Umayyad Caliphate, Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik, AR Dirham - Wasit Mint, AH 121

Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik was the tenth Umayyad caliph, ruling from 724 to 743 AD. His long reign was marked by administrative consolidation, military campaigns and growing pressure on the caliphate's frontiers. Silver dirhams issued during his reign circulated widely and later reached northern Europe through long-distance exchange.

The Umayyad Dynasty ruled the Islamic Caliphate from 661 to 750 AD, with its capital in Damascus. Founded by Muawiya I, it expanded its territory from the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa to Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent. The Umayyads established Arabic as the language of administration and introduced a distinctive Islamic coinage. After the Abbasids overthrew them in 750 AD, a surviving branch established an emirate in Córdoba, Spain, in 756 AD, which became a Caliphate in 929 AD and lasted until 1031 AD.

The Umayyad silver dirham became an important international trade coin because of its reliable silver content and wide circulation. Umayyad dirhams have also been found in Viking Age treasure hoards, reflecting the long-distance movement of Islamic silver into northern Europe.