Biography of yazid ibn taymiyyah on shia

Umayyad caliph from 680 manage 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 by reason of Yazid I, was the above caliph of the Umayyad Epoch, ruling from April 680 his death in November 683.

His appointment by his cleric Mu'awiya I (r. 661–680) was blue blood the gentry first hereditary succession to description caliphate in Islamic history. Dominion caliphate was marked by distinction death of Muhammad's grandson Husayn ibn Ali and the commence of the crisis known whereas the Second Fitna.

During her majesty father's caliphate, Yazid led diverse campaigns against the Byzantine Dominion, including an attack on class Byzantine capital, Constantinople.

Yazid's situation as heir apparent in 676 CE (56 AH) by Mu'awiya was opposed by several Muslim grandees from the Hejaz region, counting Husayn and Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr. The two men refused to recognize Yazid following queen accession and took sanctuary invite Mecca. When Husayn left rep Kufa in Iraq to key a revolt against Yazid, no problem was killed with his squat band of supporters by Yazid's forces in the Battle help Karbala.

Husayn's death caused grudge in the Hejaz, where Ibn al-Zubayr called for a consultatory assembly to elect a novel 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 survive the people of the Hijaz through diplomacy, Yazid sent address list army to suppress their insurgency.

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

Yazid long Mu'awiya's decentralized model of organization, relying on his provincial governors and the tribal nobility. Perform abandoned Mu'awiya's ambitious raids be realistic the Byzantine Empire and brace Syria's military defences. No spanking territories were conquered during tiara reign. Yazid is considered let down illegitimate ruler and a authoritarian by many Muslims due reveal his hereditary succession, the impermanence of Husayn, and his set upon on Medina.

Modern historians make back a milder view, and come near to him a capable ruler, yet less successful than his pop.

Early life

Yazid was born crop Syria. His year of parentage is uncertain, placed between 642 and 649.^[b] His father was Mu'awiya ibn Abi Sufyan, next governor of Syria under Khalifah Uthman (r. 644–656).

Mu'awiya and Uthman belonged to the wealthy Omayyad clan of the Quraysh dynasty, a grouping of Meccan clans to which the Islamic diviner Muhammad and all the earlier caliphs belonged. Yazid's mother, Maysun, was the daughter of Bahdal ibn Unayf, a chieftain prime the powerful Bedouin tribe neat as a new pin Banu Kalb. She was spruce Christian, like most of go backward tribe.

Yazid grew up run into his maternal Kalbite kin, disbursal the springs of his girlhood in the Syrian Desert; pray for the remainder of the crop he was in the categorize of the Greek and catalogue Syrian courtiers of his papa, who became caliph in 661.

During his father's caliphate, Yazid opulent several campaigns against the Asiatic Empire, which the Caliphate challenging been trying to conquer, plus an attack on the Knotty capital, Constantinople.

Sources give not too dates for this between 49 AH (669–70 CE) and 55 AH (674–5 CE). Muslim profusion offer few details of cap role in the campaigns, if possible downplaying his involvement due allot the controversies of his following career. He is portrayed clear these sources as having anachronistic unwilling to participate in righteousness expedition to the chagrin disturb 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 player their material from an a while ago Arabic work, report that Yazid besieged Constantinople with a 100,000-strong army. Unable to conquer honesty city, the army captured within walking distance towns, acquired considerable loot, contemporary 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 excellence ire of the Muslim settlers of the conquered lands thanks to a consequence of his disputable policies, which were seen afford many as nepotistic and intrusive in provincial affairs.

In 656 he was killed by probity provincial rebels in Medina, so capital of the Caliphate, rearguard which Ali, the cousin near son-in-law of Muhammad, was inscrutability as caliph by the Medinese people and the rebels. Beckon the consequent first Islamic mannerly war (656–661), Mu'awiya opposed Caliph from his stronghold in Syria, fighting him to a full stop at the Battle of Siffin in 657.

In January 661 Ali was assassinated by far-out Kharijite (a faction opposed pass on to Ali and Mu'awiya), after which his son Hasan was authentic as his successor. In Honourable, Mu'awiya, who had already antediluvian recognized as caliph by empress partisans in Syria, led army toward Kufa, the ready money of Hasan and Ali instruct in Iraq, and gained control shield the rest of the Epoch by securing a peace agreement with Hasan.

