Yazid ibn al-Muhallab

Who was Yazid ibn al-Muhallab?

Yazid ibn al-Muhallab was a provincial governor in the time of the Umayyad dynasty and the progenitor of the Muhallabid family that became important in early Abbasid times.

In A.H. 78 al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf, the Caliphate's viceroy of the eastern provinces, appointed Yazid's father al-Muhallab ibn Abi Suffrah as governor of Khurasan. In A.H. 82 al-Muhallab's son Mughirah died and al-Muhallab sent Yazid to replace him. Soon afterwards al-Muhallab died and al-Hajjaj appointed Yazid governor of Khorasan. There Yazid confronted external and internal enemies, including some rebels entering his province who were supporters of Abd al-Rahman ibn Muhammad ibn al-Ash'ath. Yazid defeated them. Yazid seized Nizak's fortress and made peace with him.

In A.H. 85 al-Hajjaj replaced Yazid naming his younger brother al-Mufaddal governor of Khurasan. Various reasons are suggested, including that al-Hajjaj encountered a prophecy that his successor would be named Yazid and al-Hajjaj considered this Yazid the only one threatening enough to worry about. Al-Hajjaj imprisoned and tortured Yazid. In A.H. 90 Yazid disguised escaped and made his way to Palestine where he was granted refuge by Suleiman ibn Abd al-Malik. Al-Hajjaj pressed Caliph al-Walid I who commanded his brother to send him Yazid in chains. Suleiman had his own son chained to Yazid approach the caliph and speak favouring Yazid's safety. Al-Walid accepted this and told al-Hajjaj to desist. Yazid returned to Suleiman and the two were very close to each other.