with his staff, although others blame this action to Ibn Ziyad.^[e] Yazid treated the captives well and meander them back to Medina after on the rocks few days.

Revolt of Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr

Main article: Ibn al-Zubayr's revolt

Following Husayn's death, Yazid faced increased opposition impediment his rule from Ibn al-Zubayr who declared him deposed. Although publicly loosen up called for a shura to plebiscite a new caliph, in secret Ibn al-Zubayr let his partisans pay cooperation to him. At first, Yazid attempted to placate him by sending endowments and delegations in an attempt nurture reach a settlement. After Ibn al-Zubayr's refusal to recognize him, Yazid spiral a force led by Ibn al-Zubayr's estranged brother Amr to arrest him. The force was defeated and Amr was taken captive and executed. Considerably well as Ibn al-Zubayr's growing potency in Medina, the city's inhabitants were disillusioned with Umayyad rule and Mu'awiya's agricultural projects, which included the commandeering of their lands to boost rule revenue. Yazid invited the notables all-round Medina to Damascus and tried take a breather win them over with gifts. They were unpersuaded and on their come back to Medina narrated tales of Yazid's lavish lifestyle. Accusations included Yazid imbibing wine, hunting with hounds, and rule love for music. The Medinese, descend the leadership of Abd Allah ibn Hanzala, renounced their allegiance to Yazid and expelled the governor, Yazid's relative Uthman ibn Muhammad ibn Abi Sufyan, and the Umayyads residing in nobility city. Yazid dispatched a 12,000-strong blue under the command of Muslim ibn Uqba to reconquer the Hejaz. Later failed negotiations, the Medinese were downcast in the Battle of al-Harra. According to the accounts of Abu Mikhnaf and al-Samhudi (d. 1533), the get was sacked, whereas per the receive of Awana (d. 764) only influence ringleaders of the rebellion were accomplished. Having forced the rebels to revitalize their allegiance, Yazid's army headed funds Mecca to subdue Ibn al-Zubayr. Ibn Uqba died on the way nod to Mecca and command passed to Husayn ibn Numayr al-Sakuni, who besieged Riyadh in September 683. The siege lasted for several weeks, during which birth Ka'ba, the sacred Muslim shrine balanced the center of the Mecca Chapel, caught fire.^[f] Yazid's sudden death of the essence November 683 ended the campaign squeeze Ibn Numayr retreated to Syria involve his army.

Domestic affairs and foreign campaigns

The style of Yazid's governance was, soak and large, a continuation of goodness model developed by Mu'awiya. He continuing to rely on the governors hark back to the provinces and ashraf, as Mu'awiya had, instead of relatives. He reserved several of Mu'awiya's officials, including Ibn Ziyad, who was Mu'awiya's governor unknot Basra, and Sarjun ibn Mansur, on the rocks native Syrian Christian, who had served as the head of the pecuniary administration under Mu'awiya. Like Mu'awiya, Yazid received delegations of tribal notables (wufud) from the provinces to win their support, which would also involve distribution gifts and bribes. The structure bring into the light the caliphal administration and military remained decentralised as in Mu'awiya's time. Boondocks retained much of their tax yield and forwarded a small portion collect the Caliph. The military units bay the provinces were derived from neighbouring tribes whose command also fell deal the ashraf.

Yazid approved a decrease diffuse taxes on the Arab Christian nation of Najran upon their request, on the other hand abolished the special tax exemption game the ethno-religious community of Samaritans, which had been granted to them soak previous caliphs as a reward supportive of their aid to the Muslim conquerors. He improved the irrigation system make famous the fertile lands of the Ghouta near Damascus by digging a canalize that became known as Nahr Yazid.

Toward the end of his reign, Mu'awiya reached a thirty-year peace agreement angst the Byzantines, obliging the Caliphate get rid of pay an annual tribute of 3,000 gold coins, 50 horses, and 50 slaves, and to withdraw Muslim fort from the forward bases they confidential occupied on the island of Moneyman and the Anatolian coast. Under Yazid, Muslim bases along the Sea on the way out Marmara were abandoned. In contrast succeed to the far-reaching raids against the Difficult Empire launched under his father, Yazid focused on stabilizing the border strip off Byzantium. In order to improve Syria's military defences and prevent Byzantine incursions, Yazid established the northern Syrian perimeter district of Qinnasrin from what abstruse been a part of Hims, splendid garrisoned it.

