Karakorum, ancient capital of the Mongol empire, whose ruins lie on the upper Orhon River in north-central Mongolia. The site of Karakorum may have been first settled about 750. In 1220 Genghis Khan, the great Mongol conqueror, established his headquarters there and used it as a base for his

Kharagpur, city, south-central West Bengal state, northeastern India. It lies just south of the Kasai River, about 70 miles (110 km) west-southwest of Kolkata (Calcutta). Kharagpur was originally only the railway suburb of Midnapore (Medinipur), but it is now an important rail junction, with

kharāj, a special Islāmic fiscal imposition that was demanded from recent converts to Islām in the 7th and 8th centuries. The origin of the concept of the kharāj is closely linked to changes in the status of non-Muslims and of recent converts to Islām in newly conquered Islāmic territories. The

Kharagpur, city, south-central West Bengal state, northeastern India. It lies just south of the Kasai River, about 70 miles (110 km) west-southwest of Kolkata (Calcutta). Kharagpur was originally only the railway suburb of Midnapore (Medinipur), but it is now an important rail junction, with

Amur River, river of East Asia. It is the longest river of the Russian Far East, and it ranks behind only the Yangtze and Huang Ho (Yellow River) among China’s longest rivers. Its headwaters rise in Russia (Siberia), Mongolia, and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China in the mountains

Khārān, town, north-central Balochistān province, Pakistan. It lies 6 miles (10 km) from the Baddo River. Long a caravan depot, it still trades in salt, millet, wheat, dates, melons, carpets, and baskets. The surrounding area is mostly desert but has cultivated tracts, dependent on flood

Khārān, town, north-central Balochistān province, Pakistan. It lies 6 miles (10 km) from the Baddo River. Long a caravan depot, it still trades in salt, millet, wheat, dates, melons, carpets, and baskets. The surrounding area is mostly desert but has cultivated tracts, dependent on flood

gaccha: …have survived, such as the Kharatara (located mainly in Rajasthan), the Tapa, and the Ancala. While the gacchas do not differ from one another in matters of doctrine, they do differ on issues of practice, in particular those practices relating to the sacred calendar and to ritual. The various gacchas…

India: Kalinga: Kalinga rose to prominence under Kharavela, dated with some debate to the 1st century bce. Kharavela boasts, perhaps exaggeratedly for a pious Jain, of successful campaigns in the western Deccan and against the Yavanas and Magadha and of a triumphal victory over the Pandyas of southern India.

Tripura: Cultural life: The Kharchi Puja—also known as the Festival of the 14 Gods—has its origins in tribal tradition but is now a major temple festival celebrated within a predominantly Hindu framework by both tribal and nontribal peoples; it takes place in Agartala every July and honours the deities…

muwashshaḥ: The last AB, called kharjah, or markaz, is usually written in vernacular Arabic or in the Spanish Mozarabic dialect; it is normally rendered in the voice of a girl and expresses her longing for her absent lover. Such verses make it probable that the muwashshaḥ was influenced by some…

Himalayas: Transportation: …over the 17,730-foot- (5,404-metre-) high Khardung Pass—the first of the high passes on the historic caravan trail to Central Asia from India. Many other new roads have been built since 1950.

Sansi: …themselves into two classes, the khare (people of pure Sansi ancestry) and the malla (people of mixed ancestry). Some are cultivators and labourers, although many are still nomadic. They trace their descent patrilineally and also serve as the traditional family genealogists of the Jat, a peasant caste. Their religion is…

Kharg Island, small Iranian island in the northern Persian Gulf, 34 miles (55 km) northwest of the port of Bushire (Būshehr). In the 15th century the Dutch established a factory (trading station) on the island, but in 1766 Kharg was taken by pirates based at Bandar-e Rīg, a small Persian port north

