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Rashidun caliphate

Rashidun Caliphate
الخلافة الراشدة
Caliphate
632–661
The Rashidun Empire reached its greatest extent under Caliph Uthman, in 654.
Capital Medina (632–656)
Kufa (656–661)
Languages Arabic, Aramaic/Syriac, Berber, Coptic, Georgian, Greek, Hebrew, Middle Persian, Kurdish, Vulgar Latin
Religion Islam
Government Caliphate
Caliph
 •  632–634 Abu Bakr (first)
 •  634–644 Umar
 •  644–656 Uthman
 •  656-661 Ali
 •  661 Hasan ibn Ali (last)
History
 •  Established 8 June 632
 •  First Fitna (internal conflict) ends 28 July 661
Area
 •  655 6,400,000 km² (2,471,054 sq mi)
Population
 •  est. 21,400,000 
Currency Dinar, Dirham
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Muhammad in Medina
Byzantine Empire
Sasanian Empire
Exarchate of Africa
Umayyad Caliphate
Amir al-Mu'minin (أمير المؤمنين), Caliph (خليفة)

The Rashidun Caliphate (Arabic: اَلْخِلَافَةُ ٱلرَّاشِدَةُ‎‎ al-Khilāfah ar-Rāshidah) was the Islamic caliphate in the earliest period of Islam, comprising the first four caliphs—the "Rightly Guided" or Rashidun caliphs (Arabic: اَلْخُلَفَاءُ ٱلرَّاشِدُونَ‎‎ al-Khulafā’ ar-Rāshidūn). It was founded after Muhammad's death in 632 (year 11 AH in the Islamic calendar). At its height, the Caliphate controlled an empire from the Arabian Peninsula and the Levant, to the Caucasus in the north, North Africa from Egypt to present-day Tunisia in the west, and the Iranian plateau to Central Asia in the east.

After Muhammad's death in 632 CE, the Medinan Ansar debated which of them should succeed him in running the affairs of the Muslims while Muhammad's household was busy with his burial. Umar and Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah pledged their loyalty to Abu Bakr, with the Ansar and the Quraysh soon following suit. Abu Bakr thus became the first Khalīfatu Rasūli l-Lāh "successor of the Messenger of God", or caliph, and embarked on campaigns to propagate Islam. First he would have to subdue the Arabian tribes which had claimed that although they pledged allegiance to Muhammad and accepted Islam, they owed nothing to Abu Bakr. As a caliph, Abu Bakr was not a monarch and never claimed such a title; nor did any of his three successors. Rather, their election and leadership were based upon .


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