shrub, any woody plant that has several stems, none dominant, and is usually less than 3 m (10 feet) tall. When much-branched and dense, it may be called a bush. Intermediate between shrubs and trees are arborescences, or treelike shrubs, from 3 to 6 m tall. Trees are generally defined as woody

rose of Sharon, (Hibiscus syriacus, or Althaea syriaca), shrub or small tree, in the hibiscus, or mallow, family (Malvaceae), native to eastern Asia but widely planted as an ornamental for its showy flowers. It can attain a height of 3 metres (10 feet) and generally assumes a low-branching

rose: Major species and hybrids: …be trained to ascend trellises; shrub roses, which develop into large bushes; and miniature roses, which are pygmy-sized plants bearing tiny blossoms. Altogether there are thousands of identifiable varieties of roses in those and other classes.

savanna: Environment: …with scattered trees and shrubs; shrub savanna, with scattered shrubs; and grass savanna, from which trees and shrubs are generally absent. Other classifications have also been suggested.

cinquefoil: The genus Dasiphora, known as shrubby cinquefoils, is closely related to Potentilla and consists of three species of shrubs with pinnately compound leaves and five-petaled flowers. D. fruticosa (formerly P. fruticosa) has provided many dwarf shrubs used in landscaping.

Russia: Tundra: …areas of mosses and lichens; shrubby tundra, with mosses, lichens, herbaceous plants, dwarf Arctic birch, and shrub willow; and wooded tundra, with more extensive areas of stunted birch, larch, and spruce. There are considerable stretches of sphagnum bog. Apart from reindeer, which are herded by the indigenous population, the main…

scrubland, diverse assortment of vegetation types sharing the common physical characteristic of dominance by shrubs. A shrub is defined as a woody plant not exceeding 5 metres (16.4 feet) in height if it has a single main stem, or 8 metres if it is multistemmed. The world’s main areas of scrubland

headhunting: …skin with hot sand, thus shrinking it to the size of the head of a small monkey but preserving the features intact. There, again, headhunting was probably associated with cannibalism in a ceremonial form.

śruti, (Sanskrit: “heard”), in the music of India and Pakistan, the smallest tonal interval that can be perceived. The octave, in Indian theory, is divided into 22 śrutis. The division is not precisely equal, but these microtonal units may be compared to Western quarter tones, of which there are 24

Shruti, in Hinduism, the most-revered body of sacred literature, considered to be the product of divine revelation. Shruti works are considered to have been heard and transmitted by earthly sages, as contrasted to Smriti, or that which is remembered by ordinary human beings. Though Shruti is

advanced ceramics: High-temperature synthesis: In a reaction known as self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS), highly reactive metal particles ignite in contact with boron, carbon, nitrogen, and silica to form boride, carbide, nitride, and silicide ceramics. Since the reactions are extremely exothermic (heat-producing), the reaction fronts propagate rapidly through the precursor powders. Usually, the ultimate particle…

Josel of Rosheim: …in France]) was a famous shtadlan (advocate who protected the interests and pled the cause of the Jewish people). Through persistent legal exertions, he aborted many incipient acts of persecution.

Palestinian Authority: Domestic affairs, the Gaza Strip, and relations with Hamas: …was replaced in March by Mohammad Shtayyeh, a chief negotiator of the Oslo Accords. He was the first member of Fatah to serve as prime minister since the 2006 elections, and his appointment was considered a blow to reconciliation efforts with Hamas. Shtayyeh stepped down in February 2024, five months…

dietary law: Elaboration of the Jewish laws: …eastern European Jewish community (or shtetl), behavior in regard to food not only included the biblical prescriptions and proscriptions but in many ways resembled the behavior of people in the corporate communities of tribal societies. The major life crises were celebrated by feasts or other uses of food. Wine and…

