Q. & A. 711 to 1707 with solved Papers css 1971 to date

Rebellions in Khurasan and Transoxiana
While peace reigned in Iraq and Persia, a series of rebellions occurred in Khurasan and Central Asia. They were due to three causes: Firstly, the tribal rivalry of the Modhar and Himyar which caused a violent dispute among the Arab tribes of Khurasan, and was crushed after some difficulty. Secondly, the governors of Khurasan, who were frequently changed, continued to collect Jazya from those non-Muslim Sogdians who had accepted Islam in spite of the promise that they would be exempted from it if they become Muslim. When the governor of Khurasan tried to reimpose Jazya on them the Sogdians became angry and renounced Islam and rose into revolt against their Muslim rulers. Many pious Muslims, believing the Sogdians justified on their complaint, also took their side and
Syed Ameer Ali, A Short History of the Saracens, P. 137.

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revolted under their leader Haris. Thirdly, the prince of the Turks called the Khaqan, who was in the neighbouring territories of the Central Asia, and was eager to fish in the troubled waters of that province, invaded the Muslim territories in Transoxiana. Several attempts were made to suppress these rebellions, but to no avail.
At last in 735 A.D. the viceroy, Khalid al-Qasri sent his younger brother, Asad to Khurasan as its governor. Asad al-Qasri defeated the Sogdians in 736 A.D. and also the Arab rebels under their leader Haris. Most of these rebels, including Haris, fled to the land of the Khaqan who invaded Transoxiana in 736 A.D. When Asad received the news of Khaqan’s invasion, he left Balkh, which was his capital, and fought a battle with the invader near Khottal. But the battle ended indecisively and as winter approached, Asad retired to Balkh, while the Khaqan went to Tukharistan. Next year, in 737 A.D., Asad again marched against the Turkish hordes, because the Khaqan was preparing to attack Samarqand. In an engagement, the Khaqan was killed and his leaderless hordes fled across the borders into their land. The news of Khaqan’s death was received with great joy at Damascus, for he was a great foe of Islarn. Asad, the brave governor, died a few months after his victory. In his place, the Caliph appointed Nasr bin Sayyar as the governor. Nasr’s task was already made easier by Asad’s victories. He won the favour of the Mawali by exempting them from the payment of Jazya.
Khalid al-Qasri, also, did not remain the viceroy long after the death of his younger brother. Though an able administrator, yet he had powerful enemies who constantly filled the ears of the Caliph against his viceroy of Iraq. For a long time Hisham denied their accusations and refused to dismiss him. But at last, in 739 A.D. Khalid al-Qasri was suddenly removed from his office and his enemy, Yusaf bin Umar, a Modharite of the Fazara tribe, was appointed in his place. The causes of Khalid’s dismissal were firstly: his hostility to the Modharite faction; secondly, his alleged hostility of Islam. His mother was a Christian, for whom he got a church constructed in Kufa.
This displeased the Orthodox Muslims in Iraq. But the real reason which prompted Hisham to dismiss him was his great wealth which he had accumulated by his good management of his increasing estates, and by speculation in the sale of corn.2 Khalid, who had
; Muhammad Arshad, Islamic History. P. 201

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ruled the province with vigour and justice. His successful and tolerant administration had raised a host of enemies, and they poisoned the mind of Hisham against hini. The chief ground of suspicion against him was that he favoured the Hashimides (the descendants of Hashim). Probably Hisham was also influenced by avarice, for he suspected that during the fifteen years Khalid had held office, he had amassed a large fortune by peculation.
During Khalid’s time prosperity reigned particularly due to the engineering and irrigation works of Hassan al-Nabati. The swamps in the Tigris were dried around Wasit and extensive areas were reclaimed for irrigation. After fifteen years of service Khalid fell from the grace of Khalifah Hisham on account of the embezzlement of public treasury and his attachment with the Banu Hashim. He squandered the revenue and one-third of which amounting 13,000,000 dirhams he had appropriated himself. He was punished and forced to repay the amounts appropriated and squandered. A successful governor like him also was not free from corruption which speaks the trend of government and the character of officials the Umayyads had. But as soon as the strong hand of Hisham was removed trouble arose in Iraq. Yusuf bin Umar and the and Insurrection
During the viceroyalty of Yusuf bin Umar, the peace in Iraq of the days of, Khalid al-Qasri was disturbed by a rising of the Alids. One of the great-grandsons of Hazrat Ali, named Zaid, had come from Medina to Kufa. There was a large number of the supporters of the family of Hazrat Ali in Kufa, who persuaded Zaid to rise against the Umayyads whose power, they said, had been shaken. Zaid accepted their pleadings and began to collect a force and to take the oath of aUegiance to himself. Fifteen thousand Kufans enrolled themselves in his army. Yusuf was at first in the dark about this conspiracy, till it was disclosed to him by two of Zaid’s followers.
Upon this, the Viceroy threatened the Kufans with dire consequences if they revolted. So a large number of them remained calm, while only 218 men rose in rebellion with Zaid. Yusuf defeated them with a body of 2000 Syrians and killed Zaid. His son, Yahya, a youth of seventeen, fled to Khurasan and remained in hiding for several years, till he was captured and killed in the days of Walid II. The death of Zaid was ultimately a blow to the Umayyad
1 S.M Imamuddm, P 72
Hisham
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dynasty, because it strengthened the cause of the Ahl-ul-Bait, and the propaganda of the Abbasids who were now actively agitating against the hated Umayyads. It was during these troubled days that Abu Muslim, the great Abbasid propagandist, appeared in the East to lead their movement against Umayyads.