David Satcher: …he served as president of Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee. When Satcher assumed the presidency, Meharry, dedicated to training African American doctors for 100 years, was on the verge of losing its accreditation; he recruited new faculty members, strengthened its academic standing, and ensured the financial security of both…

Hamersley Range: …highest peak in Western Australia, Mount Meharry (4,111 feet [1,253 m]), which lies southeast of Wittenoom Gorge.

Romanian literature: Between the wars: …a national identity; the geographer Simion Mehedinƫi edited a journal and published bucolic short stories; and Dimitrie Gusti established a school of sociology that had a decidedly nationalistic and village-centred disposition. Poet and essayist Lucian Blaga attempted to provide a philosophical foundation for the description of Romanian national characteristics, partly…

file snake, (genus Gonionotophis), any of about 15 species of nonvenomous African snakes classified within the genus Gonionotophis (formerly Mehelya) in the family Lamprophiidae and known for their triangular body cross section and rough-keeled (ridged) scales. Most file snakes are less than 1

file snake: …feet) in total length, the Cape file snake (G. capensis) of central Africa is one of the largest species. It preys regularly on snakes, including cobras and puff adders. The elephant-trunk snake (Acrochordus arafurae), which is also commonly known as the Arafura file snake, is an unrelated nonvenomous species that…

Meher Baba was a spiritual master in western India with a sizable following both in that country and abroad. Beginning on July 10, 1925, he observed silence for the last 44 years of his life, communicating with his disciples at first through an alphabet board but increasingly with gestures. He

Gotarzes II: …another rival, the Roman nominee Meherdates, was defeated near Karafto in Kurdistan. Not long afterward, however, Gotarzes died either by assassination or of disease.

Îles du Vent: Mehetia (1 square mile [2.6 square km]), 60 miles (95 km) east of Tahiti, is uninhabited.

qawwali: …in the context of a mehfil-e samāʿ, a "gathering for [spiritual] listening." The most significant of these gatherings take place in Sufi shrines on the anniversary of the death of the saint who is associated with the shrine. Lesser mehfil-e samāʿ are held throughout the year on Thursdays, when Muslims…

Don Marquis: Archy and Mehitabel first appeared in “The Sun Dial.” Archy’s poetic reflections on the world and the racy misadventures of Mehitabel were related in first person and lowercase by Archy, who supposedly could not press down the typewriter’s shift key.

Brad Mehldau is an American jazz pianist whose incorporation of rock elements into his performances made him one of the most influential jazz artists of his generation. Like many notable jazz pianists, Mehldau was originally classically trained. He began studying piano at age six, and he became

Brad Mehldau is an American jazz pianist whose incorporation of rock elements into his performances made him one of the most influential jazz artists of his generation. Like many notable jazz pianists, Mehldau was originally classically trained. He began studying piano at age six, and he became

Dānishmend dynasty: …in 1134, and his son Mehmed (Muḥammad) took the title instead.

Eşref Dynasty: Süleyman’s son Mehmed captured Akşehir and Bolvadin and in 1314 accepted Il-Khanid (western Mongol) suzerainty. He was succeeded by his son Süleyman II, whose reign coincided with an attempt by Demirtaş, the Il-Khanid governor of Anatolia, to assert his authority over the independent Turkmen rulers in Anatolia.…

Mehmed Ağa was an architect whose masterpiece is the Sultan Ahmed Cami (Blue Mosque) in Istanbul. Mehmed went to Constantinople (Istanbul) in 1567 and began the study of music but later switched to architecture. He became a pupil of Sinan, Turkey’s most celebrated architect. In 1606 Mehmed Ağa was

Mehmed Ağa was an architect whose masterpiece is the Sultan Ahmed Cami (Blue Mosque) in Istanbul. Mehmed went to Constantinople (Istanbul) in 1567 and began the study of music but later switched to architecture. He became a pupil of Sinan, Turkey’s most celebrated architect. In 1606 Mehmed Ağa was

Muḥammad ʿAlī was the pasha and viceroy of Egypt (1805–48), founder of the dynasty that ruled Egypt from the beginning of the 19th century to the middle of the 20th. He encouraged the emergence of the modern Egyptian state. Muḥammad ʿAlī’s ethnic background is unknown, though he may have been an

