Bishr ibn Marwan

Bishr ibn Marwan
Sasanian-style silver dirham minted in Aqola (near Kufa) by Bishr ibn Marwan, dated 693/4
Umayyad governor of Kufa
In office 690/91–694
Monarch	Abd al-Malik
Preceded by	Mus'ab ibn al-Zubayr (non-Umayyad)
Succeeded by	Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf
Umayyad governor of Basra
In office 692/93–694
Monarch	Abd al-Malik
Preceded by	Khalid ibn Abdallah ibn Khalid ibn Asid
Succeeded by	Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf
Personal details
Born	c. 650s
Died	694 (aged mid-40s) Basra
Spouses	Umm Hakim bint Muhammad ibn Umara ibn Uqba ibn Abi Mu'ayt Umm Kulthum bint Abi Salama ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf Hind bint Asma al-Fazariyya
Children	Abd al-Malik Al-Hakam
Parent(s)	Marwan I (father) Qutayya bint Bishr (mother)
Nickname	Abu Marwan
Military service
Battles/wars	Battle of Marj Rahit (684) Conquest Egypt (685) Battle of Maskin (691)

Abu Marwan Bishr ibn Marwan ibn al-Hakam (Arabic: بشر بن مروان بن الحكم, romanized: Bishr ibn Marwān ibn al-Ḥakam; c. 650s–694) was an Umayyad prince and governor of Iraq during the reign of his brother, Caliph Abd al-Malik. Bishr fought at Marj Rahit with his father, Caliph Marwan I (r. 684–685). Marwan posted Bishr to Egypt to keep his brother Abd al-Aziz company. In 690/91, Bishr was made governor of Kufa and about one year later, Basra was added to his governorship, giving him full control of Iraq.

During his governorship of Iraq, Bishr was known to be highly accessible and relatively merciful. Fond of poetry, he had many Arab poets, including Jarir, al-Farazdaq and al-Ra'i, in his entourage and was elegized in many panegyrics. He eliminated the remaining partisans of Mus'ab ibn al-Zubayr in Basra and was officially in command of the war effort against Kharijite rebels in the province. However, he was forced to hand over command of the Iraqi army to al-Muhallab ibn Abi Sufra. He died in office of an unknown illness and was buried in Basra.