Al-Wāḥāt al-Khārijah, oasis in the Libyan (Western) Desert, part of Al-Wādī al-Jadīd (“New Valley”) muḥāfaẓah (governorate), in south-central Egypt. It is situated about 110 miles (180 km) west-southwest of Najʿ Ḥammādī, to which it is linked by railroad. The name Wāḥāt al-Khārijah means “Outer

Al-Wāḥāt al-Khārijah, oasis in the Libyan (Western) Desert, part of Al-Wādī al-Jadīd (“New Valley”) muḥāfaẓah (governorate), in south-central Egypt. It is situated about 110 miles (180 km) west-southwest of Najʿ Ḥammādī, to which it is linked by railroad. The name Wāḥāt al-Khārijah means “Outer

Al-Wāḥāt al-Khārijah, oasis in the Libyan (Western) Desert, part of Al-Wādī al-Jadīd (“New Valley”) muḥāfaẓah (governorate), in south-central Egypt. It is situated about 110 miles (180 km) west-southwest of Najʿ Ḥammādī, to which it is linked by railroad. The name Wāḥāt al-Khārijah means “Outer

Sonia Gandhi: She was succeeded by Mallikarjun Kharge in 2022.

Khargone, city, southwestern Madhya Pradesh state, central India. It is situated just north of the Satpura Range and lies mostly on the east bank of the Kundi River (a tributary of the Narmada River). Khargone is a major agricultural produce and timber market and is engaged in cotton ginning and

Khargone, city, southwestern Madhya Pradesh state, central India. It is situated just north of the Satpura Range and lies mostly on the east bank of the Kundi River (a tributary of the Narmada River). Khargone is a major agricultural produce and timber market and is engaged in cotton ginning and

India: Lingua francas: …Hindi, known by linguists as Khari Boli, which originated in Delhi and an adjacent region within the Ganges-Yamuna Doab (interfluve). During the Mughal period (early 16th to mid-18th century), when political power became centered on Delhi, Khari Boli absorbed numerous Persian words and came to be used as a lingua…

Khaṛiā, any of several groups of hill people living in the Chota Nāgpur area of Orissa and Bihār states, northeastern India, and numbering more than 280,000 in the late 20th century. Most of the Khaṛiā speak a South Munda language of the Munda family, itself a part of the Austroasiatic stock. They

Pakistan: Agriculture, forestry, and fishing: …seasons, rabi (spring harvest) and kharif (fall harvest).

Mrinal Sen: …missing daughter, and Kharij (The Case Is Closed, 1982), concerning a family whose servant has died from carbon monoxide poisoning in their home. Kharij won the Special Jury Prize at the Cannes international film festival in 1983. Akaler Sandhane (In Search of Famine, 1980), the story of a film…

Al-Wāḥāt al-Khārijah, oasis in the Libyan (Western) Desert, part of Al-Wādī al-Jadīd (“New Valley”) muḥāfaẓah (governorate), in south-central Egypt. It is situated about 110 miles (180 km) west-southwest of Najʿ Ḥammādī, to which it is linked by railroad. The name Wāḥāt al-Khārijah means “Outer

Al-Khārijah, town, capital of the muḥāfaẓah (governorate) of Al-Wādī al-Jadīd (Arabic: “New Valley”) and chief town of Al-Khārijah (Kharga) oasis, Egypt. The town’s history dates back to the 25th dynasty (c. 750–656 bce), though inscriptions record that the oasis was a place for political exiles

Khārijite, early Islamic sect, which formed in response to a religio-political controversy over the Caliphate. After the murder of the third caliph, ʿUthmān, and the succession of ʿAlī (Muḥammad’s son-in-law) as the fourth caliph, Muʿāwiyah, the governor of Syria, sought to avenge the murder of

Khārijite, early Islamic sect, which formed in response to a religio-political controversy over the Caliphate. After the murder of the third caliph, ʿUthmān, and the succession of ʿAlī (Muḥammad’s son-in-law) as the fourth caliph, Muʿāwiyah, the governor of Syria, sought to avenge the murder of

