Ziyad ibn Abi Sufyan

Ziyad ibn Abī Sufyan (Arabic زياد بن أبي سفيان; † August 23 673) was an Arab statesman in the time of the caliph ʿ Alī ibn Abi Talib and Muawiya I. He was also under the name of Ziyad ibn Abī -hi (Arabic زياد بن أبيه ) known.

Ziyad was born in Taif and was the son of a slave. Due to the fact that his father was unknown, he was also identified with the patronymic ibn Abī -hi ( " his father's son "). He began his rise as an accountant of the Army in the garrison of Basra. After he had risen under the Caliphate of Ali Ibn Abi Talib to the governor of the province of Fars, he made the Umayyads under Muawiya I. initially strong resistance.

In the year 665 there was a spectacular way to a rapprochement between the Caliph and Ziyad. Ziyad asked him in a letter, what to make of the rumors that Abu Sufyan ibn Harb Muawiyas father was also his father. The Caliph recognized him subsequently officially as his brother and put him a short time later as governor of Basra, a position with which the command of the Iranian territories of Khorasan and Sidschistan was connected. Ziyad proven itself as one of the staunchest supporters Muawiyas which cemented his rule Iraq and Iran and goal for. Above all, he succeeded in pacifying the areas under his control, he suppressed by the party fights and quarrels among the Arab tribes. He also fought successfully the machinations of the Kharijites.

Because of its successful government Ziyad also the province Kufa was transferred 670. Here agitated at that time several ʿ Ali's followers against the Umayyads. Ziyad they delivered up to Muawiya to Syria. Those who have not renounced ʿ Alī of, such as Hujr ibn ʿ Adi and ʿ Abd ar -Rahman ibn Hassan al- ʿ Anazi, were executed by Muawiya and his own cruel way. As governor of Iraq, Ziyad was the entire eastern part of the empire. 671 he moved 50,000 Arab families from Kufa and Basra in the city of Merv chorasanischen. In this manner he was able to consolidate the Arab domination of these areas. The Arab forces in Basra and Kufa, he organized new. This allowed the start of new campaigns in eastern Iran.

Ziyad ibn Abi Sufyan died on August 23, 673 He was, in addition to al - Hajjaj ( 694-714 ), the most important governor of Iraq and one of the most important pillar of the Umayyad Caliphate in the east.