Yazid ibn Abi Muslim
Encyclopedia
Abu'l-Ala Yazid ibn Abi Muslim Dinar (?-721) was the Umayyad
governor of Ifriqiya
from 720 until his assassination in 721
.
Yazid ibn Abi Muslim was of the Arab tribe of Thaqif
. He served in the administration of Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf, the Umayyad
governor of Wasit (Iraq
). He rose in the ranks to become al-Hajjaj's secretary. During the illnesses that plagued al-Hajjaj's health before his death in 714, Yazid ibn Abi Muslim frequently stood in as his deputy. After al-Hajjaj's death, he was confirmed in that post by Caliph al-Walid I.
When the Caliph Sulayman
came to power in 715, Yazid ibn Abi Muslim was immediately dismissed (along with much of the rest of al-Hajjaj's appointees). It is said Yazid was imprisoned at that time, but subsequently released when no evidence of misconduct could be found to bring up charges. Another chronicle reports Yazid was only released c. 717 by the Caliph Omar II in an act of general clemency
In 720, in the course of a new administrative sweep, Caliph Yazid II
appointed Yazid ibn Abi Muslim as governor of Ifriqiya
(North Africa), with supervisory authority over al-Andalus
(Iberian Peninsula).
Yazid ibn Abi Muslim's tenure in Ifriqiya
was not a happy one. Perhaps recalling the brutish administration of his mentor al-Hajjaj in Wasit (Iraq
), Yazid ibn Abi Muslim showed little respect for non-Arab Muslims under his jurisdiction. His predecessor in Kairouan
, Ismail ibn Abd Allah ibn Abu al-Muhajjar had put much effort into integrating Muslim Berbers
into the Caliphal mainstream. Yazid immediately went about undoing all that, relegating Berber officers and increasing fiscal exactions upon the Berber populace. Side-stepping the legal
prohibitions, Yazid re-imposed the jizyah (non-Muslim poll taxes) on Muslim Berbers and expanded other extraordinary taxes and tributes.
According to the chronicler Ibn Abd-el-Hakem
, in 721, Yazid ibn Abi Muslim decided to humiliate the Berber guard of Kairouan
by having their hands tattooed - - their personal names on their right hand, and the phrase "Guard of Yazid" on their left. The Berber guard decided that enough was enough, and killed Yazid ibn Abi Muslim. A previous governor, Muhammad ibn Yazid, was installed as temporary replacement, until a new governor was dispatched by Damascus
.
Ibn Khallikan (p. 202) asserts that the Berber guard was pardoned by Caliph Yazid II
, upon receipt of the report of Yazid's abusive administration in Ifriqiya. Yazid II appointed Bishr ibn Safwan al-Kalbi as the new governor in late 721.
However, Ibn Khaldun
(p. 354), suggests that Abd-Allah ibn Musa, a son of former governor Musa ibn Nusair, might have been behind the plot of the Berber guard, and that the Caliph ordered Abd-Allah arrested and executed, which Bishr ibn Safwan reluctantly obeyed.
Umayyad
The Umayyad Caliphate was the second of the four major Arab caliphates established after the death of Muhammad. It was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty, whose name derives from Umayya ibn Abd Shams, the great-grandfather of the first Umayyad caliph. Although the Umayyad family originally came from the...
governor of Ifriqiya
Ifriqiya
In medieval history, Ifriqiya or Ifriqiyah was the area comprising the coastal regions of what are today western Libya, Tunisia, and eastern Algeria. This area included what had been the Roman province of Africa, whose name it inherited....
from 720 until his assassination in 721
721
Year 721 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 721 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Byzantine Empire :* Former Byzantine emperor...
.
Yazid ibn Abi Muslim was of the Arab tribe of Thaqif
Banu Thaqif
The Thaqif was one of the tribes of Arabia during Muhammad's era. Thaqif was the main tribe of the town of Taif, in present-day Saudi Arabia, and descendants of the tribe still live in that city today and so many names in Arab countries such as Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Hatay...
. He served in the administration of Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf, the Umayyad
Umayyad
The Umayyad Caliphate was the second of the four major Arab caliphates established after the death of Muhammad. It was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty, whose name derives from Umayya ibn Abd Shams, the great-grandfather of the first Umayyad caliph. Although the Umayyad family originally came from the...
governor of Wasit (Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
). He rose in the ranks to become al-Hajjaj's secretary. During the illnesses that plagued al-Hajjaj's health before his death in 714, Yazid ibn Abi Muslim frequently stood in as his deputy. After al-Hajjaj's death, he was confirmed in that post by Caliph al-Walid I.
When the Caliph Sulayman
Sulayman ibn Abd al-Malik
Sulayman bin Abd al-Malik was an Umayyad caliph who ruled from 715 until 717. His father was Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan, and he was a younger brother of the previous caliph, al-Walid I.-Early years:...
came to power in 715, Yazid ibn Abi Muslim was immediately dismissed (along with much of the rest of al-Hajjaj's appointees). It is said Yazid was imprisoned at that time, but subsequently released when no evidence of misconduct could be found to bring up charges. Another chronicle reports Yazid was only released c. 717 by the Caliph Omar II in an act of general clemency
In 720, in the course of a new administrative sweep, Caliph Yazid II
Yazid II
Yazid bin Abd al-Malik or Yazid II was an Umayyad caliph who ruled from 720 until his death in 724.According to the medieval Persian historian Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari, Yazid came to power on the death of Umar II on February 10, 720. His forces engaged in battle the Kharijites with whom Umar...
appointed Yazid ibn Abi Muslim as governor of Ifriqiya
Ifriqiya
In medieval history, Ifriqiya or Ifriqiyah was the area comprising the coastal regions of what are today western Libya, Tunisia, and eastern Algeria. This area included what had been the Roman province of Africa, whose name it inherited....
