Tutub, modern Khafājī, ancient Sumerian city-state located in the Diyālā Valley east of Baghdad, Iraq. Tutub was of greatest significance during the Early Dynastic Period (c. 2900–2334 bc), and important remains have been found dating to that period—particularly the temple oval. Tutub was excavated

khitān: …circumcision of the female (properly khafḍ). Muslim traditions (Ḥadīth) recognize khitān as a pre-Islamic rite customary among the Arabs and place it in the same category as the trimming of mustaches, the cutting of nails, and the cleaning of the teeth with a toothpick.

Khafre was a king of the 4th dynasty of ancient Egypt who ruled c. 2472–c. 2448 bce and built the second of the three Pyramids of Giza. Khafre was the son of King Khufu and succeeded the short-lived Redjedef, probably his elder brother. He married his sister Khamerernebti, Meresankh III, and

Khafre was a king of the 4th dynasty of ancient Egypt who ruled c. 2472–c. 2448 bce and built the second of the three Pyramids of Giza. Khafre was the son of King Khufu and succeeded the short-lived Redjedef, probably his elder brother. He married his sister Khamerernebti, Meresankh III, and

Pyramids of Giza: That of Khafre retains the outer limestone casing only at its topmost portion. Constructed near each pyramid was a mortuary temple, which was linked via a sloping causeway to a valley temple on the edge of the Nile floodplain. Also nearby were subsidiary pyramids used for the…

Khazar: …of semireligious character called a khagan—who wielded little real power—and by tribal chieftains, each known as a beg. The state’s military organization also seems to have lacked the forcefulness of those of the greater Turkic-Mongol empires. The Khazars seem to have been more inclined to a sedentary way of life,…

Great Escarpment, plateau edge of southern Africa that separates the region’s highland interior plateau from the fairly narrow coastal strip. It lies predominantly within the Republic of South Africa and Lesotho but extends northeastward into eastern Zimbabwe (where it separates much of that

throat-singing, a range of singing styles in which a single vocalist sounds more than one pitch simultaneously by reinforcing certain harmonics (overtones and undertones) of the fundamental pitch. In some styles, harmonic melodies are sounded above a fundamental vocal drone. Originally called

Khai Dinh was the emperor of Vietnam in 1916–25 and an advocate of cooperation with the colonial power, France. Khai Dinh was the eldest son of the emperor Dong Khanh and was immediately preceded as emperor by Thanh-thai (1889–1907) and Duy Tan (1907–16). He believed that Vietnam was too backward

Khyber Pass, mountain pass in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan, on the border with Nangarhar province, Afghanistan. The pass connects Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, with Peshawar, Pakistan. The name Khyber is also applied to the range through which the pass runs—a series of arid broken

Nepal: Plant life: These forests consist mainly of khair (Acacia catechu), a spring tree with yellow flowers and flat pods; sissoo (Dalbergia sissoo), an East Indian tree yielding dark brown durable timber; and sal (Shorea robusta), an East Indian timber tree with foliage providing food for lac insects (which deposit lac, a resinous…

Mohammed Khaïr-Eddine was a French-language poet and novelist who was a leader among post-independence Moroccan writers seeking a new and distinctly Moroccan poetic voice. Khaïr-Eddine completed his secondary studies in Casablanca and then worked for the government in Agadir, helping to restore

Chaeronea, in ancient Greece, fortified town on Mt. Petrachus, guarding the entry into the northern plain of Boeotia. Controlled by the Boeotian city of Orchomenus (q.v.) in the 5th century bc, it was the scene of the battle in which Philip II of Macedon defeated Thebes and Athens (338 bc). The

Khairpur, city, Sindh province, south-central Pakistan. The city lies along the Khairpur East Canal, 11 miles (18 km) south of the Indus River. It was founded in 1783 by Mīr (chief) Sohrāb Khān, who established the Khairpur branch of the Tālpur family. The settlement was selected as the seat of the

