The ‘Islamicness’ (or not) of so-called ‘Islamic State’ (IS) has been controversial and come under intense scrutiny. This thesis investigates the under-studied other side of the equation: the ‘stateness of Islamic State’. Specifically, it enquires IS’s ‘performance of modern stateness’ projected in its official videos. Two core questions are addressed: How did IS project ‘performances of modern stateness’ in its official videos? What were the purposes behind those ‘performances’? The definition clause of the 1933 Montevideo Convention on Rights and Duties of States specifies that “[t]he political entity claiming to be a State must have (a) a permanent population; (b) a defined territory; (c) a government; and (d) the capacity to enter into relations with other states.” Following this framework and utilising qualitative data analysis software MAXQDA, the thesis provides detailed examination of IS’s portrayal of its population, territory, governance, and foreign policy in its videos. It establishes that IS had a vision to implement a 7th century ideology, but via 21st century means: its videos are replete with performances of specifically modern stateness. The thesis shows that IS performed like a State in its videos, not with the intention of seeking international recognition, but with the objective of giving local populations the impression that their needs as subjects were being met across the Caliphate while attracting immigrants from all over the world to come and help further the state project. This work contributes to a growing body of research on IS’s visual propaganda and its state-building project through detailed analysis of a large tranche of official IS videos, and will also prove beneficial in future research on de-facto Jihadi states and deradicalisation.