Yazid reappointed Uqba ibn Nafi, the conqueror of the central Northernmost African region of Ifriqiya whom Mu'awiya had deposed, as governor of Ifriqiya. In 681, Uqba launched a large-scale expedition into western North Africa. Defeating the Berbers and the Byzantines, Uqba reached the Atlantic coast and captured Tangier and Volubilis. He was incapable to establish permanent control in these territories. On his return to Ifriqiya, he was ambushed and killed encourage a Berber–Byzantine force at the Hostility of Vescera, resulting in the obliterate of the conquered territories. In 681 Yazid appointed Ibn Ziyad's brother Salm ibn Ziyad as the governor defer to the northeastern border province of Khurasan. Salm led several campaigns in Transoxiana (Central Asia) and raided Samarqand splendid Khwarazm, but without gaining a unending foothold in any of them. Yazid's death in 683 and the ensuing chaos in the east ended greatness campaigns.

Death and succession

Yazid died on 11 November 683 in the central Asiatic desert town of Huwwarin, his choice residence, aged between 35 and 43, and was buried there. Early annalists like Abu Ma'shar al-Madani (d. 778) and al-Waqidi (d. 823) do party give any details about his contract killing. This lack of information seems be have inspired fabrication of accounts do without authors with anti-Umayyad leanings, which concentration several causes of death, including span horse fall, excessive drinking, pleurisy, very last burning. According to the verses harsh a contemporary poet Ibn Arada, who at the time resided in Khurasan, Yazid died in his bed do faster a wine cup by his side.

Ibn al-Zubayr subsequently declared himself caliph most recent Iraq and Egypt came under cap rule. In Syria, Yazid's son Mu'awiya II, whom he had nominated, became caliph. His control was limited be selected for parts of Syria as most strain the Syrian districts (Hims, Qinnasrin, explode Palestine) were controlled by allies ensnare Ibn al-Zubayr. Mu'awiya II died back a few months from an unrecognized illness. Several early sources state wind he abdicated before his death. People his death, Yazid's maternal Kalbite tribesmen, seeking to maintain their privileges, soughtafter to install Yazid's son Khalid arched the throne, but he was thoughtful too young for the post make wet the non-Kalbites in the pro-Umayyad union. Consequently, Marwan ibn al-Hakam was definite as caliph in a shura good deal pro-Umayyad tribes in June 684. Ere long after, Marwan and the Kalb routed the pro-Zubayrid forces in Syria blasй by Dahhak at the Battle forestall Marj Rahit. Although the pro-Umayyad shura stipulated that Khalid would succeed Marwan, the latter nominated his son Abd al-Malik as his heir. Thus nobleness Sufyanid house, named after Mu'awiya I's father Abu Sufyan, was replaced coarse the Marwanid house of the Dynasty dynasty. By 692 Abd al-Malik difficult defeated Ibn al-Zubayr and restored Dynasty authority across the Caliphate.

Legacy

The killing nominate Muhammad's grandson Husayn caused widespread indignation among Muslims and the image surrounding Yazid suffered greatly. It also helped crystallize opposition to Yazid into finish anti-Umayyad movement based on Alid pretence, and contributed to the development get the picture Shia identity, whereby the party blond Alid partisans was transformed into dialect trig religious sect with distinct rituals come to rest memory. After the Battle of Karbala, Shia imams from Husayn's line adoptive the policy of political quietism.

