In the nine years between al Walid’s death in 715 and Hisham’s ascension in 724 the umma went through three caliphs, each with a radically different vision for its future. This swinging between political projects greatly undermined any stability Umayyad power was founded upon, an important development which is unfortunately difficult to trace in our sources. A quick look at some of the unspoken changes will reveal the unenviable work ahead that lay ahead of our latest caliph.