A caliphate ( "khilafa") is a territory under the leadership of an Islamic steward known as a caliph, a person considered a religious successor to the Islamic prophet Muhammad (Muhammad ibn Abdullah) and a leader of the entire Muslim community. Historically, the caliphates were polities based in Islam which developed into multi-ethnic trans-national empires. During the medieval period, three major caliphates existed: the Rashidun Caliphate (632661), the Umayyad Caliphate (661750) and the Abbasid Caliphate (7501258). The fourth major caliphate, the Ottoman Caliphate, established by the Ottoman Empire in 1517, was a manifestation whereby the Ottoman rulers claimed caliphal authority. During the history of Islam, several other Muslim states, almost all of them hereditary monarchies, have claimed to be caliphates.

Prior to the rise of Muhammad and the unification of the Arab tribes of the Arabian Peninsula under Islam, the tribes of Arabia followed a pre-Islamic Arab polytheism, lived as self-governing sedentary and nomadic communities and often raided their neighbouring tribes. Following the conquests under Muhammad of the Arabian Peninsula, the region became unified and most of the tribes adopted Islam. The first caliphate, the Rashidun Caliphate, was established immediately after Muhammad's death in 632. The four Rashidun caliphs, who directly succeeded Muhammad as leaders of the Muslim community, were chosen through "shura, "a process of community consultation that some consider to be an early form of Islamic democracy. The fourth caliph, Ali, who, unlike the prior three, was from the same clan as Muhammad (Banu Hashim), is considered by Shia Muslims to be the first rightful caliph and Imam after Muhammad. Ali reigned during the First Fitna (656661), a civil war between supporters of Ali and supporters of the assassinated previous caliph, Uthman, from Banu Umayya, as well as rebels in Egypt; the war led to the establishment of the Umayyad Caliphate under Muawiyah I in 661.

Answer this series of questions:

1. Who came after Muhammad to lead the Muslims?
2. When did Muhammad die?
3. What is a caliphate?
4. What is a caliph?
5. What was the first caliphate?
6. Which one was second?
7. When was that?
8. Which one was next?
9. When did that one exist?
10. What was the 4th?
11. What religion were caliphates based in?
12. What was unique about the 4th caliph?
13. What was his name?
14. What was his clan's name?

Numbered answers:
1. The Rashidun Caliphate.
2. 632.
3. A territory under the leadership of an Islamic steward.
4. A person considered a religious successor to the Islamic prophet Muhammad.
5. the Rashidun Caliphate
6. the Umayyad Caliphate
7. 661750.
8. The Abbasid Caliphate.
9. 7501258.
10. The Ottoman Caliphate.
11. The Arabian Peninsula.
12. He was from the same clan as Muhammad.
13. Ali.
14. Banu Hashim.