Yuly Borisovich Khariton was the founder, and head from 1946 to 1992, of the research and design laboratory known variously as KB-11, Arzamas-16, and currently the All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Experimental Physics, which was responsible for designing the first Soviet fission and

Al-Kharj, oasis, east-central Saudi Arabia. It lies southeast of Riyadh, the national capital, with which it is associated administratively. Situated around a series of deepwater pools, near which numerous ancient tombs have been found, Al-Kharj was chosen as the site of a government experimental

muwashshaḥ: The last AB, called kharjah, or markaz, is usually written in vernacular Arabic or in the Spanish Mozarabic dialect; it is normally rendered in the voice of a girl and expresses her longing for her absent lover. Such verses make it probable that the muwashshaḥ was influenced by some…

muwashshaḥ: The last AB, called kharjah, or markaz, is usually written in vernacular Arabic or in the Spanish Mozarabic dialect; it is normally rendered in the voice of a girl and expresses her longing for her absent lover. Such verses make it probable that the muwashshaḥ was influenced by some…

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

Kharg Island, small Iranian island in the northern Persian Gulf, 34 miles (55 km) northwest of the port of Bushire (Būshehr). In the 15th century the Dutch established a factory (trading station) on the island, but in 1766 Kharg was taken by pirates based at Bandar-e Rīg, a small Persian port north

Kharkiv, city, northeastern Ukraine. It lies at the confluence of the Uda, Lopan, and Kharkiv rivers. It was founded about 1655 as a military stronghold to protect Russia’s southern borderlands; part of the old kremlin wall survives. The centre of a region of fertile soils and rapid colonization in

Ukraine: Ukraine under direct imperial Russian rule: …was established in 1805 at Kharkiv, and for 30 years Sloboda Ukraine was the major centre for Ukrainian scholarship and publishing activities. In 1834 a university was founded in Kyiv and in 1865 at Odessa. Though Russian institutions, they did much to promote the study of local history and ethnography,…

Kharkiv, city, northeastern Ukraine. It lies at the confluence of the Uda, Lopan, and Kharkiv rivers. It was founded about 1655 as a military stronghold to protect Russia’s southern borderlands; part of the old kremlin wall survives. The centre of a region of fertile soils and rapid colonization in

Kharoshti, writing system used in northwestern India before about 500 ce. The earliest extant inscription in Kharoshti dates from 251 bce, and the latest dates from the 4th–5th century ce. The system is believed to have derived from the Aramaic alphabet while northwestern India was under Persian

Fagales: Economic and ecological importance: … (Japanese chestnut) in Japan; and Q. semecarpifolia in India. Others, such as many species of Fagus, Quercus, Betula, Ostrya, and Corylus, are cultivated as ornamentals for their distinctive form and foliage colour.

Khartoum, British epic film, released in 1966, that was a big-budget, fact-based account of the Siege of Khartoum (1884–85), in which Gen. Charles Gordon led an unsuccessful defense of the Sudanese city against an army headed by the religious leader al-Mahdī. The film opens as a British

Khartoum, city, executive capital of Sudan, just south of the confluence of the Blue and White Nile rivers. It has bridge connections with its sister towns, Khartoum North and Omdurman, with which it forms Sudan’s largest conurbation. Originally an Egyptian army camp (pitched 1821), Khartoum grew

Sudan: Transition: …to be known as the June 3 massacre, which occurred when forces cleared demonstrators from one of their primary spots in Khartoum; more than 100 people are thought to have been killed. The incident led to the AU suspending Sudan’s membership in the organization.

Khartoum North, city, east-central Sudan. It lies on the north bank of the Blue Nile and on the east bank of the Nile proper, with bridge connections to its sister cities of Khartoum and Omdurman. The main industrial centre of the region and the country, the city contains dockyards, marine and rail

Siege of Khartoum, (March 13, 1884–January 26, 1885), military blockade of Khartoum, capital of the Sudan, by al-Mahdī and his followers. The city, which was defended by an Egyptian garrison under the British general Charles George (“Chinese”) Gordon, was eventually captured, and its defenders,

Sudan: Education: The University of Khartoum was formally established in 1956 from the University College of Khartoum, which itself dated from the merger in 1951 of two smaller colleges founded by the British.