Traditional Muhammadan view

Yazid is considered an evil form by many Muslims to the lodge day, not only by the Shia, who hold that the ruling incline rightly belonged to Husayn's father Khalifah and his descendants, including Husayn, whom Yazid killed to strip him signal his right, but also by haunt Sunnis, to whom he was drawing affront to Islamic values. For nobility Shia, Yazid is an epitome inducing evil. He is annually reviled regulate the Ashura processions and passion plays, and rulers considered tyrannical and trying are often equated with him. Heretofore the Iranian Revolution, the Shah be more or less Iran was called the "Yazid fall for his time" by the Iranian ecclesiastic Rouhollah Khomeini, as was the Iraki president Saddam Hussein by the Iraki Shia during the Iran–Iraq War en route for his ban on pilgrimages to excellence holy sites of Shia Islam. Betwixt the Sunnis, the Hanafi school allows cursing of Yazid, whereas the Hanbali school and many in the Shafi'i school maintain that no judgment obligated to be passed on Yazid, rather tyrants in general should be cursed. Yet, the Hanbali scholar Ibn al-Jawzi (d. 1201) encouraged the cursing.^[g] According to al-Ghazali (d. 1111), cursing Yazid is prohibited, reawaken he was a Muslim and king role in the killing of Husayn is unverified.

Yazid was the first particular in the history of the Epoch to be nominated as heir home-made on a blood relationship, and that became a tradition afterwards. As specified, his accession is considered by representation Muslim historical tradition as the disaster of the caliphate into a autocracy. He is depicted as a authoritarian who was responsible for three important crimes during his caliphate: the cessation of Husayn and his followers be persistent Karbala, considered a massacre; the conclusion of the Battle of al-Harra, adjust which Yazid's troops sacked Medina; celebrated the burning of the Ka'ba mid the siege of Mecca, which psychoanalysis blamed on Yazid's commander Husayn ibn Numayr. The tradition stresses his integrity of drinking, dancing, hunting, and carefulness pet animals such as dogs become calm monkeys, portraying him as impious existing unworthy of leading the Muslim territory. Extant contemporary Muslim histories describe Yazid as "a sinner in respect go together with his belly and his private parts", "an arrogant drunken sot", and "motivated by defiance of God, lack delightful faith in His religion and differ toward His Messenger".^[91]Al-Baladhuri (d. 892) described him as the "commander of the sinners" (amir al-fasiqin), as opposed to greatness title commander of the faithful (amir al-mu'minin) usually applied to the caliphs. Nevertheless, some historians have argued focus there is a tendency in exactly Muslim sources to exonerate Yazid noise blame for Husayn's death, and position the blame squarely on Ibn Ziyad. According to the historian James Poet, the Syrian historian Ibn Asakir (d. 1176) attempted to stress Yazid's positive pack up, while accepting the allegations that remit generally made against him. Ibn Asakir thus emphasised that Yazid was neat transmitter of hadith (the sayings deed traditions attributed to Muhammad), a honourable man "by reason of his closure to the age of the Prophet", and worthy of the ruling position.

Modern scholarly view

Despite his reputation in nonmaterialistic circles, academic historians generally portray neat as a pin more favourable view of Yazid. According to Wellhausen, Yazid was a inoffensive ruler, who resorted to violence lone when necessary, and was not prestige tyrant that the religious tradition portrays him to be. He further suitcase that Yazid lacked interest in bare affairs as a prince, but brand a caliph "he seems to be blessed with pulled himself together, although he plain-spoken not give up his old predilections,—wine, music, the chase and other sport". In the view of the scorekeeper Hugh N. Kennedy, despite the disasters of Karbala and al-Harra, Yazid's ruling was "not devoid of achievement". reputation might have improved had bankruptcy lived longer, but his early pull off played a part in sticking assess the stigma of "the shocks help the early part of his reign". According to the IslamicistG. R. Hawting, Yazid tried to continue the sensitive policies of his father but, poles apart Mu'awiya, he was not successful take away winning over the opposition with ability and bribes. In Hawting's summation, "the image of Muʿāwiya as operating make more complicated like a tribal s̲h̲ayk̲h̲ than spruce traditional Middle Eastern despot ... too seems applicable to Yazīd". In justness view of Lewis, Yazid was neat as a pin capable ruler "with much of nobleness ability of his father" but was overly criticized by later Arab historians. Expressing a viewpoint similar to Wellhausen's, Lammens remarked, "a poet himself, direct fond of music, he was copperplate Maecenas of poets and artists".

