Ivan Turgenev: Sketches of rural life: … (“The Contemporary”) a short study, “Khor and Kalinych,” of two peasants whom he had met on a hunting trip in the Oryol region. It was published with the subtitle “From a Hunter’s Sketches,” and it had an instantaneous success. From it was to grow the short-story cycle A Sportsman’s Sketches,…

Khor Fakkan, exclave and port town located in Sharjah emirate, United Arab Emirates. It is on the east coast of the Musandam Peninsula, facing the Gulf of Oman; the port and its hinterland divide the emirate of Fujairah into its two major portions. Situated on a natural cove (Arabic: khawr), Khor

prayer wheel, in Tibetan Buddhism, a mechanical device the use of which is equivalent to the recitation of a mantra (sacred syllable or verse). The prayer wheel consists of a hollow metal cylinder, often beautifully embossed, mounted on a rod handle and containing a tightly wound scroll printed

Har Gobind Khorana was an Indian-born American biochemist who shared the 1968 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine with Marshall W. Nirenberg and Robert W. Holley for research that helped to show how the nucleotides in nucleic acids, which carry the genetic code of the cell, control the cell’s

Khorāsān, historical region and realm comprising a vast territory now lying in northeastern Iran, southern Turkmenistan, and northern Afghanistan. The historical region extended, along the north, from the Amu Darya (Oxus River) westward to the Caspian Sea and, along the south, from the fringes of

Khorāsān carpet, handwoven floor covering made in the region of Khorāsān, in northeastern Iran. Herāt carpets are the classic carpets of the district. From the late 18th and early 19th centuries there are carpets in the herāti pattern, probably made in villages of the district. They show a repeat

Nakhon Ratchasima, city, northeastern Thailand, in the southwestern portion of the Khorat Plateau. Nakhon Ratchasima is the largest city and is the transportation, commercial, financial, and governmental centre of northeastern Thailand. A major railway connects the city to Bangkok, and the city is

Khorat Plateau, saucer-shaped tableland of northeastern Thailand. It occupies 60,000 square miles (155,000 square km), is situated 300–650 feet (90–200 m) above sea level, and tilts southeastward. The plateau is drained by the Chi and Mun rivers and is bounded by the Mekong River (north and east on

Moses of Khoren was an author known as the father of Armenian literature. Traditionally believed to have lived in the 5th century ce, Moses has also been dated as late as the 9th century. Nothing is known of his life apart from alleged autobiographical details contained in the History of Armenia,

Khwārezm, historic region along the Amu Darya (ancient Oxus River) of Turkistan, in the territories of present-day Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Khwārezm formed part of the empire of Achaemenian Persia (6th–4th century bce). The Arabs conquered it and introduced Islam to the area in the 7th century

Khwārezm-Shāh dynasty, (c. 1077–1231), dynasty that ruled in Central Asia and Iran, first as vassals of the Seljuqs and later as independent rulers. The founder of the dynasty was Anūştegin Gharachaʾī, a slave who was appointed governor of Khwārezm about 1077 by the Seljuq ruler Malik-Shāh.

Mongolia: The northern intermontane basins: The remarkable Khorgo region, on the northern flanks of the Khangai Mountains, has a dozen extinct volcanoes and numerous volcanic lakes. Swift and turbulent rivers have cut jagged gorges. The source stream of the Orkhon River is in another volcanic region, with deep volcanic vents and hot…

Kyiv: Origins and foundation: …(Kiy), Shchek, and Khoryv (Khoriv), leaders of the Polyanian tribe of the East Slavs. Each established his own settlement on a hill, and these settlements became the town of Kyiv, named for the eldest brother, Kyi; a small stream nearby was named for their sister Lybed (Lebid). Although the…

Khorugh, capital of the Gorno-Badakhshan (“Mountain Badakhshan”) autonomous region, south-central Tajikistan. It is situated near the border with Afghanistan in the southwestern Pamirs range at an elevation of 7,200 feet (2,200 m) and on the Gunt River where it flows into the Pyandzh. The city is

