Abd al-Aziz ibn al-Walid

Abd al-Aziz ibn al-Walid (Arabic: عبد العزيز بن الوليد‎; died 728/9) was a member of the Umayyad dynasty and a military leader in the wars against the Byzantine Empire during the reign of his father, Caliph al-Walid I (reigned 705–715).[1] The latter also appointed Abd al-Aziz governor of Jund Dimashq (District of Damascus).[2][3] Abd al-Aziz's mother was Umm al-Banin, a daughter of al-Walid's paternal uncle, Abd al-Aziz ibn Marwan.[4] He was regarded by his father as "the sayyid, the most forceful personality, amongst his sons".[3]

Abd al-Aziz led his first campaign against the Byzantines in Asia Minor in 709, when he captured a fortress, although his uncle Maslama ibn Abd al-Malik led the main raid of the year afterwards.[5] In 710 he led the main Umayyad attack, although under the auspices of Maslama as commander-in-chief for the Byzantine front,[6] and in 713 he led an attack against the frontier fortress of Gazelon.[7]

In 714/15, his father attempted to reverse the succession arrangement, by which the throne would pass to his brother Sulayman, in favour of Abd al-Aziz.[1] In addition to various officials and poets in al-Walid's court, Abd al-Aziz gained the support of the powerful viceroy of the eastern half of the Caliphate, al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf, who died in 714, the governor of Khurasan, Qutayba ibn Muslim, and a prominent Alid of Medina, Zayd, the son of Hasan ibn Ali.[3][8] Nonetheless, he was unable to impose his will.[1] When Sulayman in turn died in northern Syria in 717, Abd al-Aziz intended to claim the throne in Damascus, but upon learning that his maternal uncle Umar II had been chosen as caliph, he presented himself before him and acknowledged his rule.[1][3] According to the account of al-Waqidi, during their encounter, Umar informed Abd al-Aziz that he would not have disputed his accession, to which Abd al-Aziz replied: "I would not like anyone else but you to have taken over the office".[9] Abd al-Aziz died in Anno Hegirae 110 (728/729 CE).[1]