Basically transitional period of Islamic history started with the killing of Hazrat Uthman (R). This time cunning behavior of clever Marwan created turmoil and consequently, he was the gainer. The unrest he ignited during the regime of Hazrat Uthman (R), consequently the second part i.e., the Marwanid era of the Umayad regime under his leadership came in the limelight. After short rule of Mu’awiya, Yazid, and Mu’awyia the Second, he found an opportunity to occupy the throne. It also blessed him. He received strong support from the butcher of Karbala, Obaidullah Bin Ziyad, and rascal Shimar. Mukhtar Al Thaqafi appeared at that time. He mobilized those who left Imam Hossain at the Karbala soil took out the leadership and successfully pushed Abdul Malik (son of Marwan) in a dismay condition. He succeeded in killing Obaidullah Bin Ziad, Shimar, and 214 of their accomplices in a coup. In 683, the year of the demise of Yazid, Abdullah Ibn Zobayer, son of Hazrat Zobayer Ibnul Awam & Hazrat Asma Binte Abu Bakr, claimed the position of caliph. Abdullah Ibn Zobayer was staying in Mecca. At the same time, his brother Musab Ibn Zobayer was governor of Basra. After the death of Yazid, Second Mu’awiya took power but his ruling period was very short. Subsequently, Marwan took power that lasted for merely one year. At the same time Abdullah Ibn Zobayer, Musab Ibn Zobayer, and Mukhtar Al Thaqafi were able to build up a circle of power and capacity separately. After the death of Marwan, Abdul Malik Ibn Marwan took control of power in 685. He decided to punish each of them. He offered authority to subdue the mutiny of Mukhtar Al Thaqafi. But in vain. In turn, Obaidullah Bin Ziad and Shimar were killed by the supporters of Mukhtar.
The rise of Mukhtar created grief and unrest in the mind of Governor Musab Ibn Zobayer appointed /deployed (appointed at the same time) by his brother Abdullah Ibn Zobayer of Basra. It is wise to mention here that, Mukhtar desired to be loyal to Abdullah Ibn Zobayer. However, for some reason, Zobayer didn’t accept him. In turn, Mukhtar was killed by Musab. The tie was weakened. Tactful Abdul Malik also killed his own cousin and rival Amr Bin Sa’id and freed the field. Subsequently, he noticed Musab and also killed him. Abdullah Ibn Zobayer, who stayed in Mecca at that time, became solitary. Taking it as a scope, Hajjaj Bin Yousuf brutally killed Abdullah Ibn Zobayer. Thus the path of Abdul Malik, son of Marwan, became free from thorns. The Umayad caliphate was turned strong and remained unhurt until it was captured by the Abbasid caliphate in 750. The ruling period of Abdul Malik Ibn Marwan covered the period from 685 to 705. It was such an important time in Islamic history that I disagree with defining it only the reign of only one Umayad ruler. We know, which ruling center was introduced by Mu’awiya in Damascus, but his successors couldn’t ripe its outcome for a longer while. After his death, his son Yazid took power that covered only 03 years from 680 to 683. Yazid died at the early age of 37, and his son Mu’awiya the Second took power nominally and ruled the state covering from 683 to 684. He was replaced by Marwan who couldn’t keep power for 0nly 01 year from 684 to 685. Subsequently, his son Abdul Malik took power.
Abdul Malik lingered in his position from 680 to 705. The most important thing is that it was so important time that claimed to be discussed separately. It would be evident if chronologies during Abdul Malik gave a different dimension to Islamic history later. Not only that, his time was so unrest that, if he hadn’t controlled them strongly, subsequently Umayyad caliphate could have survived or not. For this, he was called the genuine founder of the Umayyad regime. The harder challenge faced by Abdul Malik was to protect the caliphate claim of Abdullah Ibn Zobayer. After the death of Yazid, Abdullah Ibn Zobayer, son of Zobayer Ibn Awam ® and Asma Binte Abu Bakr (R), claimed a caliphate in a huge neighboring area. He governed the caliphate against Umayad for about ten years from 683 to 692. Subsequently, Hajjaj Bin Yousuf seized Mecca and killed Abdullah Ibn Zobayer resulting end of his claim for the caliphate.
It is wise to mention here that, Hajjaj Bin Yousuf was the most talked about ruler in Islamic history and there were mixed reactions against him. Hajjaj Bin Yousuf played the role of governor of Hejaz appointed by Abdul Malik covering from 692 to 694. As Abdullah Ibn Zobayer gave up claiming the caliphate, he became the favorite of Abdul Malik and was appointed as governor of Iraq in 694. He lingered in such position up to 714. It is needless to mention that, as Abdul Malik expired in 705, his son Al Walid captured power. He also kept Hajjaj in a similar position. Al Walid breathed his last 715 and one year ahead, Hajjaj also expired. Muhammad Bin Qashim went for the historical Sindh Expedition, which was operated under the strong leadership of Hajjaj Bin Yousuf. Al Walid was known as the great conqueror of history, all of his contemporary conquerors were either killed or persecuted by Solaiman replacing Al Walid. One of them, Muhammad Bin Qasim was the son-in-law of Hajjaj Bin Yousuf, and two Spain conquerors great heroes Tariq Bin Ziad and Musa ibn Nusayr accompanied by some other great heroes of the period. Basically, the death of Al Walid halted the golden victory movement of the Muslims. All the commanders returned back from the battlefield one after another. As The Muslims conquered up to Kashgar of China and halted there, on the other hand, Muslims who moved to Africa, were compelled to return back after conquering the countries of coastal areas of North Africa. If the Muslims had not stopped there, the history of the world might have changed.
Whatever might be, killing Abdullah Ibn Zobayer in 692, Abdul Malik was able to finally confirm his sitting on the throne. By taking power by Abdul Malik in 685 and the demise of Abdullah Ibn Zobayer in 692, whose process of securing power was mentioned earlier, many more remarkable events took place in the interim period of seven years which was very important in history. This time, Abdul Malik had to face many more rivals of him. However, one thing was noticeable he didn’t need to kill all of his rivals by himself.
Such as Mukhtar was killed by Musab and subsequently Musab was ultimately killed by Abdul Malik. The most painful and tragic killing took place at Karbala during the reign of Yazid, Obaidullah ibn Ziyad was the mastermind. Subsequently, a group of repenting people grew up under the leadership of Mukhtar Al Thaqafi, who killed Obaidullah ibn Ziyad Shimar and many more. While Mukhtar had been gaining power in Kufa, Musab, brother of Abdullah Ibn Zobayer became frustrated. Though Mukhter wanted to be loyal to Abdullah, he could not have confidence in the fickle and cunning Mukhter. In an expedition headed by Musab in 687, Mukhtar lost his life. Later, Musab was killed by Abdul Malik in the war of Maskin in 691. Just after one year, his brother Abdullah Ibn Zobayer (claimant of the Mecca-based caliphate) was killed by Hajjaj Bin Yousuf. Amr Ibn Sa’id, son of Marwan’s sister, who fought against the Syria Expedition led by Abdullah Ibn Zobayer, was fall-razed by for enmity with Caliphate Abdul Malik. Being killed by Abdul Malik in 690, Amr’s chapter of history was ended.
As such first death of Mukhtar (in 687), followed by the demise of Sa’id (in 690), the subsequent death of Musab (in 691), and the last demise of Abdullah Ibn Zobayer, finally ended the rivals of the caliphate Abdul Malik, helped turn the Umayad Caliphate to revive once again. He had to spend unrest and furious time for seven years from 685 to 692 after taking power.
(OMAR KHALED RUMI)
Md. Monir Hossen
Ex-SAVP
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