Zelkova: The Japanese zelkova, or keaki (Z. serrata), up to 30 m (100 feet) tall and with sharply toothed deep green leaves, is an important timber tree and bonsai subject in Japan. It is widely planted elsewhere as a shade tree substitute for the disease-ravaged American elm,…

Zell am See, town, west-central Austria, on the west shore of the Zeller See (lake). Founded by monks in the 8th century and named Cella in Bisoncia, it has an old Romanesque and Gothic parish church and a Renaissance castle, Schloss Rosenberg. It did not achieve town status until 1927. Zell am See

Matthias Zell was a German author and religious leader who was responsible for initiating the Protestant Reformation at Strassburg. He became a lecturer (1511) and rector (1517) at Freiburg im Breisgau, moving to Strassburg in 1518 to become minister of the Roman Catholic cathedral there. In 1521,

Sam Zell was an American commercial real-estate entrepreneur. Zell was the son of Polish émigrés who had circled more than half the globe before settling in the American Midwest, where Zell’s father entered the wholesale jewelry business and invested in Chicago-area real estate. While studying at

Sam Zell was an American commercial real-estate entrepreneur. Zell was the son of Polish émigrés who had circled more than half the globe before settling in the American Midwest, where Zell’s father entered the wholesale jewelry business and invested in Chicago-area real estate. While studying at

Mata Hari was a Dutch dancer and courtesan whose name has become a synonym for the seductive female spy. She was shot by the French on charges of spying for Germany during World War I. The nature and extent of her espionage activities remain uncertain, and her guilt is widely contested. Margaretha

opalinid: , Zelleriella) to many (e.g., Cepedea); the locomotor organelles (short, hairlike projections) are arranged in slanting, longitudinal rows. Species of the genus Opalina range from 90 to 500 micrometres in length. Reproduction is sexual by fusion of gametes (syngamy) or asexual by longitudinal splitting with distribution…

opalinid: One species, Zelleriella opisthocarya, is itself parasitized by another protozoan, Entamoeba paulista.

Zellweger syndrome, congenital disorder characterized by complete absence or reduction in the number of peroxisomes in cells. In the mid-1960s Swiss American pediatrician Hans Zellweger described the familial disorder among siblings; the syndrome was later named for him in recognition of his

Zellweger syndrome: …the mid-1960s Swiss American pediatrician Hans Zellweger described the familial disorder among siblings; the syndrome was later named for him in recognition of his discovery.

Renée Zellweger is an American film actress who is known for her portrayals of vulnerable characters in such films as Jerry Maguire (1996), Nurse Betty (2000), Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001), and Judy (2019). Zellweger began acting while she was a student at the University of Texas (B.A., 1991),

Renée Zellweger is an American film actress who is known for her portrayals of vulnerable characters in such films as Jerry Maguire (1996), Nurse Betty (2000), Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001), and Judy (2019). Zellweger began acting while she was a student at the University of Texas (B.A., 1991),

Zelman v. Simmons-Harris, case in which the U.S. Supreme Court on June 27, 2002, ruled (5–4) that an Ohio school-voucher program did not violate the establishment clause of the First Amendment, which generally prohibits the government from establishing, advancing, or giving favour to any religion.

Efim Zelmanov is a Russian mathematician who was awarded the Fields Medal in 1994 for his work in group theory. Zelmanov was educated at Novosibirsk State University (Ph.D., 1980) and Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) State University (D.Sc., 1985). He worked at the Institute of Mathematics of the

Efim Zelmanov is a Russian mathematician who was awarded the Fields Medal in 1994 for his work in group theory. Zelmanov was educated at Novosibirsk State University (Ph.D., 1980) and Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) State University (D.Sc., 1985). He worked at the Institute of Mathematics of the

Zelten, town site at the first exploited oil field in Libya. Located 105 miles (169 km) south of the Mediterranean port of Marsa el Brega on the Gulf of Sidra, at the foot of the Zelten Mountains, the town is in the centre of the so-called oasis group of oil fields that includes Jālū (Gialo), Wāḥah

Carl Friedrich Zelter was a composer and conductor, and the composition teacher of the young Felix Mendelssohn. Before age 9, Mendelssohn became Zelter’s pupil; and it was through Zelter’s discovery of the almost forgotten score of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion that Mendelssohn, at 20, conducted a

Ethiopian chant, vocal liturgical music of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church in eastern Africa. A musical notation for Ethiopian chant codified in the 16th century is called melekket and consists of characters from the ancient Ethiopian language, Geʿez, in which each sign stands for a syllable

Habima: …Russian Poland, in 1912 by Nahum Zemach. The troupe traveled in 1913 to Vienna, where it staged Osip Dymov’s Hear O Israel before the 11th Zionist Congress. In 1917, after World War I caused the ensemble to dissolve, Zemach established the group in Moscow, calling it Habima.