Khorram-dīnān, esoteric Islāmic religious sect whose leader Bābak led a rebellion in Azerbaijan (now divided between Iran and Azerbaijan) that lasted from 816 until 837. The doctrinal beliefs of the Khorram-dīnān are not altogether clear. Although the sect accepted the general principles of Islām,

Khorramābād, city, capital of Lorestān province, western Iran. It commands a river gap in the Lorestān mountains used by the main road from Khūzestān to the highland plateau. A summer market for the nomadic Lur tribes, it has lively bazaars and a strong garrison. On a ridge between town and river

Khorram-dīnān, esoteric Islāmic religious sect whose leader Bābak led a rebellion in Azerbaijan (now divided between Iran and Azerbaijan) that lasted from 816 until 837. The doctrinal beliefs of the Khorram-dīnān are not altogether clear. Although the sect accepted the general principles of Islām,

Khorramshahr, city and port, southwestern Iran. It lies on the right (west) bank of the Kārūn River where it enters the Shatt al-Arab, 45 miles (72 km) from the Persian Gulf. The city occupies the site of the old ʿAbbāsid port of Mohammerah, but it was already in existence at the time of Alexander

Dur Sharrukin, ancient Assyrian city located northeast of Nineveh, in Iraq. Built between 717 and 707 bce by the Assyrian king Sargon II (reigned 721–705), Dur Sharrukin exhibits careful town planning. The city measured about 1 square mile (2.59 square km); its outer walls were pierced by seven

Thessaloníki: …foothills and slopes of Mount Khortiátis (Kissós; 3,940 feet [1,201 metres]), overlooking the delta plains of the Gallikós and Vardar (Axiós or Vardaráis) rivers.

Khorugh, capital of the Gorno-Badakhshan (“Mountain Badakhshan”) autonomous region, south-central Tajikistan. It is situated near the border with Afghanistan in the southwestern Pamirs range at an elevation of 7,200 feet (2,200 m) and on the Gunt River where it flows into the Pyandzh. The city is

Kyiv: Origins and foundation: …(Kiy), Shchek, and Khoryv (Khoriv), leaders of the Polyanian tribe of the East Slavs. Each established his own settlement on a hill, and these settlements became the town of Kyiv, named for the eldest brother, Kyi; a small stream nearby was named for their sister Lybed (Lebid). Although the…

Tibet: The Dge-lugs-pa (Yellow Hat sect): …Güüshi Khan, leader of the Khoshut tribe, which had displaced the Tümed, appeared as champion of the Dge-lugs-pa. In 1640 he invaded Tibet, defeating the Gtsang king and his Karma-pa supporters.

Khosrow I was a Persian king who ruled the Sāsānian empire from 531 to 579 and was remembered as a great reformer and patron of the arts and scholarship. Little is known of the early life of Khosrow beyond legends. One story says that when Khosrow’s father, King Kavadh, took refuge with the

Spring of Khosrow Carpet, ancient Persian carpet, possibly the most costly and magnificent of all time, made for the Ctesiphon palace of the Sāsānian king Khosrow I (reigned ad 531–579). Described in the historical annals of the Muslim scholar al-Ṭabari, it became the model for subsequent garden

Spring of Khosrow Carpet, ancient Persian carpet, possibly the most costly and magnificent of all time, made for the Ctesiphon palace of the Sāsānian king Khosrow I (reigned ad 531–579). Described in the historical annals of the Muslim scholar al-Ṭabari, it became the model for subsequent garden

Khosrow I was a Persian king who ruled the Sāsānian empire from 531 to 579 and was remembered as a great reformer and patron of the arts and scholarship. Little is known of the early life of Khosrow beyond legends. One story says that when Khosrow’s father, King Kavadh, took refuge with the

Khosrow II was a late Sāsānian king of Persia (reigned 590–628), under whom the empire achieved its greatest expansion. Defeated at last in a war with the Byzantines, he was deposed in a palace revolution and executed. The son of Hormizd IV, Khosrow was proclaimed king in ad 590 in turbulent times.

