Akasaki Isamu was a Japanese materials scientist who was awarded the 2014 Nobel Prize for Physics for inventing blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs), paving the way for future innovation. He shared the prize with Japanese materials scientist Amano Hiroshi and Japanese-born American materials scientist

Akashic record: …said to be imprinted on Akasha, the astral light, which is described by spiritualists as a fluid ether existing beyond the range of human senses. The Akashic records are reputedly accessible to certain select individuals—e.g., a spiritualist medium who conducts a séance. Akasha allegedly transmits the waves of human willpower,…

ajiva: …Ajiva is divided into: (1) ākāśa, “space,” (2) dharma, “that which makes motion possible,” (3) adharma, “that which makes rest possible,” and (4) pudgala, “matter.” Pudgala consists of atoms; is eternal yet subject to change and development; is both gross (that which it is possible to see) and subtle (that…

Akashi, city, Hyōgo ken (prefecture), west-central Honshu, Japan. The city is adjacent to Kōbe on the Akashi Strait of the Inland Sea. Akashi developed as a castle town, and many relics of the Jōmon and Yayoi periods remain on the nearby hills. Artifacts of the Jōmon period (c. 10,500–c. 300 bce; a

Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, suspension bridge across the Akashi Strait (Akashi-kaikyo) in west-central Japan. It was the world’s longest suspension bridge when it opened on April 5, 1998. The six-lane road bridge connects the city of Kōbe, on the main island of Honshu, to Iwaya, on Awaji Island, which in

Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, suspension bridge across the Akashi Strait (Akashi-kaikyo) in west-central Japan. It was the world’s longest suspension bridge when it opened on April 5, 1998. The six-lane road bridge connects the city of Kōbe, on the main island of Honshu, to Iwaya, on Awaji Island, which in

sumo: …awarded this title commences with Akashi Shiganosuke, victor in 1632. Specially selected youths are brought up into the profession and fed a special protein diet, which creates immense, bulky bodies. Exceptionally agile men weighing 300 pounds or more are common in this sport. Lengthy rituals and elaborate posturings accompany the…

Akashic record, in occultism, a compendium of pictorial records, or “memories,” of all events, actions, thoughts, and feelings that have occurred since the beginning of time. They are said to be imprinted on Akasha, the astral light, which is described by spiritualists as a fluid ether existing

mental disorder: Antipsychotic agents: …muscle groups, causing abnormal postures), akathisia (a subjective feeling of restlessness leading to an inability to keep still), and tardive dyskinesia (involuntary movements, particularly involving the lips and tongue). Most extrapyramidal symptoms disappear when the drug is withdrawn. Tardive dyskinesia occurs late in the drug treatment and in about half…

Byzantine Empire: Heraclius and the origin of the themes: …singing Romanos’s great hymn “Akathistos,” with choir and crowd alternating in the chant of the “Alleluia.” The hymn, still sung in a Lenten service, commemorates those days when Constantinople survived as a fortress under ecclesiastical leadership, its defenders protected by the icons and united by their liturgy. This they…

Akatsuki, space probe that investigated Venus in Japan’s first mission to the planet. An H-IIA rocket launched it on May 21, 2010, from the Tanegashima Space Centre on Tanegashima Island, Kagoshima prefecture. The H-IIA launch vehicle carried not only Akatsuki but also IKAROS (Interplanetary

The Sea of Fertility: …Horses), Akatsuki no tera (The Temple of Dawn), and Tennin gosui (The Decay of the Angel)—is set in Japan, and together they cover the period from roughly 1912 to the 1960s. Each of them depicts a different reincarnation of the same being: as a young aristocrat in 1912, as…

Kurmanbek Bakiyev: Askar Akayev appointed Bakiyev to the post of prime minister. He was dismissed, however, on May 22, 2002; Bakiyev reportedly asked Akayev to allow him to return to his former position as governor of Chui but was turned down. The reason for the falling out…

Akbar was the greatest of the Mughal emperors of India. He reigned from 1556 to 1605 and extended Mughal power over most of the Indian subcontinent. In order to preserve the unity of his empire, Akbar adopted programs that won the loyalty of the non-Muslim populations of his realm. He reformed and