(North Africa), with supervisory authority over al-Andalus
Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus was the Arabic name given to a nation and territorial region also commonly referred to as Moorish Iberia. The name describes parts of the Iberian Peninsula and Septimania governed by Muslims , at various times in the period between 711 and 1492, although the territorial boundaries...
(Iberian Peninsula).
Yazid ibn Abi Muslim's tenure in Ifriqiya
Ifriqiya
In medieval history, Ifriqiya or Ifriqiyah was the area comprising the coastal regions of what are today western Libya, Tunisia, and eastern Algeria. This area included what had been the Roman province of Africa, whose name it inherited....
was not a happy one. Perhaps recalling the brutish administration of his mentor al-Hajjaj in Wasit (Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
), Yazid ibn Abi Muslim showed little respect for non-Arab Muslims under his jurisdiction. His predecessor in Kairouan
Kairouan
Kairouan , also known as Kirwan or al-Qayrawan , is the capital of the Kairouan Governorate in Tunisia. Referred to as the Islamic Cultural Capital, it is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The city was founded by the Arabs around 670...
, Ismail ibn Abd Allah ibn Abu al-Muhajjar had put much effort into integrating Muslim Berbers
Berber people
Berbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. They are continuously distributed from the Atlantic to the Siwa oasis, in Egypt, and from the Mediterranean to the Niger River. Historically they spoke the Berber language or varieties of it, which together form a branch...
into the Caliphal mainstream. Yazid immediately went about undoing all that, relegating Berber officers and increasing fiscal exactions upon the Berber populace. Side-stepping the legal
Sharia
Sharia law, is the moral code and religious law of Islam. Sharia is derived from two primary sources of Islamic law: the precepts set forth in the Quran, and the example set by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Sunnah. Fiqh jurisprudence interprets and extends the application of sharia to...
prohibitions, Yazid re-imposed the jizyah (non-Muslim poll taxes) on Muslim Berbers and expanded other extraordinary taxes and tributes.
According to the chronicler Ibn Abd-el-Hakem
Ibn Abd-el-Hakem
Ibn ʿAbd al-Ḥakam was an Egyptian chronicler who wrote the History of the Conquest of Egypt and North Africa and Spain.His work is invaluable as the earliest Arab account of the Islamic conquests of those countries. This work was written about 150-200 years after the events it describes, and...
, in 721, Yazid ibn Abi Muslim decided to humiliate the Berber guard of Kairouan
Kairouan
Kairouan , also known as Kirwan or al-Qayrawan , is the capital of the Kairouan Governorate in Tunisia. Referred to as the Islamic Cultural Capital, it is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The city was founded by the Arabs around 670...
by having their hands tattooed - - their personal names on their right hand, and the phrase "Guard of Yazid" on their left. The Berber guard decided that enough was enough, and killed Yazid ibn Abi Muslim. A previous governor, Muhammad ibn Yazid, was installed as temporary replacement, until a new governor was dispatched by Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
.
Ibn Khallikan (p. 202) asserts that the Berber guard was pardoned by Caliph Yazid II
Yazid II
Yazid bin Abd al-Malik or Yazid II was an Umayyad caliph who ruled from 720 until his death in 724.According to the medieval Persian historian Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari, Yazid came to power on the death of Umar II on February 10, 720. His forces engaged in battle the Kharijites with whom Umar...
, upon receipt of the report of Yazid's abusive administration in Ifriqiya. Yazid II appointed Bishr ibn Safwan al-Kalbi as the new governor in late 721.
However, Ibn Khaldun
Ibn Khaldun
Ibn Khaldūn or Ibn Khaldoun was an Arab Tunisian historiographer and historian who is often viewed as one of the forerunners of modern historiography, sociology and economics...
(p. 354), suggests that Abd-Allah ibn Musa, a son of former governor Musa ibn Nusair, might have been behind the plot of the Berber guard, and that the Caliph ordered Abd-Allah arrested and executed, which Bishr ibn Safwan reluctantly obeyed.
Sources
- Ibn KhaldunIbn KhaldunIbn Khaldūn or Ibn Khaldoun was an Arab Tunisian historiographer and historian who is often viewed as one of the forerunners of modern historiography, sociology and economics...
, Histoire des Berbères et des dynasties musulmanes de l'Afrique, 1852 trans., Algiers, Vol. 1 - Ibn KhallikanIbn KhallikanShams al-Dīn Abū Al-ʿAbbās Aḥmad Ibn Muḥammad Ibn Khallikān was a 13th Century Shafi'i Islamic scholar of Kurdish origin.-Biography:...
Ibn Khallikan's Biographical Dictionary, Vol. 4, trans. 1872, Paris - Taha, Abd al-Wahid Dhannun (1989) The Muslim conquest and settlement of North Africa and Spain, London, Routledge.
See also
- IfriqiyaIfriqiyaIn medieval history, Ifriqiya or Ifriqiyah was the area comprising the coastal regions of what are today western Libya, Tunisia, and eastern Algeria. This area included what had been the Roman province of Africa, whose name it inherited....
- History of early Islamic TunisiaHistory of early Islamic TunisiaThe History of early Islamic Tunisia opens with the arrival of the Arabs who brought their language and the religion of Islam, and its calendar. The Arab conquest followed strategy designed by the Umayyad Caliphate regarding ist long-term conflict with the Byzantine Empire...
- History of medieval TunisiaHistory of medieval TunisiaThe medieval era opens with the commencement of a process that would return Ifriqiya, i.e., Tunisia, and the entire Maghrib to local Berber rule. The precipitating cause was the departure of the Shia Fatimid Caliphate to their newly conquered territories in Egypt. To govern Ifriqiya in their stead,...