Throughout
Islamic history, one of the uniting aspects of the Muslim world was the
caliphate. After the death of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, his close companion, Abu Bakr, was elected as the first
khalifah, or caliph, of the Muslim community. His job as leader combined
political power over the Muslim state as well as spiritual guidance for
Muslims. It became a hereditary position, occupied at first by the Umayyad
family, and later by the Abbasids. In 1517, the caliphate was transferred to
the Ottoman family, who ruled the largest and most powerful empire in the world
in the 1500s.
The
Ottoman Empire in 1878
For
centuries, the Ottoman sultans did not place much emphasis on their role as
caliphs. It was an official title that was called in to use when needed, but
was mostly neglected. During the decline of the empire in the 1800s, however, a
sultan came to power that would decide to revive the importance and power of
the caliphate. Abdülhamid II was determined to reverse the retreat of the Ottoman
state, and decided that the best way to do it was through the revival of Islam
throughout the Muslim world and pan-Islamic unity, centered on the idea of a
strong caliphate. While Abdülhamid’s 33-year reign did not stop the
inevitable fall of the empire, he managed to give the Ottomans a final period
of relative strength in the face of European encroachment and colonialism, with
Islam being the central focus of his empire.