List of Muslim empires and dynasties

Scholars debate what exactly constitutes an empire. Generally, they may define an empire as a state that extends dominion over areas and populations distinct culturally and ethnically from the culture/ethnicity at the center of power.

This list is intended to show some of the States, Empires, or Dynasties that were ruled by a Muslim elite, or were in some way central to or a part of the Empire. Many Muslim empires had strong influences on the visual arts, architecture, music and food.

History

In the centuries after the life of Muhammad, Muslim armies poured out into all surrounding areas, bringing the lands from Persia to Spain under their control. With this huge amount of land under their control, the Umayyad (and latter, the Abbasid) Caliphates allowed merchants and scholars to travel easily through western Eurasia, bringing goods and knowledge which the Muslims greatly expanded upon through the Caliphate and outward to less advanced regions, such as Western Europe. In 751, papermaking from China made its way to the West through Muslims. Trade introduced Islam to the Africans. In the Middle East, the success of Islam meant that culture would be changed forever. Even after the decline of the Abassid Caliphate, Islam would remain as one of the base institutions of the region. Future states of the region, such as the Safavid, Seljuk, and Ottoman and Mughal Empires, were all "Islamic Empires".

Caliphates

Umayyad Empire at its greatest extent

• The Rashidun Caliphate (632-661)
• The Umayyad Caliphate (661-750) - Successor of the Rashidun Caliphate
  • The Umayyad Caliphate of Cordoba in Islamic Spain (756-929-1031)
• The Abbasid Caliphate (750-1258) - Successor of the Umayyad Caliphate
• The Fatimid Caliphate (910-1171)
• The Ayyubid dynasty (1171-1260)
• The Mamluk Caliphate (Bahri dynasty then succeeded by Burji dynasty) (1250–1517)
• The Ottoman Caliphate (1517–1923)

Regional empires

Barbarossa Hayreddin Pasha

Europe and Russia

• Umayyad Caliphate of Cordoba in Islamic Spain (929-1031)
• The Emirate of Sicily (965-1072)
• The Volga Bulgaria (922-1236)
• The Golden Horde (1251–1502)
• The Crimean Khanate (1441–1783)
• The Bashkirs

Middle East

Saladin

• The Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm
• The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923)
• The Khwarezm-Shâh Dynasty
• The Tahirid dynasty
• The Khwarezmian Empire
• The Saffarid dynasty
• The Samanid Dynasty
• The Seljuk dynasty
• The Giray dynasty
• The Ilkhanate
• The Timurid dynasty
• The Ayyubid Dynasty
• The Ak Koyunlu
• The Kara Koyunlu
• The Persian Empire, under the Safavid dynasty (1502–1736), Afsharid dynasty, and Qajar dynasty
• The Muzaffarids
• The Shirvanshah
• The Ghurids
• The Ghaznavid Empire
• The Great Seljuq Empire
• The Buyid dynasty
• The Rassids of Yemen
• The Rasulid of Yemen
• The Tulunids

Central Asia

• The Chagatai Khanate

Harun al-Rashid

• The Siberia Khanate
• The State of Yarkand
• The Shaybanids

Africa & Spain

Excluding Egypt, which is considered part of Middle East

• The Adal Sultanate (1415–1555)
• The Almoravid dynasty (1040–1147) of Morocco
• The Almohad dynasty (1121–1269) of Morocco
• The Ajuran Empire (13th century–17th-century)
• The Fulani Empire of Sokoto
• The Fulani or Fulbe Empire of Macina of Seku Amadu
• The Fulani or Fulbe Empire of El Hajj Oumar Tall
• The Fulani or Fulbe Empire of Boundou of Malick Daouda Sy
• The Mali Empire (1230s–1600s)
• The Songhai Empire (1340–1591)
• The Kilwa Sultanate (10th century-1517)
• The Sultanate of Oman
• The Aghlabid dynasty of Ifriqiya Tunisia, East-Algeria, West-Libya and Sicily
• The Umayyad of Spain in North-Africa during war with the Fatimid's
• Taifa dynasties of Islamic Spain
• The Hafsid dynasty (1229–1574)
• The Alaouite dynasty of Morocco
• The Marinid dynasty of Morocco
• The Rustamid dynasty
• The Wattasid dynasty of Morocco
• The Saadi dynasty of Morocco (1511–1628)
• The Dervish State (1896–1920)

South Asia

Mezquita

• The Ali Raja
• The Sultanate of Mysore (1704–1799)
• The Delhi Sultanate in Northern India (1206–1526)
• The Mughal Empire in India (1526–1857)
• The Khilji Dynasty (1290–1320)
• The Lodhi Dynasty (1451–1526)
• The Mamluk dynasty of Delhi (1206–1290)
• The Durrani Empire (1747–1823)
• The Suri dynasty (1540–1556)
• The Asaf Jahi Dynasty (1720–1948)
• The Nawab of Awadh (1732–1856)
• The Bahmani Sultanate in Deccan (1347–1527)
• The Tughlaq dynasty (1321–1398)
• The Berar Sultanate in Deccan (1490–1572)

Taj Mahal

• The Bidar Sultanate in Deccan (1492–1619)
• The Ahmednagar Sultanate in Deccan (1490–1636)
• The Qutb Shahi dynasty in Deccan (1518–1687)
• The Bijapur Sultanate in Deccan (1490–1686)
• The Sayyid dynasty (1414–1451)
• The Sultanate of Bengal (1336–1576)
• The Sultanate of Jawnpur (1394–1479)
• The Gujarat Sultanate (1407–1573)
• The Malwa Sultanate (1401–1531)
• The Sultanate of Kashmir (1346–1586)
• The Soomro Dynasty (1026–1351)
• The Samma Dynasty (1335–1520)
• The Talpur dynasty (1783–1843)
• The Kalhora Dynasty (1701–1783)
• The Nawab of Carnatic (1690 till Date)

Southeast Asia

• The Sultanate of Johor
• The Sultanate of Maguindanao
• The Sultanate of Kelantan
• The Sultanate of Terengganu
• The Sultanate of Perlis
• The Kedah Sultanate
• The Sultanate of Pahang
• The Sultanate of Perak
• The Sultanate of Negeri Sembilan
• The Sultanate of Selangor
• The Sulu Sultanate
• The Sultanate of Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat
• The Aceh Sultanate
• The Sultanate of Deli
• The Sultanate of Siak Sri Indrapura
• The Sultanate of Riau
• The Sultanate of Indragiri
• The Sultanate of Jambi
• The Sultanate of Palembang Darussalam
• The Sultanate of Banten
• The Sultanate of Cirebon
• The Sultanate of Demak
• The Sultanate of Surakarta
• The Sultanate of Mataram
• The Sultanate of Pontianak
• The Sultanate of Banjarmasin
• The Sultanate of Kutai
• The Sultanate of Bulungan
• The Sultanate of Gowa
• The Sultanate of Ternate
• The Sultanate of Tidore
• The Sultanate of Bacan
• The Sultanate of Jailolo
• The Sultanate of Buton

Sources

1. History of the Muslims Empires of Islam
2. All Empires History Forum (Archive)

See also

• Caliphate
• Historical powers
• Empires
• Timeline of Middle Eastern History
• Muslim conquests
• Muslim history
• Global Empire
• List of Sunni Muslim dynasties
• Muslim World
• The Ottomans: Europe's Muslim Emperors