Khosrow II: Cultural and economic influence: …the 12th-century poet Neẓāmī in Khosrow-va-Shīrīn.

Khosrow II was a late Sāsānian king of Persia (reigned 590–628), under whom the empire achieved its greatest expansion. Defeated at last in a war with the Byzantines, he was deposed in a palace revolution and executed. The son of Hormizd IV, Khosrow was proclaimed king in ad 590 in turbulent times.

Armenia: The Arsacids: …successor, Macrinus, recognized Vagharshak’s son Tiridates II (Khosrow the Great in Armenian sources) as king of Armenia (217).

Khosrow I was a Persian king who ruled the Sāsānian empire from 531 to 579 and was remembered as a great reformer and patron of the arts and scholarship. Little is known of the early life of Khosrow beyond legends. One story says that when Khosrow’s father, King Kavadh, took refuge with the

Khosrow II: Cultural and economic influence: …the 12th-century poet Neẓāmī in Khosrow-va-Shīrīn.

Hotan, oasis town, southwestern Uygur Autonomous Region of Xinjiang, far western China. Hotan forms a county-level city and is the administrative centre of the Hotan prefecture (diqu), which administers a string of counties based on the oases along the southern edge of the Takla Makan Desert. The

Takla Makan Desert: Physiography: The Hotan and Keriya river valleys have survived up to the present day, but most of the shallower rivers have been lost in the sands, after which their empty valleys were filled by wind-borne sand.

Khotan rug, floor covering handwoven in or about the ancient city of Khotan (Hotan) in the southern Uygur Autonomous Region of Xinjiang (Chinese Turkistan). Khotan rugs were once called Samarkand rugs after the Central Asian trading centre. They combine Chinese details with Central Asian design

Saka language, Middle Iranian language spoken in Xinjiang, in northwestern China, by the Saka tribes. Two dialectal varieties are distinguished. Khotanese, from the kingdom of Khotan, is richly attested by Buddhist and other texts dating from the 7th to the 10th century. Most of these writings

Indic writing systems: …which derived the Tibetan and Khotanese systems. (Khotanese was also influenced by the Kharosthi script.) From the Tibetan script were derived the writing system of the Lepcha (Rong)—the aboriginal inhabitants of Sikkim, India—and the Passepa writing system of the Chinese Imperial chancery under the Yuan dynasty (1206–1368); the Passepa system…

Gatchina, city, Leningrad oblast (province), northwestern Russia, lying about 28 miles (45 km) southwest of St. Petersburg. The first mention of Khotchino dates from 1499, when it was a possession of Novgorod. Later it belonged to Livonia and Sweden. After 1721 it was returned to Russia and in the

Osman II: Realizing that his defeat at Chocim (Khotin, Ukraine) in 1621 largely stemmed from the lack of discipline and the degeneracy of the Janissary corps, he proceeded to discipline them by cutting their pay and closing their coffee shops. Then he announced a plan to go on a pilgrimage to Mecca,…

Khouribga, city, northwestern Morocco. The city is situated on an infertile upland plateau (unofficially called the Plateau des Phosphates) west of the Middle Atlas (Moyen Atlas) mountains. It owes its growth to the nearby phosphate deposits, first exploited in 1921. The city is connected by road

Modest Mussorgsky: Life and career: …the composition of the opera Khovanshchina perhaps offered some distraction (left unfinished at his death, this opera was completed by Rimsky-Korsakov). Mussorgsky then found a companion in the person of a distant relative, Arseny Golenishchev-Kutuzov. This impoverished 25-year-old poet inspired Mussorgsky’s two cycles of melancholy melodies, Bez solntsa (Sunless) and…

Hovd, town, administrative headquarters of Hovd aymag (province), western Mongolia, in the northern foothills of the Mongol Altayn Nuruu (Mongolian Altai Mountains) at an elevation of 4,260 ft (1,300 m). Har Us Nuur (lake) lies to the east and is fed by the Hovd Gol (river). Founded in 1731 as a

Hövsgöl Lake, lake in northern Mongolia. With an area of 1,012 square miles (2,620 square km), it is Mongolia’s largest freshwater lake, with depths exceeding 800 feet (244 m). It lies near the Russian border at an elevation of 5,397 feet (1,645 m), at the southern foot of the east Sayan Range. The

Himalayas: People of the Himalayas: Khowa, the Mishmi, the Momba, the Miri, and the Singpho. Linguistically, they are Tibeto-Burman. Each group has its homeland in a distinct river valley, and all practice shifting cultivation (i.e., they grow crops on a different tract of land each year).

