Caliphate facts for kids
A caliphate (pronounced: KAL-if-ate) is a type of state led by an Islamic leader called a caliph (pronounced: KAL-if). A caliph is seen as a political and religious leader. They are considered a successor to the Islamic prophet, Muhammad, and a leader for all Muslim people.
The first caliphs, known as the Rashidun caliphs, followed Muhammad directly. They were chosen through a process called shura, which is like a community meeting. Some people think this was an early form of Islamic democracy. After this early period, many Muslim states, often ruled by families (like hereditary monarchies), claimed to be caliphates. Caliphs were not thought to have the same prophetic powers as Muhammad.
In Sunni Islam, a caliph should be elected by Muslims or their representatives. But followers of Shia Islam believe a caliph should be an imam chosen by God. This imam must be from the Ahl al-Bayt (Muhammad's direct family).
History of Caliphates
The First Caliphs: Rashidun (AD 632-661)
Abu Bakr, Muhammad's first successor, chose Umar to follow him. The Muslim community agreed with this choice. The next caliph, Uthman Ibn Affan, was elected by a group of leaders. However, some people started to see him more as a "king" than an elected leader. Uthman was killed by a group that disagreed with him.
After Uthman, Ali became caliph. Many people liked him, but some governors did not accept him. Even some of his own guards turned against him. He faced two big rebellions and was killed after only five years. This time was called the First Fitna, which means the first Islamic internal conflict.
Muawiyah, a relative of Uthman and governor of Syria, became a challenger to Ali. After Ali's death, Muawiyah became Caliph. Under him, the caliphate became a hereditary position for the first time. This meant that the ruler's son would take over after him. Muawiyah started the Umayyad family rule.
In lands that were once part of the Persian or Byzantine empires, the caliphs made life better. They lowered taxes and gave more local control. They also allowed more religious freedom for Jews and local Christians. This brought peace to people who were tired of wars and heavy taxes.
The Umayyad Caliphate (AD 661-750)
Under the Umayyads, the Caliphate grew very quickly. Islamic rule spread west across North Africa and into Spain. It also expanded east through Persia to Sindh and Punjab in modern-day Pakistan. This made it one of the largest states in history. It was one of the few states to rule directly over three continents: Africa, Europe, and Asia.
Many Muslims did not fully support the Umayyad family. This was because they were not chosen by Shura (community consultation). Some people believed that only members of Muhammad's family should rule. There were many rebellions against the Umayyads. Eventually, groups supporting Muhammad's family united to overthrow the Umayyads in 750.
However, the "Party of Ali" (who later became Shia Muslims) were disappointed again. The Abbasid family took power, and they were related to Muhammad's uncle, not directly to Ali. After this, the "Party of Ali" finally separated from the majority Sunni Muslims. This led to the different Shiˤa groups we know today.
The Umayyad Caliphate became the main rulers of the Islamic world. They kept many of the old ways of running the government from the Sasanians. However, the Umayyads saw Islam mostly as an Arab religion. They were careful about Persian culture. They made Arabic the main language in Persia. This led to the Arabic alphabet being used for the Persian language, which is still used today. They tried to make Persians more like Arabs, but they had less success than they did with Egyptians and Assyrians.
The Caliphate in Spain
During the Umayyad period, Spain was a part of the Umayyad Caliphate, ruled from Damascus. Later, when the Abbasids took over the main caliphate, Spain (called Al-Andalus) became independent. The Caliphate of Córdoba ruled Spain from the city of Córdoba from 929 to 1031.
This time was known for amazing progress in technology, trade, and culture. Many famous buildings in Spain, like the Great Mosque of Córdoba, were built then. The leader, Abd-ar-Rahman III, claimed the title of Caliph in 929. Before that, he was known as the Emir of Córdoba. All the Caliphs of Córdoba were from the Umayyad family. This period was the peak of Muslim rule in Spain. Later, Spain split into smaller states.
The Abbasid Caliphate (AD 750-1258)
The Abbasids ruled as caliphs for over three hundred years. They made Islamic rule stronger and helped great advances in learning and culture in the Middle East. By 940, the Abbasid caliphs' power started to weaken. Non-Arab groups, like the Berbers in North Africa and the Turks, gained more influence. Sultans and emirs became more independent.
However, the Caliphate remained important as a symbol and a way to unite the Islamic world. During the Abbasid rule, other groups also claimed the title of caliph. The Shia Fatimid family claimed the title of Caliph in 909. They started a separate line of caliphs in North Africa. Their rule grew to include Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, and Palestine. But the Abbasids eventually pushed them back, limiting their rule to Egypt. The Fatimid rule ended in 1171. The Umayyad family in Spain also claimed the title of Caliph from 929 until 1031.
The Shadow Caliphate (13th-16th Century)
In 1258, Mongol forces led by Hulagu Khan conquered Baghdad. They also killed the Abbasid caliph, al-Musta'sim. Three years later, a surviving member of the Abbasid family was made caliph in Cairo. This was under the protection of the Mamluk rulers. However, this line of caliphs had very little real power. Their role was mostly ceremonial and religious. Later historians called it a "shadow" Caliphate.
