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, a casteless group of Sikhs that embodies courage and commitment to Sikhism. The people within this order strive to live by the highest principles of integrity and morality. This purified and reconstituted Sikh community was instituted by Guru Gobind Singh on Baisakhi Day, March 30, in 1699,

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

Ian Khama is a retired military officer and politician who served as president of Botswana from 2008 to 2018. He previously served as vice president (1998–2008). For most of his political life he was affiliated with the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), but in 2019 he left the party to support the

Ian Khama is a retired military officer and politician who served as president of Botswana from 2008 to 2018. He previously served as vice president (1998–2008). For most of his political life he was affiliated with the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), but in 2019 he left the party to support the

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

monasticism: Quasi-monastic: Among the Khamba (khams pa) of eastern Tibet, for example, men with minimal monastic initiation (lung) organized themselves as a military or police force to protect monastic territory and the unarmed higher-initiated clergy. They were conspicuous during Tibet’s confrontation with the Chinese communists from 1959 to 1965.

Khambhat, town, east-central Gujarat state, west-central India. It lies at the head of the Gulf of Khambhat (Cambay) and the mouth of the Mahi River. The town was mentioned in 1293 by the Venetian traveler Marco Polo, who referred to it as a busy port. It was still a prosperous port in the late

Gulf of Khambhat, trumpet-shaped gulf of the Arabian Sea, indenting northward the coast of Gujarat state, western India, between Mumbai (Bombay) and the Kathiawar Peninsula. It is 120 miles (190 km) wide at its mouth between Diu and Daman, but it rapidly narrows to 15 miles (24 km). The gulf

Rai, a people indigenous to eastern Nepal, living west of the Arun River in the area drained by the Sun Kosi River, at elevations of 5,500–7,700 feet (1,700–2,300 m), and also in southwestern Bhutan. The most populous group of the Kiranti people, the Rai numbered about 635,000 at the turn of the

Battles of Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift: …of the Zulu at the Battle of Kambula (Khambula) on March 29. On April 2 a British column under Chelmsford’s command inflicted a heavy defeat on the Zulu at Gingindlovu, where more than 1,000 Zulu were killed. Chelmsford’s troops then moved on Cetshwayo’s royal villages at Ulundi, where on July…

Standing at the heart of the Islamic Republic from the 1979 Iranian Revolution until his death in 2026, Ali Khamenei played a pivotal role in both the militarization of the Iranian state and the consolidation of near-absolute authority in the Office of the Supreme Leader. Through a steady

Mojtaba Khamenei is Iran’s third supreme leader (rahbar), appointed to the position following the death of his father and Iran’s second supreme leader Ali Khamenei at the start of the 2026 Iran War. During his father’s rule he played a commanding role in the Office of the Supreme Leader and outside

Mojtaba Khamenei is Iran’s third supreme leader (rahbar), appointed to the position following the death of his father and Iran’s second supreme leader Ali Khamenei at the start of the 2026 Iran War. During his father’s rule he played a commanding role in the Office of the Supreme Leader and outside

Standing at the heart of the Islamic Republic from the 1979 Iranian Revolution until his death in 2026, Ali Khamenei played a pivotal role in both the militarization of the Iranian state and the consolidation of near-absolute authority in the Office of the Supreme Leader. Through a steady

Southern Africa: Torwa, Mutapa, and Rozwi: …Torwa, with its centre at Khami; in the north it was replaced by the Mutapa state. The new culture at Khami developed both the stone building techniques and the pottery styles found at Great Zimbabwe and seeded a number of smaller sites over a wide region of the southern and…

Khamīs Mushayṭ, city, southwestern Saudi Arabia. It is situated about 17 miles (27 km) northeast of Abhā. Khamīs Mushayṭ is located inland in a mountainous region with fertile soil. It is traditionally a commercial centre; the name Khamīs (“Thursday”) signified the Thursday market of the Mushayṭ

Khammam, city, southeastern Telangana state, southern India. It lies on the Munneru River (a tributary of the Krishna River), south-southeast of Warangal. The city is a trade and commercial centre. A rail line connects it with Warangal and with Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh to the southeast. Rice,

Himalayas: People of the Himalayas: Tani, the Dafla, the Khampti, the Khowa, the Mishmi, the Momba, the Miri, and the Singpho. Linguistically, they are Tibeto-Burman. Each group has its homeland in a distinct river valley, and all practice shifting cultivation (i.e., they grow crops on a different tract of land each year).