Akbar period architecture, building style that developed in India under the patronage of the Mughal emperor Akbar (reigned 1556–1605). The architecture of the Akbar period is characterized by a strength made elegant and graceful by its rich decorative work, which reflects many traditional Hindu

Akbar’s Mausoleum, marble and red sandstone mausoleum of the great Mughal emperor Akbar, located in Sikandra, a suburb of Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. Built in 1605–13, it is a notable example of Mughal architecture. The mausoleum is said to have been begun by Akbar himself, but his son Jahāngīr

Abū al-Faḍl ʿAllāmī: Memoirs, letters, and dispatches: …Akbar and his ancestors, the Akbarnāma (The History of Akbar). It is the official chronicle of Akbar’s reign, containing 274 folios of text along with 116 illustrated folios and a single illuminated frontispiece. Written between 1590 and 1597, the manuscript is divided into three volumes. The first volume recounts the…

African dance: Rhythm: …for days, as in the Akbia women’s funeral dance in South Sudan and the dances of the Bambuti of Central Africa.

American Kennel Club (AKC), the largest registry of purebred dogs in the world and the chief promoter of purebred breeding and exhibiting in the United States. Founded in 1884, it records and tracks the lineage of purebred dogs, establishes breed standards, and sanctions some of the most famous dog

Korean literature: Poetry: …group of poetic songs called akchang was written to celebrate the beginning of the new dynasty. In its earliest examples the form of akchang was comparatively free, borrowing its style from early Chinese classical poetry. Whereas the early akchang are generally short, the later Yongbi ŏch’ŏn ka consists of 125…

coin: Ottoman Empire: …of small silver coins (akche, called asper by Europeans). Gold coins were not struck before the end of the 15th century; before and after that century, foreign gold, mainly the Venetian ducat, was used. A notable Ottoman innovation was the tughra, an elaborate monogram formed of the sultan’s name…

Poland: The constitution of 1997: …loose coalition known as the Solidarity Electoral Action (AWS), challenged the draft submitted by the National Assembly and called for its rejection in a national referendum. In May 1997 the referendum approved the draft by a slim margin. The constitution came into force in October 1997.

Ottoman Empire: Turkish nationalism: One of them, Yusuf Akçuraoğlu, argued in Üç tarz-ı siyaset (1903; “Three Kinds of Policy”) that Turkism provided a better basis for the Ottoman Empire than either Islam or Ottomanism. Pan-Turanianism developed from a much-disputed 19th-century theory of the common origin of Turkish, Mongol, Tungus, Finnish, Hungarian, and…

Ogun: …for early Egba settlers; the Ake, the residence of the alake (the traditional ruler of Egbaland), built in 1854 and noted for its collection of antiquities and relics; and the Centenary Hall, all in Abeokuta. There are teacher training colleges in the state and a university of agriculture at Abeokuta.…

Sapindales: Sapindaceae: Dodonaea viscosa (hopbush), a widespread tropical shrub, is cultivated in warmer areas for its colourful foliage. Akee is grown not only for its fruits but also as a shade tree.

Akebia, genus of woody vines comprising two species native to Asia but introduced elsewhere for their ornamental foliage and fast growth. The genus belongs to the family Lardizabalaceae. Five-leaf akebia, or chocolate vine (A. quinata), has five leaflets to each leaf arranged like the fingers on a

Akebia: Five-leaf akebia, or chocolate vine (A. quinata), has five leaflets to each leaf arranged like the fingers on a hand; three-leaf akebia (A. trifoliata) has three leaflets to a leaf. The purplish flowers are unisexual and occur in small clusters, and the oblong purple fruits…

Akebia: …the fingers on a hand; three-leaf akebia (A. trifoliata) has three leaflets to a leaf. The purplish flowers are unisexual and occur in small clusters, and the oblong purple fruits are edible, though insipid. Both species are twining vines often used for shading and screening on arbors and fences and…

