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Muhammad Zahir Shah

(Encyclopedia)Muhammad Zahir Shah zäˈhĕr shä [key], 1914–2007, last king of Afghanistan. In 1933 he became king after his father, Muhammad Nadir Shah, was assassinated. During his reign power was exercised ma...

Ershad, Hussain Muhammad

(Encyclopedia)Ershad, Hussain Muhammad, 1930–2019, Bangladeshi military and political leader, b. Cooch Behar (now part of West Bengal, India). Commissioned in Pakistan's army in 1952, he was a career soldier, ris...

Abdullah, Sheikh Muhammad

(Encyclopedia)Abdullah, Sheikh Muhammad shākh mo͞ohämˈmäd äbdo͝ol-läˈ [key], 1905–82, nationalist leader in Kashmir, known as the Lion of Kashmir. He became active in polit...

Chaudhry, Iftikhar Muhammad

(Encyclopedia)Chaudhry, Iftikhar Muhammad ĭftĭkärˈ məhäˈməd chôˈdrē [key], 1948–, chief justice of the Pakistan Supreme Court (2005–7, 2009–13). He established a private practice in 1974 and became...

Ayub Khan, Muhammad

(Encyclopedia)Ayub Khan, Muhammad məhămˈĭd äˈyo͝ob kän [key], 1907–74, military leader and president (1958–69) of Pakistan. He was commissioned in the British Indian army in 1928 and saw active service ...

Aga Muhammad Khan

(Encyclopedia)Aga Muhammad Khan or Agha Muhammad Khan both: äˈgämo͞ohämˈmäd khän [key], 1742–97, shah of Persia, founder of the Qajar dynasty. He was emasculated by family enemies at the age of five. He w...

Navarino, battle of

(Encyclopedia)Navarino, battle of nävärēˈnō [key], 1827, naval battle resulting from the intervention of the European powers in the Greek War of Independence from the Ottoman Empire (Turkey). England, France, ...

Constantine XI, Byzantine emperor

(Encyclopedia)Constantine XI (Constantine Palaeologus), d. 1453, last Byzantine emperor (1449–53), brother and successor of John VIII. To secure Western aid against the Turkish assault on what remained of the emp...

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