Aydın Dynasty: Mehmed Bey (reigned c. 1308–34) founded the dynasty in territories he conquered in the Aegean region, including Birgi, Ayasoluk (modern Selçuk, Turkey), Tyre, and İzmir. His son and successor, Umur Bey (Umur I; reigned 1334–48), organized a fleet and led expeditions to the Aegean islands,…

Gâlib Dede was a Turkish poet, one of the last great classical poets of Ottoman literature. Gâlib Dede was born into a family that was well-connected with the Ottoman government and with the Mawlawīyah, or Mevlevîs, an important order of Muslim dervishes. Continuing in the family tradition by

Mehmed II was an Ottoman sultan from 1444 to 1446 and from 1451 to 1481. A great military leader, he captured Constantinople and conquered the territories in Anatolia and the Balkans that constituted the Ottoman Empire’s heartland for the next four centuries. Mehmed was the fourth son of Murad II

Mehmed Fuat Köprülü was a scholar, historian, and statesman who made important contributions to the history of Turkey and its literature. A descendant of the famous 17th-century Ottoman prime ministers (grand viziers), Köprülü began teaching at the famous Galatasaray Lycée (secondary school) in

Mehmed I was an Ottoman sultan who reunified the dismembered Ottoman territories following the defeat of Ankara (1402). He ruled in Anatolia and, after 1413, in the Balkans as well. Timur (Tamerlane), victorious over the Ottoman sultan Bayezid I at the Battle of Ankara, restored to the Turkmen

Eretna dynasty: In 1380 Mehmed II, the last Eretna ruler, was killed, and Burhaneddin, a former vizier, proclaimed himself sultan over Eretna lands.

Mehmed II was an Ottoman sultan from 1444 to 1446 and from 1451 to 1481. A great military leader, he captured Constantinople and conquered the territories in Anatolia and the Balkans that constituted the Ottoman Empire’s heartland for the next four centuries. Mehmed was the fourth son of Murad II

Mehmed III was an Ottoman sultan (1595–1603) whose reign saw a long and arduous conflict with Austria and serious revolts in Anatolia. At the outset of Mehmed’s reign, the war against Austria, already in progress for two years, was accelerated by an alliance between Austria and the Danubian

Mehmed IV was an Ottoman sultan whose reign (1648–87) was marked first by administrative and financial decay and later by a period of revival under the able Köprülü viziers. However, Mehmed IV devoted himself to hunting rather than to affairs of state. Mehmed succeeded his mentally ill father,

Köprülü Mehmed Paşa was a grand vizier (1656–61) under the Ottoman sultan Mehmed IV. He suppressed insurgents and rivals, reorganized the army, and defeated the Venetian fleet (1657), thereby restoring the central authority of the Ottoman Empire. He became the founder of an illustrious family of

Drina River: Višegrad is also where the Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge crosses the Drina River. Designed by the Ottoman architect Sinan in the 16th century, the bridge was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2007.

Mustafa I: …a revolt in Anatolia of Abaza Mehmed Paşa, who sought to avenge Osman II’s death.

kaziasker: …advice of the grand vizier Karamani Mehmed Paşa, who was envious of the powers of the incumbent kaziasker. Thenceforth there were two kaziaskers, one of Rumelia (Ottoman territories in the Balkans) and the other of Anatolia.

Mehmed V was an Ottoman sultan from 1909 to 1918, whose reign was marked by the absolute rule of the Committee of Union and Progress and by Turkey’s defeat in World War I. Having lived in seclusion most of his life, Mehmed Reşad became sultan after his brother Abdülhamid II was forced to abdicate.

Ottoman Empire: Rule of Abdülhamid II: …led by his grand vizier Mehmed Said Paşa; and economic development, through the construction of railways in Asia Minor and Syria with foreign capital and of the Hejaz Railway from Damascus to Medina with the help of subscriptions from Muslims in other countries.