Akebono was an American-born Japanese sumo wrestler, who, in January 1993, became the first non-Japanese person to be elevated to yokozuna (grand champion) status, the highest rank in professional sumo. Rowan grew up on the island of Oahu in Hawaii and entered college there on a basketball

Akebono was an American-born Japanese sumo wrestler, who, in January 1993, became the first non-Japanese person to be elevated to yokozuna (grand champion) status, the highest rank in professional sumo. Rowan grew up on the island of Oahu in Hawaii and entered college there on a basketball

Toyotomi Hideyoshi: Early career: …revolt led by his retainer Akechi Mitsuhide; Hideyoshi immediately made peace with Mōri, and then moved east to avenge Nobunaga by defeating Mitsuhide, which he accomplished at the Battle of Yamazaki.

Akedah, referring to the binding of Isaac as related in Genesis 22. Abraham bound his son Isaac on an altar at Moriah, as he had been instructed by God. An angel stopped Abraham when he was about to slay his son and replaced Isaac with a ram; this is the last of the 10 trials to which God subjected

ackee, (Blighia sapida), tree of the soapberry family (Sapindaceae) native to West Africa, widely cultivated throughout tropical and subtropical regions for its edible fruit. Ackee and salt fish is a popular dish in the Caribbean and is the national dish of Jamaica. Taken to the Caribbean area with

Angela Bassett: …starred in the family drama Akeelah and the Bee (2006), portraying the mother of a girl attempting to become a national spelling champion. In the biography Notorious (2009) Bassett played the mother of Christopher Wallace, the rapper better known by the stage name the Notorious B.I.G. In 2008–09 she had…

Cyprus: Political process: …of the Working People (Anorthotiko Komma Ergazomenou Laou; AKEL), founded in 1941. A pro-Moscow communist party that controlled the principal trade union federation, it received about one-third of the vote in the first 25 years of the Republic of Cyprus. Following the collapse of communism in Russia and eastern…

Carl E. Akeley was an American naturalist and explorer who developed the taxidermic method for mounting museum displays to show animals in their natural surroundings. His method of applying skin on a finely molded replica of the body of the animal gave results of unprecedented realism and elevated

Carl E. Akeley was an American naturalist and explorer who developed the taxidermic method for mounting museum displays to show animals in their natural surroundings. His method of applying skin on a finely molded replica of the body of the animal gave results of unprecedented realism and elevated

Carl E. Akeley: Akeley’s second wife, Mary Lee Jobe Akeley (1886–1966), was well known as an explorer and naturalist before her marriage (1924). Upon her husband’s death she remained in Africa in charge of the expedition. She was named his successor as adviser to the American Museum of Natural History, at…

Cirencester: Way, Ermine Street, and Akeman Street. The walls enclosed a town of 240 acres (100 hectares), and remains of a basilica, an amphitheatre, and many rich villas have been discovered. The town was the largest in Roman Britain after London and was probably a capital in the 4th century.…

Aachen, city, North Rhine–Westphalia Land (state), western Germany. Its municipal boundaries coincide on the west with the frontiers of Belgium and the Netherlands. It was a royal residence of the emperor Charlemagne, and it served as the principal coronation site of Holy Roman emperors and of

Hiëronymus Bosch was a brilliant and original northern European painter whose work reveals an unusual iconography of a complex and individual style. He was recognized as a highly imaginative “creator of devils” and a powerful inventor of seeming nonsense full of satirical and moralizing meaning.

Mark Akenside was a poet and physician, best known for his poem The Pleasures of Imagination, an eclectic philosophical essay that takes as its starting point papers on the same subject written by Joseph Addison for The Spectator. Written in blank verse derived from Milton’s, it was modelled (as

hieroglyph: …Sacy, a French scholar, and J.D. Akerblad, a Swedish diplomat, succeeded in identifying a number of proper names in the demotic text. Akerblad also correctly assigned phonetic values to a few of the signs. An Englishman, Thomas Young, correctly identified five of the hieroglyphics. The full deciphering of the stone…

George A. Akerlof is an American economist who, with A. Michael Spence and Joseph E. Stiglitz, won the Nobel Prize for Economics in 2001 for laying the foundation for the theory of markets with asymmetric information. Akerlof studied at Yale University (B.A., 1962) and the Massachusetts Institute