Khairpur, city, Sindh province, south-central Pakistan. The city lies along the Khairpur East Canal, 11 miles (18 km) south of the Indus River. It was founded in 1783 by Mīr (chief) Sohrāb Khān, who established the Khairpur branch of the Tālpur family. The settlement was selected as the seat of the

Giovanni da Montecorvino: …that in 1311 Montecorvino baptized Khaishan Külüg, the third great khan (1307–11), and his mother. This event has been disputed, but he was unquestionably successful in northern and eastern China. He was apparently the only effective European proselytizer in medieval Peking, but the results of his mission were lost in…

Abkhazia: History: Raul Khajimba, a former vice president who had led the opposition against Ankvab, was narrowly elected president months later and likewise faced organized efforts to force his resignation. He survived those efforts, however, and sought a second term in an election set originally for July…

Khajuraho, historic town, northern Madhya Pradesh state, central India. It is a famous tourist and archaeological site known for its sculptured temples dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu, and Jaina patriarchs. The monuments at Khajuraho were designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1986. Khajuraho, or

Thar Desert: Land: The khajri (or khejri) tree (Prosopis cineraria) grows throughout the plains.

Khajuraho, historic town, northern Madhya Pradesh state, central India. It is a famous tourist and archaeological site known for its sculptured temples dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu, and Jaina patriarchs. The monuments at Khajuraho were designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1986. Khajuraho, or

history of Central Asia: Timur: …a dialect derived partly from Khakani, the language spoken at the Karakhanid court (and a precursor of modern Uzbek), emerging as a flexible vehicle for sophisticated literary expression. These Timurid epigones, however, were locked in unceasing rivalry with each other and were unable to combine against intruders from beyond their…

Khakass, people who have given their name to Khakassia republic in central Russia. The general name Khakass encompasses five Turkic-speaking groups that differ widely in their ethnic origin as well as in their culture and everyday life: the Kacha, Sagay (Sagai), Beltir, Kyzyl, and Koybal. Before

Khakasiya, republic in central Russia. The republic occupies the western half of the broad Minusinsk Basin on the upper Yenisey River. The Abakan River, a tributary of the Yenisey, forms the axis of the republic. Southeast of the Abakan’s valley rise the Western (Zapadny) Sayan mountains, reaching

Khakass, people who have given their name to Khakassia republic in central Russia. The general name Khakass encompasses five Turkic-speaking groups that differ widely in their ethnic origin as well as in their culture and everyday life: the Kacha, Sagay (Sagai), Beltir, Kyzyl, and Koybal. Before

Khakasiya, republic in central Russia. The republic occupies the western half of the broad Minusinsk Basin on the upper Yenisey River. The Abakan River, a tributary of the Yenisey, forms the axis of the republic. Southeast of the Abakan’s valley rise the Western (Zapadny) Sayan mountains, reaching

khaki, light brown fabric used primarily for military uniforms. It is made with cotton, wool, or combinations of these fibres, as well as with blends of synthetic fibres. It is made in a variety of weaves, such as serge. Khaki uniforms were introduced by Sir Harry Burnett Lumsden and William

Arabic literature: Modern Arabic poetry: …core of this group were Yūsuf al-Khāl and Adonis (the pen name of ʿAlī Aḥmad Saʿīd), arguably the most influential figure in modern Arabic poetry. In its radical approach to poetic form (including the prose poem) and its experiments with language and imagery, this group was emblematic of the many…

Abū Nuwās: …Wālibah ibn al-Ḥubāb, later under Khalaf al-Aḥmar. He also studied the Qurʾān (Islāmic sacred scripture), Ḥadīth (traditions relating to the life and utterances of the Prophet), and grammar and is said to have spent a year with the Bedouins in the desert to acquire their traditional purity of language.

Ṣalāḥ Khalaf was a Palestinian political activist who was a founding member of the Fatah faction of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and a close associate of PLO leader Yāsir ʿArafāt. Khalaf’s family fled to the Gaza Strip in 1948 during the conflict that accompanied Israel’s

Botswana: Ethnic groups: …besides Tswana, that of the Khalagari (Western Sotho), has become so incorporated as to be almost indistinguishable from the Tswana. Even their name is now usually rendered in the Tswana form as “Kgalagadi.”