Lithuania: Early history: Samogitia (Lithuanian: Žemaitija), lying between Prussia and Livonia, two lands already in the hands of the German Crusading knights, was a particular object of German expansion.

Czech Republic: History of the Czech Republic: …finishers—former Social Democratic prime minister Miloš Zeman and the current foreign minister, Karel Schwarzenberg—facing each other in a runoff two weeks later. With voter turnout of about 60 percent, Zeman, running at the head of the Citizens’ Rights Party (SPOZ), won a convincing victory to succeed Klaus as president.

Robert Zemeckis is an American director and screenwriter known for crowd-pleasing films that often made innovative use of special effects. Zemeckis studied filmmaking at the University of Southern California (B.A., 1973), where he met fellow student Robert Gale, who would become his longtime

Robert Zemeckis is an American director and screenwriter known for crowd-pleasing films that often made innovative use of special effects. Zemeckis studied filmmaking at the University of Southern California (B.A., 1973), where he met fellow student Robert Gale, who would become his longtime

Zemes māte, the Earth Mother of Baltic religion. Zemes māte represents the female aspect of nature and the source of all life—human, animal, and plant. Interacting with Dievs (the sky), Zemes māte stimulates and protects the power of life. Libations of beer were offered to her at the opening of

Baltic states: Early Middle Ages: To the east were the Semigallians, in present-day central Latvia and portions of northern Lithuania. Eastern Latvia was inhabited by the Selonians and Latgalians. At least four major principalities can be distinguished among the latter.

Native American art: Regional style: West Indies: …form represented the spirits (zemi) of the land. The Taino culture is famous for these zemi carvings, which are found in many of the islands, notably Puerto Rico and Hispaniola. Carved stone pestles with human and animal designs are also common, along with strange “stone collars”—oval carvings that may…

Alexander Zemlinsky was an Austrian composer and conductor whose craftsmanship in both areas was and is highly regarded. Zemlinsky was a student at the Vienna Conservatory from 1887 to 1892. He wrote several chamber pieces in 1893 that attracted the notice of Johannes Brahms, among others. In 1895,

Alexander Zemlinsky was an Austrian composer and conductor whose craftsmanship in both areas was and is highly regarded. Zemlinsky was a student at the Vienna Conservatory from 1887 to 1892. He wrote several chamber pieces in 1893 that attracted the notice of Johannes Brahms, among others. In 1895,

Franz Josef Land, archipelago of 191 islands in the northeastern Barents Sea, the northernmost territory of Russia. It falls administratively into Arkhangelsk oblast (province). The islands, with a land area of 6,229 square miles (16,134 square km), consist of three groups. The easternmost includes

Zemlya i Volya, first Russian political party to openly advocate a policy of revolution; it had been preceded only by conspiratorial groups. Founded in 1876, the party two years later took its name from an earlier (1861–64) secret society. A product of the Narodnik (Populist) movement, the party

Khemisset: …market centre for the local Zemmour Amazigh (Berbers) (see Berber). To the north of Khemisset lies a sandy plateau with commercially exploited cork oak and eucalyptus forests, while the town itself is situated in an area that is intensively cultivated with cereals (mostly wheat) and citrus fruits and in which…

Marine Le Pen: Leadership of the National Front/National Rally: …implosion of the campaign of Eric Zemmour, a far-right polemicist whose views on immigration were more extreme than her own. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Zemmour, who had previously expressed admiration for Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin, declined to say that France should welcome Ukrainian refugees—a position that even Le…

Russia: Revolutionary activities: …of the “land commandant” (zemsky nachalnik)—an official appointed by the Ministry of the Interior, usually a former officer or a local landowner, who interfered in all aspects of peasant affairs. The office of elected justice of the peace was abolished, and the government was authorized to assume emergency powers…

zemsky sobor, (“assembly of the land”), in 16th- and 17th-century Russia, an advisory assembly convened by the tsar or the highest civil authority in power whenever necessary. It was generally composed of representatives from the ecclesiastical and monastic authorities, the boyar council, the

