born с 661, Al-Ṭāʾif, Hejaz, Arabian Peninsula
died June 714, Al-Wāsiṭ, Iraq
Provincial governor under the Umayyad dynasty (661–750), first in Mecca and then in Iraq.
He ruthlessly suppressed a rebellion in Mecca in 692. Two years later he was named governor of Iraq, where his willingness to use brute force to suppress insurrection made him a legend. Despite his inclination to use the sword, he was known for promoting prosperity and security in Iraq, keeping the irrigation system working, and improving agricultural production. He adopted a new, purely Arab currency.