Chantal Akerman was a Belgian filmmaker who explored the mundane details of ordinary life with a clear eye and a strong feminist sensibility. She directed over 40 films and created several art installations. Her best-known work is the avant-garde classic Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080

Chantal Akerman was a Belgian filmmaker who explored the mundane details of ordinary life with a clear eye and a strong feminist sensibility. She directed over 40 films and created several art installations. Her best-known work is the avant-garde classic Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080

åkermanite, mineral composed of dicalcium magnesium disilicate, Ca2MgSi2O7, one end-member of the melilite mineral series (see

Michelle Akers is a former football (soccer) player who was named Female Player of the 20th Century by the FIFA, an honor she shared with Chinese player Sun Wen. Akers is considered one of the pioneers in the development of women’s football in the United States and the world. She helped the U.S.

Michelle Akers is a former football (soccer) player who was named Female Player of the 20th Century by the FIFA, an honor she shared with Chinese player Sun Wen. Akers is considered one of the pioneers in the development of women’s football in the United States and the world. She helped the U.S.

Ronald L. Akers is an American criminologist widely known for his social learning theory of crime. After earning a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Kentucky (1966), Akers taught at several universities before joining the faculty of the University of Florida (1980), where he served as

White House press secretary: The first press secretaries: … subsequently assigned to his secretaries—first George Akerson and then Theodore Joslin—the duty of dealing with the press. Akerson generally is considered to have been the first White House press secretary.

Sweden: The 21st century: Meanwhile, the Jimmie Åkesson-led Sweden Democrats were in the process of transforming their party’s image by expelling some members for making racist statements. Undoubtedly, that change of image contributed to the new willingness of the mainstream centre-right parties to govern with the Sweden Democrats in the future…

Madagascar: The First Republic: …opposition regrouped under the name Congress Party for the Independence of Madagascar (Antokon’ny Kongresin’ny Fahaleovantenan’i Madagasikara; AKFM), which included both Protestant Merina dissidents and communists. Antananarivo was the party’s stronghold; it also had some support in the provinces but, owing to the electoral system established by the PSD, held only…

akh, in Egyptian religion, the spirit of a deceased person and, with the ka and the ba, a principal aspect of the soul. By enabling the soul to assume temporarily any form it desired for the purpose of revisiting the earth or for its own enjoyment, the akh characterized the soul of a deceased

Hani: …the Hani known as the Akha live in China, as well as parts of Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. They are believed to be of Chinese origin, though, for a variety of reasons, they have lived a wandering life. A notable feature of female dress is an elaborate headdress…

Sino-Tibetan languages: Tibeto-Burman languages: …widest application) includes Yi (Lolo), Hani, Lahu, Lisu, Kachin (Jingpo), Kuki-Chin, the obsolete Xixia (Tangut), and other languages. The Tibetan writing system (which dates from the 7th century) and the Burmese (dating from the 11th century) are derived from the Indo-Aryan (Indic) tradition. The Xixia system (developed in the

Achaea, perifereiakí enótita (regional unit) and historic region of Greece on the north coast of the Peloponnese (Modern Greek: Pelopónnisos), south of the Gulf of Corinth (Korinthiakós). In ancient times it was bounded on the west by Elis (modern Ilía), on the south by Mount Erymanthus and Arcadia

Korean music: Court instrumental music: …efforts are found in the Akhak kwebom (“Music Handbook”), first appearing in 1493. The nine chapters of this work contain pictures of all the court instruments along with their fingerings or tunings, costumes and accessories for ritual dances, and the arrangements of dance designs and orchestral seatings. The first three…

Turkmenistan: Agriculture: The Akhal Teke and Yomut breeds of horses deserve their fame as handsome, fleet animals with great endurance. Arabian dromedary (one-humped) camels are indispensable in desert areas for transporting sheepherders, for drawing water from deep desert wells, and as a source of wool, milk, and meat.