Aleksander Fredro: …concerned with psychological development; and Zemsta (1834; “Vengeance”), a brilliantly constructed comedy considered to be his masterpiece.

zemstvo, organ of rural self-government in the Russian Empire and Ukraine; established in 1864 to provide social and economic services, it became a significant liberal influence within imperial Russia. Zemstvos existed on two levels, the uyezd (canton) and the province; the uyezd assemblies,

Samuel Zemurray was the longtime president and financial director of United Fruit Company (name changed to United Brands Company in 1970), a preeminent developer of agriculture in 13 nations of the American tropics, responsible for introducing about 30 crops from the Eastern tropics. At 15 Zmuri

Zemes māte, the Earth Mother of Baltic religion. Zemes māte represents the female aspect of nature and the source of all life—human, animal, and plant. Interacting with Dievs (the sky), Zemes māte stimulates and protects the power of life. Libations of beer were offered to her at the opening of

Zen, important school of East Asian Buddhism that constitutes the mainstream monastic form of Mahayana Buddhism in China, Korea, and Vietnam and accounts for approximately 20 percent of the Buddhist temples in Japan. The word derives from the Sanskrit dhyana, meaning “meditation.” Central to Zen

American literature: Literary biography and the new journalism: Pirsig’s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (1974) defied all classification. Pirsig equated the emotional collapse of his central character with the disintegration of American workmanship and cultural values.

Hüsker Dü: …pop, and psychedelic rock; their Zen Arcade (1984) was one of the few punk-oriented double albums. Celebrated for maintaining their artistic integrity even after moving to a major label with Candy Apple Grey (1986), Hüsker Dü disbanded in 1988 after having produced a string of critically acclaimed albums including New…

Zen, important school of East Asian Buddhism that constitutes the mainstream monastic form of Mahayana Buddhism in China, Korea, and Vietnam and accounts for approximately 20 percent of the Buddhist temples in Japan. The word derives from the Sanskrit dhyana, meaning “meditation.” Central to Zen

Judd Apatow: …produced the Emmy Award-winning documentary The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling. The two-part work chronicled the life and career of the iconic comedian. Apatow later edited It’s Garry Shandling’s Book (2019), which included journal entries and photographs. Apatow’s other books included Sick in the Head (2015) and Sicker in the…

Japanese garden: Types of gardens: …is a special variation, the kare-sansui (dried-up landscape) style, in which rocks are composed to suggest a waterfall and its basin and, for a winding stream or a pond, gravel or sand is used to symbolize water or to suggest seasonally dried-up terrain.

Dōmei, Japan’s second largest labour union federation until it disbanded in 1987. Dōmei was formed in 1964 by a merger of three politically moderate federations that opposed the leftist stance of the larger and more militant union Sōhyō. Unlike the majority of Sōhyō members, who were public

All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd. (ANA), the largest domestic air carrier in Japan, and one of the largest in the world. The company was founded in 1952 and is headquartered in Tokyo. Under the Japanese government’s strict regulation of civil aviation, All Nippon Airways was basically restricted to

Nishida Kitarō: Academic career: …work, Zen no kenkyū (1911; A Study of Good, 1960). At about this time parts of the book were published in Japanese philosophical journals, and his name as an original philosopher attracted attention in the Japanese philosophical world.

Ralph Eugene Meatyard: His Zen Twigs series—close-up detailed images of thin tree branches set against an out-of-focus background—is the most obvious manifestation of his interest in Zen. Coke included Meatyard’s photographs in “Creative Photography–1956,” an exhibition at the University of Kentucky that also featured Ansel Adams, Edward Weston, White,…

zen’ei ikebana, in Japanese floral art, modern style in which freedom of expression takes precedence over classic rules. Zen’ei ikebana was established in 1930 by a group of art critics and floral masters led by Teshigahara Sōfū, founder of the Sōgetsu school (1927). In the spirit of the

Senegal: History of Senegal: …derived from that of the Zenaga Berbers of Mauritania and northern Senegal. About 1040, Zenaga Berbers established a Muslim ribāṭ (fortified religious retreat), perhaps on an island in the river; this became the base for the Almoravids, who converted the Tukulor, conquered Morocco, and crossed into Spain. The Almoravid attacks…

mourning dove, (Zenaida macroura), a member of the pigeon order Columbiformes, the common wild pigeon of North America having a long pointed tail and violet and pink on the sides of the neck. This game bird may live up to 16 years in captivity; however, most mourning doves live only 4 or 5 years in

tragedy: Absence of tragedy in Asian drama: In The Hoka Priests, by Zenchiku Ujinobu (1414–99), a son is confronted with Hamlet’s problem—i.e., that of avenging the death of his father. He is uncertain how to proceed, since his father’s murderer has many bold fellows to stand by him, while he is all alone. He persuades his brother,…

