Al Hajjaj bin Yousif Al Thaqafi was a controversial administrator, politician and minister of defense of the Umayyad caliphate. He was described as draconian, a brutal enemy to the opposers of the central government, a `mission impossible` man, a driver of conquests to the distant lands and a shrewd statesman. His biography fluctuated between his brutality and excessive oppression against his enemies and lenience and loyalty to the Caliphate, which made him one of the most debatable characters in history.