The First Dynasty of Islam: The Umayyad Caliphate ad 661-750

participation in the revolt by the 
mawali
 and the 
qurra’
 indicates

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‘Abd al-Malik and al-Hajjaj
that it was not only the Iraqi soldiery who had grievances against the
government, and it was the combination of forces against al-Hajjaj
which made the revolt so dangerous. The participation of the
mawali,
 many of whom were included among the 
qurra’,
 is
associated with a phenomenon which first becomes important
during the time of al-Hajjaj’s governorship in Iraq—the influx into
the garrison towns of large numbers of former non-Arab cultivators
who now abandon their lands and attempt to enter Islam by
becoming the clients 
(mawali)
 of Arabs in the garrison towns. These
mawali
 are to be distinguished from the prisoners of war and others
who had earlier been prominent among the supporters of Mukhtar.
Among their motives in leaving their fields and villages at this