Yazid Ibn Walid Ibn Abdul Malek

Yazid Ibn Walid Ibn Abdul Malek (701 - 744) was an Umayyad caliph. He reigned for six months, from April 15 to October 3 or 4, 744; and died in that office. During the reign of his cousin al-Walid II, Yazid spoke out against Walid's "immorality" which included discrimination on behalf of the Banu Qays Arabs against Yemenis and non-Arab Muslims, and Yazid received further support from the Qadariya and Murji'iya (believers in human free will). Yazid slipped into Damascus and deposed Walid in a coup; following this up with a disbursement of funds from the ####treasury. The city of Homs refused allegiance to Yazid, and there were several other dissident movements against him. Another cousin Marwan ibn Muhammad ibn Marwan, governor of Armenia, had initially supported Walid and on that one's death entered Iraq to avenge him. Marwan eventually rallied around Yazid. Yazid appointed Mansur ibn Jumhur to replace Yusuf ibn 'Umar as governor of Iraq. In May 15, Yazid wrote a letter, preserved from oral sources in al-Mada'ini (reproduced in Tabari) and in al-Baladhuri. It supports the Umayyad dynasty up to but not including "the enemy of Allah" al-Walid II; at which point it lays out Yazid's version of the event at Bukhara. Yusuf ibn 'Umar was subsequently imprisoned and later killed by the son of Khalid ibn 'Abd Allah. Mansur attempted to dismiss the Khurasani governor Nasr ibn Sayyar, but Nasr refused to accept this. Facing opposition from al-Kirmani, Nasr invited al-Harith to return from his thirteen year stay in Turkish territory. Al-Harith arrived wearing a fine suit of armour the Khaqan had given him and gaining the support of many people in Khurasan. Yazid fell ill of a brain tumour.

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