caliphate

(noun) the era of Islam's ascendancy from the death of Mohammed until the 13th century; some Moslems still maintain that the Moslem world must always have a calif as head of the community. Synonyms: Caliphate. Examples: "Their goal was to reestablish the caliphate."

(noun) the territorial jurisdiction of a caliph.

(noun) the office of a caliph.