The Ottoman Caliphate (16th-20th Century)
Ottoman rulers were mainly known as Sultans, but they also sometimes used the title of Caliph. Mehmed II and his grandson Selim I used this title to justify their conquests of Islamic lands. As the Ottoman Empire grew, its rulers, starting with Selim I, began to claim caliphal authority.
Ottoman rulers used the title "Caliph" in a symbolic way many times. Its importance grew when the Ottoman Empire defeated the Mamluk Sultanate in 1517. They took control of most Arab lands. The last Abbasid Caliph in Cairo, al-Mutawakkil III, was taken to Istanbul. He reportedly gave the title of Caliph to Selim I.
After the Ottomans lost a war with the Russian Empire, they signed a peace treaty in 1774. The Sultan had to give up large areas, including ones with many Muslims, like Crimea. However, Sultan Abdul Hamid I made a diplomatic move. He claimed to be the protector of Muslims in Russia as part of the treaty. This was the first time a European power recognized the Ottoman caliph as having political importance outside Ottoman borders. Even though the Ottoman Empire was shrinking, the power of the Ottoman caliph grew.
Around 1880, Sultan Abdul Hamid II strongly reasserted the title. He used it to fight against European colonialism in Muslim lands. Muslims in British India especially accepted his claim. Before the First World War, the Ottoman state was the largest and most powerful independent Islamic country. The sultan also had some authority as caliph over Muslims in Egypt, India, and Central Asia.
The Khilafat Movement (AD 1920)
In the 1920s, the Khilafat Movement started. This movement aimed to defend the Ottoman Caliphate. It spread across British colonial lands in Asia, especially in British India. It became a rallying point for Indian Muslims and was a big anti-British movement. Its leaders included Maulana Mohammad Ali and Abul Kalam Azad. For a time, it worked with Hindu communities and was supported by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. However, the movement lost its strength after its leaders were arrested or fled.
End of the Caliphate (AD 1924)
On March 3, 1924, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the first President of the Turkish Republic, abolished the Caliphate. This was part of his reforms in Turkey. The Caliphate's powers were given to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (the parliament) of the new Turkish Republic. The title has not been used since then. In 2014, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant claimed the title, but most Muslims did not accept this claim.
Famous Caliphs
- Abu Bakr - The first of the Rashidun Caliphs (the "Rightly Guided" ones for Sunnis). He brought rebellious tribes back under Muslim rule.
- Umar (Umar ibn al-Khattab) - The second Rashidun Caliph. During his rule, the Islamic empire expanded to include Egypt, Jerusalem, and Persia.
- Uthman Ibn Affan - The third Rashidun Caliph. The Qur'an (the holy book of Islam) was put together under his guidance. He was killed by rebels.
- Ali (Ali ibn Abu Talib) - The fourth and last Rashidun Caliph. Shia Muslims consider him their first Imam. His time as ruler had many internal conflicts.
- Hasan ibn Ali - The fifth Caliph (seen as "rightly guided" by many Sunnis and Shias). He ruled for only six months and gave power to Muawiyah I to unite Muslims.
- Muawiyah I - The first caliph of the Umayyad family. He started the practice of passing rule down to his son, Yazid I.
- Umar ibn AbdulAziz - An Umayyad caliph whom some (mainly Sunnis) consider a truly legitimate caliph under Islamic laws.
- Harun al-Rashid - An Abbasid caliph. During his rule, Baghdad became a major center for trade, learning, and culture. He is featured in many stories from One Thousand and One Nights.
- Suleiman the Magnificent - An early Ottoman Sultan. During his reign, the Ottoman Empire reached its greatest power.
- Abdul Hamid II - The last Ottoman Sultan to rule with full power.
- Abdülmecid II - The last Caliph of the Ottoman family. He was the 101st Caliph in line from Abu Bakr.
Related pages
Other sources
- Crone, Patricia & Hinds, Martin -- God's Caliph, Cambridge University Press, 1986
- Donner, Fred -- The Early Islamic Conquests, Princeton University Press, 1981
Images for kids
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Rashidun Caliphate at its greatest extent, under Caliph Uthman's rule
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Mustansiriya Madrasah in Baghdad
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The Almohad empire at its greatest extent, c. 1180–1212
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Map of the Fatimid Caliphate at its largest extent in the early 11th century
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Ayyubid Sultanate (in pink) at the death of Saladin in 1193
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The Ottoman Empire at its greatest extent in 1683, under Sultan Mehmed IV
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Abdulmejid II, the last caliph of Sunni Islam from the Ottoman dynasty, with his daughter Dürrüşehvar Sultan
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Official portrait of Abdulmejid II as caliph
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Hafiz Muhiuddin Aurangzeb, unlike his predecessors, was considered to be a Caliph of India
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ISIL's territory, in grey, at the time of its greatest territorial extent in May 2015
See also
In Spanish: Califato para niños
