noun
- Plural of khalifate; the office, rank, or reign of a khalif (caliph); an Islamic state or territory ruled by a caliph.
Usage: Also spelled 'caliphates'; Historical and religious term; Refers to Islamic governance structures
Examples
- The early Islamic khalifates expanded rapidly across the Middle East and North Africa.
- Several khalifates coexisted during the medieval period, each claiming religious authority.
- The Ottoman khalifate was one of the longest-lasting Islamic empires in history.
- Historians study the khalifates to understand the development of Islamic political systems.
- The Abbasid and Umayyad khalifates were major powers in the medieval world.