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 .