Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf

Who was Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf?

Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf was a controversial Arab administrator, politician and minister of defence of the Umayyad caliphate.

Al-Hajjaj was an intelligent and tough ruler. He has also been described as draconian, although modern historical treatments acknowledge the influence of later Abbasid historians and biographers who were opposed to the fiercely loyal and pro-Umayyad al-Hajjaj. Al-Hajjaj bin Yousef played a crucial role in the selection of military commanders. He instilled discipline in the soldier ranks which led to the successful expansion of the Islamic empire to its farthest extent. He ensured all important records were translated into Arabic, and for the first time he convinced caliph Abd Al-Malik to adopt a special currency for the Muslim world. This led to war with the Byzantine Empire under Justinian II. The Byzantines were led by Leontios at the Battle of Sebastopolis in 692 and were decisively defeated.