Yazid ibn al-Muhallab, who in the first years of the century had been a provincial governor of Khorasan, had soon come into conflict with the powerful governor of Iraq, al-Hajjaj bin Yusef.

In 704/705, al-Hajjaj had replaced Yazid, naming his younger brother al-Mufaddal governor of Khurasan.

Various reasons are suggested, including that al-Hajjaj encountered a prophecy that his successor would be named Yazid and al-Hajjaj considered this Yazid the only one threatening enough to worry about.

Al-Hajjaj imprisoned and tortured Yazid.

Yazid had managed to escape in disguise in 708, fleeing to the protection of Sulayman, al-Walid's brother.

Al-Hajjaj pressed al-Walid, who commanded his brother to send him Yazid in chains.

Sulayman had had his own son chained to Yazid approach the caliph and speak in favor of Yazid's safety.

Al-Walid accepted this and told al-Hajjaj to desist.

Yazid returned to Suleiman and the two were very close to each other.

When, in 715, Sulayman himself had become caliph, Yazid had been named governor of Iraq and embarked on a persecution of the followers of al-Hajjaj, who had died in 714.

Later he was also named governor of Khorasan, while retaining supreme command in Iraq.

Yazid has fought in Jurjan and Tabaristan, personally engaging in combat.

Cruelty and extortion have characterized his administration.

The new caliph, Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz, dismisses Yazid in 717 due to his tortures against people of conquered territories, especially Turks and Sogdians.

Yazid is captured on his way to Basra and brought before Umar, who intensely dislikes him, and imprisons him.