The Chains That Brought a Caliph to His Knees

Al-Walid ibn Yazid faces armed men led by his former prisoner-will his reign survive and what becomes of the caliphate? The Chains That Brought a Caliph to His Knees This episode explores the dramatic fall of al-Walid ibn Yazid, the eleventh caliph of the Umayyad empire, who ruled for only fourteen months. What led to the swift downfall of a man destined for the throne? Person: al-Walid ibn Yazid Date: April 16, 744 Location: Al-Aghdaf, Jordan Empire: Umayyad Caliphate Reign Length: 14 months - Al-Walid ibn Yazid was designated heir to the Umayyad empire before he was old enough to govern. - His father, Yazid II, was persuaded to pass the succession to his brother Hisham instead of al-Walid, who was fifteen at the time. - Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik ruled for twenty-three years and was openly hostile to al-Walid, cutting his stipend and demanding he dismiss his companions. - In 735, Hisham formally pressed al-Walid to renounce his claim to succession in favor of Hisham's son, Maslama ibn Hisham. - Upon Hisham's death in 743, al-Walid became caliph at thirty-three and immediately imprisoned Sulayman ibn Hisham, his uncle's son. To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com. © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved. This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].