Turkmenistan: Agriculture: The Akhal Teke and Yomut breeds of horses deserve their fame as handsome, fleet animals with great endurance. Arabian dromedary (one-humped) camels are indispensable in desert areas for transporting sheepherders, for drawing water from deep desert wells, and as a source of wool, milk, and meat.

Sikhism: Sects: The third sect, the Akhand Kirtani Jatha, emerged during the early 20th century. The members of this group are distinguished by their divergent interpretation of one of the Five Ks. Instead of accepting the kes, or uncut hair, they maintain that the command really stands for keski, which means…

Morocco: Education of Morocco: …to its agricultural specialties; and Al-Akhawayn University in Ifrane, a public English-language university inaugurated in 1995 with contributions from Saudi Arabia and the United States.

Shiʿi: Shiʿi dynasties: …collections of statements (Hadith and akhbār) attributed to the imams. Following the 1055 capture of Baghdad, many of the city’s Twelvers scattered. In later years the community mainly comprised small pockets of mostly Arab believers scattered across the region, including in Lebanon; in the cities of al-Ḥillah, Najaf, and Karbala…

al-Masʿūdī: His major work was Akhbār al-zamān (“The History of Time”) in 30 volumes. This seems to have been an encyclopaedic world history, taking in not only political history but also many facets of human knowledge and activity. A manuscript of one volume of this work is said to be…

al-Dīnawarī: …survived in full is Al-Akhbār al-ṭiwāl (“The Long Narratives”), a history of Persia written from the Persian, rather than the Arabic, viewpoint.

Shiʿi: Shiʿi dynasties: …contrast, those affiliated with the Akhbārī school argued for greater recourse to the statements of the imams (called akhbār) and more limited, if any, reliance on ijtihād. The latter did, however, accept the authoritative position of the senior ʿulamāʾ in the life of the community during the imam’s absence.

Akhḍar Mountains, mountain range of northeastern Libya that extends along the Mediterranean coast for about 100 miles (160 km) in an east-northeasterly direction between the towns of al-Marj and Darnah. Rising sharply in two steps, the first reaching 985 feet (300 m) and the second about 1,800 feet

Akhḍar Mountains, mountain range of northeastern Libya that extends along the Mediterranean coast for about 100 miles (160 km) in an east-northeasterly direction between the towns of al-Marj and Darnah. Rising sharply in two steps, the first reaching 985 feet (300 m) and the second about 1,800 feet

Al-Ḥajar: …Hajar), the vast massif of Jabal Al-Akhḍar (Green Mountain), the Jabal Nakhl, the Al-Ḥajar al-Sharqī (Eastern Hajar), and the Jabal Banī Jābir. Al-Ḥajar reaches its greatest height at Mount Shams (9,777 feet [2,980 metres]); its average elevation is about 4,000 feet (about 1,220 metres).

Achelous, shape-shifting Greek river god who was the personification of the Achelous River, one of the longest rivers in Greece. Achelous, who was worshipped as the god of fresh water, was chief among his 3,000 brothers, and all springs, rivers, and oceans were believed to issue from him. His

Achelous River, one of the longest rivers in Greece, rising in the Pindus (Modern Greek: Píndos) Mountains of central Epirus (Ípeiros) and dividing Aetolia from Acarnania. It empties into the Ionian Sea (Ióvio Pélagos) after a course of 140 miles (220 km), mostly through gorges. Well above Agrínion

Akhenaten, was a king (c. 1353–36 bce) of ancient Egypt of the 18th dynasty, who established a new cult dedicated to the Aton, the sun’s disk (hence his assumed name, Akhenaten, meaning “beneficial to Aton”). Few scholars now agree with the contention that Amenhotep III associated his son Amenhotep

Akhenaten, was a king (c. 1353–36 bce) of ancient Egypt of the 18th dynasty, who established a new cult dedicated to the Aton, the sun’s disk (hence his assumed name, Akhenaten, meaning “beneficial to Aton”). Few scholars now agree with the contention that Amenhotep III associated his son Amenhotep

Egypt: Agriculture and fishing: …conditions produced by the river: akhet, the “inundation”; peret, the season when the land emerged from the flood; and shomu, the time when water was short. When the Nile behaved as expected, which most commonly was the case, life went on as normal; when the flood failed or was excessive,…