Yiddish literature: Writers in Poland and the Soviet Union: …Depot,” translated into English in A Shtetl and Other Yiddish Novellas [1986]), his first novella, already exemplifies the new modernism—involving multiple perspectives and internal monologues in free, indirect style. Bergelson’s characteristic atmosphere of futility and despair is vividly present in the novella In a fargrebter shtot (1914; “In a Backwoods…

Sholem Asch: …and with Dos Shtetl (1905; The Little Town, 1907) he began a career outstanding for both output and impact. His tales, novels, and plays filled 29 volumes in a collected Yiddish edition published in 1929–38. By their vitality and vigorous naturalism, his works attracted sizable reading publics in Europe and…

Yiddish literature: Writers in New York: …of his best-known poems, “Shtiler, Shtiler” (1914; “Hush, Hush”) is “a credo for a poetry of nuance and understatement, a kind of allegorical reflection on the state of modern Jewish life, and a play upon the messianic expectation that runs through the whole Jewish experience” (according to the American…

Croatia: Languages: …literary language, based on the Shtokavian dialect, emerged in the second half of the 19th century as a result of an effort to unite all South Slavs. Although all three major branches of Serbo-Croatian (Shtokavian, Chakavian, and Kajkavian) were spoken by Croats (as they still are today), the Shtokavian dialect…

Boris Vladimirovich Sturmer was a Russian public official, who served as prime minister, minister of the interior, and minister of foreign affairs during World War I. Before his appointment to the premiership, Sturmer served as master of ceremonies at court, was a department head in the Ministry of

Shu, in Egyptian religion, god of the air and supporter of the sky, created by Atum by his own power, without the aid of a woman. Shu and his sister and companion, Tefnut (goddess of moisture), were the first couple of the group of nine gods called the Ennead of Heliopolis. Of their union were born

Han Feizi: Political thought: …ruler must make use of shu (“administrative techniques” or “statecraft”). Rulers of the Warring States period found it advantageous to employ men skilled in government, diplomacy, and war. But how to separate solid talent from idle chatter became a serious problem. Shu was Han Feizi’s answer to the problem. After…

shufu ware, Chinese white porcelain made during the Yuan dynasty (1206–1368) at Jingdezhen. It was the first-known porcelain ordered by imperial officials, and so it sometimes bore the characters shufu (literally “central palace,” or privy council). The body of the ware was covered with a bluish

U Ne Win was a Burmese general who was the leader of Burma (now Myanmar) from 1962 to 1988. Shu Maung studied at University College, Rangoon (now Yangon), from 1929 to 1931, and in the mid-1930s he became involved in the struggle for Burmese independence from the British. During World War II, after

Lao She was a Chinese author of humorous, satiric novels and short stories and, after the onset of the Sino-Japanese War (1937–45), of patriotic and propagandistic plays and novels. A member of the Manchu ethnic minority, Shu Sheyu served as principal of an elementary school at age 17 and soon

Chu River, river in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, rising in the Tien Shan at the confluence of the Dzhuvanaryk and Kochkor rivers. It flows north through the Boam Gorge, beyond which it is joined by the Chon-Kyomin; it then flows northwest through the fertile Chu Valley, in which much of its water is

Lao She was a Chinese author of humorous, satiric novels and short stories and, after the onset of the Sino-Japanese War (1937–45), of patriotic and propagandistic plays and novels. A member of the Manchu ethnic minority, Shu Sheyu served as principal of an elementary school at age 17 and soon

Chinese zodiac, annual classification system in Chinese culture following the Chinese lunar calendar yingyang li (literally, “heaven-earth”) in which each year in a 12-year cycle is assigned an animal and each animal is associated with a personality that typifies the year and those born during that

Milky Way Galaxy: The spiral arms: …American astronomers Chia-Chiao Lin and Frank H. Shu showed that a spiral shape is a natural result of any large-scale disturbance of the density distribution of stars in a galactic disk. When the interaction of the stars with one another is calculated, it is found that the resulting density distribution…