Khartsyzsk, city, eastern Ukraine. It is located on the Krynychne-Ilovaysk rail line in an upland area about 15 miles (25 km) east of Donetsk. Khartsyzsk was founded in 1869 and raised to city status in 1938. Its industry has been mainly metallurgically based (wire and cable drawing, tubes and

Pahāṛī, people who constitute about three-fifths the population of Nepal and a majority of the population of neighbouring Himalayan India (in Himachal Pradesh and northern Uttar Pradesh). They speak languages belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European family. The people are

Khasavyurt, city and centre of Khasavyurt rayon (sector), Dagestan republic, southwestern Russia. It lies along the Yaryksu River in a cotton-growing area, with cotton-ginning and fruit- and vegetable-canning industries. Agricultural and teacher-training colleges are in the city. Pop. (2006 est.)

Jordan: Arab Spring and reform: …a year, replacing Bakhit with Awn Khasawneh as prime minister. To many, the quick dismissal of Bakhit—Jordan’s 60th prime minister since independence—signaled that politics were proceeding more or less as usual, with the king frequently dismissing cabinets and ministers as a means of deflecting popular frustration away from the monarchy…

Russia: Political and social changes: The leader of the parliament, Ruslan Khasbulatov, and Yeltsin both sought support from regional elites in their political battles with each other by promising subsidies and greater local control. The political battle between Yeltsin and Khasbulatov climaxed in March 1993 when Yeltsin was stripped of the decree-making powers that he…

Khasekhemwy was the last ruler of Egypt in the 2nd dynasty (c. 2730–c. 2590 bce), who reigned c. 2610–c. 2593 and apparently ended the internal struggles of the mid-2nd dynasty. Khasekhemwy, whose name means “the two powers have appeared,” is the only king of Egypt to have selected a royal name

Khasekhemwy was the last ruler of Egypt in the 2nd dynasty (c. 2730–c. 2590 bce), who reigned c. 2610–c. 2593 and apparently ended the internal struggles of the mid-2nd dynasty. Khasekhemwy, whose name means “the two powers have appeared,” is the only king of Egypt to have selected a royal name

Pahāṛī, people who constitute about three-fifths the population of Nepal and a majority of the population of neighbouring Himalayan India (in Himachal Pradesh and northern Uttar Pradesh). They speak languages belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European family. The people are

Caucasus: Study and exploration: …1829 by a Kabardin mountaineer, Killar Khashirov, who reached the eastern peak; the higher western peak was first climbed in 1874 by four Englishmen.

Sudan: Mechanized agriculture: …areas are watered by the Khashm Al-Qirbah Dam on the Atbara River and by Al-Ruṣayriṣ Dam, which provides irrigation water for the Rahad Scheme.

Mohammed bin Salman: Crown prince: …the extrajudicial killing abroad of Jamal Khashoggi, a prominent journalist and exiled government critic who once served as an adviser and aide to a Saudi ambassador. On Mohammed’s orders, Saudi operatives lured Khashoggi into the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, where they tortured and dismembered him. Turkey’s Pres. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan…

Khāsi, people of the Khāsi and Jaintia hills of the state of Meghālaya in India. The Khāsi have a distinctive culture. Both inheritance of property and succession to tribal office run through the female line, passing from the mother to the youngest daughter. Office and the management of property,

Khasi Hills, physiographic region, central Meghalaya state, northeastern India. The area consists mostly of hilly regions and includes the Shillong Plateau; it is drained by tributaries of the Brahmaputra and Surma rivers. The Cherrapunji scarp in the south has one of the highest average annual

Khāsi language, one of several members of the Khasian branch of the Mon-Khmer family, which is itself a part of the Austroasiatic stock. Khāsi is spoken by some 900,000 people living in the region surrounding the Khāsi Hills and Jaintia Hills of Meghālaya state, India. Khāsi contains a number of

Pahāṛī: …“clean” or “twice-born” castes (Khasia, or Ka) and the low “unclean” or “polluting” castes (Dom). Most of the high-caste Pahāṛī are farmers. The Dom work in a variety of occupations and may be goldsmiths, leather workers, tailors, musicians, drummers, and sweepers.

