sharifate

Sharifate is a political concept referring to the jurisdiction or government led by a Sharif—an official whose status is derived from descent from the Prophet Muhammad through the line of Hasan or Husayn. The term comes from the Arabic sharīf meaning "noble" or "high-born," and historically referred to quasi-sovereign polities where rule was legitimized by genealogical prestige and religious authority rather than purely dynastic power.

In practice, sharifates were most prominent in the Hijaz and surrounding regions, where local Sharifs governed as emir or governor under larger imperial suzerainties, notably the Mamluk and Ottoman empires. The best-known example is the Sharifate of Mecca, whose rulers claimed Hashemite descent and exercised political and religious influence over the holy city; it maintained varying degrees of autonomy while acknowledging Ottoman suzerainty until the early 20th century and its dissolution during the formation of later Saudi states.

Other regional authorities and families across the Islamic world were described as sharifates, reflecting a broader pattern in which genealogical legitimacy and religious prestige supported local governance. In modern times, sharifates are largely historical and ceremonial; contemporary states do not recognize Sharifates as independent polities, though the title Sharif remains an honorific for certain descendants of the Prophet in some communities.