Yazid b. Mu'awiya: Difference between revisions

In the [[peace treaty]] of [[Imam al-Hasan (a)]], it was mentioned that Mu'awiya should not appoint a [[successor]] for himself and must leave choosing of the caliph to Muslim community. After the martyrdom of Imam al-Hasan (a), Mu'awiya did not respect the peace treaty and ordered his governors and agents to praise Yazid and send groups from big cities to give allegiance to him. People of [[Medina]] opposed to the allegiance more seriously than other cities. Mu'awiya gave gifts to the poets who were against Yazid and changed their ideas. He also travelled to Medina to take allegiance of people, but he could not force Imam al-Husayn (a), [['Abd Allah b. Zubayr]] and [['Abd Allah b. 'Umar]] and [['Abd al-Rahman]] to give allegiance to Yazid.

After the death of Mu'awiya, Yazid became the ruler. He was the first person who reached caliphate by the appointment of his father in a hereditary manner contrary to the tradition of previous caliphs. According to historical sources, Yazid suppressed any objection during his rule. On the first day, he wrote a letter to the governor of Medina and informed him of the death of Mu'awiya and ordered him to force [[Husayn b. Ali (a)]], 'Abd Allah b. 'Umar, [['Abd al-Rahman b. Abi Bakr]] and 'Abd Allah b. Zubayr to give allegiance and to behead anyone who refused.

The short reign of Yazid was a period of great unrest, in which he tried to mercilessly extinguish any disagreeing current. Social and political freedom at his time was so limited. [[al-Mas'udi]] wrote, "The conducts of Yazid was the same as those of [[Pharaoh]]; rather, Pharaoh was more just than him among his people and more fair to the elite and masses". Yazid in the first year of his rule, killed [[al-Husayn (a)]] and the [[Ahl al-Bayt (a)]] of the Prophet (s); in the second year, he disrespected the sanctuary of the [[Messenger of God (s)]] in [[Medina]], and made it permissible for his soldiers to do what they wanted with its people; and in the third year, he attacked [[Ka'ba]] and burned it.

The oppression and crimes that Yazid committed during his short reign marked the beginning of a series of uprisings and revolts against the [[Umayyad]] dynasty, and finally overthrew it.