Mawali or mawala is a term in Classical Arabic used to address non-Arab Muslims. In the second half of the sixth century, the Mawali were considered the third class in Arabian society with the Sayyids at the top followed by the free tribesmen. The term gained prominence in the centuries following the Arab Muslims conquests in the 7th century AD, when many non-Arabs such as Persians, Egyptians, and Turks entered Islam. These new Muslim converts were treated as second class citizens by the ruling Arab elite, until the end of the Umayyad dyansty. Under the Abbasid rulers of the 9th century AD, the Mawali comprised an important part of the mercenary army. Together, many of these ethnic groups forced the retreat of the Abbasid Caliph back to Baghdad around 865 AD.
References
Hourani, Albert. A History of the Arab People . Chapter 1. Mas'udi The Meadows of Gold Trans. and Eds. Paul Lunde and Caroline Stone.
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