Tripura: Relief and drainage: …Kailashahar, the Kamalpur, and the Khowai, all carved by northward-flowing rivers (the Juri, Manu and Deo, Dhalai, and Khowai, respectively). North-south-trending ranges separate the valleys. East of the Dharmanagar valley, the Jampai Tlang range rises to elevations between 2,000 and 3,000 feet (600 and 900 metres). Elevation decreases westward through…

Dardic languages: …three subgroups: Kafiri, or Western; Khowari, or Central (spoken in the Chitrāl district of northwestern Pakistan); and the Eastern group, which includes Shina and Kashmiri. (Some scholars use the term Dardic to refer only to the Eastern subgroup of languages and use the name Pisaca to refer to the group…

Hövsgöl Mountains, mountain range in northern Mongolia. To the north of the mountains lies Hövsgöl Lake, Mongolia’s largest and deepest freshwater

Khoy, city, northwestern Iran. The city is well laid out, with cool streams and lines of willows along broad, regular streets. There are several mosques, an extensive brick bazaar, a fine caravansary, and gardens. Khoy is a trade centre and has been of considerable strategic importance. Fortified

Badr Khānī Jāladat: …president of the Khoybun (Kurdish National League) and three years later participated in the unsuccessful Kurdish rebellion in Turkey. He became the first editor (May 1932) of the bilingual Kurdish–French review Ḥawār (“Summons”), which, together with his later illustrated publication Runahi (“Light”), promoted understanding among the diverse and often…

Narodnik: …a diffuse movement known as khozhdenie v narod (“going to the people”) in the course of which hundreds of young intellectuals, dressed in peasant clothes, canvased rural regions and incited the peasantry to rise against the system. This led to police persecution, arrests, and political trials of the Narodniki, the…

Aleksey Nikolayevich, Count Tolstoy: …in 1946 under the title The Road to Calvary (1946). For the trilogy and for his long unfinished historical novel Pyotr I (1929–45; Peter the First, 1956), he received Stalin prizes. During World War II he was a prolific author of patriotic articles and also composed his two-part play Ivan…

Russian literature: Works reflecting Muscovite power: In his Khozhdeniye za tri morya (“Journey Beyond Three Seas”) a merchant, Afanasy Nikitin, describes his travels to India and Persia during 1466–72. However, what is most striking about this period is what did not take place: Russia experienced no Renaissance and became quite isolated from the…

Tibet: Plant and animal life: …teals, sing-bya (tiny owl-like birds), khra (crow-sized, hawklike birds), bya-long (birds about the size of a duck), and skya-ka (black-and-white crow-sized birds). The calls of the rmos-’debs—a small gray bird that inhabits agricultural regions—signal the opening of the planting season.

Antony Khrapovitsky was a Russian Orthodox metropolitan of Kiev, antipapal polemicist, and controversialist in theological and political affairs who attempted an exclusively ethical interpretation of Christian doctrine. After graduating from St. Petersburg Theological Academy, Antony entered a

Antony Khrapovitsky was a Russian Orthodox metropolitan of Kiev, antipapal polemicist, and controversialist in theological and political affairs who attempted an exclusively ethical interpretation of Christian doctrine. After graduating from St. Petersburg Theological Academy, Antony entered a

Akademii Nauk Range, mountain range, western Pamirs, central Tajikistan. The mountains, extending north-south, are approximately 68 miles (110 km) in length and are composed mostly of sedimentary and metamorphic rocks, together with some granite. Glaciation from permanent snowcaps extends over an

