Yazid bin Waleed: Revolts, Political Conflicts, and His Brief Caliphate

Yazid bin Waleed bin Abdul Malik

Abu Khalid Yazid bin Waleed bin Abdul Malik bin Marwan bin Hakam is also known as Yazid the III and 'Yazid Naqis' (Yazid the reducer). He was called by this name because he slashed the salaries of the army. When Waleed bin Yazid had taken over as Caliph, he had increased the salaries by ten 'dirhams'. When Yazid became Caliph, he abolished the increment and restored the previous pay scale that was used by caliph Hisham. After becoming Caliph, Yazid gathered the people and said, "Waleed was a disbeliever and therefore he was assassinated. Now I shall treat you well. You will get your salaries on time. No one will be given any land until I fortify the borders of the Islamic territories and fill the cities with justice and righteousness. I shall not keep watch at my door so that everyone may have easy access to me". After that, he took the oath for his brother Ibrahim bin Waleed and Abdul Aziz bin Hajjaj bin Abdul Malik to succeed after him.

When the inhabitants of Hims learned that Waleed bin Yazid was assassinated, they took up arms and made Yazid bin Khalid bin Yazid bin Muawiya their leader and set out for Damascus to avenge Waleed's death. Yazid bin Waleed gave an army to Sulaiman bin Hisham bin Abdul Malik for defense. He first made a proposal for reconciliation to the inhabitants of Hims and when they refused, he began to fight them. The consequence was that Yazid bin Khalid was caught and the rebels of Hims were killed in large numbers and the rest ran away from the battlefield.

When the Palestinians received the news, they also revolted. They made Yazid bin Sulaiman bin Abdul Malik their leader and when the Jordanians heard, they enthroned Mohammad bin Abdul Malik as their king and joined the Palestinians. The forces of the Palestinians and Jordanians moved jointly to Damascus. Waleed had already won the people of those places to his side but since it was an issue of the Caliph's assassination, they were enveloped by a strong wave of sympathy for the murdered Caliph and hatred against the present one. This was not surprising when we see a criminal executed although he is guilty our previous hatred and loathing for him dissipates. The office of the caliph is a cherished one and any foul play connected to it brings a negative reaction and because of these factors the Jordanians and Palestinians revolted. Hearing about the advancing army, Yazid deputed Sulaiman bin Hisham with a large army to discipline and correct them. Sulaiman defeated them all and forced them to obey the new Caliph.

After suppressing these revolts in Syria, Yazid dismissed Yusuf bin Umar as the Amir of Iraq and Khorasan and replaced him with Mansoor bin Jamhoor. Yusuf did not officially hand over the authority to him instead he left for Damascus covertly. As soon as he arrived in Damascus, Yazid bin Waleed arrested him and he died in captivity. Mansoor reached Kufa and released all the prisoners Yusuf had jailed and sent his own brother as the Governor of Khorasan. Nasr bin Sayyar did not allow him entry into Khorasan and before the issue was settled, Yazid bin Waleed dismissed Mansoor and replaced him by Abdullah bin Umar bin Abdul Aziz and sent him to Iraq, not even two months had elapsed between the appointment of Mansoor and his replacement by Abdullah. Mansoor officially handed over the responsibilities of Amir to Abdullah and went to Syria. Abdullah bin Umar appointed Nasr bin Sayyar governor of Khorasan. At that time, the state of Yamamah was governed along with the province of Iraq. Sometimes Yamamah was annexed to the Hijaz and at other times to Iraq. The inhabitants of Yamamah had proclaimed their independence during Yusuf bin Umar's regime by expelling Ali bin Muhajir, the Governor of Yamamah. They were still independent and nothing could be done to bring them under the central government's rule.