Shujing, one of the Five Classics (Wujing) of Chinese antiquity. The Shujing is a compilation of documentary records related to events in China’s ancient history. Though it has been demonstrated that certain chapters are forgeries, the authentic parts constitute the oldest Chinese writing of its

shufu ware, Chinese white porcelain made during the Yuan dynasty (1206–1368) at Jingdezhen. It was the first-known porcelain ordered by imperial officials, and so it sometimes bore the characters shufu (literally “central palace,” or privy council). The body of the ware was covered with a bluish

Liu Bei: …is usually known as the Shu- (“Minor”) Han to distinguish it from the Han proper. As one of the heroes of the 14th-century Chinese historical novel Sanguozhi Yanyi (Romance of the Three Kingdoms), Liu has been celebrated and romanticized in Chinese history. The dynasty that he founded, however, never expanded…

Tien Shan: …Tien Shan also includes the Shū-Ile Mountains and the Qarataū Range, which extend far to the northwest into the eastern Kazakhstan lowlands. Within these limits the total area of the Tien Shan is about 386,000 square miles (1,000,000 square km).

history of Mesopotamia: Isin and Larsa: …Ur, and under his successor, Shu-ilishu, a statue of the moon god Nanna, the city god of Ur, was recovered from the Elamites, who had carried it off. Up to the reign of Lipit-Ishtar (c. 1934–c. 1924), the rulers of Isin so resembled those of Ur, as far as the…

history of Mesopotamia: The 3rd dynasty of Ur: his successors Shulgi, Amar-Su’ena, Shu-Sin, and Ibbi-Sin, this dynasty lasted for a century (c. 2112–c. 2004). Ur-Nammu was at first “governor” of the city of Ur under Utu-hegal. How he became king is not known, but there may well be some parallels between his rise and the career of…

education: The Song (960–1279): …semiprivate institution known as the shuyuan, or academy. With financial support coming from both state grants and private contributions, these academies were managed by noted scholars of the day and attracted many students and lecturers. Often located in mountain retreats or in the woods, they symbolized the influence of Daoism…

Al-Shuʿaybah, town and port in southern Kuwait. Located on the Persian Gulf, it is the country’s second most important port. Its industries include an oil refinery, a seafood-packing plant, and a petrochemical plant producing fertilizers. Al-Shuʿaybah has one of Kuwait’s largest electric-power

conifer: Sporophyte phase: …the southeastern United States and shuaisuong (Glyptostrobus) in southeastern China. Reproduction of such trees is as attuned to flooding as that of fire species is to scorched earth. Their seeds have air and resin pockets that allow them to float away to slightly raised areas revealed by receding floodwaters.

Shuangyashan, city, eastern Heilongjiang sheng (province), far northeastern China. Located some 265 miles (430 km) northeast from Harbin, the provincial capital, Shuangyashan is a new city that has grown up since 1949; its importance is based almost entirely on coal production. The coalfields under

Shuangyashan, city, eastern Heilongjiang sheng (province), far northeastern China. Located some 265 miles (430 km) northeast from Harbin, the provincial capital, Shuangyashan is a new city that has grown up since 1949; its importance is based almost entirely on coal production. The coalfields under

Shubat Enlil, ancient city in northeastern Syria. Excavations of the mound at the site were begun by Harvey Weiss of Yale University in 1979. His work uncovered archaeological remains dating from about 5000 bc to 1726 bc, when the once-flourishing city was destroyed by Babylon. Shubat Enlil was the

Shubert Brothers, dominant managers and producers in American legitimate theatre during the first half of the 20th century. Although all three brothers later claimed to be native-born, they entered the United States in 1882 as immigrants from Russia with their parents, David and Catherine

Shubert Brothers: …was the middle brother, and Jacob J. (or Jake) Shubert (b. Aug. 15, 1880, Russia—d. Dec. 26, 1963, New York, N.Y., U.S.) was the youngest.

