1. Incapable Rulers The decline of the Umayyads had set in from the time of Yazid II (720-24 A.D.), but it was delayed till the time of Hisham after whose death it rapidly decayed. During the short period of eight years four rulers ascended the throne of Damascus successively.1 They were Walid II, Yazid in, Ibrahim and Marwan II. These rulers proved incapable and failed to keep intact even the territory they had inherited. With the assassination of Walid II, who had devoted himself to wine, poetry and sport and had run through the money hoarded by Hisham and squeezed the governors in April 744. began the end of the dynasty. There are multiple reasons which led to the downfall of this dynasty.
