A caliphate is an Islamic state under the leadership of an Islamic steward with the title of caliph. Historically, the caliphates were polities based on Islam which developed into multi-ethnic trans-national empires. The first caliphate, the Rāshidun Caliphate, immediately succeeded Muhammad after his death in 632. The Caliphate was abolished by the Grand National Assembly of Turkey on 3 March 1924.
About Caliphate in brief
A caliphate is an Islamic state under the leadership of an Islamic steward with the title of caliph. Historically, the caliphates were polities based on Islam which developed into multi-ethnic trans-national empires. The first caliphate, the Rāshidun Caliphate, immediately succeeded Muhammad after his death in 632. The fourth caliph, Ali, who, unlike the prior three, was from the same clan as Muhammad, is considered by Shia Muslims to be the first rightful caliph and Imam after Muhammad. In the early 21st century, the Sunni branch of Islam stipulates that, as a head of state, a caliph or Imam should be chosen by God from the Ahl-Bayt al-Tawhid al-Furqan al-Mansur. The Caliphate was abolished by the Grand National Assembly of Turkey on 3 March 1924. A few other states that have existed through history include the Ayyubid Caliphate in Northeast Africa, the Umayyad Caliphate of Coba Iberia in present-day Nigeria and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in the Levant, Iraq and Syria. The caliphate continued the Arab conquests, incorporating the Caucasus, Transoxiana, Sindh, the Maghreb and the Iberian Peninsula into the Muslim world. It also had considerable acceptance of the Christians within its territory, necessitated by their large numbers, especially in the region of Syria. It was ruled by the Abbāsids, a dynasty of Meccan origin descended from Hāshim, a great-grandfather of Muhammad, via AbBās, an uncle of Muhammad.
The Ottoman Caliphate claimed caliphal authority from 1517 and ruled the Ottoman Empire until the end of the First World War in 1918. It is the only state to have claimed to be caliphate in the history of Islam, although a few other hereditary monarchies such as the Mamluk Sultanate and AyyUBid Cal caliphate have also claimed the title. The caliph was chosen through shura, a process of community consultation that some consider to be an early form of Islamic democracy. The last caliph to be elected by God was Fadl al-Aqsa in the early 20th century. He was chosen by a group of Shia Muslims, who believe that God chose him to be their leader. The current caliph is believed to be Adel al-Husayni, a Sunni Muslim from the city of Mosul, Iraq, who was elected by a vote of his followers in June 2013. The Islamic State in Iraq and Levant was established in 2010 and is a Sunni state, as well as the Islamic Republic of Northern Iraq, Syria and the United Arab Emirates. It claims to be a state of its own, but it is not recognised by the United States or the European Union. It has been ruled by an Islamic council of elders since it was formed in 2012.
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This page is based on the article Caliphate published in Wikipedia (as of Dec. 19, 2020) and was automatically summarized using artificial intelligence.
