Why did Arab forces recruit Berber warriors during the conquest of Spain?

Arab forces recruited Berber (Amazigh) warriors during the conquest of Spain primarily because the Berbers had been recently incorporated into the expanding Muslim military forces in North Africa. As the Umayyad caliphate extended its reach across the Maghrib, these indigenous peoples were increasingly Islamized and integrated into the Arab army, eventually forming the majority of the invading troops that crossed into the Iberian Peninsula in 711.123

While the Berbers provided the essential manpower for the conquest, they were often treated as mawali (clients) of the Arab tribes. This status was inherently unequal, as they typically received less pay and fewer of the spoils of war than their Arab counterparts. This systemic disparity, combined with the Arab ruling class's tendency to prioritize their own ethnic distinctiveness over Islamic principles of equality, created significant friction. These grievances eventually fueled major uprisings, such as the great Berber rebellion of 739, which highlighted the deep-seated resentment toward the unequal treatment of Berber warriors within the broader Islamic military structure.14