Mehmed Siyah-Kalem was an artist known solely by the attribution of his name to a remarkable series of paintings preserved in the Imperial Ottoman Palace Library (Topkapı Saray). Nothing is known of his life, but his work indicates that he was of Central Asian (presumably Turkish) origin, and

Talat Paşa was a leader of the Young Turks, an Ottoman statesman, grand vizier (1917–18), and a leading member of the Ottoman government from 1913 to 1918. The son of a minor Ottoman official, Talat joined the staff of the telegraph company in Edirne, but he was soon arrested (1893) for subversive

Tevfik Fikret was a poet who is considered the founder of the modern school of Turkish poetry. The son of an Ottoman government official, Tevfik Fikret was educated at Galatasaray Lycée, where he later became principal. As a young writer he became editor of the avant-garde periodical Servet-i Fünun

Mehmed II was an Ottoman sultan from 1444 to 1446 and from 1451 to 1481. A great military leader, he captured Constantinople and conquered the territories in Anatolia and the Balkans that constituted the Ottoman Empire’s heartland for the next four centuries. Mehmed was the fourth son of Murad II

Mehmed V was an Ottoman sultan from 1909 to 1918, whose reign was marked by the absolute rule of the Committee of Union and Progress and by Turkey’s defeat in World War I. Having lived in seclusion most of his life, Mehmed Reşad became sultan after his brother Abdülhamid II was forced to abdicate.

Mehmed VI was the last sultan of the Ottoman Empire, whose forced abdication and exile in 1922 prepared the way for the emergence of the Turkish Republic under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk within a year. Clever and perceptive, Mehmed VI became sultan July 4, 1918, and attempted to follow

Mehmed VI was the last sultan of the Ottoman Empire, whose forced abdication and exile in 1922 prepared the way for the emergence of the Turkish Republic under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk within a year. Clever and perceptive, Mehmed VI became sultan July 4, 1918, and attempted to follow

Ziya Gökalp was a sociologist, writer, and poet, one of the most important intellectuals and spokesmen of the Turkish nationalist movement. While Gökalp was a student at the Constantinople Veterinary School, his active membership in a secret revolutionary society led to his imprisonment. After the

Muḥammad ʿAlī was the pasha and viceroy of Egypt (1805–48), founder of the dynasty that ruled Egypt from the beginning of the 19th century to the middle of the 20th. He encouraged the emergence of the modern Egyptian state. Muḥammad ʿAlī’s ethnic background is unknown, though he may have been an

Muḥammad ʿAlī was the pasha and viceroy of Egypt (1805–48), founder of the dynasty that ruled Egypt from the beginning of the 19th century to the middle of the 20th. He encouraged the emergence of the modern Egyptian state. Muḥammad ʿAlī’s ethnic background is unknown, though he may have been an

Nūr Jahān was the de facto ruler of India during the later years of the reign of her husband Jahāngīr, who was emperor from 1605 to 1627. She achieved unprecedented political power for a woman in Mughal India. Mehr al-Nesāʾ was born in Kandahār to parents Mirzā Ghiyās Beg and Asmat Begum, Persians

Indus River, great trans-Himalayan river of South Asia. It is one of the longest rivers in the world, with a length of some 2,000 miles (3,200 km). Its total drainage area is about 450,000 square miles (1,165,000 square km), of which 175,000 square miles (453,000 square km) lie in the ranges and

Mehrangarh Fort, huge hilltop fort in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India, built about 1459 by Rao Jodha, a member of the Rathore branch of the Rajput clan and the 15th Rathore ruler of Marwar. It had become clear to Rao Jodha that he needed to move his capital from Mandore to somewhere that he could defend

Julie Mehretu is an Ethiopian American abstract painter and printmaker whose canvases combine the structural elements of city grids, architectural drawings, and maps to create three-dimensional compositions representing the modern urban experience. Her works map the buildup of interactions between

India: Neolithic agriculture in the Indus valley and Baluchistan: … was revolutionized by excavations at Mehrgarh and elsewhere.

Franz Mehring was a radical journalist, historian of the Social Democratic Party of Germany, and biographer of Karl Marx. (Read George Bernard Shaw’s 1926 Britannica essay on socialism.) Originally a middle-class democrat, he moved gradually leftward, for a time with the General German Workers’

Assault: 1946: Triple Crown: With Warren Mehrtens in the saddle, Assault settled into fifth position among the 17 horses at the first turn. In the backstretch, he moved up to third place, but only because some of the other horses had dropped back.

Mahesana, city, northeastern Gujarat state, west-central India. It lies in the lowlands between the Aravalli Range and the Little Rann of Kachchh (Kutch). Mahesana was developed throughout the 12th–14th century by the Chavada Rajputs. The old town is believed to have had four gates, of which only

Ashutosh Gowariker: Acting career: …debut in Hindi cinema in Ketan Mehta’s Holi in 1984. This was followed by films such as Naam (1986; “Name”), West Is West (1987), Gawahi (1989; “Testimony”), and Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa (1993; “Sometimes Yes, Sometimes No”). He also acted in TV serials including Kachchi Dhoop (1987; “Morning Sun”), and…

Jainism: Jain ethics: …friendship between the Jain layman Raychandrabhai Mehta and Mohandas Gandhi, who considered his interactions with Mehta to have been important in formulating his own ideas on the use of nonviolence as a political tactic.