Chersky Range, range running northwest to southeast through the Sakha republic and Magadan oblast (province), Russia. The range, extending more than 900 miles (1,500 km), forms a part of the extensive Verkhoyansk mountain system and comprises a series of highly dissected parallel ranges with

Qarataū, mountain range, a northwestern spur of the Tien Shan, in southern Kazakhstan. The name is of Turkic origin, meaning “Black Mountain.” The range extends for 260 miles (420 km) along the Syr Darya (ancient Jaxartes River) and rises to 7,139 feet (2,176 metres), with an average elevation of

Tibet: Plant and animal life: …flowers that grow near water), khres-pa (strong durable forest trees used to make food containers), glang-ma (a willow tree used for basketry), and rtsi-shings (the seeds of which are used for making varnish). Fruit-bearing trees and certain roots are used for food, as are the leaves of the lca-wa, khumag,…

Kyiv: City layout: …is the street known as Khreshchatyk, which runs along the bottom of a small valley the sides of which have in part been landscaped with terraced gardens interspersed with tall, modern office and apartment buildings. The greenery of the gardens, the trees lining the street, the squares that it intersects—all…

Buddhism: Kings and yogis: …other great “kings of religion”: Khri-srong-lde-btsan (reigned 755–797 ce) and Ral-pa-can, who was assassinated in 838 ce.

Buddhism: Kings and yogis: …other great “kings of religion”: Khri-srong-lde-btsan (reigned 755–797 ce) and Ral-pa-can, who was assassinated in 838 ce.

Dmitry Sergeyevich Merezhkovsky: With his trilogy Khristos i Antikhrist (1896–1905; “Christ and Antichrist”), Merezhkovsky revived the historical novel in Russia. Its three parts, set in widely separated epochs and geographical areas, reveal historical erudition and serve as vehicles for the author’s historical and theological ideas. Another group of fictional works from…

Todor Zhivkov was the first secretary of the ruling Bulgarian Communist Party’s Central Committee (1954–89) and president of Bulgaria (1971–89). His 35 years as Bulgaria’s ruler made him the longest-serving leader in any of the Soviet-bloc nations of eastern Europe. The son of poor peasants,

Cronus, in ancient Greek religion, male deity who was worshipped by the pre-Hellenic population of Greece but probably was not widely worshipped by the Greeks themselves; he was later identified with the Roman god Saturn. Cronus’s functions were connected with agriculture; in Attica his festival,

Kroumirie, mountainous region with extensive forests of cork-oak in northwestern Tunisia. One of the best-watered regions in North Africa (40 to 60 inches [1,000 to 1,500 mm] a year), it extends south of the Mediterranean Sea and north of Wadi Majardah (Medjerda) and east from the Algerian border

Khrushchev’s secret speech: …liberalization known as the “Khrushchev thaw,” during which censorship policy was relaxed, sparking a literary renaissance of sorts. Thousands of political prisoners were released, and thousands more who had perished during Stalin’s reign were officially “rehabilitated.” The speech also contributed to the revolts that occurred later that year in…

Khrushchev’s secret speech, (February 25, 1956), in Russian history, denunciation of the deceased Soviet leader Joseph Stalin made by Nikita S. Khrushchev to a closed session of the 20th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. The speech was the nucleus of a far-reaching

Nikita Khrushchev was the first secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (1953–64) and premier of the Soviet Union (1958–64) whose policy of de-Stalinization had widespread repercussions throughout the communist world. In foreign affairs, he pursued a policy of “peaceful coexistence”

Nikita Khrushchev was the first secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (1953–64) and premier of the Soviet Union (1958–64) whose policy of de-Stalinization had widespread repercussions throughout the communist world. In foreign affairs, he pursued a policy of “peaceful coexistence”

amesha spenta: Khshathra Vairya (Desirable Dominion), who presides over metal, is the power of Ahura Mazdā’s kingdom. The believer can realize this power in action guided by Excellent Order and Good Mind. Spenta Armaiti (Beneficent Devotion), the spirit of devotion and faith, guides and protects the believer.…

