page_title: Yazid III
section_title: Rebellion
hierarchical_section_title: Yazid III / Rebellion
caption_attribution_description: English: This unusual green glass weight is among the earliest dated Islamic objects (other than coins) in any American museum. In addition to the name al-Walid, who was the financial director of the Damascus treasury, the weight's inscription, stamped on top in an angular script known as kufic, evokes Yazid III, a caliph, or ruler, of the Umayyad Dynasty (661-750).
context_page_description: Yazid ibn al-Walid ibn 'Abd al-Malik or Yazid III was the twelfth Umayyad caliph. He reigned for six months, from April 15 to October 3 or 4, 744, and died in that office.
context_section_description: During the reign of his cousin al-Walid II, Yazid spoke out against Walid's "immorality" which included discrimination on behalf of the Banu Qays Arabs against Yemenis and non-Arab Muslims, and Yazid received further support from the Qadariya and Murji'iya (believers in human free will). Yazid slipped into Damascus and deposed Walid in a coup, following this up with a disbursement of funds from the treasury.
  According to Yazid's own account, Yazid sent Abd al-Aziz ibn al-Hajjaj to meet Walid at al-Bakhra'. 'Abd al-Aziz offered to set up a tribal assembly (shura) to decide the future of the realm. Walid rejected this offer and attacked, by which action he lost his life. Yazid had Walid's head hoisted "on a lance and paraded around Damascus"; Yazid then imprisoned Walid's sons 'Uthman and Hakam, whom Walid had designated as his heirs.
  On accession, Yazid explained that he had rebelled on behalf of the Book of Allah and the Sunna of His Prophet, and that this entailed ensuring that the strong not prey upon the weak. He promised "to engage in no building works, squander no money on wives or children, transfer no money from one province to another" without reason, "keep no troops on the field too long", and not to overtax the ahl al-dhimma; instead, he would eschew discrimination and would make his payments on time. He promised abdication if he failed to meet these goals, and held in principle to al-amr shura – to an elected caliphate.
  Tabari records Yazid's nickname "the Diminisher (Naqis)", given because he reduced military annuities by 10%, whereas his predecessor had promised a raise. According to Islamic popular tradition, recorded in an apocalyptic style, Yazid would go himself into the marketplace.
  The city of Homs refused allegiance to Yazid, and there were several other dissident movements against him. Another cousin, Marwan ibn Muhammad ibn Marwan, governor of Armenia, had initially supported Walid and on Walid's death entered Iraq to avenge him. Marwan eventually rallied around Yazid.
caption: Pound weight's inscription, stamped on top in an angular script known as kufic, evokes Yazid III.[10]
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