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| Caliph Sulayman | |
|---|---|
| Name | Sulayman ibn Abd al-Malik |
| Native name | سُلَيْمَان بن عبد الملك |
| Title | Umayyad caliph |
| Reign | 715–717 |
| Predecessor | Al-Walid I |
| Successor | Umar II |
| Dynasty | Umayyad Caliphate |
| Father | Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan |
| Birth date | 674 |
| Death date | 717 |
| Burial place | Damascus |
Caliph Sulayman
Sulayman ibn Abd al-Malik was the Umayyad ruler from 715 to 717, noted for directing campaigns against Byzantine Empire frontiers, reshaping provincial appointments in Al-Andalus and Khorasan, and altering succession arrangements following Al-Walid I. His reign intersected with figures such as Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf, Maslama ibn Abd al-Malik, Yazid ibn al-Muhallab, and events including the Siege of Constantinople (717–718), the consolidation of Umayyad authority in Iraq, and the reallocation of military governorships across Bilad al-Sham and Ifriqiya.
Born into the Marwanid branch of the ruling Umayyad family, Sulayman was a son of Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan and brother to Al-Walid I and Yazid II. He grew up amid rivalries involving figures such as Hisham ibn Isma'il and served under established governors including Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf and commanders like Maslama ibn Abd al-Malik and Khalid al-Qasri. His early assignments connected him to provinces such as Egypt, Iraq, and Syria and to administrative centers like Damascus and Medina, bringing him into contact with tribal leaders from Banu Umayya, Banu Tamim, Banu Qays, and military elites educated under the policies of Abd al-Malik and Al-Walid I. As Al-Walid’s health declined, succession maneuvers involved personalities like Zayd al-Qaysi and Ibn al-Walid, culminating in Sulayman’s nomination over contenders allied with Al-Hajjaj and Yazid ibn al-Muhallab.
Sulayman’s accession followed the death of Al-Walid I and was marked by immediate reorganization of provincial command: he replaced Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf’s appointees with figures loyal to him, appointing governors such as Yazid ibn al-Muhallab in Basra, Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad’s rivals in Kufa, and military leaders like Maslama ibn Abd al-Malik for western expeditions. His policy shifts affected power holders including Khalid ibn Abdallah al-Qasri and tribal magnates of Hejaz and Yemen, while his court in Damascus engaged diplomats from Constantinople, envoys from Coptic clergy in Egypt, and merchants tied to Alexandria and Palmyra.
Domestically, Sulayman undertook fiscal and administrative changes impacting provincial finances in Iraq, Ifriqiya, and Hims; he intervened in tax arrangements formerly overseen by Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf and sought to curb the influence of rival families like Banu Kalb and Banu Umayya branches. He reconfigured key governorships, elevating allies such as Al-Walid ibn Rifa'a and entrusting frontier defense to commanders drawn from Khorasan veterans and Syrian tribal contingents including Banu Tayy and Banu Judham. Judicial and religious appointments brought him into contact with jurists and scholars influenced by figures like Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri and teachers associated with Medina and Kufa, while urban centers such as Damascus, Jerusalem, and Fustat felt changes in provisioning and public works.
Sulayman prioritized offensive operations against the Byzantine Empire, endorsing naval raids led by captains from Alexandria and overland thrusts by commanders like Maslama ibn Abd al-Malik toward Anatolia and Constantinople. He supported preparations that preceded the Siege of Constantinople (717–718) and coordinated with leaders such as Umar ibn al-Aqta and Ammar ibn Yasir in frontier theaters. In the west, campaigns in Iberia and Maghreb involved interactions with governors of Al-Andalus and Ifriqiya and figures including Tariq ibn Ziyad’s successors and local Berber leaders. Diplomacy with the Byzantine court, frontier skirmishes in Cilicia, and engagements with nomadic groups of Transoxiana and Khurasan reflected broader competition with powers such as the Khazar Khaganate and local Armenian princes.
As his term neared its end, Sulayman altered the succession established by predecessors, designating his cousin Umar II as successor instead of contenders linked to Al-Hajjaj or Yazid ibn al-Muhallab. His final days were spent in Damascus amid disputes with provincial elites and commanders returning from frontier campaigns. He died in 717 during preparations for renewed offensives; his burial in Syria preceded the accession of Umar II, whose policies contrasted with Sulayman’s appointments and whose reforms engaged jurists and officials from Medina and Kufa.
Historians view Sulayman as a transitional Umayyad ruler whose decisions reshaped appointments affecting Iraq, Ifriqiya, and Al-Andalus and whose military emphasis set the stage for the later Siege of Constantinople (717–718). Chroniclers such as al-Tabari, Ibn al-Athir, and regional annalists debated his motives regarding fiscal realignments, patronage of commanders like Maslama ibn Abd al-Malik, and disputes with governors tied to Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf and Yazid ibn al-Muhallab. Modern scholarship on the Umayyad Caliphate situates his reign amid transitions involving tribal politics of Banu Qays and Banu Kalb, frontier pressures from Byzantium and Khazar incursions, and evolving administrative practices in Syrian and Iraqi provinces. His brief rule influenced subsequent caliphal selections, provincial governance, and campaigns that continued under Umar II and later Umayyad rulers.
Category:Umayyad caliphs Category:8th-century Arab people