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Samanid

(Encyclopedia)Samanid sämäˈnĭd [key], Muslim Persian dynasty that ruled (819–1005) in Khorasan and Transoxiana as vassals of the Abbasids; founded by Saman-Khuda, of old Persian aristocracy. The Samanids were...

Guelleh, Ismaïl Omar

(Encyclopedia)Guelleh, Ismaïl Omar hĭsˈmäĭl ōˈmär gĕlˈlä [key], 1947–, Djiboutian political leader, b. Dire Dawa, Ethiopia. He moved to Djibouti (then a French territory) in the late 1960s and joined t...

Dera Ismail Khan

(Encyclopedia)Dera Ismail Khan ĭsmīlˈ khän [key], town (1981 pop. 64,358), N central Pakistan, c.1 mi (1.6 km) on the western bank of the Indus River. A district administrative center, it is known for its lacqu...

Tehran

(Encyclopedia)Tehran or Teheran both: tāˌəränˈ, –rănˈ [key], city (1991 pop. 6,475,527), capital of Iran and Tehran prov., N Iran, near Mt. Damavand. It is Iran's largest city and its administrative, comme...

Ardebil

(Encyclopedia)Ardebil ärdəbēlˈ [key], town, NW Iran, near the Republic of Azerbaijan. It is a market center for a fertile agricultural region. Carpets and rugs are produced in the t...

Safavid

(Encyclopedia)Safavid säfäˈwēd [key], Iranian dynasty (1499–1736), that established Shiite Islam in Iran as an official state religion. The Safavid state provided both the territorial and societal foundations...

Muhammad III, Ottoman sultan

(Encyclopedia)Muhammad III or Mehmet III, 1567–1603, Ottoman sultan (1595–1603), son and successor of Murad III to the throne of the Ottoman Empire (Turkey). Muhammad, who was a provisional governor under his f...

Murad IV

(Encyclopedia)Murad IV, 1612?–1640, Ottoman sultan (1623–40), nephew and successor of Mustafa I. He recovered (1638) Baghdad, which Shah Abbas I of Persia had seized. On his victory he sent an order to murder h...

Kerman

(Encyclopedia)Kerman kĕrmänˈ [key], city (1991 pop. 311,643), capital of Kerman prov., E central Iran. It is noted for making and exporting carpets. Cotton textiles and goats-wool shawls are also manufactured. K...

Sher Khan

(Encyclopedia)Sher Khan shä [key], 1486–1545, Afghan ruler in N India. He enlisted in the service of the Mughal leader Babur when the latter invaded India and became governor of Bihar. After Babur's death, howev...