History glossary
Caliphate
a form of Islamic rule led by a caliph, a political and religious successor figure.
- Category
- Political and religious system
- Region
- Islamic world
- Date range
- from 632 CE
What it means
A caliphate is a state or empire led by a caliph. Different caliphates varied greatly, but the title connected political authority with the idea of leadership in the Muslim community after the Prophet Muhammad.
Related terms
Stories using this term
The Abbasid Golden Age
From revolution and Baghdad to the House of Wisdom, science, medicine, trade and the fall of the city, the Abbasid Golden Age reshaped global knowledge.
The Rise of Islam
From Muhammad's first revelations to the early caliphates, Islam grew from a Meccan message into a civilisation spanning Africa, Asia and Europe.
Kievan Rus
The founding of the Rus’ state in the north.
The Mongol Empire
From scattered steppe tribes to the largest contiguous empire in history, the Mongols reshaped Eurasia through conquest, terror, and trade.
The Crusades
From Pope Urban II's call at Clermont to the fall of Acre, the Crusades reshaped the medieval world through religious war, cross-cultural encounter, and lasting consequences for Europe and the Middle East.
The Ottoman Empire
From a small frontier principality in Anatolia, the Ottomans built a multiethnic empire across Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa before reform, nationalism, and world war ended imperial rule.
