Mukhtar a Biograghy

Chapter 13 - Ubaydallah Ziyad in Damascus On reaching Damascus, Ubaydallah Ziyad meets with Marwan Hakam to discuss the question of Yazeed's succession; Marwan Hakam informs him of the three candidates (Umar Bashir Ansaree, Khalid Yazeed and Abdulla Zobayr).

Marwan tells Ubaydallah Ziyad that the consensus in Damascus is that the local Umar Bashir Ansaree should be offered the office of the Khalifa.

Ubaydallah Ziyad is against Khalid Yazeed (Yazeed's twelve year old son) to be the Khalifa as Khalid would betray them as his father (Yazeed) did; Ubaydallah Ziyad says that Yazeed had sent an order in writing to him not to spare Imam Husein's (as) life at any cost, but after Kerbala, Yazeed denied issuing any such orders alleging that the massacre at Kerbala was not of his orders, but the doings of Ubaydallah Ziyad and Shimr etc, and this betrayal displeased Ubaydallah Ziyad.

Ubaydallah Ziyad wants Marwan Hakam to be the Khalifa instead of giving the office to anyone else; Marwan Hakam initially refuses saying that he will not get any support, but Ubaydallah Ziyad offers his support which should in turn give credence to his candidature; he would also give to Marwan Hakam the treasures which he brought from Kufa, together with the hidden treasures of Yazeed that Ubaydallah Ziyad knew of, to be used for bribing the prominent people for their support; the condition for Ubaydallah Ziyad's help is that he should be made the Commander in Chief of the army.

Marwan Hakam agrees and Ubaydallah Ziyad immediately swears allegiance to Marwan Hakam; Ubaydallah Ziyad shows Marwan Hakam the hidden treasures of Yazeed, which is now transferred to Marwan Hakam's safekeeping.

Ubaydallah Ziyad takes to his ways of forcing people to swear allegiance to Marwan Hakam or face persecution and execution; in the midst of prevailing persecution, one Zufar Haris escapes from Damascus to Qarqisiya, which is a town between Damascus and Kufa; from Qarqisiya, Zufar Haris, who was a supporter of Abdulla Zobayr in Mecca and against Ubaydallah Ziyad, tries unsuccessfully to remove Ubaydallah Ziyad's and Marwan Hakam's influence in Damascus.

Ubaydallah Ziyad advises Marwan Hakam to marry Yazeed's widow, Khalid's mother, in order to consolidate Marwan Hakam's power; having established his authoritative influence with Marwan Hakam in Damascus, Ubaydallah Ziyad sets out to seek Sulayman Surad Khuzai and his group of the Tawwabun.