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Nasir ad-Din

(Encyclopedia)Nasir ad-Din näˈsər äd-dēn [key], 1831?–1896, shah of Persia (1848–96). He and his able vizier, Mirza Taqi Khan, were responsible for shaking Persia from a long period of inertia. He traveled...

Khudjand

(Encyclopedia)Khudjand, Khujand, or Khudzhand kho͞odˈjänd [key], city (1991 pop. 164,500), capital of Leninobod region, in Tajikistan, on the Syr Darya River at its exit from the Fergana Valley. It is a major c...

Beatles, The

(Encyclopedia)Beatles, The, English rock music group formed in the late 1950s and disbanded in 1970. The members were John (Winston) Lennon, 1940–80, guitar and harmonica; (James) Paul McCartney, 1942–, guitar ...

Tippoo Sahib

(Encyclopedia)Tippoo Sahib or Tipu Sahib both: tĭpˈo͞o säˈhĭb [key], 1749–99, Indian ruler, sultan of Mysore (1782–99); son and successor of Haidar Ali. He fought in his father's campaigns against the Mar...

Hotan

(Encyclopedia)Hotan kōˈtänˈ [key], city and oasis (1994 est. pop. 75,900), SW Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China, near the headstream of the Hotan River; the name sometimes appears as Ho-t'ien. It is the c...

Khiva

(Encyclopedia)Khiva khēˈvə, khēväˈ [key], city (1989 pop. 40,001), S Uzbekistan, in the Khiva oasis and on the Amu Darya River. Industries include metalworking, cotton and silk spinning, wood carving, and car...

Vladimir

(Encyclopedia)Vladimir vlədyēˈmĭr [key], city (1989 pop. 350,000), capital of Vladimir region, W central European Russia, on the Klyazma River. A rail junction, it has industries producing machinery, chemicals,...

Abbasid

(Encyclopedia)Abbasid –sīd, –sĭd [key], Arab family descended from Abbas, the uncle of Muhammad. The Abbasids held the caliphate from 749 to 1258, but they were recognized neither in Spain nor (after 787) W o...

Feodosiya

(Encyclopedia)Feodosiya fāˌədôˈsēə [key], city, E Crimea. From 1954 part of Ukraine (then the Ukrainian SSR), ...

Ghazni

(Encyclopedia)Ghazni gŭzˈnē [key], city, capital of Ghazni prov., E central Afghanistan, on the Ghazni R...