What is a Caliphate?

Studying Islam?  The Umayyad and Abbasid caliphates that developed after Muhammad’s death in 632 are crucial events in the study of Islam.

The video clip above and this short  article from the News Hour  provide a good  review of the two great Islamic caliphates. In addition, On Faith has a great article  called 5 Things Every Muslim (and non-Muslim) should know about the caliphate. And finally, Vox has a superb history of the caliphate.

The golden age of  Islam developed in Baghdad under the Abbasids. Indeed, Baghdad was known as the House of  Wisdom. You can see why in the clip below from PBS Empire of Faith.

Why are caliphates in the news?  This weekend Sunni militants  declared the territory they had taken over in Iraq and Syria ” the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant” (ISIL).  And they announced  their leader or caliph and asked their followers to support their new territory or caliphate.