Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
First president of the Turkish Republic, under whose leadership the Assembly ended the sultanate and the caliphate.
Era 12 of 12 · Station twelve
The Modern Ummah
On 3 March 1924 the Turkish National Assembly abolished the caliphate, ending an office that traced back to Abu Bakr in 632. In the years since, most Muslim lands have become independent nations, cities have grown fast, and Muslim communities have settled in Europe, the Americas and Australia. Today Muslims number nearly two billion, living in about fifty Muslim-majority countries and as minorities in many more.
Who led, and when
Six who shaped the era
Founders, bodies and communities are listed here, since this era is still unfolding.
Muhammad Ali Jinnah
Led the movement for Pakistan and became its first governor-general in 1947.
Sukarno
Proclaimed Indonesia's independence in 1945 and became its first president.
Abdulaziz ibn Saud
Founded the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, home to Makkah and Madinah.
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
An association of Muslim-majority states, first called the Organisation of the Islamic Conference.
Muslim migrant communities
Families who settled in Europe, North America and Australia and built mosques and schools.
The lands of the era
From Turkey to Europe and North America
Muslims are the majority in about fifty countries, from Morocco to Indonesia, and large communities live as minorities in India, China, Europe and the Americas. Asia is home to most of the world's Muslims.
- Turkeyrepublic founded in 1923
- The Arab worldnew states from Morocco to Iraq
- South AsiaPakistan, Bangladesh and India
- Indonesialargest Muslim-majority country
- Europe and North Americagrowing Muslim communities
This map is a simple sketch to help you picture where events took place. Positions, distances and borders are approximate, so please use it for reference only, not as an accurate map.
At a glance
The era in six facts
The years, the people, the places, and what the era left behind.
- Years
- 1924 to today1924 to today, from the abolition of the caliphate to a world of independent nations and global Muslim communities.
- Leading figures
- Founders of new nations such as Atatürk, Jinnah and Sukarno, and the many scholars, workers and families who built modern Muslim communities.
- Centres
- Makkah and Madinah, drawing millions at each Hajj; al-Azhar in Cairo; and large cities from Istanbul and Jakarta to London and New York.
- Lands
- Muslim-majority countries across Africa, the Middle East and Asia, and communities in Europe, the Americas and Australia.
- Turning points
- The end of the caliphate in 1924, independence for many nations from the 1940s, oil from the 1930s, and migration from the 1950s.
- Legacy
- A worldwide ummah of nearly two billion people that shares the Quran and the Hajj across many nations and languages.
Key moments
Six stops on the road
- 1The Turkish National Assembly abolishes the caliphate on 3 March.
- 2Oil is found in commercial quantities in Saudi Arabia.
- 3Pakistan is founded on 14 August.
- 4West Germany and Turkey sign a labour agreement, one of many that bring Muslim families to Europe.
- 5The Organisation of the Islamic Conference is founded in Rabat.
- 6Muslims number about 1.9 billion, roughly a quarter of the world's people.
The chapters
Read the era, in six parts
Six short chapters take you through the era in order.
- 01The end of the caliphate1924The Turkish National Assembly abolishes the caliphate on 3 March 1924.Read
- 02New nations1930s–1960sIndependence movements succeed from Indonesia and Pakistan to Algeria and Nigeria.Read
- 03Oil, cities and wealth1930s–todayOil transforms some economies, while cities across the Muslim world grow fast.Read
- 04Muslims on the move: migration and the West1950s–todayFamilies move to Europe, North America and Australia and build new communities.Read
- 05Learning, media and revival1970s–todayUniversities, satellite television and the internet bring new ways to study and share the faith.Read
- 06One ummah, nearly two billion peopletodayNearly two billion people share one faith across about fifty Muslim-majority countries.Read
Rihla · a journey to play
A journey for this era is on the way
There is no journey for this era yet.
Sources
Sources for this era
The books, lectures and maps behind this page are listed on our Sources page.
- Classical history
- Modern study
- Lecture series
- Map & atlas
How we choose sources
Classical histories first, checked against trusted modern scholarship. Approximate dates carry a “c.”
Athar’s sources