Arabic literature: Later genres: …that included, among other categories, khamriyyāt (wine poems), ṭardiyyāt (hunt poems), zuhdiyyāt (ascetic poems), and ghazal (love poems).

Khams, one of three historical regions of Central Asia (the other two being A-mdo and Dbus-Gtsang) into which Tibet was once divided. Between the 7th and 9th centuries ce, the Tibetan kingdom was extended until it reached the Tarim Basin to the north, China to the east, India and Nepal to the

monasticism: Quasi-monastic: Among the Khamba (khams pa) of eastern Tibet, for example, men with minimal monastic initiation (lung) organized themselves as a military or police force to protect monastic territory and the unarmed higher-initiated clergy. They were conspicuous during Tibet’s confrontation with the Chinese communists from 1959 to 1965.

khamseh, in Persian and Turkish literature, a set of five long epic poems composed in rhyming couplet, or mas̄navī, form. Khamseh takes its name from the five great epic poems written by Neẓāmī (q.v.; d. 1209) and entitled Khamseh (“The Quintuplet”). The first of these five poems, all of which were

Amīr Khusrow: Works: …in his life, and his Khamsah (“Pentalogy”), a group of five long idylls in emulation of the Khamseh of the celebrated Persian poet Neẓāmī (c. 1141–1209). Khusrow’s pentalogy deals with general themes famous in Islamic literature. In addition to his poetry, he is known for a number of prose works,…

khamsin, hot, dry, dusty wind in North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula that blows from the south or southeast in late winter and early spring. It often reaches temperatures above 40° C (104° F), and it may blow continuously for three or four days at a time and then be followed by an inflow of much

Amīr Khusrow: Works: …in his life, and his Khamsah (“Pentalogy”), a group of five long idylls in emulation of the Khamseh of the celebrated Persian poet Neẓāmī (c. 1141–1209). Khusrow’s pentalogy deals with general themes famous in Islamic literature. In addition to his poetry, he is known for a number of prose works,…

Chagatai literature: His Khamseh demonstrates his centrality to the Chagatai literary tradition. It consists of a set of five masnawis: Khayrat ul-abrār (1483; “The Best of the Righteous”), Farhād u Shīrīn (1484; “Farhād and Shīrīn”), Leylī u Majnūn (1484; “Leylī and Majnūn”), Sebʿa-i seyyāra (1484; "The Seven Planets"),…

khamseh, in Persian and Turkish literature, a set of five long epic poems composed in rhyming couplet, or mas̄navī, form. Khamseh takes its name from the five great epic poems written by Neẓāmī (q.v.; d. 1209) and entitled Khamseh (“The Quintuplet”). The first of these five poems, all of which were

khamseh: Khamseh takes its name from the five great epic poems written by Neẓāmī (q.v.; d. 1209) and entitled Khamseh (“The Quintuplet”). The first of these five poems, all of which were composed in the mas̄navī form, is the didactic work Makhzan ol-asrār (The Treasury of…

khamsin, hot, dry, dusty wind in North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula that blows from the south or southeast in late winter and early spring. It often reaches temperatures above 40° C (104° F), and it may blow continuously for three or four days at a time and then be followed by an inflow of much

Thai literature: …exception during this period was Lao Khamhom (Khamsing Srinawk), whose subtle stories about country folk, first published in a collection called Fa bo kan (1959; The Politician and Other Stories), often carry a more subversive message than is immediately apparent. Although his output was small, with most of his best…

