Middle Ages

Rashidun Caliphate

Period
AD 633 – AD 665
Duration
approx. 32 years
Greatest extent
around AD 647
Area (max.)
approx. 7.1 million km²
Rashidun Caliphate at its greatest extent (around AD 647) · Borders: Cliopatria
▶ View on the interactive map

Profile

Strength

Fast camel and cavalry forces conquered Persia, Syria and Egypt in only about 30 years.

Famous figures

  • Abu Bakr
  • Umar ibn al-Khattab
  • Uthman
  • Ali ibn Abi Talib
  • Khalid ibn al-Walid

Wars & battles won

  • Battle of Yarmouk (636)
  • Battle of al-Qadisiyyah (636)
  • Conquest of Egypt (639–642)
  • Battle of Nahavand (642)

Draw / disputed

  • First Fitna civil war (656–661): end of the Rashidun caliphate

Languages

  • Arabic

Period and duration

Rashidun Caliphate — according to the map data from AD 633 to AD 665, roughly 32 years. The dates refer to the time the empire is drawn as its own territory on the world map; historians sometimes date its founding and end differently.

Greatest extent

Rashidun Caliphate — greatest extent around AD 647: the mapped borders then cover about 7.1 million km², roughly 4.8% of Earth's land area. The area is calculated from the border lines of the map and is therefore an approximation.

AD 633Area according to the map data (max. 7.1 million km²)AD 665

Predecessors and successors

States that ruled the same territory directly before and after:

Before (AD 632)

After

Neighbours around AD 647

The largest states in the region at the same time:

Learn more

Borders and dates: Cliopatria / Seshat Global History Databank (CC BY 4.0). Coastlines: Natural Earth. Text: Centaurian.