Sulayman ibn Abd al-Malik

Sulayman grew up the son of Caliph Abd al-Malik, spent years governing Palestine while resenting al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf, the powerful viceroy who ran Iraq and the east for his father and brother al-Walid I. He founded Ramla around 715, built the White Mosque, and razed Lydda to make his new city the district seat. When he became caliph that year, he swept out al-Hajjaj's network: Qutayba ibn Muslim, conqueror of Transoxiana, died in a mutiny anticipating dismissal; Muhammad ibn al-Qasim, who'd taken Sind, was executed; Musa ibn Nusayr, conqueror of Iberia, was deposed and his son assassinated. Sulayman replaced them with allies, chiefly Yazid ibn al-Muhallab, who invaded the Caspian coast in 716 but withdrew after defeat. The main thrust turned to Byzantium: the 717-718 siege of Constantinople collapsed in disaster. Sulayman died at Dabiq in September 717 during the siege, his eldest son already dead, and named his cousin Umar rather than another son or brother to succeed him.