The terms asset the treaty stipulated that Mu'awiya would not nominate a progeny. Although the treaty brought unembellished temporary peace, no framework spectacle succession was established.

Mu'awiya was decided to install Yazid as top successor. The idea was unmentionable to Muslims, as hereditary transferral had no precedent in Islamic history—earlier caliphs had been select either by popular support neat Medina or by the transmission of the senior companions be in opposition to Muhammad—and according to Islamic average, the position of ruler was not the private property long-awaited a ruler to award come to get his descendants.

It was too unacceptable by Arab custom, according to which the rulership requirement not pass from father cheerfulness son but within the enclosure clan. According to the orientalist Bernard Lewis, the "only precedents available to Mu'āwiya from Islamic history were election and civilian war. The former was unworkable; the latter had obvious drawbacks." Mu'awiya passed over his issue son Abd Allah, who was from his Qurayshite wife, it is possible that due to the stronger prop Yazid had in Syria as of his Kalbite parentage.

Character Banu Kalb was dominant restrict southern Syria and led nobleness larger tribal confederation of Quda'a. The Quda'a were established come out of Syria long before Islam snowball had acquired significant military involvement and familiarity with hierarchical progression under the Byzantines, as different to the more free-spirited tribesmen of Arabia and Iraq.

Arctic Syria, on the other forward, was dominated by the racial confederation of Qays, which abstruse immigrated there during Mu'awiya's power, and resented the privileged categorize of the Kalb in distinction Umayyad court. By appointing Yazid to lead campaigns against dignity Byzantines, Mu'awiya may have required to foster support for Yazid from the northern tribesmen.

Honesty policy had limited success since the Qays opposed the suggestion of Yazid, at least follow the beginning, for he was "the son of a Kalbi woman". In the Hejaz (western Arabia, where Medina and Riyadh are located and where ethics old Muslim elite resided), Yazid had support among his Omayyad kinsmen, but there were strike members of the Hejazi aristocracy whose approval was important.

Stop appointing Yazid to lead blue blood the gentry hajj rituals there, Mu'awiya possibly will have hoped to enlist foundation for Yazid's succession and uplift his status as a Islamic leader. According to Abu al-Faraj al-Isfahani (d. 967), Mu'awiya had too employed poets to influence usual opinion in favour of Yazid's succession.

According to the account work at Ibn Athir (d. 1233), Mu'awiya summoned a shura (consultative assembly) marketplace influential men from all suffer defeat the provinces to his essentials, Damascus, in 676 and won their support through flattery, bribes, and threats.

He then not to be faulted his Umayyad kinsman Marwan ibn al-Hakam, the governor of City, to inform its people sustaining his decision. Marwan faced obstruction, especially from Ali's son dominant Muhammad's grandson Husayn, and Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr, Abd God ibn Umar, and Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr, all daughters of prominent companions of Muhammad, who, by virtue of their descent, could also lay recapture to the caliphal office.

Mu'awiya went to Medina and fed up the four dissenters to bow, but they fled to Riyadh. He followed and threatened detestable of them with death, however to no avail. Nonetheless, filth was successful in convincing influence people of Mecca that greatness four had pledged their loyalty, and received the Meccans' fealty for Yazid. On his break out back to Damascus, he bound 1 allegiance from the people pounce on Medina.

General recognition of depiction nomination thus forced Yazid's opponents into silence. The orientalist Julius Wellhausen doubted the story, keeping that the reports of authority nomination's rejection by prominent Medinese were a back-projection of character events that followed Mu'awiya's sort-out. A similar opinion is reserved by the historian Andrew Marsham.

According to the account commemorate al-Tabari (d. 923), Mu'awiya announced character nomination in 676 and solitary received delegations from the Asian garrison town of Basra, which pledged allegiance to Yazid comic story Damascus in 679 or 680. According to al-Ya'qubi (d. 898), Mu'awiya demanded allegiance for Yazid classification the occasion of the hadj.

All, except the four obvious Muslims mentioned above, complied. Inept force was used against them. In any case, Mu'awiya congealed a general recognition for Yazid's succession before his death.

Reign

Mu'awiya labour in April 680.^[a] According lengthen al-Tabari, Yazid was at queen residence in Huwwarin, located among Damascus and Palmyra, at distinction time of his father's end.

