Maladministration Maladminsitration and corruption set in even during the time of Hisham and sapped the vitality of the Umayyad power. Khalid ibn Abdullah ai-Qasri, the governor of Iraq, is said to have appropriated a surplus of 13,000,000 dirhams after squandering revenues three times of this. In 738 A.D. he was tortured to return the money.
Hawting. P 105 Muir, P.412
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8.
Political and Cultural History of Islam Hereditary Monarchy Mu’awiya introduced hereditary monarchy in place of democratic form of government to the dissatisfaction of a section of Muslims But again the problem of succession was acute. There was no fixed rule of succession. The hereditary system of succession was only adhered to by four of the fourteen Umayyad caliphs, Mu’awiya and Abdul Malik. The Arab chiefs pressed for the seniority in the matter of succession and as a result, there was constant conflict between the seniority and hereditary systems. The problem was complicated more when Marwan nominated his two sons, Abdul Malik and Abdul Aziz, to succeed one after another, and like him Abdul Malik nominated his two sons Walid and Sulayman bin Abdul Malik deprived his brothers Abdul Aziz of his right in favour of his son Walid the latter however, failed in the same attempt and Sulayman succeeded Walid. This indefinite rule of succession was, however, in no way conducive to the stability of the Empire and might is right was the rule of the period under review. It was generally the most powerful member of the ruling family who secured the throne for himself.