Laos: The Lao People’s Democratic Republic: Khamtai Siphandon, a veteran revolutionary and (from 1991) prime minister, then moved from the premiership to the presidency. Although Khamtai oversaw further economic liberalization, he resisted political reforms. The LPRP continued to control the National Assembly, allowing few independents to contest elections. At the same…

khan, type of inn once found in the Middle East and parts of North Africa and Central Asia that effectively functioned as a trading centre and hostel. A square courtyard was surrounded by rows of connected lodging rooms, usually on two levels and arcaded. Although some stable space was provided,

khan, type of inn once found in the Middle East and parts of North Africa and Central Asia that effectively functioned as a trading centre and hostel. A square courtyard was surrounded by rows of connected lodging rooms, usually on two levels and arcaded. Although some stable space was provided,

khan, historically, the ruler or monarch of a Mongol tribe (ulus). At the time of Genghis Khan (early 13th century) a distinction was made between the title of khan and that of khākān, which was the title Genghis assumed as Great Khan, or supreme ruler of the Mongols. The term khan was subsequently

India: The Deccan problem: …of which was that of Khan Jahān Lodī, governor of the Deccan. Khan Jahān was recalled to court after failing to recover Balaghat from Ahmadnagar. However, he rose in rebellion and fled back to the Deccan. Shah Jahān followed, and in December 1629 he defeated Khan Jahān and drove him…

Imran Khan is an antiestablishment politician in Pakistan who in 2022 became the first prime minister (2018–22) to be removed by a parliamentary vote. He rose to fame as a cricket player who led Pakistan’s national team to a Cricket World Cup victory in 1992. He later entered politics as a critic

Pakistan: Political decline and bureaucratic ascendancy: Along with a close associate, Khan Sahib, a former premier of the North-West Frontier Province, Mirza formed the Republican Party and made Khan Sahib the chief minister of the new province of West Pakistan. The Republican Party was assembled to represent the landed interests in West Pakistan, the basic source…

Khan Tängiri Peak, peak in the Tien Shan range of Central Asia, at the juncture of the boundaries between Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and the Uygur Autonomous Region of Xinjiang, China. Situated in a heavily glaciated mountain knot, the mountain rises to 22,949 feet (6,995 metres) and is the highest

Khan Tängiri Peak, peak in the Tien Shan range of Central Asia, at the juncture of the boundaries between Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and the Uygur Autonomous Region of Xinjiang, China. Situated in a heavily glaciated mountain knot, the mountain rises to 22,949 feet (6,995 metres) and is the highest

Khan Tängiri Peak, peak in the Tien Shan range of Central Asia, at the juncture of the boundaries between Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and the Uygur Autonomous Region of Xinjiang, China. Situated in a heavily glaciated mountain knot, the mountain rises to 22,949 feet (6,995 metres) and is the highest

Abdul Qadeer Khan was a Pakistani engineer, a key figure in Pakistan’s nuclear weapons program who was also involved for decades in a black market of nuclear technology and know-how whereby uranium-enrichment centrifuges, nuclear warhead designs, missiles, and expertise were sold or traded to Iran,

Aamir Khan is an Indian film actor who is known for his consistent performances. His insistence on a complete script before shooting and working on only one film at a time heralded a new professionalism in Bollywood. In a career spanning more than three decades, Khan has acted in a wide range of

Abdul Qadeer Khan was a Pakistani engineer, a key figure in Pakistan’s nuclear weapons program who was also involved for decades in a black market of nuclear technology and know-how whereby uranium-enrichment centrifuges, nuclear warhead designs, missiles, and expertise were sold or traded to Iran,

