Hajjaj, al-

Hajjaj (ibn Yusuf al-Thaqafi), al-

(born c. 661, Al-Ta'if, Hejaz, Arabian Peninsula—died June 714, Al-Wasit, 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.