William Dalrymple (historian)

The term imamate or imamah (Arabic: إمامة, imāmah) means "leadership" and refers to the office of an imam or a Muslim theocratic state ruled by an imam.

• Imamate in Shia doctrine, the doctrine of the leadership of the Muslim community in Shia Islam. For specific Shia sects, see:
  • Imamate in Twelver doctrine
  • Imamate in Ismaili doctrine
    • Imamate in Nizari doctrine
    • Tayyibi Isma'ilism
  • Imamate in Zaydi doctrine

• Caucasian Imamate, a state during the early and mid-19th century in the Eastern Caucasus
• Imamate of Oman, a state existed in what is now Oman
• Imamate of Aussa, an early modern state in Ethiopia
• Imamate of Futa Jallon, a state in West Africa from 1725 until 1896
• Almamyate of Futa Toro, a state in West Africa from 1776 until 1861
• Hiraab Imamate, a Somali state in the 17th and 18th centuries
• Imams of Yemen, political leadership of the Zaidi branch of Shia from 897 until 1962
• Rustamid Imamate, an Ibadi Persian dynasty in North Africa from 767 until 909
• Imamate of Nafusa, a state in Libya from the 8th century until 911
• Mu'ammarid Imamate, a short-lived state after the fall of the First Saudi State from 1818 until 1820
• Imamate of Nejd, the Second Saudi State, existing from 1824 to 1891
• Nizari Ismaili state, a Shia state in the Middle East from 1090 until 1273
• Imamate of Nasr ad-Din, a short-lived state during the Mauritanian Thirty Years' War from 1673 until 1674