Avestan language, eastern Iranian language of the Avesta, the sacred book of Zoroastrianism. Avestan falls into two strata, the older being that of the Gāthās, which reflects a linguistic stage (dating from c. 600 bc) close to that of Vedic Sanskrit in India. The greater part of the Avesta is

Avesta, sacred book of Zoroastrianism containing its cosmogony, law, and liturgy, the teachings of the prophet Zarathushtra (Zoroaster). The extant Avesta is all that remains of a much larger body of scripture, apparently Zarathushtra’s transformation of a very ancient tradition. The voluminous

James Darmesteter: Darmesteter’s French translation, Le Zend-Avesta, 3 vol. (1892–93), was accompanied by a historical commentary. He placed the earliest portion of the extant Avestan texts in the 1st century bc but the bulk of them in the 3rd century ad. He also published the posthumous papers of his brother,…

Iranian art and architecture: Architecture: …a Zoroastrian fire temple (Zendan), a towerlike structure with a plan recalling that of the standard Urartian temple. Replicas of the Zendan were built later at Naqsh-e Rostam and elsewhere. Also at Pasargadae, the workmanship of Greek stonemasons was already recognizable, but their full contribution to the new Achaemenian…

Takht-e Soleymān: …metres) above the surrounding countryside, Zendān-e Soleymān is located about 2 miles (3 km) west of Takht-e Soleymān. The hill, which is a hollow cone, is a modest-sized extinct volcano, with the remains of various temple buildings surrounding the peak. Zendān-e Soleymān was apparently a site of worship prior to…

Zendaya is an American actor, singer, and dancer who first gained fame for comedic roles on the Disney Channel and later transitioned to more complex and critically acclaimed parts such as Rue Bennett in the HBO series Euphoria (2019–26), for which she won two Emmy Awards. Over the years the

Abbas Kiarostami: The second film, Zendegī va dīgar hich (1992; And Life Goes On…, or Life and Nothing More), follows the journey of the director (played by an actor) of Where Is the Friend’s Home? to Koker, damaged by a severe earthquake since the first film, to find the young…

genetically modified organism: Role of GMOs in environmental management: In the early 1990s, Zeneca, a British company, developed a microbially produced biodegradable plastic called Biopol (polyhydroxyalkanoate, or PHA). The plastic was made with the use of a GM bacterium, Ralstonia eutropha, to convert glucose and a variety of organic acids into a flexible polymer. GMOs endowed with the…

semiconductor device: Zener diode: ) This voltage regulator is a p-n junction diode that has a precisely tailored impurity distribution to provide a well-defined breakdown voltage. It can be designed to have a breakdown voltage over a wide range from 0.1 volt to thousands of volts. The Zener…

avalanche effect: …where it is called the Zener effect. Because avalanche requires a specific electrical force for each type of substance, it can be used for precise control of voltages in electrical circuits, as in a device called the Zener diode.

Zeng Guofan was a Chinese administrator, the military leader most responsible for suppressing the Taiping Rebellion (1850–64)—thus staving off the collapse of China’s imperial regime. Zeng Guofan was born into a prosperous family dominated by his grandfather Zeng Yuping, a farmer with social

China: East Turkistan: …minister to Britain and France, Zeng Jize, son of Zeng Guofan, succeeded in concluding a treaty at St. Petersburg in February 1881 that was more favorable yet still conceded the Russians many privileges in East Turkistan.

Zengzi was a Chinese philosopher, disciple of Confucius, traditionally believed to be the author of the Daxue (“Great Learning”). In this classic, which became a part of the Liji (“Collection of Rituals”) and one of the Four Books during the Song dynasty, he discussed the great importance of the

John Peter Zenger was a New York printer and journalist whose famous acquittal in a libel suit (1735) established the first important victory for freedom of the press in the English colonies of North America. Emigrating to New York City at 13, Zenger was indentured for eight years as an apprentice

Zaha Hadid: Early life and career: There she met the architects Elia Zenghelis and Rem Koolhaas, with whom she would collaborate as a partner at the Office of Metropolitan Architecture. Hadid established her own London-based firm, Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA), in 1979.

qing: The set unearthed at the tomb of Zenghouyi, however, had as many as 32 pieces (in addition, there were nine spare pieces). Each piece was engraved with the name of the tone it sounded. The additional pieces were used as needed to sound tones lacking in the main set.

