Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik

Hisham, Arab هشام بن عبد الملك, DMG Hisham b. ʿ Abd al -Malik, (* 691, † 743 ) was the tenth and last major Caliph of the Umayyad ( 724-743 ).

Life

Abu l - Walid Hisham ibn Abd al -Malik took over 724, the reign of his brother Yazid II ( 720-724 ). He tried to strengthen the dynasty through the expansion of the army and the security services. He also strengthened the power of the Caliph, he withdrew by the governors in the provinces of the tax administration and tax directors separate imputed.

The long reign of Hisham enabled again an active foreign policy towards Byzantium, which was attacked in Anatolia through several campaigns. Ultimately, however, Byzantium was the attacker defeat ( Battle of Akroinon, 740 ). After a successful campaign against the Khazars under Marwan ( 735-737 ) had this to submit to the Umayyad and cease hostilities. However, the empire was shaken by several rebellions. In addition to the revolt of Maysara in the Maghreb ( 739-741 ) there were riots of the Shiites in Iraq (740 ) and tax revolts of the Copts in Egypt ( 725).

Apart from these riots spread among the Muslims the view that only descendants of the Prophet Muhammad can occupy the office of caliph. Absence of such a kinship legitimacy was this doctrine a threat to the existence of Umayyad. Therefore, an attempt was made the propaganda of the Abbasids ( descendants of al - Abbas, an uncle of the Prophet Muhammad ) to suppress, but do not succeed in the long run.

Buildings

Despite these problems, Hisham was able to consolidate the dynasty of the Umayyads again and initiate an extensive construction activity. So agriculture was promoted through the development of irrigation systems in Egypt, Syria and Iraq and built several desert castles. These included in the Syrian desert his palatial residence and the great mosque in Resafa, which was called in his time Resafa - Hisham, the desert castles of Qasr al - Heir al - Gharbi and Qasr al - Heir ash- Scharqi in the desert of Syria, two palaces on south bank of the Euphrates River across from al-Raqqa, as well Chirbat al - Mafdjar in the Jordan Valley near Jericho.

Emirate of Córdoba

After the death of Hisham began under his successor, al - Walid II ( 743-744 ) of the rapid decline of the dynasty. After the fall of the Umayyads by the Abbasids founded by Abd ar -Rahman I. a grandson of Hisham, the Emirate of Córdoba in Al -Andalus. Thus the Umayyadendynastie could be continued in this part of the Islamic world until 1031.