130 chapter four
Administrative and Economic ReformsThe Umayyad period was significant for its administrative reforms.
Despite his unpopularity among early historians as the man who
transferred the spiritual caliphate into a hereditary kingdom and the
first head of state who set himself remote from the reach of ordinary
Muslims, Mu"awiyah is credited for a few creditable administrative
initiatives. The establishment of the institution of postal service, al-
Barìd, the establishing the bureau of registry, which developed
subsequently during the Umayyad and the Abbasìd regimes to well-
organised systems of state bureaux, the Arabicisation of state admin-
istration, and monetary and other reforms are some notable examples.
The Institution of Postal Service
Although the institution of the postal service was meant to serve the
state primarily by linking the Caliph with his provincial governors
in a speedy and an organised manner, the service was extended to
the public at substantial cost. Postal points were built across the
routes at interval distances of twelve miles where fresh animals, mules
and horses in Persia, and camels in Syria and Arabia, were ready
to transfer the post. Pigeons were also used in what might be called
the airmail service. The postal service became of vital importance
to the state, so much so that the Umayyad Caliph Abd-al-Màlik
(685–705) is reported to have said to his chief-of-staff, “I fully del-
egate to you the administrative affairs of what comes to my door
except for four: the caller of prayer; he is the caller of God, the
night caller; a need must have driven him to call otherwise he would
have slept until morning, the post; the delay of the post might spoil
people’s planned journeys, and the food when it comes” (Œassan,
1959). During the Abbasìd reign, the postal service was further organ-
ised and plans of routes were kept in the postal headquarters in the
capital Baghdad. This proved useful to travelers, merchants, pilgrims
and, later, geographical researchers. The postal service had a fur-
ther function as not only transporting mail but also transferring to
the caliph the news of any potential political disturbances and/or
governor’s negligence. For the importance of the postal service a
special government department, dìwàn, was established in the Abbasìd
government to organise the service. The head of the postal department,