Introduction of Arabic as Official Language Next Abdul Malik turned his attention towards the nationalization of the State which was a part of vvell-plannd policy. Both Mu’awiya and Abdul Malik were originators of the outline of the Umayyad administration. Abdul Malik not only, developed what
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was introduced by Mu’awiya, but also introduced various new systems. Until the time of Mu’awiya, public registers (diwa.i) were maintained in Greek in Syria and Egypt and in Pahlavi in Iraq and eastern provinces. At the suggestion of Salih ibn Abdur Rahman a Persian Mawla of Sijistan, Abdul Malik ordered the keeping of records, accounts and correspondence relating to Government business in Arabic throughout the Empire specially from 693 to the annoyance of the Greeks. This gradual drifting from the language of the conquered to that of the conqueror was very significant from the administrative point of view. This brought stability to an centralization of the Government and found avenues for employments of the Arabic knowing persons. Those Greeks and Pahlavi knowing staff of the Diwan who, meanwhile, had picked up working knowledge in Arabic were retained.
Abdul Malik abolished these languages and introduced Arabic in their stead for the purpose of government business and account in the provinces of Syria and Iraq. Later Arabic also became the court language of Egypt and Persia.
