Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Mahmud II

(Encyclopedia)Mahmud II, 1784–1839, Ottoman sultan (1808–39), younger son of Abd al-Hamid I. He was raised to the throne of the Ottoman Empire (Turkey) upon the deposition of his brother, Mustafa IV, and contin...

Maria II

(Encyclopedia)Maria II (Maria da Glória), 1819–53, queen of Portugal (1834–53), daughter of Peter IV (Pedro I of Brazil). Pedro, having succeeded to the Portuguese throne on the death (1826) of his father, Joh...

Assurnasirbal II

(Encyclopedia)Assurnasirbal II: see Ashurnasirpal II. ...

Menelik II

(Encyclopedia)Menelik II mĕnˈəlĭk [key], 1844–1913, emperor of Ethiopia after 1889. He was originally ras (ruler) of Shoa (central Ethiopia). After the death (1868) of Emperor Tewodros II, Menelik, with Itali...

Kenneth II

(Encyclopedia)Kenneth II, d. 995, Scottish king (971–995). The son of Malcolm I (reigned 943–54), he became king of the united Picts and Scots in 971 and immediately led a savage raid on the British in Northumb...

Ashurnasirpal II

(Encyclopedia)Ashurnasirpal II äˈsho͝ornäˈzĭrpäl [key], d. 860? b.c., king of ancient Assyria (884–860? b.c.), also called Ashurnazirpal II and Assurnasirbal II. One of the earliest of the Assyrian conquer...

Mieszko II

(Encyclopedia)Mieszko II or Mieczyslaw II, 990–1034, king of Poland (1025–34), son and successor of Boleslaus I. His reign was marked by internal and external strife. Moravia was lost to Bohemia, Lusatia to Ger...

Marwan II

(Encyclopedia)Marwan II märˈwän [key], 684–750, last of the Umayyad caliphs. He served as governor of Armenia before his short-lived rule as caliph (744–50). Marwan reorganized his army, taking Syria by 746....

Artaxerxes II

(Encyclopedia)Artaxerxes II, d. 358 b.c., king of ancient Persia (404–358 b.c.), son and successor of Darius II. He is sometimes called in Greek Artaxerxes Mnemon [the thoughtful]. Early in his reign Cyrus the Yo...

Ardashir II

(Encyclopedia)Ardashir II, king of Persia (379–83), of the Sassanid, or Sassanian, dynasty. A provincial governor under Shapur II, he succeeded to the throne. He earned popularity by remitting taxes, but his rule...