Ghilzay: …least in part from the Khalaj or Khilji Turks, who entered Afghanistan in the 10th century. The Lodi, who established a dynasty on the throne of Delhi in Hindustan (1450–1526), were a branch of the Ghilzay, and in the early 18th century Mir Vais Khan, a Ghilzay chieftain, captured Kandahar…

Turkic languages: Classification: …middle course of the Volga; Khalaj, descended from the Old Turkic Arghu dialect, is spoken in central Iran.

African music: Lutes: …lutes such as the konting, khalam, and the nkoni (which was noted by Ibn Baṭṭūṭah in 1353) may have originated in ancient Egypt. The khalam is claimed to be the ancestor of the banjo. Another long-necked lute is the ramkie of South Africa.

Aegean civilizations: Period of the Early Palaces in Crete (c. 2000–1700): …point the fortified settlement at Khalandrianí on Syrus was destroyed by fire and abandoned, but Aegina, Ceos, and other fortified island towns flourished.

Simin Behbahani was an Iranian poet who earned the sobriquet “the lioness of Iran” for eloquently challenging national authorities and expressing her steadfast opposition to oppression and violence in more than 600 poems. Prior to her birth, Khalili’s father, an editor and writer, was temporarily

al-Qaeda in Iraq: …first appeared in 2004, when Abū Muṣʿab al-Zarqāwī, a Jordanian-born militant already leading insurgent attacks in Iraq, formed an alliance with al-Qaeda, pledging his group’s allegiance to Osama bin Laden in return for bin Laden’s endorsement as the leader of al-Qaeda’s franchise in Iraq. Al-Zarqāwī, who quickly came to be…

Ibn Khaldūn was the greatest Arab historian, who developed one of the earliest nonreligious philosophies of history, contained in his masterpiece, the Muqaddimah (“Introduction”). He also wrote a definitive history of Muslim North Africa. Ibn Khaldūn was born in Tunis in 1332; the Khaldūniyyah

Khaled is an Algerian popular singer who introduced Western audiences to raï—a form of Algerian popular music blending North African, Middle Eastern, and Western traditions. Khaled was known for exuding happiness, especially when performing. By age 10 he was playing a variety of instruments,

Khaled is an Algerian popular singer who introduced Western audiences to raï—a form of Algerian popular music blending North African, Middle Eastern, and Western traditions. Khaled was known for exuding happiness, especially when performing. By age 10 he was playing a variety of instruments,

Amr Khaled is an Egyptian televangelist who achieved global fame with his message of religious tolerance and dialogue with the West. Khaled’s family was not religious, but, as a high-school student, he found himself seeking more meaning in his life. He studied the Qurʾān, visited mosques, and began

Khaled is an Algerian popular singer who introduced Western audiences to raï—a form of Algerian popular music blending North African, Middle Eastern, and Western traditions. Khaled was known for exuding happiness, especially when performing. By age 10 he was playing a variety of instruments,

keffiyeh: Political symbol: …worn by men, pictures of Leila Khaled, a prominent Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) member, wearing the keffiyeh in the style of the hijab or wrapped around her neck began circulating in the media in the 1970s. Khaled wearing the keffiyeh broke down gender norms associated with…

Khaleda Zia is a Bangladeshi politician who served as prime minister of Bangladesh in 1991–96 and 2001–06. She was the first woman to serve as prime minister of the country, and she governed during a period of natural disasters, economic distress, and civil unrest. Khaleda was the third of five

Khaleda Zia is a Bangladeshi politician who served as prime minister of Bangladesh in 1991–96 and 2001–06. She was the first woman to serve as prime minister of the country, and she governed during a period of natural disasters, economic distress, and civil unrest. Khaleda was the third of five

Khaleda Zia is a Bangladeshi politician who served as prime minister of Bangladesh in 1991–96 and 2001–06. She was the first woman to serve as prime minister of the country, and she governed during a period of natural disasters, economic distress, and civil unrest. Khaleda was the third of five

