Caliphate
The Rashidun caliphs directly succeeded Muhammad as leaders of the muslim community. They were chosen through shura, a process of community consultation that some think is an early form of Islamic democracy. During the history of Islam after the Rashidun period, many muslim states, mostly hereditary monarchies, have claimed to be caliphates. Caliphs were not thought of as having the same prophetic power as Muhammid did.