Sir Pherozeshah Mehta was an Indian political leader, planner of the municipal charter for Bombay (now Mumbai) and founder of the English-language newspaper Bombay Chronicle (1913). He also cofounded the Bombay Presidency Association in 1885 along with Badruddin Tyabji and Kashinath Trimbak Telang.

Zubin Mehta is an Indian orchestral conductor and musical director known for his expressiveness on the podium and for his interpretation of the operatic repertoire. Mehta’s father, Mehli Mehta, a violinist, helped found the Bombay String Quartet and the Bombay Symphony Orchestra. Zubin was

Étienne-Nicolas Méhul was a composer who influenced the development of French opera and who was one of the principal composers in the late 18th- and early 19th-century style. In 1782 Méhul produced a cantata at the Concert Spirituel on a text by Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Influenced by Christoph Gluck

Herman Gorter: …first and most important poem, “Mei” (“May”). In describing with Impressionist imagery the beauty of the Dutch spring landscape on the arrival of the personified May, her joy and subsequent disillusion, Gorter symbolized his own spiritual development: from orgiastic abandonment in nature to a quieter, metaphysical longing for peace within…

Mei Juecheng was a Chinese court official, mathematician, and astronomer. Mei Juecheng learned mathematics from his grandfather Mei Wending (1633–1721), a renowned mathematician and astronomer. In 1712 Mei Juecheng became a court mathematician and the following year joined the Mengyangzhai (an

monosodium glutamate (MSG), white crystalline substance, a sodium salt of the amino acid glutamic acid, that is used to intensify the natural flavour of certain foods. Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is an important ingredient in the cuisines of China and Japan and is used commercially in broths, soups,

Mei Juecheng was a Chinese court official, mathematician, and astronomer. Mei Juecheng learned mathematics from his grandfather Mei Wending (1633–1721), a renowned mathematician and astronomer. In 1712 Mei Juecheng became a court mathematician and the following year joined the Mengyangzhai (an

Mei Lanfang was a Chinese theatrical performer, one of the greatest singer-actor-dancers in Chinese history. The son and grandson of noted opera singers, Mei began studying jingxi at the Peking Opera at age 8 and made his stage debut at 11, playing a weaving girl. Thereafter he played mostly female

Chen Kaige: …Promise), and Mei Lanfang (2008; Forever Enthralled), a biography of the titular theatrical performer. Demonstrating his range, Chen followed Zhaoshi guer (2010; Sacrifice), which was based on a 13th-century zaju (a Chinese dramatic form), with Sousuo (2012; Caught in the Web), a commentary on the social effects of modern technology.…

Mei Lanfang was a Chinese theatrical performer, one of the greatest singer-actor-dancers in Chinese history. The son and grandson of noted opera singers, Mei began studying jingxi at the Peking Opera at age 8 and made his stage debut at 11, playing a weaving girl. Thereafter he played mostly female

Oceanic art and architecture: The Sepik River regions: …features characterized the long-nosed wooden mei masks of the Iatmul. Other types of masks, however, represented mythological birds, crocodiles, fish, and other animals. These were generally constructed of basketry and painted bark and were often of great size.

Han River: …by its principal tributary, the Mei River, which drains an extensive area in northeastern Guangdong between the Dawan and Lianhua ranges, and another eastern tributary, the Daqing River, which drains a small basin to southern Fujian on the west of the Boping range. The Han River then flows south to…

Chinese literature: Poetry: …masters of the art as Mei Sheng and Sima Xiangru, bordered on the frivolous and bombastic. Another major fu writer, Yang Xiong, in the prime of his career remorsefully realized that the genre was a minor craft not worthy of a true poet. Nonetheless, the fu was almost universally accepted…

Mei Yaochen was a leading Chinese poet of the Northern Song dynasty whose verses helped to launch a new poetic style linked with the guwen (“ancient literature”) revival. Although Mei entered government service through the examination system like other statesmen-poets of the Song, his political

