▁During ▁the ▁Um ay y ad ▁period , ▁mass ▁convers ions ▁brought ▁Pers ians , ▁Ber bers , ▁Co pts , ▁and ▁Ar ama ics ▁to ▁Islam . ▁These ▁ma w alis ▁( cli ents ) ▁were ▁often ▁better ▁educated ▁and ▁more ▁civil ised ▁than ▁their ▁Arab ▁over l ords . ▁The ▁new ▁converts , ▁on ▁the ▁basis ▁of ▁equality ▁of ▁all ▁Muslim s , ▁transformed ▁the ▁political ▁landscape . ▁Pre v ité - Or ton ▁also ▁arg ues ▁that ▁the ▁fe ud ▁between ▁Sy ria ▁and ▁Ira q ▁further ▁weak ened ▁the ▁emp ire . ▁ ▁Um ay y ad ▁administration ▁The ▁first ▁four ▁cal i ph s ▁created ▁a ▁stable ▁administration ▁for ▁the ▁emp ire , ▁following ▁the ▁practices ▁and ▁administrative ▁institutions ▁of ▁the ▁By z antine ▁Empire ▁which ▁had ▁ruled ▁the ▁same ▁region ▁previously . ▁These ▁consisted ▁of ▁four ▁main ▁government al ▁branches : ▁political ▁affairs , ▁military ▁affairs , ▁tax ▁collection , ▁and ▁religious ▁administration . ▁Each ▁of ▁these ▁was ▁further ▁sub div ided ▁into ▁more ▁branches , ▁offices , ▁and ▁depart ments . ▁ ▁Provin ces ▁Ge ograph ically , ▁the ▁emp ire ▁was ▁divided ▁into ▁several ▁provinces , ▁the ▁borders ▁of ▁which ▁changed ▁numerous ▁times ▁during ▁the ▁Um ay y ad ▁reign . ▁Each ▁province ▁had ▁a ▁governor ▁appointed ▁by ▁the ▁cal i ph . ▁The ▁governor ▁was ▁in ▁charge ▁of ▁the ▁religious ▁officials , ▁army ▁leaders , ▁police , ▁and ▁civil ▁administr ators ▁in ▁his ▁province . ▁Local ▁exp enses ▁were ▁paid ▁for ▁by ▁tax es