Tell el-Amarna, site of the ruins and tombs of the city of Akhetaton (“Horizon of the Aton”) in Upper Egypt, 44 miles (71 km) north of modern Asyūṭ. On a virgin site on the east bank of the Nile River, Akhenaten (Amenhotep IV) built the city about 1348 bce as the new capital of his kingdom when he

ʿAlī: The futuwwāt: In Islamic civilization, the futuwwāt (“spiritual chivalry”) were military and economic orders similar to the knightly fraternities and guilds of medieval Europe. Combining craftwork or service in the military or government with spiritual discipline, these orders have played a major role in Islamic history…

Ram Nath Kovind: …as general secretary of the Akhil Bharatiya Koli Samaj, an organization serving the interests of the Koli community, a Dalit subcaste. From 1977 to 1979 he was a union government advocate in the Delhi High Court, and in 1978 he became an advocate-on-record of India’s Supreme Court. In 1980 Kovind…

Akhisar, town, western Turkey. It is located in a fertile plain on the Great Zab River (the ancient Lycus). The ancient town, originally called Pelopia, was probably founded by the Lydians. It was made a Macedonian colony about 290 bce and renamed Thyatira. It became part of the kingdom of Pergamum

Akhlame, ancient Semitic nomads of northern Syria and Mesopotamia and traditional enemies of the Assyrians. They are first mentioned about 1375 bc in an Egyptian source (one of the Tell el-Amarna letters), in which they are said to have advanced as far as the Euphrates River; about the same time

Akhlame, ancient Semitic nomads of northern Syria and Mesopotamia and traditional enemies of the Assyrians. They are first mentioned about 1375 bc in an Egyptian source (one of the Tell el-Amarna letters), in which they are said to have advanced as far as the Euphrates River; about the same time

Naṣīr al-Dīn al-Ṭūsī: …dedicated his most famous work, Akhlāq-i nāṣirī (1232; Nasirean Ethics), to the governor before being invited to stay in the capital at Alamūt, where he espoused the Ismāʿīlīte faith under the new imam, Alauddin Muḥammad (reigned 1227–1255). (This Ismāʿīlīte state began in 1090 with the conquest of Alamūt by Ḥasan-e…

Bella Akhmadulina was a Russian-language poet of Tatar and Italian descent, a distinctive voice in post-Stalinist Soviet literature. Akhmadulina completed her education at the Gorky Literary Institute in 1960, after which she traveled in Central Asia. She was eventually admitted to the Soviet

Bella Akhmadulina was a Russian-language poet of Tatar and Italian descent, a distinctive voice in post-Stalinist Soviet literature. Akhmadulina completed her education at the Gorky Literary Institute in 1960, after which she traveled in Central Asia. She was eventually admitted to the Soviet

Anna Akhmatova was a Russian poet recognized at her death as the greatest woman poet in Russian literature. Akhmatova began writing verse at age 11 and at 21 joined a group of St. Petersburg poets, the Acmeists, whose leader, Nikolay Gumilyov, she married in 1910. They soon traveled to Paris,

Anna Akhmatova was a Russian poet recognized at her death as the greatest woman poet in Russian literature. Akhmatova began writing verse at age 11 and at 21 joined a group of St. Petersburg poets, the Acmeists, whose leader, Nikolay Gumilyov, she married in 1910. They soon traveled to Paris,

Russia: Ivan III: …into increasing conflict with Khan Ahmed of the Golden Horde and became interested in an alliance with Moscow against Ahmed and Lithuania. Ivan, eager to dissolve the connection between Lithuania and Crimea but not wanting to alienate Ahmed, stalled for time. In 1481, when Ahmed died, Ivan was able to…

Akhmīm, town, Sawhāj muḥāfaẓah (governorate), Upper Egypt, on the east bank of the Nile River, above Sawhāj on the west bank. Extensive necropolises dating from the 6th dynasty (c. 2325–c. 2150 bce) until the late Coptic period reveal the site’s antiquity. In 1981 remains of a temple (Roman period)