Mei Wending was a Chinese writer on astronomy and mathematics whose work represented an association of Chinese and Western knowledge. In 1645 China adopted a new, controversial calendar that had been prepared under the direction of the Jesuit Adam Schall von Bell. Together with his three younger

Mei Wending was a Chinese writer on astronomy and mathematics whose work represented an association of Chinese and Western knowledge. In 1645 China adopted a new, controversial calendar that had been prepared under the direction of the Jesuit Adam Schall von Bell. Together with his three younger

Mei Yaochen was a leading Chinese poet of the Northern Song dynasty whose verses helped to launch a new poetic style linked with the guwen (“ancient literature”) revival. Although Mei entered government service through the examination system like other statesmen-poets of the Song, his political

Mei Yaochen was a leading Chinese poet of the Northern Song dynasty whose verses helped to launch a new poetic style linked with the guwen (“ancient literature”) revival. Although Mei entered government service through the examination system like other statesmen-poets of the Song, his political

China: Literature and scholarship: …Poetry”); and a dictionary by Mei Yingzuo that for the first time classified Chinese ideograms (characters) under 214 components (radicals) and subclassified them by number of brushstrokes—an arrangement still used by most standard dictionaries.

China: Literature and scholarship: …the following: a work by Mei Zu questioning the authenticity of sections of the ancient Shujing (“Classic of History”); a phonological analysis by Chen Di of the ancient Shijing (“Classic of Poetry”); and a dictionary by Mei Yingzuo that for the first time classified Chinese ideograms (characters) under 214 components…

Meizhou, city in northeastern Guangdong sheng (province), China. It is situated on the north bank of the Mei River, a tributary of the Han River, which discharges into the sea at Shantou. A county was established there in the late 5th century. It became the seat of a prefecture (zhou) in the early

Meizhou, city in northeastern Guangdong sheng (province), China. It is situated on the north bank of the Mei River, a tributary of the Han River, which discharges into the sea at Shantou. A county was established there in the late 5th century. It became the seat of a prefecture (zhou) in the early

Kao-hsiung: The city district of Mei-nung (Meinong), known as the “tobacco kingdom,” has a large area of farmland devoted to raising tobacco. One of the chief industrial regions of Taiwan, Kao-hsiung produces cement, aluminum, paper, fertilizer, plywood, and small machinery; shipbuilding and oil refining are also important. Fo-kuan (Foguan) Hill…

meiping, type of Chinese pottery vase inspired by the shape of a young female body. The meiping was often a tall celadon vase made to resemble human characteristics, especially a small mouth, a short, narrow neck, a plump bosom, and a concave belly. It was meant to hold a single branch of plum tree

Japanese literature: The novel between 1905 and 1941: His last novel, Meian (1916; Light and Darkness), though unfinished, has been acclaimed by some as his masterpiece.

human skin: Sebaceous glands: …the border of the eyelids—the meibomian glands—are so large that they are easily seen with the naked eye when the eyelids are everted. The glands on the genitalia produce copious amounts of sebaceous matter called smegma. Only humans have rich populations of sebaceous glands on the hairless surfaces of the…

sty: An internal sty results from inflammation of a meibomian gland, one of the modified sebaceous glands that lie close to the eyeball along the margin of the eyelids. It may be caused by an infectious (i.e., staphylococcal) or noninfectious process. Internal sties can be more painful…

Islamic arts: Architecture: …centre of Eṣfahān is the Maydān-e Shāh (now Maydān-e Emām), a large open space, about 1,670 by 520 feet (510 by 158 metres), originally surrounded by trees. Used for polo games and parades, it could be illuminated with 50,000 lamps. Each side of the maydān was provided with the monumental…

herbal: “Narcissus,” for example, in Jacob Meidenbach’s Hortus sanitatis (1491), is unidentifiable: a human figure, instead of the plant’s sex organs, emerges from each perianth (sepals and petals of a flower).