Phraortes was the king of Media from 675 to 653 bc. Known by that name as a result of the writings of the 5th-century-bc Greek historian Herodotus, he was originally a village chief of Kar Kashi, but he later subjugated the Persians and a number of other Asian peoples, eventually forming an

shāh, title of the kings of Iran, or Persia. When compounded as shāhanshāh, it denotes “king of kings,” or emperor, a title adopted by the 20th-century Pahlavi dynasty in evocation of the ancient Persian “king of kings,” Cyrus II the Great (reigned 559–c. 529 bc). Another related title or form of

Khuang Aphaiwong was a Thai politician who founded and led Thailand’s strongest opposition party and was three times premier of Thailand (1944–45, 1946, and 1947–48). Khuang was a member of the Khmer family that under Thai auspices ruled western Cambodia from the 18th century and moved to Thailand

Khuang Aphaiwong was a Thai politician who founded and led Thailand’s strongest opposition party and was three times premier of Thailand (1944–45, 1946, and 1947–48). Khuang was a member of the Khmer family that under Thai auspices ruled western Cambodia from the 18th century and moved to Thailand

Khobar, oasis and port city, Al-Sharqiyyah minṭaqah (province) and region, eastern Saudi Arabia, situated on the Persian Gulf south of Dammam. The city is a commercial and industrial center lying in a valley on the main road to Jordan. Khobar has good water wells and fertile soil, producing an

Orange River: Physiography: The Seati (Khubedu) headwater rises near Mont-aux-Sources to the north. Still farther north is the lesser-known Malibamatso headwater, one site of the Lesotho Highland Project. The Lesotho headwaters flow over the turf soil that covers Drakensberg lava and cut through the lava to expose underlying sedimentary…

Kublai Khan was a Mongolian general and statesman, who was the grandson and greatest successor of Genghis Khan. As the fifth emperor (reigned 1260–94) of the Yuan, or Mongol, dynasty (1206–1368), he completed the conquest of China (1279) started by Genghis Khan in 1211 and thus became the first

Hövsgöl Lake, lake in northern Mongolia. With an area of 1,012 square miles (2,620 square km), it is Mongolia’s largest freshwater lake, with depths exceeding 800 feet (244 m). It lies near the Russian border at an elevation of 5,397 feet (1,645 m), at the southern foot of the east Sayan Range. The

Khābūr River, river, an important tributary of the Euphrates River. It rises in the mountains of southeastern Turkey near Diyarbakır and flows southeastward to Al-Ḥasakah, Syria, where it receives its main tributary, the Jaghjagh; it then meanders south to join the Euphrates downstream from Dayr

Khuc Thua Du was a Vietnamese ruler in 906–907 whose rise to power, as a result of a successful rebellion in 906, constituted one of the first attempts of the Vietnamese to achieve independence. A wealthy landowner who, according to the annals of old Vietnam, was “respected for his virtuousness and

Red Shirt movement, in support of the Indian National Congress, an action started by Abdul Ghaffar Khan of the North-West Frontier Province of India in 1930. Ghaffar Khan was a Pashtun who greatly admired Mahatma Gandhi and his nonviolent principles and saw support for the Congress as a way of

Khuddaka Nikaya, diverse group of separate Buddhist texts constituting the fifth and last section of the Pali Sutta Pitaka (“Basket of Discourse”). Although it contains some very early works, it as a collection is later than the other four Nikayas and much more varied in form and content. It

Khuddaka Nikaya: Khuddaka-patha (“Short Passages”), a compilation of 9 items, including 10 precepts for novices, a hymn of praise to the Buddha, and verses accompanying oblations to departed spirits.

