Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik

Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik (691–6 February 743) (Arabic: ‫ )هشام بن عبد الملك‬was an
Umayyad caliph who ruled from 723 until his death in 743. When he was born in 691
his mother named him after her father.

Inheriting the caliphate from his brother Yazid II, Hisham was ruling an empire with
many different problems. He would, however, be effective in attending to these
problems, and in allowing the Umayyad empire to continue as an entity. His long rule
was an effective one, and it saw a rebirth of reforms that were originated by Umar bin
Abd al-Aziz.

Like his brother al-Walid I, Hisham was a great patron of the arts, and he again
encouraged arts in the empire. He also encouraged the growth of education by
building more schools, and perhaps most importantly, by overseeing the translation of
numerous literary and scientific masterpieces into Arabic. He returned to a stricter
interpretation of the Sharia as Umar had, and enforced it, even upon his own family.
His ability to stand up to the Umayyad clan may have been an important factor in his
success, and may point to why his brother Yazid was ineffective.

On the military front his empire suffered a series of setbacks, including in

Transoxiana. Hisham sent armies to end the Hindu rebellion in Sindh, and was
successful when the Hindu ruler Jai Singh was killed. This allowed the Umayyads to
reassert their rule over some portions of their provinces in India. In Spain, the internal
conflicts of the years past were ended, and Hisham's governor, Abd ar Rahman ibn
Abdallah, assembled a large army that went into France. He besieged Bordeaux and
pushed to the Loire. This marked the limit of Arabic conquest in Western Europe. The
wave was halted at the Battle of Tours by Charles Martel.

Under Hisham's rule, regular raids against the Byzantines continued. One regular
commander of Arab forces was the redoubtable Maslamah, Hisham's brother. He
fought the Byzantines in A.H. 107 (725-726) and the next year captured Caesarea
Mazaca. He also opposed Turks in the Caucasus. In A.H. 110 he fought for a month
against the Khaqan there and defeated him. Mu'awiyah ibn Hisham was another Arab
commander in the almost annual raids against the Byzantine Empire. In A.H. 110 he
took the fort of Samalu in Cilicia. The next year Mu'awiyah thrust left and Sa'id ibn
Hisham right. In addition there was also a sea raid. In A.H. 112 Mu'awiyah captured
Kharsianon in Cappadocia.

Mu'awiyah raided the Byzantine Empire in A.H. 113 (731-732). The next year he
captured Aqrun (Akroinos), while Abdallah al-Battal took a Byzantine commander
prisoner. Mu'awiyah raided Byzantinium in A.H. 115, 116, 117 and 118. In A.H. 119
(737) al Walid ibn al Qa'qa al-Absi led the raid against the Byzantines. The next year
Sulayman captured Sindirah (Sideroun). In A.H. 121 (738-739) Maslamah captured
some of Cappadocia and also raided the Avars. Theophanes the Confessor (p. 103)
states that while some Arabs raided successfully in 739 and returned home safely,
others were soundly defeated. See Battle of Akroinon. He records that internal
Byzantine strife facilitated Arab raids by Sulayman in 741-742 (p. 106) that resulted
in many Byzantines made Arab captives. At Tabari refers to the same raid. (v. 26, p.
68)

In North Africa, Kharijite teachings combined with natural local restlessness to

produce a significant Berber revolt. In 740 A large Berber force surrounded a loyal
army at Wadi Sherif. The loyalists fought to the death. Hisham dispatched a force of
27,000 Syrians. This was destroyed in 741. In 742 Handhala ibn Safwan began
successfully, but soon was besieged in Qairawan. He led a desperate sortie from the
city that scattered the Berbers, killing thousands and re-establishing Umayyad rule.

Hisham also faced a revolt by the armies of Zayd bin Ali, grandson of Husayn bin Ali,
which was however easily put down. Zayd had faced litigation. He had been initially
favoured by Hisham, though the caliph was displeased by Zayd's suggestions that
Zayd was superior. Kufans encouraged Zayd to revolt. Zayd was ordered to leave
Kufah and though he appeared to set out for Mecca, he returned and dwelt secretly in
Kufah moving from house to house and receiving the allegiance of many people.
Yusuf ibn Umar, Iraq's governor, learned of the plot, commanded the people to gather
at the great mosque, locked them inside and began a search for Zayd.

Zayd with some troops fought his way to the mosque and called on people to come
out. He then pushed back Yusuf's troops, but was felled by an arrow. Although his
body was initially buried, the spot was pointed out and it was extracted, beheaded and
the head sent to Hisham and later to Medina.

Despite Hisham's successes, the Abbasids continued to gain power, building power
bases in Khurasan and Iraq. However, they would not prove strong enough to make a
move yet. Some of them were caught, punished or executed by eastern governors.

Hisham died of diphtheria on Wednesday, February 6, 743. He impressed others with

his simplicity and honesty. He wore the same green cloak he had worn since before
becoming caliph. He demonstrated he knew how to make bread and to milk a goat. He
was conscientious in administering the finances of the empire. As all the Marwanids,
he did not draw the military stipend, unless actually on campaign. He dwelt in the
desert to avoid plague. Near the Byzantine site of al-Rusafah he built two castles.
Hisham was succeeded by his nephew al-Walid ibn Yazid ibn Abd al-Malik Walid II.