Khāsi language, one of several members of the Khasian branch of the Mon-Khmer family, which is itself a part of the Austroasiatic stock. Khāsi is spoken by some 900,000 people living in the region surrounding the Khāsi Hills and Jaintia Hills of Meghālaya state, India. Khāsi contains a number of

Khasian languages, group of languages spoken primarily in the Khāsi Hills and Jaintia Hills of Meghālaya state of northeastern India. The Khasian languages form the westernmost branch of the Mon-Khmer language family, itself a part of the Austroasiatic stock, and are the only Mon-Khmer languages

ʿAlawite: …established by Ḥusayn ibn Ḥamdān al-Khaṣībī (d. 957 or 968) during the period of the Ḥamdānid dynasty (905–1004), at which time the ʿAlawites had great influence in Aleppo. With the fall of Shiʿite rule, however, the ʿAlawites, with other Shīʿites, became the victims of persecution. They were ill-treated by waves…

Yiddish literature: The classic writers: …collection of stories he called Khasidish (“Hasidic”). In Oyb nisht nokh hekher (1900; “If Not Higher”), a skeptical Lithuanian visitor comes to appreciate the Hasidic rebbe, although he is not swayed by the mystical beliefs of the rebbe’s disciples. Peretz’s masterpiece is Tsvishn tsvey berg (1900; “Between Two Peaks”), narrated…

Kothar, ancient West Semitic god of crafts, equivalent of the Greek god Hephaestus. Kothar was responsible for supplying the gods with weapons and for building and furnishing their palaces. During the earlier part of the 2nd millennium bc, Kothar’s forge was believed to be on the biblical Caphtor

Khaskovo, town, southern Bulgaria. It lies in the northeastern foothills of the Rhodope Mountains. Founded about 1385 at the outset of the Ottoman period, it is located on the Sofia-Istanbul road and is connected by rail with the Belgrade–Sofia–Istanbul trunk rail line. Its populace includes many

Nepali language, member of the Pahari subgroup of the Indo-Aryan group of the Indo-Iranian division of the Indo-European languages. Nepali is spoken by more than 17 million people, mostly in Nepal and neighbouring parts of India. Smaller speech communities exist in Bhutan, Brunei, and Myanmar.

Khāsi language, one of several members of the Khasian branch of the Mon-Khmer family, which is itself a part of the Austroasiatic stock. Khāsi is spoken by some 900,000 people living in the region surrounding the Khāsi Hills and Jaintia Hills of Meghālaya state, India. Khāsi contains a number of

khat, (Catha edulis), slender evergreen tree or shrub of the family Celastraceae, native to the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. The bitter-tasting leaves and young buds are chewed for the stimulants cathinone and cathine, which produce a mild euphoria. Khat is an important cash crop in

death: Ancient Egypt: …physical body was a person’s khat, a term that implied inherent decay. The ka was the individual’s doppelgänger, or double; it was endowed with all the person’s qualities and faults. It is uncertain where the ka resided during life, but “to go to one’s ka” was a euphemism for death.…

Pakistan: The arts of Pakistan: The khatak is a martial dance of the tribal Pashtuns that involves energetic miming of warriors’ exploits. There are a number of traditional dances associated with women; these include a humorous song and dance called the giddha, a whirling dance performed by girls and young women…

Pakistan: The arts of Pakistan: The khatak is a martial dance of the tribal Pashtuns that involves energetic miming of warriors’ exploits. There are a number of traditional dances associated with women; these include a humorous song and dance called the giddha, a whirling dance performed by girls and young women…