Meidias Painter was a Greek vase painter known for his theatrical “florid” style and for his “flying drapery” and often seen as one of the last great Athenian vase painters. A large hydria (water vessel), dating from approximately 410 bc, is representative of his work. Painted on it are scenes from

Ludwig Meidner was a German artist and writer associated with Expressionism and known for his dark, tension-filled urban landscapes and portraits. After he spent two years as an apprentice to a bricklayer, Meidner left home in 1903 to study at the Königliche Kunstschule (Royal School of Art) in

Meier Helmbrecht, realistic medieval epic poem (c. 1250), remarkable for its portrayal of the seamy decline of chivalry, when knights became robbers and peasants rebelled against their masters. In the poem the young peasant Helmbrecht prefers knightly adventure to farming. His family outfits him at

Meier Helmbrecht: …the poem the young peasant Helmbrecht prefers knightly adventure to farming. His family outfits him at great expense, and he enters the service of a knight (i.e., a robber). He returns home insufferably proud of his stolen riches and his smattering of foreign words and arranges a marriage between his…

Deborah Meier is an American education scholar, a leading practitioner of progressive reform within the U.S. public school system, and founder of the “small-schools movement,” a vision of education as a cooperative investment of teachers, parents, students, and community. From 1949 to 1951 Meier

Alexander Gottlieb Baumgarten: His student G.F. Meier (1718–77), however, assisted him to such an extent that credit for certain contributions is difficult to assess. Immanuel Kant (1724–1804), who used Baumgarten’s Metaphysica (1739) as a text for lecturing, borrowed Baumgarten’s term aesthetics but applied it to the entire field of sensory…

Marita Koch is an East German athlete who collected a remarkable 16 individual and team world records in outdoor sprints, as well as 14 world records in indoor events. In her only Olympic Games, at Moscow in 1980, she won two medals. An injury forced Koch to withdraw from the 1976 Olympics in

Richard Meier is an American architect noted for his refinements of and variations on classic Modernist principles: pure geometry, open space, and an emphasis on light. Meier graduated from Cornell University (B.A., 1957) in Ithaca, New York. His early experience included work with the firm of

Richard Meier is an American architect noted for his refinements of and variations on classic Modernist principles: pure geometry, open space, and an emphasis on light. Meier graduated from Cornell University (B.A., 1957) in Ithaca, New York. His early experience included work with the firm of

Civilization: …series created in 1991 by Sid Meier and published by his U.S.-based MicroProse computer software company.

Julius Meier-Graefe was an art critic and art historian widely regarded as a pioneering figure in the early development of 19th- and 20th-century art history. After studying engineering in Munich, Meier-Graefe moved to Berlin in 1890, eventually cofounding the journal Pan in 1894. His enthusiasm

Meighen Island, one of the Sverdrup Islands in Franklin district, Northwest Territories, Canada. It lies in the Arctic Ocean, west of Axel Heiberg Island and north of Ellef Ringnes and Amund Ringnes islands. It is about 30 miles (50 km) long, 8–15 miles (13–25 km) wide, and 293 square miles (759

Arthur Meighen was a Canadian politician who was the Conservative Party leader (1920–26; 1941–42) and prime minister of Canada (1920–21; 1926). Meighen graduated from the University of Toronto in 1896 and was called to the bar in 1903. In 1908 he was elected to Parliament from Portage la Prairie,

Montgomery C. Meigs was a U.S. engineer and architect, who, as quartermaster general of the Union Army during the American Civil War, was responsible for the purchase and distribution of vital supplies to Union troops. In the years before and after the war, he supervised the construction of

Montgomery C. Meigs was a U.S. engineer and architect, who, as quartermaster general of the Union Army during the American Civil War, was responsible for the purchase and distribution of vital supplies to Union troops. In the years before and after the war, he supervised the construction of

Meiji was the emperor of Japan from 1867 to 1912, during whose reign Japan was dramatically transformed from a feudal country into one of the great powers of the modern world. The second son of the emperor Kōmei, Mutsuhito was declared crown prince in 1860; following the death of his father in

Meiji Constitution, constitution of Japan from 1889 to 1947. After the Meiji Restoration (1868), Japan’s leaders sought to create a constitution that would define Japan as a capable, modern nation deserving of Western respect while preserving their own power. The resultant document, largely the

Meiji Restoration, in Japanese history, the political revolution in 1868 that brought about the final demise of the Tokugawa shogunate (military government)—thus ending the Edo (Tokugawa) period (1603–1867)—and, at least nominally, returned control of the country to direct imperial rule under

Tokyo-Yokohama Metropolitan Area: Green space: …the iris gardens of the Meiji Shrine, said to have been designed by the Meiji emperor himself; and such blossoms as the camellia and the chrysanthemum are to be seen everywhere. For the first in the annual procession of important blossoms, the plum, most people go to the Yushima Shrine,…