Abdul Ghaffar Khan was the foremost 20th-century leader of the Pashtuns (Pakhtuns, or Pathans; a Muslim ethnic group of Pakistan and Afghanistan), who became a follower of Mahatma Gandhi and was called the “Frontier Gandhi.” Ghaffar Khan met Gandhi and entered politics in 1919 during agitation over

Abdul Qadeer Khan was a Pakistani engineer, a key figure in Pakistan’s nuclear weapons program who was also involved for decades in a black market of nuclear technology and know-how whereby uranium-enrichment centrifuges, nuclear warhead designs, missiles, and expertise were sold or traded to Iran,

Salman Khan is an Indian actor, film producer, and television host whose iconic roles, blockbuster hits, and mass appeal have earned him the status of a megastar in Bollywood. Over the years, he has become an inextricable part of popular culture in India. Khan, who started out as a model and actor

Robert Joffrey was an American dancer, choreographer, and director, founder of the Joffrey Ballet (1956). Joffrey’s father was an immigrant from Afghanistan, and his mother was Italian-born. He began studying tap dancing but soon turned to ballet with Mary Ann Wells, at whose school in Seattle he

Yahya Khan was a professional soldier who became commander in chief of the Pakistani armed forces in 1966 and was president of Pakistan from 1969 to 1971. Yahya was born to a family that was descended from the elite soldier class of Nādir Shāh, the Persian ruler who conquered Delhi in the 18th

Ali Akbar Khan was a composer, virtuoso sarod player, and teacher, active in presenting classical Indian music to Western audiences. Khan’s music is rooted in the Hindustani (northern) tradition of Indian music (see also Hindustani music). Khan was trained by his father, the master Alauddin Khan,

An ominous clacking of spurs and the clang of a belt buckle shatter a chilling lull. A thunderous voice echoes through a bare stony landscape, followed by maniacal laughter. In one of the most iconic scenes in Bollywood history, from the classic Sholay (1975; “Embers”), Indian actor Amjad Khan

Amjad Ali Khan is an Indian sarod player and music composer, celebrated for his contributions to Hindustani classical music and for bringing the sarod to global audiences. Across a career that has lasted more than 60 years, Khan changed the way the sarod is played by creating expressive

Bismillah Khan was an Indian musician who played the shehnai, a ceremonial oboelike North Indian horn, with such expressive virtuosity that he became a leading Indian classical music artist. His name was indelibly linked with the woodwind instrument. Khan was born into a family of court musicians

Chaka Khan is an American singer whose incredible vocal range and dynamic stage presence helped make her the “Queen of Funk.” She has sold some 70 million records, backed by such hits as “I Feel for You” and “Through the Fire” (both 1984). Yvette Stevens is the eldest of five children born to

South Asian arts: Bangladesh: Ebrahim Khan wrote Kamal Pasha (1926), a play about the Turkish liberator, a symbol of hope and reawakening, and Anwar Pasha, about the downfall of Anwar (Enver), who could not cope with the new historical forces.

Fazlur Khan was a Bangladeshi American civil engineer known for his innovations in high-rise building construction. He is regarded as the “father of tubular designs” for his contributions. Khan initially attended the Bengal Engineering College at the University of Calcutta in what is now Kolkata,

Fazlur Khan was a Bangladeshi American civil engineer known for his innovations in high-rise building construction. He is regarded as the “father of tubular designs” for his contributions. Khan initially attended the Bengal Engineering College at the University of Calcutta in what is now Kolkata,

Qarakhanid Dynasty: …999 Hārūn (or Ḥasan) Bughra Khān, grandson of the paramount tribal chief of the Qarluq confederation, occupied Bukhara, the Sāmānid capital. The Sāmānid domains were split up between the Ghaznavids, who gained Khorāsān and Afghanistan, and the Qarakhanids, who received Transoxania; the Oxus River thus became the boundary between the…

Imran Khan is an antiestablishment politician in Pakistan who in 2022 became the first prime minister (2018–22) to be removed by a parliamentary vote. He rose to fame as a cricket player who led Pakistan’s national team to a Cricket World Cup victory in 1992. He later entered politics as a critic