Mohammad Khatami is an Iranian political leader and cleric, who as president of Iran (1997–2005) emboldened reformists who sought to moderate the country’s policies on social issues and foreign affairs. The son of a well-known religious teacher, Khatami studied at a traditional madrasah (religious

Mohammad Khatami is an Iranian political leader and cleric, who as president of Iran (1997–2005) emboldened reformists who sought to moderate the country’s policies on social issues and foreign affairs. The son of a well-known religious teacher, Khatami studied at a traditional madrasah (religious

Ismāʿīl I was the shah of Iran (1501–24) and religious leader who founded the Safavid dynasty (the first Persian dynasty to rule Iran in 800 years) and converted Iran from the Sunni to the Twelver Shiʿi sect of Islam. According to Safavid tradition, Ismāʿīl was descended from ʿAlī. His grandfather

khutbah: …from the pronouncements of the khaṭīb, a prominent tribal spokesman of pre-Islamic Arabia. The khaṭīb expressed himself in beautiful prose that extolled the nobility and achievements of his tribesmen and denigrated the weakness of the tribe’s enemies. Even Muhammad presented himself as a khaṭīb after taking Mecca in 630. The…

Kâtip Çelebi was a Turkish historian, geographer, and bibliographer. Kâtip became an army clerk and took part in many campaigns in the east, meanwhile collecting material for his historical works. As a child he was taught the Qurʾān and Arabic grammar and calligraphy, but his later education was

Abdelkebir Khatibi was a Moroccan educator, literary critic, and novelist. He was a member of the angry young generation of the 1960s whose works initially challenged many tenets on which the newly independent countries of the Maghrib were basing their social and political norms. Khatibi completed

Islamic world: Abū Bakr’s succession: …of the revealed messages as khatm al-anbiyāʾ (“seal of the prophets”). In his ability to interpret the events of his reign from the perspective of Islam, Abū Bakr demonstrated the power of the new conceptual vocabulary Muhammad had introduced.

Sudan: Religion of Sudan: Another major tarīqah is the Khatmiyyah, or Mīrghaniyyah, which was founded by Muḥammad ʿUthmān al-Mīrghanī in the early 19th century. Perhaps the most-powerful and best-organized tarīqah is the Mahdiyyah; its followers led a successful revolt against the Turco-Egyptian regime (1821–85) and established an independent state in the Sudan that lasted…

Sudan: Religion of Sudan: Another major tarīqah is the Khatmiyyah, or Mīrghaniyyah, which was founded by Muḥammad ʿUthmān al-Mīrghanī in the early 19th century. Perhaps the most-powerful and best-organized tarīqah is the Mahdiyyah; its followers led a successful revolt against the Turco-Egyptian regime (1821–85) and established an independent state in the Sudan that lasted…

India: Social mobility: …as the Kayasthas (scribes) and Khatris (traders), are mentioned in the sources of this period. According to the Brahmanic sources, they originated from intercaste marriages, but this is clearly an attempt at rationalizing their rank in the hierarchy. Many of these new castes played a major role in society. The…

Abd el-Krim was the leader of the Berber forces during the Rif War (1921–26) against Spanish and French rule in North Africa and founder of the short-lived Republic of the Rif (1923–26). A skilled tactician and a capable organizer, he led a liberation movement that made him the hero of the Maghrib

Pakistan: The arts of Pakistan: The khatak is a martial dance of the tribal Pashtuns that involves energetic miming of warriors’ exploits. There are a number of traditional dances associated with women; these include a humorous song and dance called the giddha, a whirling dance performed by girls and young women…

Boğazköy: The ancient city: …the language of the early inhabitants of the “Land of Hatti,” a language still little understood and not belonging to any known family. Scholars call it Hattian to distinguish it from Hittite, the name of the Indo-European official language of the Hittite kingdom. Just as in other parts of the…