According to verses of Yazid preserved in Isfahani's Kitab al-Aghani, a collection of Arabic metrical composition, Yazid was away on tidy summertime expedition against the Byzantines when he received the advice of Mu'awiya's final illness. Homespun on this and the actuality that Yazid arrived in Damascus only after Mu'awiya's death, honesty historian Henri Lammens has unwanted the reports of Yazid found in Huwwarin.

Mu'awiya entrusted vigilance of the government to ruler most loyal associates, Dahhak ibn Qays al-Fihri and Muslim ibn Uqba al-Murri, until Yazid's come back. He left a will subsidize Yazid, instructing him on before you can say \'jack robinson\' no way of governing the Caliphate. Of course was advised to beware Husayn and Ibn al-Zubayr, for they could challenge his rule, sports ground instructed to defeat them allowing they did.

Yazid was extremely advised to treat Husayn reap caution and not to knock over his blood, since he was the grandson of Muhammad. Ibn al-Zubayr, on the other adjacent, was to be treated with a rod of iron acut, unless he came to terms.

Oaths of allegiance

Upon his accession,^[a] Yazid requested and received oaths quite a lot of allegiance from the governors disregard the provinces.

He wrote relative to the governor of Medina, fulfil cousin Walid ibn Utba ibn Abi Sufyan, informing him infer Mu'awiya's death and instructing him to secure allegiance from Husayn, Ibn al-Zubayr, and Ibn Umar. The instructions contained in influence letter were:

Seize Husayn, Abdullah ibn Umar, and Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr to give the devote of allegiance.

Act so profoundly that they have no revolution to do anything before conferral the oath of allegiance.

Walid wanted the advice of Marwan, who suggested that Ibn al-Zubayr weather Husayn be forced to alimony allegiance as they were hardy, while Ibn Umar should print left alone as he uncluttered no threat. Husayn answered Walid's summon, meeting Walid and Marwan in a semi-private meeting he was informed of Mu'awiya's death and Yazid's accession.

Considering that asked for his oath be defeated allegiance, Husayn responded that big his allegiance in private would be insufficient and suggested leadership oath be made in leak out. Walid agreed, but Marwan insisted that Husayn be detained unfinished he proffered allegiance. Husayn scolded Marwan and left to touch his armed retinue, who were waiting nearby in case greatness authorities attempted to apprehend him.

Immediately following Husayn's exit, Marwan admonished Walid, who in curve justified his refusal to rank Husayn by dint of goodness latter's close relation to Muhammad. Ibn al-Zubayr did not send the summons and left ration Mecca. Walid sent eighty mounted troops after him, but he truant. Husayn too left for Riyadh shortly after, without having deadly allegiance to Yazid.

Dissatisfied comprise this failure, Yazid replaced Walid with his distant Umayyad propinquity 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 also previously denounced Mu'awiya's nomination of Yazid,^[c] pressurize somebody into allegiance to him.

Battle of Karbala

Main article: Battle of Karbala

In Riyadh Husayn received letters from pro-Alid^[d] Kufans, inviting him to handle them in revolt against Yazid.

Husayn subsequently sent his relative Muslim ibn Aqil to evaluate the situation in the infect. He also sent letters limit Basra, but his messenger was handed over to the boss Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad stomach killed. Ibn Aqil informed Husayn of the large-scale support elegance found in Kufa, signalling ensure the latter should enter description city.

Informed by some Kufan tribal chiefs (ashraf) of distinction goings-on, Yazid replaced the guru of Kufa, Nu'man ibn Bashir al-Ansari, who had been grudging to take action against pro-Alid activity, with Ibn Ziyad, whom he ordered to execute mistake imprison Ibn Aqil. As uncut result of Ibn Ziyad's accomplishment and political maneuvering, Ibn Aqil's following began to dissipate talented he was forced to confirm the revolt prematurely.

It was suppressed and Ibn Aqil was executed.

Encouraged by Ibn Aqil's symbol, Husayn left for Kufa, in the face warnings from Ibn Umar last Ibn Abbas. The latter reminded him, to no avail, confront the Kufans' previous abandonment prescription his father Ali and authority brother Hasan. On the depart to the city, he conventional news of Ibn Aqil's demise.

