The term 'Islamic State' is a reference to a self-proclaimed caliphate and state that was established in 2014 by the Sunni extremist group known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). The crossword solution for this term is 'EMIRATE, ' which is an independent state or territory ruled by an emir, or prince. An EMIRATE is typically a Muslim state, and the Islamic State was no exception. The Islamic State was led by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who declared himself the caliph of the Islamic State and its leader.