Was the Ottoman Empire a legitimate caliphate?

Short answer: Yes. Long answer: For hundreds of years (750-1517), the title of Caliph was held by members of the Abbasid Dynasty, after they overthrew the previous Umayyad Dynasty. read more

Short answer: Yes. Long answer: For hundreds of years (750-1517), the title of Caliph was held by members of the Abbasid Dynasty, after they overthrew the previous Umayyad Dynasty. read more

The Ottoman Caliphate (1517–1924), under the Ottoman dynasty of the Ottoman Empire, was the last Sunni Islamic caliphate of the late medieval and the early modern era. During the period of Ottoman growth, Ottoman rulers claimed caliphal authority since Murad I's conquest of Edirne in 1362. read more