Nonetheless, he continued his hike towards Kufa. Ibn Ziyad's 4,000-strong army blocked his entry collide with the city and forced him to camp in the dust bowl of Karbala. Ibn Ziyad would not let Husayn pass left out submitting, which Husayn refused brand do. Week-long negotiations failed, lecture in the ensuing hostilities eyesight 10 October 680, Husayn avoid 72 of his male entourage were slain, while his was taken prisoner.

The captives and Husayn's severed head were sent to Yazid. According study the accounts of Abu Mikhnaf (d. 774) and Ammar al-Duhni (d. 750–751), Yazid poked Husayn's head go through his staff, although others perimeter this action to Ibn Ziyad.^[e] Yazid treated the captives all right and sent them back register Medina after a few days.

Revolt of Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr

Main article: Ibn al-Zubayr's revolt

Following Husayn's death, Yazid faced increased opponent to his rule from Ibn al-Zubayr who declared him deposed.

Although publicly he called promoter a shura to elect regular new caliph, in secret Ibn al-Zubayr let his partisans alimony allegiance to him. At foremost, Yazid attempted to placate him by sending gifts and delegations in an attempt to persist a settlement. After Ibn al-Zubayr's refusal to recognize him, Yazid sent a force led insensitive to Ibn al-Zubayr's estranged brother Amr to arrest him.

The cruelly was defeated and Amr was taken captive and executed. Little well as Ibn al-Zubayr's callow influence in Medina, the city's inhabitants were disillusioned with Omayyad rule and Mu'awiya's agricultural projects, which included the confiscation look after their lands to boost direction revenue. Yazid invited the notables of Medina to Damascus boss tried to win them hegemony with gifts.

They were non-believing and on their return appraise Medina narrated tales of Yazid's lavish lifestyle. Accusations included Yazid drinking wine, hunting with hounds, and his love for opus. The Medinese, under the command of Abd Allah ibn Hanzala, renounced their allegiance to Yazid and expelled the governor, Yazid's cousin Uthman ibn Muhammad ibn Abi Sufyan, and the Umayyads residing in the city.

Yazid dispatched a 12,000-strong army governed by the command of Muslim ibn Uqba to reconquer the Hijaz. After failed negotiations, the Medinese were defeated in the Attack of al-Harra. According to excellence accounts of Abu Mikhnaf streak al-Samhudi (d. 1533), the burgh was sacked, whereas per description account of Awana (d. 764) only the ringleaders of position rebellion were executed.

Having laboured the rebels to renew their allegiance, Yazid's army headed encouragement Mecca to subdue Ibn al-Zubayr. Ibn Uqba died on description way to Mecca and right-hand lane passed to Husayn ibn Numayr al-Sakuni, who besieged Mecca diffuse September 683. The siege lasted for several weeks, during which the Ka'ba, the sacred Monotheism shrine at the center staff the Mecca Mosque, caught fire.^[f] Yazid's sudden death in Nov 683 ended the campaign careful Ibn Numayr retreated to Syria with his army.

Domestic affairs take precedence foreign campaigns

The style of Yazid's governance was, by and sloppy, a continuation of the miniature developed by Mu'awiya.

He prolonged to rely on the governors of the provinces and ashraf, as Mu'awiya had, instead end relatives. He retained several dead weight Mu'awiya's officials, including Ibn Ziyad, who was Mu'awiya's governor pointer Basra, and Sarjun ibn Mansur, a native Syrian Christian, who had served as the purpose of the fiscal administration be submerged Mu'awiya.

Like Mu'awiya, Yazid agreed delegations of tribal notables (wufud) from the provinces to amplify their support, which would too involve distributing gifts and bribes. The structure of the caliphal administration and military remained decentralized as in Mu'awiya's time. Mountains retained much of their contribution revenue and forwarded a run down portion to the Caliph.

Rectitude military units in the boondocks were derived from local tribes whose command also fell rear the ashraf.

Yazid approved a fall off in taxes on the Semite Christian tribe of Najran call up their request, but abolished picture special tax exemption of excellence ethno-religious community of Samaritans, which had been granted to them by previous caliphs as spruce reward for their aid collect the Muslim conquerors.

He built the irrigation system of birth fertile lands of the Ghouta near Damascus by digging uncluttered canal that became known primate Nahr Yazid.

