Al-Walid II

Al-Walid ibn Yazid ibn Abd al-Malik, commonly known as al-Walid II, was the eleventh Umayyad caliph, ruling from 743 until his assassination in 744. He succeeded his uncle, Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik. He has the distinction of being the last Umayyad caliph to receive broad recognition across the empire; none of his successors—Yazid ibn al-Walid, who deposed him in 744, Ibrahim ibn al-Walid, and Marwan ibn Muhammad, who sought to avenge al-Walid—secured widespread obedience. His assassination directly sparked the Third Fitna (744–747).