Pact of Halepa, convention signed in October 1878 at Khalépa, a suburb of Canea, by which the Turkish sultan Abdülhamid II (ruled 1876–1909) granted a large degree of self-government to Greeks in Crete as a means to quell their insurrection against Turkish overlords. It supplemented previous

Pact of Halepa, convention signed in October 1878 at Khalépa, a suburb of Canea, by which the Turkish sultan Abdülhamid II (ruled 1876–1909) granted a large degree of self-government to Greeks in Crete as a means to quell their insurrection against Turkish overlords. It supplemented previous

South Asian arts: North India: …have a further feature, the khali (“empty”), a conscious negation of stress occurring at one or more points in each tala where one would expect a beat. It often falls at the halfway point in the time cycle and is marked by a wave of the hand. There is nothing…

Yiddish literature: Writers in Poland and the Soviet Union: …the Warsaw-based group known as Khaliastre (“The Gang”). After he moved to Palestine in 1924, he concentrated on writing in Hebrew.

Khālid al-Qasrī was a governor of Iraq under the Umayyad caliphate. Khālid began his official career in 710 as governor of Mecca, a position he held until 715, when the caliph al-Walīd, who had appointed him, was succeeded by Sulaymān, who dismissed him. Until 724 he lived in retirement but was

Khālid ibn al-Walīd was one of the two generals (with ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ) of the enormously successful Islamic expansion under the Prophet Muhammad and his immediate successors, Abū Bakr and ʿUmar. Although he fought against Muhammad at Uḥud (625), Khālid was later converted (627/629) and joined

Barmakids: Khālid ibn Barmak.: Khālid ibn Barmak is the first Barmakid about whom much is known. He first appears in the mid-8th century as a supporter of the revolutionary movement that established the ʿAbbāsid caliphate. In 747 Khālid was put in charge of the distribution of…

Saudi Arabia: Second Saudi state: Khālid, son of Saud and brother of ʿAbd Allāh, was installed as ruler of Najd by the Egyptians on the condition that he recognize Egyptian hegemony.

Khalid of Saudi Arabia was the king of Saudi Arabia (1975–82), who succeeded his half brother Faisal as king when Faisal was assassinated in 1975. A moderate influence in Middle East politics and a relatively retiring man, he left much of the administration of the country to his half brother Prince

Khālid al-Qasrī was a governor of Iraq under the Umayyad caliphate. Khālid began his official career in 710 as governor of Mecca, a position he held until 715, when the caliph al-Walīd, who had appointed him, was succeeded by Sulaymān, who dismissed him. Until 724 he lived in retirement but was

Khalid of Saudi Arabia was the king of Saudi Arabia (1975–82), who succeeded his half brother Faisal as king when Faisal was assassinated in 1975. A moderate influence in Middle East politics and a relatively retiring man, he left much of the administration of the country to his half brother Prince

Tanzania: British protectorate: Khalīfa ibn Harūb became sultan in 1911. He was the leading Muslim prince in East Africa, and his moderating influence did much to steady Muslim opinion in that part of Africa at times of political crisis, especially during the two World Wars. He died on…

caliph, in Islamic history the ruler of the Muslim community. Although khalīfah and its plural khulafāʾ occur several times in the Qurʾān, referring to humans as God’s stewards or vice-regents on earth, the term did not denote a distinct political or religious institution during the lifetime of the

Qatar: Early history and British protectorate: …families from Kuwait, notably the Khalifah family. Their settlement at the new town of Al-Zubārah grew into a small pearl-diving and trade centre. In 1783 the Khalifah family led the conquest of nearby Bahrain, where they remained the ruling family throughout the 20th century. Following the departure of the Khalifah…

Sheikh Hamad ibn ʿIsa Al Khalifah is the king of Bahrain from 2002, previously emir of Bahrain (1999–2002). Hamad became head of state as the emir of Bahrain after the death of his father, Sheikh ʿIsa ibn Salman Al Khalifah, and then proclaimed himself king in 2002. Hamad’s childhood was spent in