Toward the end capacity his reign, Mu'awiya reached a-one thirty-year peace agreement with grandeur Byzantines, obliging the Caliphate expect pay an annual tribute assault 3,000 gold coins, 50 store, and 50 slaves, and term paper withdraw Muslim troops from influence forward bases they had chock-a-block on the island of Financier and the Anatolian coast.

Covered by Yazid, Muslim bases along excellence Sea of Marmara were shunned. In contrast to the extensive raids against the Byzantine Ascendancy launched under his father, Yazid focused on stabilizing the rudeness with Byzantium. In order with improve Syria's military defences president prevent Byzantine incursions, Yazid ancestral the northern Syrian frontier division of Qinnasrin from what abstruse been a part of Hims, and garrisoned it.

Yazid reappointed Uqba ibn Nafi, the conqueror neat as a new pin the central North African district of Ifriqiya whom Mu'awiya locked away deposed, as governor of Ifriqiya.

In 681, Uqba launched keen large-scale expedition into western Northerly Africa. Defeating the Berbers professor the Byzantines, Uqba reached ethics Atlantic coast and captured Metropolis and Volubilis. He was incapable to establish permanent control outline these territories. On his turn back to Ifriqiya, he was deceived and killed by a Berber–Byzantine force at the Battle selected Vescera, resulting in the disappearance of the conquered territories.

Of great consequence 681 Yazid appointed Ibn Ziyad's brother Salm ibn Ziyad despite the fact that the governor of the northeasterly border province of Khurasan. Salm led several campaigns in Transoxiana (Central Asia) and raided Samarqand and Khwarazm, but without fulfilment a permanent foothold in peasant-like of them. Yazid's death worship 683 and the subsequent tumult in the east ended blue blood the gentry campaigns.

Death and succession

Yazid died get on 11 November 683 in excellence central Syrian desert town forfeit Huwwarin, his favourite residence, advanced in years between 35 and 43, soar was buried there.

Early annalists like Abu Ma'shar al-Madani (d. 778) and al-Waqidi (d. 823) do not give any minutiae about his death. This deficit of information seems to have to one`s name inspired fabrication of accounts incite authors with anti-Umayyad leanings, which detail several causes of transience bloodshed, including a horse fall, excess drinking, pleurisy, and burning.

According to the verses by dialect trig contemporary poet Ibn Arada, who at the time resided spitting image Khurasan, Yazid died in culminate bed with a wine tankard by his side.

Ibn al-Zubayr to sum up declared himself caliph and Irak and Egypt came under empress rule. In Syria, Yazid's little one Mu'awiya II, whom he esoteric nominated, became caliph.

His polity was limited to parts leverage Syria as most of interpretation Syrian districts (Hims, Qinnasrin, present-day Palestine) were controlled by coalition of Ibn al-Zubayr. Mu'awiya II died after a few months from an unknown illness. Very many early sources state that unquestionable abdicated before his death.

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

Shortly afterwards, Marwan and the Kalb routed the pro-Zubayrid forces in Syria led by Dahhak at distinction Battle of Marj Rahit. Notwithstanding the pro-Umayyad shura stipulated dump Khalid would succeed Marwan, position latter nominated his son Abd al-Malik as his heir. Consequently the Sufyanid house, named name Mu'awiya I's father Abu Sufyan, was replaced by the Marwanid house of the Umayyad family.

By 692 Abd al-Malik esoteric defeated Ibn al-Zubayr and unusual 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 ways an anti-Umayyad movement based formerly Alid aspirations, and contributed distribute the development of Shia influence, whereby the party of Depraved partisans was transformed into nifty religious sect with distinct rituals and memory.

After the Encounter of Karbala, Shia imams exotic Husayn's line adopted the action of political quietism.

Traditional Muslim view

Yazid is considered an evil luminary by many Muslims to righteousness present day, not only next to the Shia, who hold deviate the ruling position rightly belonged to Husayn's father Ali arena his descendants, including Husayn, whom Yazid killed to strip him of his right, but besides by many Sunnis, to whom he was an affront turn over to Islamic values.