When Abdullah bin Umar bin Abdul Aziz took over as the Amir of Iraq and appointed Nasr bin Sayyar the Governor of Khorasan, Jadi bin Kermani Azdi revolted against him. Jadi was in fact an Azdi but because he was born in Kerman, he was known as Kermani. Because Nasr had declared his independence as ruler of Khorasan and then was appointed to the post of Governor he seemingly was rewarded for his rebellion, so Jadi felt resentment. He said to his friends, "They are falling into mischief. Choose your own leader for your work". Nasr bin Sayyar and Kermani had disagreed in the past and there was resentment still lingering between them. For starting this new problem, Nasr arrested him and put him into jail on 27 Ramadan 126 A.H. Kermani remained there for a few days and then managed to escape. He was able to immediately gathered 3000 men. Nasr appointed a military commander to humble and discipline him. However, the people intervened and stopped the fight and brought about reconciliation between them. That resulted in Kermani visiting Nasr who exhorted him to remain confined to his house. After a few days, Kermani wanted to revolt again. Several times they were ready to fight and then became reconciled. Finally, it was agreed that Kermani should leave Khorasan and go to Jurjan.

During the days when Nasr and Kermani were constantly disputing the situation turned very dangerous, Nasr had the apprehension that Kermani might call Harith bin Shuraith from Turkistan and strengthen himself. Harith bin Shuraith has already been mentioned. He had been in Turkistan for 12 or 13 years. Therefore, Nasr sent Muqatil bin Hayani Nabti to bring Harith to him. He sent letters to Abdullah bin Umar bin Abdul Aziz in Kufa and to Yazid bin Waleed in Damascus expressing his opinion of the possible danger from Harith and requested for documents of safe passage and permission to call him to Khorasan. Letters guaranteeing his security came from both the places. Harith left Turkistan and arrived in Khorasan where Nasr entertained him splendidly and lodged him at Marwrood. He fixed 50 dirhams as his daily allowance and said to him, "Choose the state and you will be made the Governor there". Harith said, "I don't want material benefits or power. I am interested in bringing into practice the Book and the Sunnah (practical application of the Quran and the methods of the Prophet ﷺ). I became sick of atrocities and I left these cities now after 13 years you have recalled me to them". Nasr was silent upon hearing this. Harith then sent word to Kermani, "If Nasr bin Sayyar is acting upon the Book and the Sunnah I shall fight against his enemies and support him and if he fails to act accordingly, I shall join you provided that you too promise to act upon the Book and Sunnah". Then Harith drew the tribe of Tamim and others to his command and within a few days, 3,000 people took the oath for his leadership.

This was the situation in Khorasan. In Armenia, Marwan bin Mohammad bin Marwan and in Jazira, Abduh bin Riyah Ghassani were the Amirs. When Waleed bin Yazid was killed, Abdu Ghassani left Jazirah (Literally: island. The region lies between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers and is bounded on the south by a line running between Takrit and Anbar. It is the northern reaches of Mesopotamia, now making up part of northern Iraq and extending into eastern Turkey and extreme northeast Syria) and went to Syria. Marwan bin Mohammad’s son, Abdul Malik, finding the province of Jazirah deserted, captured it and then sent his agents to various places and wrote to his father, Marwan bin Mohammad bin Marwan, "This is a big opportunity please stand up and avenge Waleed's death". Yazid bin Waleed had hardly become free from the uprisings in Hims, Jordan and Palestine, when he received the news of Marwan's revolt. Because the situation was highly critical for Yazid he wrote to Marwan, "If you take the oath at my hands I shall give you the authority over all the states of Jazirah, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Mosul and send you the certificate making you the Amir". Marwan bin Mohammad took the oath from Yazid, and as promised, Yazid sent him the documents making him the Amir. Marwan then began to rule over the Provinces mentioned, previously he was the ruler of Armenia alone but now he was made the Amir of all territories up to Mosil.

Yazid bin Waleed, popularly known as Yazid Naqis (the reducer) was not bad from the view point of his morals and merits but he did not live long and after ruling for about six months, he died of plague on 20 Dhul Hijja 126 A.H. at the age of 35.