Shubert Brothers: …was the middle brother, and Jacob J. (or Jake) Shubert (b. Aug. 15, 1880, Russia—d. Dec. 26, 1963, New York, N.Y., U.S.) was the youngest.

Shubert Brothers: …oldest of the brothers was Lee (originally Levi) Shubert (b. March 15, 1875, Russia—d. Dec. 25, 1953, New York, N.Y., U.S.). Sam S. Shubert (b. 1879, Russia—d. May 12, 1905, Harrisburg, Pa., U.S.) was the middle brother, and Jacob J. (or Jake) Shubert (b. Aug. 15, 1880, Russia—d. Dec. 26,…

Shubert Brothers: …oldest of the brothers was Lee (originally Levi) Shubert (b. March 15, 1875, Russia—d. Dec. 25, 1953, New York, N.Y., U.S.). Sam S. Shubert (b. 1879, Russia—d. May 12, 1905, Harrisburg, Pa., U.S.) was the middle brother, and Jacob J. (or Jake) Shubert (b. Aug. 15, 1880, Russia—d. Dec. 26,…

Shubert Brothers: Sam S. Shubert (b. 1879, Russia—d. May 12, 1905, Harrisburg, Pa., U.S.) was the middle brother, and Jacob J. (or Jake) Shubert (b. Aug. 15, 1880, Russia—d. Dec. 26, 1963, New York, N.Y., U.S.) was the youngest.

Buddhism: Zhenyan: Between the arrival of Shubhakarasimha and the great persecution of 845, the Zhenyan school enjoyed amazing success. The tradition of Shubhakarasimha and the Mahavairochana-sutra merged with that of Vajrabodhi and the Tattvasamgraha. The Chinese disciples of this new tradition, such as Huiguo, contributed to an emerging Zhenyan synthesis. The…

Western sculpture: Russia: …sculpture that was maintained by Fedot Shubin. The parks and gardens of the Rococo palaces of the empress Elizabeth were adorned with sculpture, but the work was done almost exclusively by Italian and French craftspeople commissioned for the task.

Shubrā al-Khaymah, northern suburb of Cairo, in Al-Qalyūbiyyah muḥāfaẓah (governorate), on the east bank of the Nile River, Lower Egypt. It was formerly a market town supplying Cairo with agricultural produce from the rich alluvial delta area. In the first decade of the 1800s, Muḥammad ʿAlī, the

Shubrā al-Khaymah, northern suburb of Cairo, in Al-Qalyūbiyyah muḥāfaẓah (governorate), on the east bank of the Nile River, Lower Egypt. It was formerly a market town supplying Cairo with agricultural produce from the rich alluvial delta area. In the first decade of the 1800s, Muḥammad ʿAlī, the

Shūbun was a priest-painter who was a key figure in the development of monochromatic ink painting (suiboku-ga) in Japan. His career represents an intermediate stage between the early suiboku-ga artists, who followed their Chinese models quite closely, and the later masters, many of them his pupils,

Buddha: Birth and early life: …the son of the king Shuddhodana of the Shakya clan, whose capital was Kapilavastu. Shortly thereafter, his mother, the queen Maha Maya, dreamed that a white elephant had entered her womb. Ten lunar months later, as she strolled in the garden of Lumbini, the child emerged from under her right…

keyboard instrument: Great Britain: …families, the Kirkmans and the Shudis. Both families made instruments for several generations and eventually moved on from harpsichord building to piano building. Their harpsichords are very similar, and the two-manual instruments all have a close-plucking lute stop in addition to the usual two unisons and octave. They are invariably…

Shudra, fourth and lowest of the traditional varnas, or social classes, of India, traditionally artisans and labourers. The term does not appear in the earliest Vedic literature. Unlike the members of the three dvija (“twice-born”) varnas—Brahmans (priests and teachers), Kshatriya (nobles and