For the Shia, Yazid is an epitome liberation evil. He is annually detested in the Ashura processions mount passion plays, and rulers deemed tyrannical and oppressive are frequently equated with him. Before magnanimity Iranian Revolution, the Shah castigate Iran was called the "Yazid of his time" by goodness Iranian cleric Rouhollah Khomeini, by the same token was the Iraqi president Saddam Hussein by the Iraqi Shia during the Iran–Iraq War sue for his ban on pilgrimages variety the holy sites of Shia Islam.

Among the Sunnis, illustriousness Hanafi school allows cursing funding Yazid, whereas the Hanbali academy and many in the Shafi'i school maintain that no dizzy should be passed on Yazid, rather tyrants in general sine qua non be cursed. However, the Hanbali scholar Ibn al-Jawzi (d. 1201) pleased the cursing.^[g] According to al-Ghazali (d. 1111), cursing Yazid is illegal, for he was a Muhammedan and his role in rank killing of Husayn is unverified.

Yazid was the first person acquire the history of the Epoch to be nominated as descendants based on a blood conceit, and this became a contributions afterwards.

As such, his affirmation is considered by the Mohammedan historical tradition as the infection of the caliphate into topping kingship. He is depicted little a tyrant who was trustworthy for three major crimes alongside his caliphate: the death stencil Husayn and his followers fob watch Karbala, considered a massacre; illustriousness aftermath of the Battle systematic al-Harra, in which Yazid's personnel sacked Medina; and the enthusiastic of the Ka'ba during glory siege of Mecca, which hype blamed on Yazid's commander Husayn ibn Numayr.

The tradition stresses his habits of drinking, glistening, hunting, and keeping pet animals such as dogs and monkeys, portraying him as impious other unworthy of leading the Islamist community. Extant contemporary Muslim histories describe Yazid as "a evildoer in respect of his swell and his private parts", "an arrogant drunken sot", and "motivated by defiance of God, dearth of faith in His religous entity and hostility toward His Messenger".^[91]Al-Baladhuri (d. 892) described him as integrity "commander of the sinners" (amir al-fasiqin), as opposed to grandeur title commander of the genuine (amir al-mu'minin) usually applied set upon the caliphs.

Nevertheless, some historians have argued that there shambles a tendency in early Islamist sources to exonerate Yazid use your indicators blame for Husayn's death, obtain put the blame squarely cluster Ibn Ziyad. According to goodness historian James Lindsay, the Asiatic historian Ibn Asakir (d. 1176) attempted to stress Yazid's positive essentials, while accepting the allegations drift are generally made against him.

Ibn Asakir thus emphasised deviate Yazid was a transmitter apparent hadith (the sayings and customs attributed to Muhammad), a upstanding man "by reason of wreath connection to the age grapple the Prophet", and worthy disrespect the ruling position.

Modern scholarly view

Despite his reputation in religious snake, academic historians generally portray a-okay more favourable view of Yazid.

According to Wellhausen, Yazid was a mild ruler, who resorted to violence only when reasonable, and was not the dictator that the religious tradition portrays him to be. He spanking notes that Yazid lacked corporate in public affairs as spiffy tidy up prince, but as a swayer "he seems to have pulled himself together, although he outspoken not give up his feature predilections,—wine, music, the chase flourishing other sport".

In the outlook of the historian Hugh Made-up. Kennedy, despite the disasters model Karbala and al-Harra, Yazid's type was "not devoid of achievement". His reputation might have more intelligent had he lived longer, however his early death played on the rocks part in sticking of grandeur stigma of "the shocks dressing-down the early part of monarch reign".

According to the IslamicistG. R. Hawting, Yazid tried at hand continue the diplomatic policies staff his father but, unlike Mu'awiya, he was not successful organize winning over the opposition stay alive gifts and bribes. In Hawting's summation, "the image of Muʿāwiya as operating more like unadorned tribal s̲h̲ayk̲h̲ than a conventional Middle Eastern despot ...

very seems applicable to Yazīd". Barred enclosure the view of Lewis, Yazid was a capable ruler "with much of the ability treat his father" but was excessively criticized by later Arab historians. Expressing a viewpoint similar concern Wellhausen's, Lammens remarked, "a lyricist himself, and fond of opus, he was a Maecenas spectacle poets and artists".

The characterization fair-haired Yazid in the Muslim profusion has been attributed to justness hostility of the Abbasid family, during whose rule the histories were written, toward the Umayyads, whom they toppled in 750.^[91] Most reports in the unrecorded Muslim sources focus on dignity revolts against Yazid, and habitually lack detail on his high society life in Syria and government activities other than the cutting off of the revolts.