Jansher Khan is a Pakistani squash player considered to be among the sport’s most illustrious figures. For many years the name Khan had been synonymous with success in the game of squash. Unlike his older rival, Jahangir Khan (no relation), Jansher did not emerge from a squash-playing dynasty. His

Captain Marvel: From Ms. Marvel to Captain Marvel and back: …Captain Marvel, Pakistani American teenager Kamala Khan was unveiled as the new Ms. Marvel in All-New Marvel Now! Point One no. 1 (January 2014). Writer G. Willow Wilson and artist Adrian Alphona revealed the character’s origins in Ms. Marvel no. 1 (February 2014). Khan’s powers, which included the ability to…

Lina Khan is a British-born American legal scholar who served as commissioner and chair of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) from 2021. Nominated by Pres. Joe Biden in March as one of five commissioners of the FTC, she was confirmed on June 15 by a Senate vote of 69–28. Later that day Biden

Amjad Ali Khan is an Indian sarod player and music composer, celebrated for his contributions to Hindustani classical music and for bringing the sarod to global audiences. Across a career that has lasted more than 60 years, Khan changed the way the sarod is played by creating expressive

Michelle Yeoh is a Malaysian actress considered to be one of the greatest female action movie stars, especially known for performing her own frequently dangerous stunts. She also earned accolades for her acting, and in 2023 she became the first Asian performer to win the Academy Award for best

Dilip Kumar was an Indian actor and one of the legendary stars of Bollywood. With his low-key, naturalistic acting style, he excelled in a wide range of roles. In addition to his acting, he was noted for his good looks, deep voice, and fine accent. He is regarded as a pioneer of method acting in

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was a Pakistani singer who is considered one of the greatest performers of qawwali, a Sufi Muslim devotional music characterized by simple melodies, forceful rhythms, and energetic improvisations that encourage a state of euphoria in the listener. Nusrat’s father, Ustad Fateh

Bismillah Khan was an Indian musician who played the shehnai, a ceremonial oboelike North Indian horn, with such expressive virtuosity that he became a leading Indian classical music artist. His name was indelibly linked with the woodwind instrument. Khan was born into a family of court musicians

Sadiq Khan is a British politician and attorney who was the first Muslim mayor of London (2016– ). Khan was the fifth of eight children born to Sunni Muslim parents who had arrived in Britain from Pakistan shortly before his birth. He grew up in a rented council-owned apartment; his father was a

Salim-Javed:

Salman Khan is an Indian actor, film producer, and television host whose iconic roles, blockbuster hits, and mass appeal have earned him the status of a megastar in Bollywood. Over the years, he has become an inextricable part of popular culture in India. Khan, who started out as a model and actor

Shah Rukh Khan is an Indian actor known for his powerful screen presence and global appeal. Commonly known as SRK (an abbreviation of his full name), he is regarded as one of the icons of Indian cinema and an integral part of popular culture. His portrayal of the romantic hero in Bollywood films

Shah Rukh Khan is an Indian actor known for his powerful screen presence and global appeal. Commonly known as SRK (an abbreviation of his full name), he is regarded as one of the icons of Indian cinema and an integral part of popular culture. His portrayal of the romantic hero in Bollywood films

Ravi Shankar: Early life and career: …sitar under the noted musician Ustad Allauddin Khan of the Maihar gharana (a gharana is a school of Indian classical music).

