What was the actual name of Marwan II, the last Umayyad Caliph?

Explanation

Marwan II, also known as Marwan al-Himar (Marwan the Donkey) due to his perseverance, was the last Caliph of the Umayyad dynasty ruling from 744 to 750 CE. His full lineage traces back to Marwan ibn al-Hakam (Marwan I), the fourth Umayyad Caliph and founder of the Marwanid branch of the dynasty. He was the grandson of Marwan I through his father Muhammad ibn Marwan, who was a prominent Umayyad general and governor. Marwan II was killed in Egypt in 750 CE while fleeing from the Abbasid forces, marking the end of the Umayyad Caliphate.

Good to know

Marwan II (r. 744–750 CE) moved the capital from Damascus to Harran in northern Mesopotamia. He faced numerous rebellions during his reign, including the Kharijite and Abbasid uprisings. The Abbasid revolution ultimately defeated his forces at the Battle of the Zab in 750 CE, after which he fled to Egypt where he was captured and killed. His death marked the transition from the Umayyad to the Abbasid Caliphate, though a surviving Umayyad prince, Abd al-Rahman I, later established an independent emirate in al-Andalus (Spain).

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