The Role of Ziyād b. ‘Ubayd in Completion of the Umayyads’ Administrative Organizations

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

• Hāniya Bayk
• ‘Abbās‘alī Tafaḍḍulī
• Mahdī Jalīlī

10.22067/history.v0i0.11753

Abstract

Ziyād b. ‘Ubayd, as one of the four Arab ingenious figures, had a very impressive role in consolidation of the foundations of Umayyads’ rule. As the son of ‘Ubayd, the Anatolian salve of Ḥārith b. Kalda Thaqafī, and Sumayya, his infamous slave girl, he was put in Mu‘āwiya service after his adoption by Abū Sufyān in 44/664 and a year later was appointed as the governor of Baṣra. Ziyād’s managerial method and his personality traits prompted Mu‘āwiya to entrust him with the reign of Kūfa in 55/671, too. Having gained experience for three decades in the ruling system of the Baṣra governors and then as the governor of Fārs province, and this time as the first governor of Iraq, he took measures that were remarkable in the completion of the Umayyads’ administrative organization. Among those measures are correcting Baṣra’s and Kūfa’s public treasury (‘aṭā’) council, regulating taxation and financial affairs, completion of taxation (istīfā) and
seal-keeping (khātan) councils, organizing the caliph’s meetings with people, causing Arabs to migrate to Khurāsān, and administrative regulations in this province.
Keywords: Ziyād, Baṣra, Kūfa, council (dīvān), Iraq, Ummyads, Mu‘āwiya.

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