Yahya Khan was a professional soldier who became commander in chief of the Pakistani armed forces in 1966 and was president of Pakistan from 1969 to 1971. Yahya was born to a family that was descended from the elite soldier class of Nādir Shāh, the Persian ruler who conquered Delhi in the 18th

Indian actress Zeenat Aman has long been regarded as a trailblazer—she has been credited with helping revolutionize the Bollywood heroine and, more recently, redefining celebrity social media presence. Known for her work in films such as Hare Rama Hare Krishna (1971), Satyam Shivam Sundaram (1978;

Beijing, city, province-level shi (municipality), and capital of the People’s Republic of China. Few cities in the world have served for so long as the political headquarters and cultural centre of an area as immense as China. The city has been an integral part of China’s history over the past

Nepal: Fall of the monarchy: …office until fellow CPN (UML), Jhalanath Khanal, took over in February 2011. By August, Khanal’s government had collapsed, and the UCPN (M)’s Baburam Bhattarai had assumed the office. Negotiations in the assembly on a new constitution fared no better under Bhattarai, and in May 2012 the assembly was dissolved, and…

Khānaqīn, city, northeastern Iraq. Located 5 miles (8 km) from the Iranian border at a rail terminus, Khānaqīn is a customs station and is situated on a main road used by Iranian Muslims on pilgrimages to Iraqi and Arabian holy cities. The outbreak of the Iran-Iraq War (1980–88) resulted in

Beijing, city, province-level shi (municipality), and capital of the People’s Republic of China. Few cities in the world have served for so long as the political headquarters and cultural centre of an area as immense as China. The city has been an integral part of China’s history over the past

South Asian arts: Indian sculpture in the 2nd and 1st centuries bce: relief sculpture of Orissa: …twin hills of Udayagiri and Khandagiri in Orissa represents yet another early Indian local idiom. The work is not of one period but extends over the first two centuries before Christ; the stages of development roughly parallel the styles observed at Sanchi Stupa No. II, Buddh Gaya, and the Great…

Heraklion, largest city, a dímos (municipality), and principal port of the Greek island of Crete and capital of the pereferiakí enótita (regional unit) Heraklion (Irákleio). It lies on the island’s north coast along the Sea of Crete, just northwest of the ancient Minoan capital of Knossos. The

Battle of the Ditch, an early Muslim victory that ultimately forced the Meccans to recognize the political and religious strength of the Muslim community in Medina. A Meccan army of 3,000 men had defeated the undisciplined Muslim forces at Uḥud near Medina in 625, wounding Muhammad himself. In

Khalsa: Birth of the Khalsa: …a new process of initiation—khande ki pahul, initiation by sweetened water (amrit) churned with a double-edged broadsword (khanda). Drinking this amrit is considered to be a sacred part of the initiation process, as it connects one with God. The five volunteers were the first to be initiated and were…

India: External and internal rivalries: …alliance with another northern neighbor, Khandesh, which acted as a buffer between Bahmanī and the kingdoms of Malwa and Gujarat. On the pretext of giving aid to a Hindu chieftain who had revolted against Gujarat, he sent unsuccessful expeditions into Gujarat in 1429 and 1430. The latter defeat was especially…

skandha, according to Buddhist thought, the five elements that sum up the whole of an individual’s mental and physical existence. The self (or soul) cannot be identified with any one of the parts, nor is it the total of the parts. They are: (1) matter, or body (rūpa), the manifest form of the four

Vinaya Piṭaka: Khandhaka (“Divisions”; Sanskrit Vinaya-vastu, “Vinaya Subjects”), a series of 22 pieces (at least in the Pāli version) dealing with such matters as admission to the order; monastic ceremonies; rules governing food, clothing, lodging, and the like; and procedures for handling offenses and disputes. As in…

Khandwa, city, southwestern Madhya Pradesh state, central India. It is situated in an upland plateau region north of the Satpura Range on a tributary of the Narmada River. Khandwa is identified with the Kognabanda of the Greek geographer Ptolemy and is traditionally said to have been surrounded by

Abbas Kiarostami: In Khāneh-ye dūst kojāst? (1987; Where Is the Friend’s Home?), an eight-year-old boy must return his friend’s notebook, but he does not know where his friend lives. The second film, Zendegī va dīgar hich (1992; And Life Goes On…, or Life and Nothing More), follows the…