The Role of non-Muslims in the Umayyad Empire and the Impact of Arabization, 661-750 AD/ 41-132 AH

Abstract

This thesis examines the roles of non-Muslim communities in the Umayyad Cali-phate (661–750 AD / 41–132 AH) and the transformative impact of Arabization policies under Caliph ʿAbd al-Malik ibn Marwān. It argues that Christians, Jews, Zoroastrians, and other dhimmī groups were not passive subjects but active con-tributors to the political, administrative, and intellectual life of the early Islamic state. Their expertise in taxation, shipbuilding, medicine, and translation was in-dispensable to Umayyad governance and cultural development. Simultaneously, the Arabization movement replaced Greek, Persian, and Coptic with Arabic in state administration and coinage, consolidating political authority and fostering a unified Arab-Islamic identity. The research highlights the tension and collabora-tion between non-Muslim participation and linguistic centralization, showing how both shaped the pluralistic yet cohesive character of the early Islamic polity. By integrating political, economic, and cultural perspectives, this study offers an un-derstanding of governance and identity in early Islam.