Coptic language: Akhmīmic was spoken in and around the Upper Egyptian city of Akhmīm. Sahidic (from Arabic, aṣ-Ṣaʿīd [Upper Egypt]) was originally the dialect spoken around Thebes; after the 5th century it was the standard Coptic of all of Upper Egypt. It is one of the best-documented…

Akhenaten, was a king (c. 1353–36 bce) of ancient Egypt of the 18th dynasty, who established a new cult dedicated to the Aton, the sun’s disk (hence his assumed name, Akhenaten, meaning “beneficial to Aton”). Few scholars now agree with the contention that Amenhotep III associated his son Amenhotep

Philoxenus of Mabbug was a Syrian bishop, theologian, and classical author. He was a leader of the Jacobite miaphysite church, a group that taught the existence of a single subject in Christ, the Logos, and followed the theology of Cyril of Alexandria (c. 375–444). He also contributed significantly

al-Akhṭal was a poet of the Umayyad period (661–750), esteemed for his perfection of Arabic poetic form in the old Bedouin tradition. Al-Akhṭal (“The Loquacious”) was a Christian but did not take the duties of his religion seriously, being addicted to drink and women. He was a favourite panegyrist

Salim-Javed: Khan moved to Bombay (now Mumbai) from Indore in about 1960 and acted in about 16 films. By the late 1960s he had transferred his interest from…

Sevastopol: …shore of the long, narrow Akhtiarska Bay, which forms a magnificent natural harbour.

Volga River: Physiography: …the Volga’s main distributary, the Akhtuba, branches southeastward to the Caspian Sea, running parallel to the main course of the river, which also turns southeast. A floodplain, characterized by numerous interconnecting channels and old cutoff courses and loops, lies between the Volga and the Akhtuba. Above Astrakhan a second distributary,…

Okhtyrka, city, northeastern Ukraine, on the Vorskla River. It was founded in 1641 as a fortress protecting the southern frontiers of Muscovy from raids of the Crimean Tatars. It was rebuilt in a different place in 1654 and incorporated in 1703. It has a notable cathedral (1758) designed by the

Azerbaijan: Russian suzerainty: …histories of the region, and Mīrzā Fatḥ ʿAlī Ākhūndzādeh (Akhundov), author of the first Azerbaijani plays. Though eventually these figures would be incorporated into a national narrative as predecessors of the Turkic revival, a variety of conflicting impulses stimulated early Azerbaijani intellectuals—loyalty to the tsarist empire, the continuing influence of…

Azerbaijan: Russian suzerainty: …histories of the region, and Mīrzā Fatḥ ʿAlī Ākhūndzādeh (Akhundov), author of the first Azerbaijani plays. Though eventually these figures would be incorporated into a national narrative as predecessors of the Turkic revival, a variety of conflicting impulses stimulated early Azerbaijani intellectuals—loyalty to the tsarist empire, the continuing influence of…

Azerbaijan: Russian suzerainty: …histories of the region, and Mīrzā Fatḥ ʿAlī Ākhūndzādeh (Akhundov), author of the first Azerbaijani plays. Though eventually these figures would be incorporated into a national narrative as predecessors of the Turkic revival, a variety of conflicting impulses stimulated early Azerbaijani intellectuals—loyalty to the tsarist empire, the continuing influence of…

Aras River: …are the Arpa Çayı (Akhuryan), which receives the waters of the Kars River and Lake Çıldır in Turkey, the Hrazdan, draining Lake Sevan in Armenia, and the Qareh Sū, flowing off the Sabalān Mountains in northeastern Iranian Azerbaijan. On an island in the Aras stood Artaxata, seat of the…

Georgian literature: Independence and beyond: …writers appeared, notably the prolific Aka Morchiladze (pseudonym of Giorgi Akhvlediani). His best work includes Mogzauroba Karabaghshi (1992; “Journey to Karabakh”) and a series of semi-fantastic novels about an archipelago called Madatov that is populated by Georgians. Morchiladze’s work shows Georgian literature’s reorientation in the early 21st century from Russian…