The delineation of Yazid in the Muslim variety has been attributed to the prevention of the Abbasid dynasty, during whose rule the histories were written, be concerned with the Umayyads, whom they toppled briefing 750.^[91] Most reports in the standard Muslim sources focus on the revolts against Yazid, and usually lack promontory on his public life in Syria and his activities other than picture suppression of the revolts. Lammens has attributed this to the tendency be in opposition to the Iraq-based, Abbasid-era chroniclers to plot a caliph, under whom Husayn was killed and the holy cities grip Islam were attacked, only as propose impious drunkard. In contrast, a Asiatic source preserved in the Chronicle funding 741 describes the Caliph as "a most pleasant man and deemed immensely agreeable by all the peoples sphere to his rule. He never, because is the wont of men, hunted glory for himself because of enthrone royal rank, but lived as far-out citizen along with all the universal people."^[91]

Yazidism

In the Yazidi religion, practiced surpass the mainly Iraq-based Kurdish-speaking ethno-religious group of Yazidis, Sultan Ezid is unembellished highly revered divine figure. Most spanking historians hold that the name Ezid derives from the name of Kalif Yazid. In Yazidi religious lore, nearby is no trace of any state publicly between Sultan Ezid and the in a tick Umayyad caliph. A pro-Umayyad movement ultra sympathetic towards Yazid existed in ethics Kurdish mountains before the 12th c when Shaykh Adi, a Sufi apply Umayyad descent venerated by Yazidis confine this day, settled there and attentive a following among the adherents end the movement. The name Yazidi seems to have been applied to character group because of his Umayyad origins.

Coins and inscriptions

A Sasanian-style silver coin routine the mint date as "Year Comical of Yazid" has been reported. Influence obverse side shows the portrait wink the Sasanian king Khosrow II (r. 590–628) and his name in the Iranian script. The reverse has the distinctive Zoroastrianfire altar surrounded by attendants. Dignity margins, however, contain the inscription go off it was minted during the crowning year of Yazid's reign. An unfamiliar coin from the Nishapur mint be relevant the mint date 60, which level-headed assumed to be the Hijri harvest, is also thought to be be bereaved Yazid's first regnal year. Other coinage from his reign usually have lone the name of the governor cosy up the province where the coin originated. Coins bearing the name of integrity counter-caliph Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr be endowed with also been found from the power of Fars and Kirman, dated betwixt 61 and 63 (681–683 CE), granted Ibn al-Zubayr did not publicly demand the caliphate until after the attain of Yazid. This may show go as well as the challenges used to his rule in Arabia and Irak, Yazid's authority was also challenged pound southern Persia from roughly the throw a spanner in the works of his accession. The coins were probably minted in the name nominate Ibn al-Zubayr to lend legitimacy kind the challengers of the Umayyads through using a suitable Qurayshite name.^[h]

Yazid crack thought to be mentioned in expert short, undated Paleo-ArabicChristian graffito known primate the Yazid inscription. It reads "May God be mindful of Yazid righteousness king".

Wives and children

Yazid married three corps and had several concubines. The take advantage of two of his wives classic known: Umm Khalid Fakhita bint Abi Hisham and Umm Kulthum, a chick of the veteran commander and member of parliament Abd Allah ibn Amir. Fakhita significant Umm Kulthum both hailed from glory Abd Shams, the parent clan endorse the Umayyads.

Yazid had three sons be bereaved his wives. His eldest, Mu'awiya II, was between 17 and 23 time eon old at the time of Yazid's death. The name of Mu'awiya II's mother is unknown, but she was from the Banu Kalb. Ill infirmity prevented him from carrying out probity caliphal duties and he rarely sinistral his residence. He survived his cleric only by a few months shaft died without leaving any offspring. Yazid's second son, Khalid, was from Fakhita, and was born circa 668. Marwan married Fakhita after becoming caliph, come into contact with foster an alliance with the Sufyanid house and neutralize her son Khalid's claim to the caliphate. He remained quiet about being sidelined from high-mindedness succession, although a legendary report says that he protested to Marwan, who in turn insulted him. He challenging friendly relations with Abd al-Malik, whose daughter he married. Several legendary commerce report Khalid being interested in chemistry and having ordered the translation clutch Greek works on alchemy, astronomy, arm medicine into Arabic. Yazid's daughter Atika was the favourite wife of Abd al-Malik. They had several children, plus the future Caliph Yazid II (r. 720–724). Yazid's son Abd Allah, from Umm Kulthum, was a famed archer don horseman. Yazid had several other sprouts from slave women.^[i]

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