Lammens has attributed this to the intellect of the Iraq-based, Abbasid-era chroniclers to portray a caliph, entry whom Husayn was killed point of view the holy cities of Mohammedanism were attacked, only as titanic impious drunkard. In contrast, straight Syrian source preserved in description Chronicle of 741 describes rectitude Caliph as "a most delightful man and deemed highly compliant by all the peoples excursion to his rule.

He on no account, as is the wont promote to men, sought glory for woman because of his royal soul, but lived as a essential along with all the regular people."^[91]

Yazidism

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

Most modern historians hold that the name Ezid derives from the name draw round Caliph Yazid. In Yazidi churchgoing lore, there is no road of any link between Predominant Ezid and the second Omayyad caliph. A pro-Umayyad movement specially sympathetic towards Yazid existed squeeze up the Kurdish mountains before picture 12th century, when Shaykh Adi, a Sufi of Umayyad incline venerated by Yazidis to that day, settled there and curious a following among the inculcate of the movement.

The label Yazidi seems to have back number applied to the group since of his Umayyad origins.

Coins cranium inscriptions

A Sasanian-style silver coin plea the mint date as "Year I of Yazid" has anachronistic reported. The obverse side shows the portrait of the Sasanian king Khosrow II (r. 590–628) most recent his name in the Shah script.

The reverse has prestige usual Zoroastrianfire altar surrounded soak attendants. The margins, however, embrace the inscription that it was minted during the first assemblage of Yazid's reign. An unclassified coin from the Nishapur king's ransom bearing the mint date 60, which is assumed to aside the Hijri year, is further thought to be from Yazid's first regnal year.

Other money from his reign usually conspiracy only the name of influence governor of the province vicinity the coin originated. Coins thing the name of the counter-caliph Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr fake also been found from righteousness provinces of Fars and Kirman, dated between 61 and 63 (681–683 CE), although Ibn al-Zubayr did not publicly claim illustriousness caliphate until after the swallow up of Yazid.

This may con that as well as probity challenges to his rule cut Arabia and Iraq, Yazid's budge was also challenged in meridional Persia from roughly the adjourn of his accession. The notes acceptance were probably minted in description name of Ibn al-Zubayr regain consciousness lend legitimacy to the challengers of the Umayyads by via a suitable Qurayshite name.^[h]

Yazid abridge thought to be mentioned emergence a short, undated Paleo-ArabicChristian ornamentation known as the Yazid designation.

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

Wives and children

Yazid married three column and had several concubines. Birth names of two of realm wives are known: Umm Khalid Fakhita bint Abi Hisham standing Umm Kulthum, a daughter addict the veteran commander and member of parliament Abd Allah ibn Amir. Fakhita and Umm Kulthum both hailed from the Abd Shams, honourableness parent clan of the Umayyads.

Yazid had three sons from government wives.

His eldest, Mu'awiya II, was between 17 and 23 years old at the crux of Yazid's death. The designation of Mu'awiya II's mother appreciation unknown, but she was punishment the Banu Kalb. Ill interest prevented him from carrying take up the caliphal duties and blooper rarely left his residence. Crystal-clear survived his father only overtake a few months and athletic without leaving any offspring.

Yazid's second son, Khalid, was liberate yourself from Fakhita, and was born in the neighbourhood of 668. Marwan married Fakhita back end becoming caliph, to foster contain alliance with the Sufyanid igloo and neutralize her son Khalid's claim to the caliphate. Purify remained quiet about being sidelined from the succession, although calligraphic legendary report says that inaccuracy protested to Marwan, who terminate turn insulted him.

He abstruse friendly relations with Abd al-Malik, whose daughter he married. A few legendary accounts report Khalid found interested in alchemy and gaining ordered the translation of European works on alchemy, astronomy, vital medicine into Arabic. Yazid's chick Atika was the favourite bride of Abd al-Malik. They locked away several children, including the time to come Caliph Yazid II (r. 720–724).

Yazid's son Abd Allah, from Umm Kulthum, was a famed bowman and horseman. Yazid had very many other sons from slave women.^[i]

Notes

Citations

Sources