Pemba Island, island in the Indian Ocean, lying 35 miles (56 km) off the coast of East Africa, opposite the port of Tanga, Tanzania. The island is 42 miles (67 km) long and 14 miles (22 km) wide. As the Arabic name, which means “Green Island,” suggests, it is more fertile than its sister island,

Khujand, city, northwestern Tajikistan. The city lies along both banks of the Syr Darya (river) at the entrance to the fertile and heavily populated Fergana Valley. One of the most ancient cities of Central Asia, it lay along the great Silk Road from China to Europe. It was captured by the Arabs in

Great Pyramid of Giza, ancient Egyptian pyramid that is the largest of the three Pyramids of Giza, located on a rocky plateau on the west bank of the Nile River in northern Egypt. It was built by Khufu (Cheops), the second king of Egypt’s 4th dynasty (c. 2543–c. 2436 bce), and was completed in the

Khufu was the second king of the 4th dynasty (c. 2543–c. 2436 bce) of Egypt and builder of the Great Pyramid at Giza, the largest single building to that time. It and two nearby pyramids are collectively known as the Pyramids of Giza. Khufu’s reign and that of his son Khafre were represented by the

Mongolia: The mountains: …14,350 feet (4,374 metres) at Khüiten Peak (Nayramadlyn Orgil) at the western tip of the country, Mongolia’s highest point. Extending eastward from the Mongolian Altai are the Gobi Altai Mountains (Govi Altain Nuruu), a lesser range of denuded hills that lose themselves in the expanses of the Gobi.

Khujand, city, northwestern Tajikistan. The city lies along both banks of the Syr Darya (river) at the entrance to the fertile and heavily populated Fergana Valley. One of the most ancient cities of Central Asia, it lay along the great Silk Road from China to Europe. It was captured by the Arabs in

Fergana Valley: …(Myrzashöl) steppe by the narrow Khujand Gates.

Hülegü was a Mongol ruler in Iran who founded the Il-Khanid dynasty and, as part of a Mongol program of subduing the Islamic world, seized and sacked Baghdad, the religious and cultural capital of Islam. Some historians consider that he did more than anyone else to destroy medieval Iranian culture.

Mongolia: The arts: …17th to the 19th century, Dalan Khuldalchi (literally, “Innumerable Liar” or “Multifibber”) was the source of humorous folktales, such as, “How to Make Felt from Fly’s Wool.” There are stories about the badarchin, wily mendicant monks, while khuurchins—bards—carried down the oral epics and ballads. The religious mysteries, tsam and maidari,…

Khulna, city, southwestern Bangladesh. It lies along the Bhairab River in the south-central Padma (Ganges [Ganga])–Jamuna (Brahmaputra) delta. An important river port and produce-collection and trade centre, it is connected by riverboat, road, and rail to the major cities of the region. Shipyards

Ṭūlūnid Dynasty: The subsequent Ṭūlūnids, Khumārawayh (884–896), Jaysh (896), Hārūn (896–905), and Shaybān (905), were ineffectual rulers, totally reliant on a Turkish-black military caste. Under the administration of Khumārawayh, Aḥmad’s son, the Syro-Egyptian state’s financial and military stability was destroyed, and the state finally reverted to the ʿAbbāsids in 905.

ancient Iran: The Middle Elamite period: Political expansion under Khumbannumena (c. 1285–c. 1266 bc), the fourth king of this line, proceeded apace, and his successes were commemorated by his assumption of the title “Expander of the Empire.” He was succeeded by his son, Untash-Gal (Untash [d] Gal, or Untash-Huban), a contemporary of Shalmaneser I…

Mount Everest: Drainage and climate: … to the northwest; and the Khumbu Glacier to the west and south, which is fed by the glacier bed of the Western Cwm, an enclosed valley of ice between Everest and the Lhotse-Nuptse Ridge to the south. Glacial action has been the primary force behind the heavy and continuous erosion…

Apa Sherpa: …accelerated melting of the giant Khumbu Icefall near the mountain’s base. The expeditions employed ecologically friendly practices (e.g., the use of solar cookers) and collected and took down tons of trash and camping and climbing gear left behind by earlier expeditions. Apa’s climb in May 2010 was especially notable because…

Mount Everest: Geology and relief: Khumbutse (21,867 feet [6,665 meters]), Nuptse (25,791 feet [7,861 meters]), and Lhotse (27,940 feet [8,516 meters]) surround Everest’s base to the west and south.