Ezion-geber, seaport of Solomon and the later kings of Judah, located at the northern end of the Gulf of Aqaba in what is now Maʿān muḥāfaẓah (governorate), Jordan. The site was found independently by archaeologists Fritz Frank and Nelson Glueck. Glueck’s excavations (1938–40) proved that the site

Gulf of Suez, northwestern arm of the Red Sea between Africa proper (west) and the Sinai Peninsula (east) of Egypt. The length of the gulf, from its mouth at the Strait of Jubal to its head at the city of Suez, is 195 miles (314 km), and it varies in width from 12 to 20 miles (19 to 32 km). The

Gulf of Aqaba, northeastern arm of the Red Sea, penetrating between Saudi Arabia and the Sinai Peninsula. It varies in width from 12 to 17 miles (19 to 27 km) and is 110 miles (177 km) long. The gulf lies in a pronounced cleft between hills rising abruptly to about 2,000 feet (600 metres).

Gulf of Gabes, inlet, on the east coast of Tunisia, northern Africa. It is 60 miles (100 km) long and 60 miles wide and is bounded by the Qarqannah (Kerkena) Islands on the northeast and by Jarbah (Djerba) Island on the southeast. Except for the Strait of Gibraltar and the Gulf of Venice, it is the

Gulf of Sidra, arm of the Mediterranean Sea, indenting the Libyan coast of northern Africa. It extends eastward for 275 mi (443 km) from Miṣrātah to Banghāzī. A highway links scattered oases along its shore, which is chiefly desert, with salt marshes. In August the gulf’s water temperature reaches

Persian Gulf, shallow marginal sea of the Indian Ocean that lies between the Arabian Peninsula and southwestern Iran. The sea has an area of about 93,000 square miles (241,000 square km). Its length is some 615 miles (990 km), and its width varies from a maximum of about 210 miles (340 km) to a

Hebron, city in the West Bank, situated in the southern Judaean Hills south-southwest of Jerusalem. Located about 3,050 feet (930 metres) above sea level, Hebron long benefited from its mountainous clime, which encouraged the cultivation of fruit trees and vineyards. In addition, its location at a

al-Khalīl ibn Aḥmad was an Arab philologist who compiled the first Arabic dictionary and is credited with the formulation of the rules of Arabic prosody. When he moved to Basra, al-Khalīl left the Ṣufriyyah division of the Khārijites, which was popular in his native Oman. He lived simply and

Hebron, city in the West Bank, situated in the southern Judaean Hills south-southwest of Jerusalem. Located about 3,050 feet (930 metres) above sea level, Hebron long benefited from its mountainous clime, which encouraged the cultivation of fruit trees and vineyards. In addition, its location at a

al-Ashraf Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn Khalīl was a Mamlūk sultan of Egypt who completed his father Qalāʾūn’s campaign to drive the Franks from Syria. He captured Acre (now ʿAkko, Israel) in the spring of 1291, and the remaining crusader fortresses were surrendered by the end of the year. He was murdered by his

Patrona Halil was a Turkish bath waiter, who, after a Turkish defeat by Persia, led a mob uprising (1730) that replaced the Ottoman sultan Ahmed III (ruled 1703–30) with Mahmud I (ruled 1730–54). This was the only Turkish rising not originating in the army. Patrona Halil was assassinated soon

Simin Behbahani was an Iranian poet who earned the sobriquet “the lioness of Iran” for eloquently challenging national authorities and expressing her steadfast opposition to oppression and violence in more than 600 poems. Prior to her birth, Khalili’s father, an editor and writer, was temporarily

India: Taxation and distribution of revenue resources: The khāliṣah, the territory whose revenues accrued directly to the sultan’s own treasury, was expanded significantly, enabling the sultan to pay a much larger number of his soldiers and cavalry troops in cash. Through these measures the sultan struck hard at all the others—his officials and…