Zangī was an Iraqi ruler who founded the Zangid dynasty and led the first important counterattacks against the Crusader kingdoms in the Middle East. When Zangī’s father, the governor of Aleppo, was killed in 1094, Zangī fled to Mosul. He served the Seljuq dynasty, and in 1126 the Seljuq sultan,

Zengzi was a Chinese philosopher, disciple of Confucius, traditionally believed to be the author of the Daxue (“Great Learning”). In this classic, which became a part of the Liji (“Collection of Rituals”) and one of the Four Books during the Song dynasty, he discussed the great importance of the

launch vehicle: Russia and Ukraine: First launched in 1985, the Zenit launch vehicle was developed in Ukraine. The Zenit uses an RD-170 first-stage engine, considered to be one of the most efficient and reliable rocket engines ever made. It was used by the Soviet Union and is now used by Russia to launch both military…

zenith, point on the celestial sphere directly above an observer on the Earth. The point 180° opposite the zenith, directly underfoot, is the nadir. Astronomical zenith is defined by gravity; i.e., by sighting up a plumb line. If the line were not deflected by such local irregularities in the

Grant Morrison: Zenith (1987–92; art by Steve Yeowell) arguably stands alongside Watchmen (1986–87; Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons) and Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (1986; Frank Miller) as one of the great deconstructive superhero comics of the 1980s, but it has been rarely reprinted and so has…

map: Map projections: Azimuthal, or zenithal, projections picture a portion of the Earth as a flattened disk, tangent to the Earth at a specified point, as viewed from a point at the centre of the Earth, on the opposite side of the Earth’s surface, or from a point…

small arm: Large-calibre machine guns: The ZPU-4, a four-barreled version towed on a trailer, shot down many U.S. aircraft during that nation’s involvement in the Vietnam War (1965–73) and remained in service throughout the Third World long afterward.

Zanjān, city, northwestern Iran. It is the principal city of the Zanjān region and capital of Zanjān province. It lies in an open valley about halfway along the Tehrān–Tabrīz railway line. Zanjān was once the seat of a lively caravan trade. It was ravaged by Mongols in the 13th century. Prior to

Zincirli Höyük, archaeological site in the foothills of the Anti-Taurus Mountains, south-central Turkey. Samal was one of the Late Hittite city-states that perpetuated the more or less Semitized southern Anatolian culture for centuries after the downfall of the Hittite empire (c. 1190 bc). The

anomalure: The flightless anomalure (Z. insignis) is about 20 cm long and has a tail slightly shorter than its body.

Nagano: …and grew up around the Zenkō Temple, which was founded in the 7th century. Nagano later developed as a market town and post station along the Hokkoku Road. It is now an important commercial centre with food-processing, electrical machinery, and printing and publishing industries. It is also a cultural and…

Nagano, city, Nagano ken (prefecture), central Honshu, Japan. It is the capital of the prefecture and is situated in the Nagano Basin. The city dates from the 12th–13th century and grew up around the Zenkō Temple, which was founded in the 7th century. Nagano later developed as a market town and

Nichiren was a militant Japanese Buddhist prophet who contributed significantly to the adaptation of Buddhism to the Japanese mentality and who remains one of the most controversial and influential figures in Japanese Buddhist history. After an exhaustive study of the various forms of Buddhism, he

Niklas Zennström is a Swedish e-commerce entrepreneur who, with Janus Friis, created various Internet businesses, notably KaZaA, Skype, and Joost. Zennström earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree in engineering physics and computer science from Uppsala

Zeno was an Eastern Roman emperor whose reign (474–91) was troubled by revolts and religious dissension. Until he married the Eastern emperor Leo I’s daughter Ariadne (in 466 or 467), Zeno had been known as Tarasicodissa. As such he led an Isaurian army that the emperor relied upon to offset the

Aspendus: …designed by the Roman architect Zeno in honour of the emperor Marcus Aurelius (reigned 161–180 ce).

