I know that they are both rulers in islamic countries, they both have 6 letters and harems. But, what's the difference?
2007-02-20 02:35:08 · 7 answers · asked by Milos V 2 in Arts & Humanities ➔ History
A Caliph is the head of the muslim community after the death of the Prophet Mohammad. The first Caliph was Abu Bakar (like Peter was the first Pope) but subsequently there were instances of parallel lines of Caliphs. When the Mongols invaded Bagdad in 1258 they ended the line of Caliphs. However later rulers establish their own Caliphate.
Sultans are heads of state, like Kings.
2007-02-26 19:14:14 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
A sultan would have been subservient to a caliph, who was the big cheese.
The following extract from Wikipedia explains it well,
Sultan (Arabic: سلطان) is an Islamic title, with several historical meanings. Originally it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", or "rulership". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain Muslim rulers who claimed almost full sovereignty in practical terms (i.e., the lack of dependence on any higher ruler), without claiming the overall Caliphate, or it was used to refer to a powerful governor of a province within the caliphate.
2007-02-20 03:08:55 · answer #2 · answered by the_lipsiot 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A Caliph is the successor to Muhammad as the religious and political leader of Islam and Sultans are the leaders of the Islamic Empire
2015-01-18 09:48:33 · answer #3 · answered by Lashond S 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A Sultan administers the Maldives in the Indian Ocean today and was appointed by a Caliph. Larger matters of State concern the latter. The Maldives are both a vacation resource and employed for imprisonment purposes. Don't annoy this Sultan while on vacation there.
2007-02-25 09:54:56 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
I think that a Sultan is geo-political leader while a Caliph is religious leader ...e.g. the best comparable example would be the Pope who is the head of the Catholic Church and a King whose authority is limited to his boundaries and would show deferrence to the Pope......
2007-02-20 04:38:15 · answer #5 · answered by boston857 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i think that sultan is a ruler in and muslim province and caliph is a successor of muhammed who ruled the entire muslim empire
2007-02-24 07:10:44 · answer #6 · answered by arzbarz 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Allah Commanded Dawood or David in Quran " O dawood we appointed you Caliph on earth and you must decide between people with justice and do not follow your own desire". So Caliph fulfills desire of Allah but king his own
2014-07-18 15:07:47 · answer #7 · answered by Farhan 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