page_title: Caliphate
section_title: Abolition of the Caliphate (1924)
hierarchical_section_title: Caliphate / History / Ottoman Caliphate (1517–1924) / Abolition of the Caliphate (1924)
caption_attribution_description: Afrikaans: Portret van die laaste kalief Abdulmecid II van die Ottomaanse Ryk. العربية: صُورة آخر خُلفاء المُسلمين عبد المجيد الثاني. Azərbaycanca: Osmanlı İmperiyasının son xəlifəsi Əbdülməcid Əfəndinin portreti Dansk: Portræt af sidste Kalif Abdulmecid II af det Ottomanske Imperium. Deutsch: Portrait des letzten Kalifen Abdulmecid II des Osmanischen Reiches. English: Portrait of the last Caliph Abdulmecid II of the Ottoman Empire. Español: Retrato del último Califa II Abdulmecid del Imperio Otomano. Ελληνικά: Πορτραίτο του χαλίφη τελευταία Αμπντούλ Μετζίτ χάνι ΙΙ της Οθωμανικής Αυτοκρατορίας. Suomi: Muotokuva viimeinen kalifi Abdulmecid II Ottomaanien Valtakuntaa. Français&#160;: Portrait du dernier calife Abdulmecid II de l'Empire Ottoman. עברית: דיוקנו של ח'ליף אבדילמג'יט חאן השני האחרונה של האימפריה העותומנית. Հայերեն: Դիմանկար վերջին կրոնապետ Աբդուլ Մեջիդ Խան II Օսմանյան կայսրությունում. Italiano: Ritratto di ultimo califfo Abdulmecid II dell'Impero Ottomano. 日本語: オスマン帝国の最後のカリフアブデュルメジト2世カーンIIの肖像画。 한국어: 오스만 제국의 마지막 칼리프 압뒬메지트 2세 칸 II의 초상. Nederlands: Portret van laatste kalief Abdulmecid II van het Ottomaanse Rijk. Norsk nynorsk: Portrett av siste kalifen Abdulmecid II av det Ottomanske Riket. Polski: Portret ostatniego kalifa Abdulmecid II Imperium Osmańskiego. Português: Retrato do último califa Abdulmecid II do Império Otomano. Română: Portret de ultima califului Abdulmecid a II-a Imperiului Otoman. Русский: Портрет последнего халифа Абдюлмецида хана II в Османской империи. Svenska: Porträtt av förra kalifen Abdulmecid II av det Ottomanska Riket. Türkçe: Osmanlı İmparatorluğu'nun son halifesi Abdülmecid Efendi'nin portresi. 中文: 最后哈里发奥斯曼帝国的阿卜杜勒-迈吉德二世汗的肖像。 Medium: 1 photographic print. Reproduction Number: LC-USZ62-105915 (b&amp;w film copy neg.) Call Number: BIOG FILE - Mohammed VI, Sultan of Turkey, 1861-1926 &lt;item&gt; [P&amp;P]
context_page_description: A caliphate is an Islamic state under the leadership of an Islamic steward with the title of caliph, a person considered a politico-religious successor to the Islamic prophet Muhammad and a leader of the entire Muslim Community. Historically, the caliphates were polities based on Islam which developed into multi-ethnic trans-national empires. During the medieval period, three major caliphates succeeded each other: the Rashidun Caliphate, the Umayyad Caliphate, the Abbasid Caliphate. In the fourth major caliphate, the Ottoman Caliphate, the rulers of the Ottoman Empire claimed caliphal authority from 1517. Throughout the history of Islam, a few other Muslim states, almost all hereditary monarchies, such as the Mamluk Sultanate and Ayyubid Caliphate have claimed to be caliphates.
  Prior to the rise of Muhammad, Arab tribes followed a pre-Islamic Arab polytheism and lived as self-governing sedentary and nomadic tribal communities. Following the early Muslim conquests by Muhammad, the region became politically unified under Islam.
  The first caliphate, the Rashidun Caliphate, immediately succeeded Muhammad after his death in 632.
context_section_description: After the Armistice of Mudros of October 1918 with the military occupation of Constantinople and Treaty of Versailles (1919), the position of the Ottomans was uncertain. The movement to protect or restore the Ottomans gained force after the Treaty of Sèvres (August 1920) which imposed the partitioning of the Ottoman Empire and gave Greece a powerful position in Anatolia, to the distress of the Turks. They called for help and the movement was the result. The movement had collapsed by late 1922.
  On 3 March 1924, the first President of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, as part of his reforms, constitutionally abolished the institution of the caliphate. Its powers within Turkey were transferred to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, the parliament of the newly formed Turkish Republic. The title was then claimed by Hussein bin Ali, Sharif of Mecca and Hejaz, leader of the Arab Revolt, but his kingdom was defeated and annexed by ibn Saud in 1925.
  Egyptian scholar Ali Abdel Raziq published his 1925 book Islam and the Foundations of Governance. The argument of this book has been summarized as "Islam does not advocate a specific form of government". He focussed his criticism both at those who use religious law as contemporary political proscription and at the history of rulers claiming legitimacy by the caliphate. Raziq wrote that past rulers spread the notion of religious justification for the caliphate "so that they could use religion as a shield protecting their thrones against the attacks of rebels".
  A summit was convened at Cairo in 1926 to discuss the revival of the caliphate, but most Muslim countries did not participate and no action was taken to implement the summit's resolutions. Though the title Ameer al-Mumineen was adopted by the King of Morocco and by Mohammed Omar, former head of the Taliban of Afghanistan, neither claimed any legal standing or authority over Muslims outside the borders of their respective countries.
  Since the end of the Ottoman Empire, occasional demonstrations have been held calling for the re-establishment of the caliphate. Organisations which call for the re-establishment of the caliphate include Hizb ut-Tahrir and the Muslim Brotherhood.
caption: Abdulmejid II was the last Caliph of Islam from the Ottoman dynasty.
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