Zeno of Citium was a Hellenistic thinker who founded the Stoic school of philosophy, which influenced the development of philosophical and ethical thought in Hellenistic and Roman times. He went to Athens about 312 bce and attended lectures by the Cynic philosophers Crates of Thebes and Stilpon of

Zeno of Elea was a Greek philosopher and mathematician, whom Aristotle called the inventor of dialectic. Zeno is especially known for his paradoxes that contributed to the development of logical and mathematical rigour and that were insoluble until the development of precise concepts of continuity

Epicureanism: The Epicurean school: …also written by his disciple Zeno of Sidon, who was heard by Cicero in 79 bce in Athens. After Zeno, there were Phaedrus, also a teacher of Cicero, who was in Rome in 90 bce, and Patro, the head of the school until 51 bce. Already famous as an epigram…

Italian literature: The world of learning: Vico, Ludovico Antonio Muratori, Apostolo Zeno, and the already mentioned Scipione Maffei were writers who reflected the awakening of historical consciousness in Italy. Muratori collected primary sources for the study of the Italian Middle Ages. Vico, in his Scienza nuova (1725–44; The New Science), investigated the laws governing the…

Carlo Zeno was a Venetian admiral whose victory over the Genoese at Chioggia, near Venice, in 1380 was a turning point in the struggle between the two great maritime republics. Briefly a student at the University of Padua, Zeno was forced by poverty to become a soldier, but later he became a

paradoxes of Zeno, statements made by the Greek philosopher Zeno of Elea, a 5th-century-bce disciple of Parmenides, a fellow Eleatic, designed to show that any assertion opposite to the monistic teaching of Parmenides leads to contradiction and absurdity. Parmenides had argued from reason alone

Zenobia was the queen of the Roman colony of Palmyra, in present-day Syria, from 267 or 268 to 272. She conquered several of Rome’s eastern provinces before she was subjugated by the emperor Aurelian (ruled 270–275). Zenobia’s husband, Odaenathus, Rome’s client ruler of Palmyra, had by 267

Zenodotus Of Ephesus was a Greek grammarian and the first superintendent (from c. 284 bc) of the library at Alexandria, noted for editions of Greek poets and especially for producing the first critical edition of Homer. Zenodotus lived during the reigns of the first two Ptolemies and was a pupil of

Palestine: The Ptolemies: …received and written by one Zenon, the confidential business manager of the chief minister of Ptolemy II (Philadelphus; 285–246 bce). In 259 Zenon was sent to Palestine and Syria, where his master had commercial interests. His letters speak particularly of trafficking enslaved persons, especially young girls for prostitution, in whom…

Judaism: Hellenism and Judaism: The mid-3rd century-bce Zenon papyri, which contain the correspondence of the business manager of a high Ptolemaic official, present a picture of a wealthy Jew, Tobiah, who through commercial contact with the Ptolemies acquired a veneer of Hellenism, to judge at least from the pagan and religious expressions…

dory: The John Dory (Zenopsis conchifera), a food fish of the Atlantic and Mediterranean, is one of the better-known species. It ranges from the shore to waters about 200 m (650 feet) deep and reaches a maximum length of about 90 cm (3 feet). Grayish, with a…

Shinran: Life: …agonizing estrangement from his son Zenran (died 1292). Zenran had become embroiled in a dispute with Shinran’s followers in the Kantō region over provocative beliefs and behaviour, such as the assertion by some of license to commit wrongdoings. To counter them, Zenran made extravagant claims that Shinran had secretly imparted…

Shinran was a Buddhist teacher recognized as the founder of the Jōdo Shinshū (True Pure Land School), which advocates that faith, recitation of the name of the buddha Amida (Amitabha), and birth in the paradise of the Pure Land. For centuries Jōdo Shinshū has been one of the largest schools of

Nichiren was a militant Japanese Buddhist prophet who contributed significantly to the adaptation of Buddhism to the Japanese mentality and who remains one of the most controversial and influential figures in Japanese Buddhist history. After an exhaustive study of the various forms of Buddhism, he

Battle of Zenta, (September 11, 1697), decisive military victory of Austrian forces over an Ottoman army at Zenta (now Senta, Serbia) on the Tisa River during a war (1683–99) between the Ottoman Empire and the Holy League (Austria–Poland–Venice–Russia), a victory that made Austria the foremost

Lars von Trier: …allegory about a plague, and Europa (1991; released in the U.S. as Zentropa), an examination of life in post-World War II Germany. In 1994 von Trier wrote and directed a Danish television miniseries called Riget (The Kingdom), which was set in a hospital and focused on the supernatural and macabre.…