Atika bint Yazid explained

Atika bint Yazid
عاتكة بنت يزيد
Zawjat al khalifa
Succession:Consort of Umayyad caliph
Reign:686 – October 705
Reign-Type:Tenure
Spouse:Abd al-Malik
Issue:
  • Mu'awiya ibn Abd al-Malik
  • Umm Kulthum bint Abd al-Malik
Full Name:Atika bint Yazid ibn Mu'awiya
Birth Place:Damascus, Umayyad Caliphate
Death Place:Damascus, Umayyad Caliphate (now Syria)
Place Of Burial:Damascus
Dynasty:Umayyad
Father:Yazid I
Religion:Islam

Atika bint Yazid (Arabic: عاتكة بنت يزيد|translit=ʿĀtika bint Yazīd) was an Umayyad princess. She was the daughter of Yazid I, and wife of Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan.

Life

Atika was the daughter of second Umayyad caliph Yazid. She was the sister of third Umayyad caliph Mu'awiya II. Before Yazid I died, he had the bay'ah made to his son. Mu'awiya II succeeded his father in Damascus in 64 AH (November 683 CE), at an age of somewhere between 17. Her brother died in 684 and he was succeeded by succeeded by her Father-in-law Marwan, he ruled for one year and died in 685. Marwan was succeeded by her husband Abd al-Malik as the fifth Umayyad caliph. She was the influential wife of Abd al-Malik, her elder son was nominated heir of the Caliphate.

By dint of his descent, her son Yazid was a natural candidate for the succession to the caliphate. A noble Arab maternal lineage held political weight during this period in the Caliphate's history, and Yazid took pride in his maternal Sufyanid descent, viewing himself superior to his Marwanid brothers. He was chosen by his paternal half-brother Caliph Sulayman as the second-in-line for the caliphate after their first cousin Umar II, who ruled from 717 to 720. Yazid acceded at the age of 29 following the death of Umar II on 9 February 720. Yazid II's pedigree united his father's Marwanid branch of the Umayyad dynasty, in power since 684, and the Sufyanid branch of Yazid I and the latter's father Mu'awiya I, founder of the Umayyad Caliphate.

Atika and Abd al-Malik had sons; Yazid II, Marwan al-Asghar, Mu'awiya and a daughter, Umm Kulthum. from their marriage.

However, Atika was known as she was a relative to twelve Umayyad caliphs out of fourteen. This enabled her to take off her Hijab in front of them. No other known woman that had such number of mahrams between caliphs.[1]

She survived the death of her grandson Al Walid II.[2]

Caliphs related to her

The Caliphs who were related to her are:

No.CaliphRelation
1Mu'awiya IGrandfather
2Yazid IFather
3Mu'awiya IIBrother
4Marwan IFather-in-law
5Abd al-MalikHusband
6Al-Walid IStep-sons
7Sulayman
9Yazid IISon
10HishamStep-son
11Al-Walid IIGrandson
12Yazid IIIStep-grandsons
13Ibrahim ibn al-Walid

See also

References

  1. Web site: لحلقة (29) عاتكة بنت يزيد بن معاوية (العالمة السّخيّة (Atikah bint Yazid bin Muwaiyah, The Generous scholar (Arabic)). https://archive.today/20130628101929/http://www.alssunnah.com/main/articles.aspx?selected_article_no=5467. dead. 2013-06-28. alssunnah.com. 2015-02-11.
  2. Web site: موسوعة شبكة المعرفة الريفية (Atikah bint Yazid bin Muwaiyah (Arabic)) . https://web.archive.org/web/20150211141641/http://encyc.reefnet.gov.sy/?page=entry&id=268522 . dead . 2015-02-11 . encyc.reefnet.gov.sy . 2015-02-11 .

Bibliography