Maslama ibn Abd al-Malik

Long ago, a leader named Maslama lived.

He was a prince in a large land. He led many big groups of people.

He led them to far places. He even tried to take a great city. But the weather was very cold. The snow stayed on the ground for a long time. This made it hard for his people. After that, Maslama worked on big farms. He helped make the land better for food. He was a very busy man. Do you like to lead?

Maslama ibn Abd al-Malik was a famous prince and general.

He lived a long time ago. He belonged to the Umayyad ruling family. Maslama led many groups of soldiers. He fought against the Byzantine Empire. He also fought the Khazars.

One of his biggest jobs was a siege of Constantinople. A siege is when an army surrounds a city.

He led 120,000 men and 1,800 ships to the city. But the winter was very harsh. Deep snow covered the ground for three months. His men ran out of food. They also got sick. The siege failed, and he had to leave. Later, Maslama worked in Iraq. He was a governor there. He helped fix lands for farming. He spent much money to make the soil better. This helped grow more food. Even after his family lost power, his children were treated kindly. This was because people still respected his skill in battle.

Maslama ibn Abd al-Malik was a very famous prince and general.

He lived during the early 8th century. He belonged to the Umayyad family, which was a strong ruling group. Maslama was the son of the caliph Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan. He had many half-brothers who also became caliphs. Even though he was a prince, he could not be the top leader. This was because his mother was a slave concubine.

Maslama spent much of his life leading soldiers. He was a military governor for several places. These included Qinnasrin, Armenia, and the Jazira. This gave him control over the northern borders of the Caliphate. He led annual summer raids against the Byzantine Empire. He also led expeditions against the Khazar Khaganate. One major victory was at the city of Tyana in 708. His army fought through a hard winter to win that city.

One of his most famous jobs was a huge siege. In 715, his brother Sulayman asked him to take Constantinople. This was the capital of the Byzantine Empire. Maslama led a massive army of 120,000 men. He also brought 1,800 ships to help.

The siege lasted for thirteen long months. The winter was very cold and snowy. His soldiers ran out of food and became sick. The siege failed, and he had to leave in 718.

Later, Maslama moved to Iraq to serve as a governor. He had to stop a large revolt led by Yazid ibn al-Muhallab. Maslama was successful in this hard job in 720. However, the Caliph soon became worried about Maslama's power. The Caliph thought Maslama was becoming too strong. Because of this, Maslama was called away from his post. He was replaced by a man named Umar ibn Hubayra al-Fazari.

Even when he was not leading armies, Maslama was busy. He spent a lot of money on large estates. He worked to make land better for farming. He did this in the Balikh valley and southern Iraq. These lands were passed down to his children. Later, the Abbasid dynasty took the lands away in 750. Still, the Abbasids treated his family with respect. They did this because they honored his great reputation in battle.

Maslama ibn Abd al-Malik was a prominent Umayyad prince and Arab general during the early 8th century. He belonged to the Umayyad dynasty, which ruled the Caliphate at that time. As a son of the caliph Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan, he was the half-brother of several caliphs, including al-Walid I and Sulayman. However, Maslama was excluded from the line of succession for ruling the Caliphate. This was because his mother was a slave concubine. Despite this, he remained a central figure in military and political life.

Maslama's military career began with annual summer raids against the Byzantine Empire in Anatolia. By the year 709, he held several important governorships. He governed Qinnasrin in northern Syria, the Jazira in Upper Mesopotamia, Armenia, and Adharbayjan. This collection of roles gave him control over the entire northwestern frontier of the Caliphate. From these positions, he launched expeditions against the Khazars across the Caucasus mountains. He also fought the Byzantines, capturing cities like Melitene in 714.

One of his most significant military efforts was the Second Arab–Khazar War. Maslama was the first leader to establish a permanent presence north of the Caucasus. In 713 or 714, he led an expedition that captured the fortress of Derbent. He reportedly used a secret underground passage to enter the city. After capturing the fortress, he drove deeper into Khazar territory. However, he had to retreat to Iberia when Khazar reinforcements arrived. He left his camp equipment behind as a ruse to trick his enemies.

In 715, Maslama led one of the most famous military operations of his life. His brother, Caliph Sulayman, appointed him to capture the Byzantine capital, Constantinople. Maslama commanded a massive force of 120,000 men and 1,800 ships. The campaign was complicated by civil strife within the Byzantine Empire. Maslama attempted to negotiate with the Byzantine leader Leo the Isaurian. However, Leo used these talks to outwit the general and seize strategic territory.

The siege of Constantinople lasted for thirteen months and faced many hardships. In the summer of 717, Maslama's army crossed from Asia into Europe. They attacked the city by both land and sea. The Byzantine navy used a substance called Greek fire to neutralize the Arab fleet. A severe winter followed, with snow covering the ground for three months. The Arab army suffered from hunger and disease as supplies ran out. By August 15, 718, the new Caliph, Umar II, ordered a retreat.

After the failure at Constantinople, Maslama served as the governor of Iraq. His primary task was to suppress a large revolt led by Yazid ibn al-Muhallab. Maslama was successful in this mission in August 720. However, his time in Iraq ended due to political tension. The Caliph Yazid II feared Maslama's growing influence and power. He recalled Maslama from his post and replaced him with Umar ibn Hubayra al-Fazari. This recall was officially blamed on Maslama's failure to deliver tax revenues to Damascus.

Later in his life, Maslama focused on land development and agriculture. He invested large sums of money into extensive estates. He worked to reclaim and develop agricultural lands in the Balikh valley and the marshlands of southern Iraq. These lands were passed down to his descendants. When the Abbasid dynasty overthrew the Umayyads in 750, they confiscated most of these estates. However, the Abbasids did not persecute Maslama's family as harshly as others. They showed respect to his descendants because of his famous reputation on the battlefield.