Editing Marwan II (section)

==Reign==
When [[Yazid III]] persisted in overthrowing [[al-Walid II]], Marwan at first opposed him, then rendered allegiance to him. On Yazid's early death (Yazid named his brother [[Ibrahim ibn al-Walid]] as his successor. Yazid fell ill of a brain tumour<ref>Dionysius of Telmahre ''apud'' Hoyland, 661 n 193</ref>), Marwan renewed his ambitions, ignored Yazid's named successor [[Ibrahim ibn al-Walid|Ibrahim]], and became caliph. Ibrahim initially hid, then requested Marwan give him assurances of personal safety. This Marwan granted and Ibrahim even accompanied the new caliph to [[Hisham]]'s residence of Rusafah.
[[File:Caliphate 750.jpg|thumb|300px|alt=Old map of western Eurasia and northern Africa showing the expansion of the Caliphate from Arabia to cover most of the Middle East, with the Byzantine Empire outlined in green|The expansion of the Muslim Caliphate until 750, from [[William R. Shepherd]]'s ''Historical Atlas''.<br />{{legend2|#df9860|Muslim state at the death of [[Muhammad]]}} {{legend2|#c29d44|Expansion under the [[Rashidun Caliphate]]}} {{legend2|#e4af90|Expansion under the [[Umayyad Caliphate]]}} {{legend-line|#99a53a solid 5px|[[Byzantine Empire]]}}]]
Marwan named his two sons Ubaydallah and Abdullah heirs. He appointed governors and proceeded to assert his authority by force. However, the anti-Umayyad feeling was very prevalent, especially in [[Iran]] and [[Iraq]]. The [[Abbasids]] had gained much support. As such, Marwan's reign as caliph was almost entirely devoted to trying to keep the Umayyad empire together.

Marwan took [[Homs|Emesa (Homs)]] after a bitter ten-month siege. [[Al-Dahhak ibn Qays al-Shaybani]] led a [[Kharijite]] rebellion. He defeated the Syrian forces and took [[Kufa]]. [[Sulayman ibn Hisham]] turned against Marwan, but suffered a severe defeat. The Kharijites advanced on [[Mosul]] and were defeated. Sulayman joined them. Al-Dahhak's successor al-Khaybari was initially successful in pushing back Marwan's center and even took the caliph's camp and sat on his carpet. However, he and those with him fell into fighting in the camp. Shayban succeeded him. Marwan pursued him and Sulayman to Mosul and besieged them there for six months. Then, reinforced, the caliph drove them out. Shayban fled to [[Eastern Arabia|Bahrayn]] where he was killed; Sulayman sailed to [[Indian subcontinent|India]].

In [[Greater Khorasan|Khurasan]] there was internal discord, with the Umayyad governor [[Nasr ibn Sayyar]] facing opposition from [[al-Harith ibn Surayj|al-Harith]] and [[Juday' al-Kirmani|al-Kirmani]]. They also fought each other. In addition, Abbasid envoys arrived. There had long been religious fervor and a kind of messianic expectation of Abbasid ascendency. During [[Ramadan]] of 747 (16 May – 14 June), the Abbasids unfurled the standards of their revolt. Nasr sent his retainer Yazid against them. Yazid, however, was bested, taken, and held captive. He was impressed by the Abbasids and when released told Nasr he wanted to join them, but his obligations to Nasr brought him back.

Fighting continued throughout Khurasan with the Abbasids gaining increasing ascendency. Finally, Nasr fell sick and died at Rayy on 9 November 748 at the age of eighty-five.

Marwan campaigned in Egypt in 749 to quell the [[Bashmuric Revolt]] and secure his rear, but his campaign was a failure.{{sfn|Gabra|2003|p=116}} The Abbasids, meanwhile, achieved success in the [[Hejaz|Hijaz]]. Marwan suffered a decisive defeat by [[Abu al-Abbas al-Saffah]] on the banks of the [[Great Zab]], called [[Battle of the Zab]]. At this battle alone, over 300 members of the Umayyad family died. Marwan fled, leaving Damascus, [[Jund al-Urdunn|Jordan]] and [[Jund Filastin|Palestine]] and reaching [[Egypt]], where he was caught and killed on 6 August 750. His heirs Ubaydallah and Abdallah escaped to modern [[Eritrea]]. Abdallah died in fighting there.

Marwan's death signaled the end of Umayyad fortunes in the East and was followed by the mass killing of Umayyads by the Abbasids. Almost the entire Umayyad dynasty was killed, except for the prince [[Abd ar-Rahman I|Abd ar-Rahman]] who escaped to [[Spain]] and founded an Umayyad dynasty there. In Egypt, Marwan's tongue was fed to a cat.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Bobrick|first=Benson|title=The Caliph's Splendor: Islam and the West in the Golden Age of Baghdad|publisher=Simon & Schuster|year=2012|isbn=978-1416567622|pages=12}}</ref>