Hattian language, non-Indo-European language of ancient Anatolia. The Hattian language appears as hattili ‘in Hattian’ in Hittite cuneiform texts. Called Proto-Hittite by some, Hattian was the language of the linguistic substratum inside the Halys River (now called the Kızıl River) bend and in

Hattian language, non-Indo-European language of ancient Anatolia. The Hattian language appears as hattili ‘in Hattian’ in Hittite cuneiform texts. Called Proto-Hittite by some, Hattian was the language of the linguistic substratum inside the Halys River (now called the Kızıl River) bend and in

Boğazköy, village, north-central Turkey. Located 17 miles (27 km) northwest of Yozgat, it is the site of the archaeological remains of Hattusas (Hattusa, Hattusha, or Khattusas), the ancient capital of the Hittites, who established a powerful empire in Anatolia and northern Syria in the 2nd

Hattusilis I, (reigned c. 1650–c. 1620 bc), early king of the Hittite Old Kingdom in Anatolia. The son of the preceding king, Labarnas I, Hattusilis was also at first called Labarnas but apparently assumed his new name after he transferred his capital from Kussara to Hattusa. Unlike Labarnas I, who

Kokand, city, eastern Uzbekistan. It lies in the western Fergana Valley, at road and rail junctions from Tashkent to the valley. The ancient town of Khavakend occupied the site from at least the 10th century and was situated on the caravan route from India and China. In the 13th century it was

Anvarī was a poet considered one of the greatest panegyrists of Persian literature. He wrote with great technical skill, erudition, and a strong satirical wit. Anvarī was not only well versed in Persian and Arabic literature but was skilled in such other fields as geometry, astronomy, and

Hindu Kush: Study and exploration: …of these was either the Khawāk Pass in the Panjshēr River valley, over which Alexander the Great passed northward, or the adjacent Thalle Pass, used by Timur; the second was the Kushān Pass (slightly to the west of the present-day Sālang road tunnel), which Alexander crossed southward; and the third…

Khārijite, early Islamic sect, which formed in response to a religio-political controversy over the Caliphate. After the murder of the third caliph, ʿUthmān, and the succession of ʿAlī (Muḥammad’s son-in-law) as the fourth caliph, Muʿāwiyah, the governor of Syria, sought to avenge the murder of

Khor Fakkan, exclave and port town located in Sharjah emirate, United Arab Emirates. It is on the east coast of the Musandam Peninsula, facing the Gulf of Oman; the port and its hinterland divide the emirate of Fujairah into its two major portions. Situated on a natural cove (Arabic: khawr), Khor

Khor Fakkan, exclave and port town located in Sharjah emirate, United Arab Emirates. It is on the east coast of the Musandam Peninsula, facing the Gulf of Oman; the port and its hinterland divide the emirate of Fujairah into its two major portions. Situated on a natural cove (Arabic: khawr), Khor

khayal, in Hindustani music, a musical form based on a Hindi song in two parts that recur between expanding cycles of melodic and rhythmic improvisation. In a standard performance a slow (vilambit) khayal is followed by a shorter, fast (drut) khayal in the same raga (melodic framework). The khayal

khyāl, any of several Hindustani folk-dance dramas of Rājasthān, northwestern India. Khyāl dances date from the 16th century and use themes taken from folklore and legend. They are performed exclusively by men, are characterized by the powerful body movements of the performers, and include mime and

Arabic literature: Beginnings: …venues for shadow plays (khayāl al-ẓill), which regularly poked fun at the foibles of politicians and bureaucrats. Especially during the period of Ottoman control over large portions of the Arabic-speaking world, the Karagöz puppet show was a prevalent popular source of public entertainment, much like its Western analogue, the…

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

ʿAlī: ʿAlī and Islam to the death of Muhammad: In the Battle of Khaybar in 629, against a group of Medinese Jews who, having reached agreement with the Muslims and then broken their word, had barricaded themselves in a fort, ʿAlī is said, according to a very popular legend, to have torn off the door of…