Khalistan, in Sikh political ideology, autonomous Sikh homeland. The declaration of the Khālsā by Gurū Gobind Singh in 1699 and the religio-political vision that came with it fired the Sikh imagination with the belief that it was their God-given right to rule the Punjab. In 1710, under the

Khaljī dynasty, (1290–1320), the second ruling dynasty of the Muslim sultanate of Delhi. The dynasty, whose founder Jalāl al-Dīn Fīrūz Khaljī had been the top military commander under the previous Mamluk dynasty, was responsible for making the Delhi sultanate into an imperial power by expanding its

India: Consolidation of the sultanate: …launched a successful campaign against Ghiyāth al-Dīn ʿIwāz Khaljī, one of Bhaktiyār Khaljī’s lieutenants, who had assumed sovereign authority in Lakhnauti (northern Bengal) and was encroaching on the province of Bihar. ʿIwāz Khaljī was defeated and slain in 1226, and in 1229 Iltutmish invaded Bengal and slew Balka, the last…

India: Consolidation of the sultanate: …launched a successful campaign against Ghiyāth al-Dīn ʿIwāz Khaljī, one of Bhaktiyār Khaljī’s lieutenants, who had assumed sovereign authority in Lakhnauti (northern Bengal) and was encroaching on the province of Bihar. ʿIwāz Khaljī was defeated and slain in 1226, and in 1229 Iltutmish invaded Bengal and slew Balka, the last…

Deoghar: The Muslim invader Bakhtīyār Khaljī made Deoghar his capital in 1201 after the conquest of Bihar. It was constituted a municipality in 1869.

India: The Khaljīs of India: …struggle between the two factions, Jalāl al-Dīn Fīrūz Khaljī assumed the sultanate in 1290. During his short reign (1290–96), Jalāl al-Dīn suppressed a revolt by some of Balban’s officers, led an unsuccessful expedition against Ranthambhor, and defeated a substantial Mongol force on the banks of the Sind River in central…

Gujarat: History of Gujarat: …defeated in about 1299 by ʿAlāʾ al-Dīn Khaljī, sultan of Delhi; Gujarat then came under Muslim rule. It was Aḥmad Shah, the first independent sultan of Gujarat, who founded Ahmadabad (1411). By the end of the 16th century, Gujarat was ruled by the Mughals. Their control of the region lasted…

Turkmenistan: Constitutional framework: A People’s Council (Khalk Maslahaty)—made up of the president, members of the parliament, regional representatives, chairmen of the high courts, the cabinet, and other officials—had the authority to call national referenda, plan economic and social policy, and declare war. Despite having significant de jure powers, this council largely…

Khalkha, largest group of the Mongol peoples, constituting more than 80 percent of the population of Mongolia. The Khalkha dialect is the official language of Mongolia. It is understood by 90 percent of the country’s population as well as by many Mongols elsewhere. Traditionally, the Khalkha were a

Mongol language: The Khalkha dialect constitutes the basis for the official language of Mongolia. The other dialects, the number and grouping of which are controversial, are spoken predominantly in China. With the closely related Buryat language, Mongol forms the eastern group of Mongolian languages.

Chalcidice, peninsula and a perifereiakí enótita (regional unit), Central Macedonia (Modern Greek: Kendrikí Makedonía) periféreia (region), northern Greece. It terminates in (east–west) the three fingerlike promontories of Kassándra, Sithonía, and Áyion Óros (Mount Athos). The promontories were

Chalcis, city and dímos (municipality) on the island of Euboea (Évvoia), periféreia (region) of Central Greece (Modern Greek: Stereá Elláda), western Greece. It lies at the narrowest point (measured only in yards) of the Euripus (Evrípos) channel, which separates Euboea from the Greek mainland and

Kalmykiya, republic in southwestern Russia, lying northwest of the Caspian Sea and west of the lower Volga River. On the east it reaches the Caspian shore, and in the northeast it touches the Volga. Most of the republic lies in the vast lowland of the northern Caspian Depression, the greater part

kasb: …term kasb to avoid attributing khalq (creation) to anyone but God. His main concern was to maintain God’s total omnipotence and at the same time allow men a degree of responsibility for their actions. Al-Ashʿarī rejected the assertion of the Muʿtazilah theological school, of which he had been a member,…

