Mu'awiya II
| Muawiya ibn Yazid Caliph in Damascus |
|
|---|---|
| 3rd Caliph of the Umayyad caliphate | |
| Reign | 683–684 CE |
| Predecessor | Yazīd ibn Mu‘āwiya |
| Successor | Marwan ibn al-Hakam |
| Born | c. 664 CE |
| Died | c. 684 CE |
| House | Sufyanid |
| Dynasty | Umayyad |
| Father | Yazid I |
| Arabic name | |
|---|---|
| Personal (Ism) |
Mu‘āwiyah معاوية |
| Patronymic (Nasab) |
ibn Yazīd بن يزيد |
| Teknonymic (Kunya) | Abū Laylā |
Muawiya II or Muawiya ibn Yazid (Arabic: معاوية بن يزيد, translit. Mu‘āwiyah ibn Yazīd; c. 664–684 CE) succeeded his father Yazid I as the third Umayyad caliph and last caliph of the Sufyanid line. He ruled briefly in 683-684 (64 AH) before he died.
Muawiya was the son of Yazid I and an unknown mother from the Kalb tribe. She is often confused with Umm Hashim Fakhita bint Abi Hashim, mother of Muawiya's half-brother Khalid ibn Yazid.
Before Yazid I died, he had the bay'ah made to his son Muawiya. Muawiya succeeded his father in Damascus in 64 AH (November 683 CE), at an age of somewhere between 17 and 23. He was supported by the Kalb tribe, but his authority was likely only recognised in Damascus and southern Syria, with Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr claiming the caliphate from his base in the Hejaz.
Muawiya's reign would have lasted for about 20 days to 4 months, but likely no more than 2 months. Given the short span of time, few events were possible, and some of those transmitted may be unreliable political and sectarian fabrications. These include:
What does seem certain, is that Muawiya continued his father's policy and remitted a third of the taxes. During his reign, Muawiya suffered from ill health and so had to stay in the Umayyad palace (al-Khaḍrā’) in Damascus. His adviser Al-Dahhak ibn Qays al-Fihri took care of practical affairs.
It is unclear how Muawiya died, although jaundice and a plague have been named as causes. Since he had no children and either refused or was not given the opportunity to appoint a successor, the campaigns against Ibn al-Zubayr's revolt came to a complete stop. Umayyad power temporarily collapsed until Marwan I took back control.
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