Leonard Michaels: Shuffle (1990) is a poignant book of memoirs of the author’s mother, father, and first wife, Sylvia, who committed suicide when their marriage fell apart and who was also the focus of Sylvia: A Fictional Memoir (1992). Michaels also wrote a play, City Boy (produced…

Savion Glover: …to Broadway in 2016, choreographing Shuffle Along; or, The Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed. He earned a Tony nomination for his work. In 2018 Glover directed and choreographed a production of Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope at the New York City Center, and…

shuffleboard, game in which disks are shoved by hand or with an implement so that they come to a stop on or within a scoring area marked on the board or court (on a table, floor, or outdoor hard surface such as concrete). It was popular in England as early as the 15th century, especially with the

shufu ware, Chinese white porcelain made during the Yuan dynasty (1206–1368) at Jingdezhen. It was the first-known porcelain ordered by imperial officials, and so it sometimes bore the characters shufu (literally “central palace,” or privy council). The body of the ware was covered with a bluish

Kyōto: The city layout: …of the city and the Shūgakuin Rikyū set in the northeast hills. Katsura underwent a complete renovation using perfectly matched modern materials; its buildings are models of Japanese architectural aesthetic expression. Shūgakuin contains three gardens, the third with an artificial lake. From there one can view the entire expanse of…

Kyōto: The city layout: …of the city and the Shūgakuin Rikyū set in the northeast hills. Katsura underwent a complete renovation using perfectly matched modern materials; its buildings are models of Japanese architectural aesthetic expression. Shūgakuin contains three gardens, the third with an artificial lake. From there one can view the entire expanse of…

Shugen-dō, a Japanese religious tradition combining folk beliefs with indigenous Shintō and Buddhism, to which have been added elements of Chinese religious Taoism. The Shugen-dō practitioner, the yamabushi (literally, “one who bows down in the mountains”), engages in spiritual and physical

Diet: …it within 60 days, the House of Representatives can make it law by repassing it by a two-thirds majority of the members present.

Pamirs: Physiography: …west of the latter, the Shugnan Range. The extreme southwestern Pamirs are occupied by the Shakhdarin Range, composed of north-south (Ishkashim Range) and east-west elements, rising to Mayakovsky Peak (19,996 feet [6,095 metres]) and Karl Marx (Karla Marksa) Peak (22,067 feet [6,726 metres]). In the extreme southeast, to the south…

shugo, hereditary military constable during Japan’s Kamakura (1192–1333) and Ashikaga (1338–1573) periods. Originally appointed by Minamoto Yoritomo, the first Kamakura shogun (military dictator), from his personal warrior clique, the shugo occupied provincial military and civil supervisory posts.

daimyo: …15th centuries the so-called shugo daimyo arose. These daimyo were appointed as military governors (shugo) under the Ashikaga shoguns (hereditary military dictators), and they held legal jurisdiction over areas as large as provinces. The shugo daimyo’s private landholdings were quite limited, however, and these daimyo gained much of their income…

mushāhadah, in Sufi (Muslim mystic) terminology, the vision of God obtained by the illuminated heart of the seeker of truth. Through mushāhadah, the Sufi acquires yaqīn (real certainty), which cannot be achieved by the intellect or transmitted to those who do not travel the Sufi path. The Sufi has

Guizhou: Population composition: …the Lolo), the Dong, the Shui, the Mien (known as the Yao in China), and the Zhuang. All of the minority groups intermingle with Han people. Only at the low xiang, or village, level can one find any exclusive ethnic grouping. Generally, few minority people live in northern Guizhou, particularly…

Cheng Huang: He was thus identified with Shui Rong (their names have the same meaning), one of the Eight Spirits to whom Emperor Yao is said to have offered sacrifice in prehistoric times. Actually, there is no mention of Cheng Huang in Chinese literature until the 6th century ce.