Afghanistan: Mohammad Zahir Shah (1933–73): …two factions, known as the People’s (Khalq) and Banner (Parcham) parties. Another was a conservative religious organization known as the Islamic Society (Jamʿiyyat-e Eslāmī), which was founded by a number of religiously minded individuals, including members of the University of Kabul faculty of religion, in 1971. The Islamists were highly…

Khalsa, the purified and reconstituted Sikh community instituted by Guru Gobind Singh on March 30, 1699 (Baisakhi Day; Khalsa Sikhs celebrate the birth of the order on April 13 of each year). His declaration had three dimensions: it redefined the concept of authority within the Sikh community; it

Bhai Vir Singh: …Singh founded the weekly paper Khālsā Samācār (“News of the Khalsa”) in Amritsar (1899), where it is still published. Among his novels are Kalgīdlur Camathār (1935), a novel on the life of the 17th-century gurū Gobind Singh, and Gurū Nānak Camathār, 2 vol. (1936; “Stories of Guru Nanak”), a biography…

Suhrawardīyah: The orthodox Khalwatīyah, also strictly disciplined, was founded in Iran by ʿUmar al-Khalwatī, then spread into Turkey and Egypt in many branches. The Ṣafawīyah, organized by Ṣafī od-Dīn, at Ardabīl, Iran, gave rise to the Iranian Ṣafavid dynasty (1502–1736) and several Turkish branches active against the Ottomans…

Thai literature: …award-winning novel Kham phiphaksa (1982; The Judgment), in which a well-meaning rural school janitor is turned into a social outcast through the narrow-minded gossip and hypocrisy of the community in which he has grown up. By publishing his own works, Chart achieved a degree of financial independence that most writers…

Deo Van Tri was a fiercely independent tribal chief of Tai peoples in the Black River region of Tonkin (now northern Vietnam) who created a semiautonomous feudal kingdom and coexisted with the French, who ruled the rest of Vietnam. Deo Van Tri was the son of Deo Van Seng (or Deo Van Sanh), chief of

Khama III was a Southern African Tswana (“Bechuana” in older variant orthography) chief of Bechuanaland who allied himself with British colonizers in the area. Khama was converted to Christianity in 1860, and, after more than a decade of dissension between his supporters and those loyal to his

Khama III was a Southern African Tswana (“Bechuana” in older variant orthography) chief of Bechuanaland who allied himself with British colonizers in the area. Khama was converted to Christianity in 1860, and, after more than a decade of dissension between his supporters and those loyal to his

Botswana: Botswana since independence: …was succeeded by vice president Ian Khama, a member of the BDP and the son of Botswana’s first president, Seretse Khama. In elections held on October 16, 2009, the BDP won a decisive victory, extending its majority in the National Assembly and securing for Khama a full term as president;…

Sir Seretse Khama was the first president of Botswana (1966–80), after the former Bechuanaland protectorate gained independence from Great Britain. Seretse Khama was the grandson of Khama III the Good, who had allied his kingdom in Bechuanaland with British colonizers in the late 19th century.

Mongolia: Ethnography and early tribal history: …known in Mongol tradition as Khamag Mongol Uls (“Nation of All the Mongols”), which did not, however, include all of the population who spoke the Mongol language.

Ob River: Physiography: …arms of which are the Khamanelsk Ob, which receives the Shchuchya from the left, and the Nadym Ob, which is the more considerable of the pair. At the base of the delta lies the Gulf of Ob, which is some 500 miles (800 km) long and has a width reaching…

Madīnat Khāmastāshar Māyo, residential town, Ḥulwān muḥāfaẓah (governorate), Egypt. The town is a suburb of the industrial town of Ḥulwān and is located in the Wadi Ḥawf 2 miles (3 km) north of Ḥulwān, on a desert tract of 15 square miles (39 square km). Constructed in the late 1970s, it is part of