Sup’ung Dam, hydroelectric project on the Yalu River at the North Korean border with Liaoning province, northeastern China, upstream from Dandong. It was originally designed as a joint project of the Japanese-controlled Manchukuo (Manzhouguo) government, which administered the Northeast (Manchuria)

Water Margin, ancient Chinese vernacular novel known from several widely varying manuscripts under the name Shuihuzhuan. Its variations are so extreme as to make the work the most textually complex in Chinese literature; the text cannot be dated with accuracy, and its authors cannot be identified.

Sup’ung Dam, hydroelectric project on the Yalu River at the North Korean border with Liaoning province, northeastern China, upstream from Dandong. It was originally designed as a joint project of the Japanese-controlled Manchukuo (Manzhouguo) government, which administered the Northeast (Manchuria)

Sanguan: …grants remission of sins; and Shuiguan, official of water who averts misfortune. The Chinese theatre did much to popularize Tianguan by introducing a skit before each play called “The Official of Heaven Brings Happiness.” Reflecting a Daoist principle that held heaven, earth, and water to be three transcendent powers, Chang…

Water Margin, ancient Chinese vernacular novel known from several widely varying manuscripts under the name Shuihuzhuan. Its variations are so extreme as to make the work the most textually complex in Chinese literature; the text cannot be dated with accuracy, and its authors cannot be identified.

Chinese literature: Prose: …and Li Daoyuan, author of Shuijingzhu (“Commentary on the Water Classic”). Although both of these works seem to have been planned to serve a practical, utilitarian purpose, they are magnificent records of contemporary developments and charming storehouses of accumulated folklore, written with great spontaneity and artistry. This age also witnessed…

Wang Wei: …known for ink monochrome (shuimo) landscapes, especially snowscapes. The latter demanded the use of pomo (“breaking the ink”), a broader ink-wash technique with which he is typically associated.

kunqu, form of Chinese drama that developed in the 16th century. The term kunshan qiang (“Kunshan tune”) originally referred to a style of music that emerged in the late Yuan dynasty (early 14th century). It was created by Gu Jian, a musician of Kunshan (near Suzhou), who combined the music of the

Japan: The enforcement of national seclusion: …by granting special licenses, or shuin-jō (“red-seal license”), to oceangoing merchant ships. But Ieyasu’s encouragement of trade was aimed at establishing a bakufu trade monopoly. In 1604, for example, a special system for the purchase of silk was established: Chinese silk imported to Japan by Portuguese ships was sold at…

Vasily (IV) Shuysky was a boyar who became tsar (1606–10) during Russia’s Time of Troubles. A member of an aristocratic family descended from Rurik, the legendary founder of the dynasty that ruled Russia until 1598, Vasily Shuysky achieved prominence in 1591 when he conducted the investigation of

Mosul school: …(1232; British Museum) made by Shujāʿ ibn Manʿah. The ewer features representational as well as abstract design, depicting battle scenes, animals, and musicians within medallions. Mosul metalworkers also created pieces for Eastern Christians. A candlestick of this variety (1238; Museum of Decorative Arts, Paris), attributed to Dāʾūd ibn Salamah of…

Shāh Shojāʿ was the shāh, or king, of Afghanistan (1803–10; 1839–42) whose alliance with the British led to his death. Shojāʿ ascended the throne in 1803 after a long fratricidal war. In 1809 he concluded an alliance with the British against an expected Franco-Russian invasion of India but, the

Battle of Bahadurpur: …1657, his four sons—Dārā Shikōh, Shāh Shujāʿ, Aurangzeb, and Murād Bakhsh—fought for power: Shujāʿ, the second son—who had quickly set himself up as the independent governor of Bengal—was defeated at Bahadurpur, 5 miles (8 km) northeast of Benares (now Varanasi) in Uttar Pradesh state, by Dārā’s son Sulaymān Shikōh. Shikōh…

Robert Clive: Calcutta and Plassey: … (Buxar) had already been won; Shujāʿ al-Dawlah, the nawab of Oudh (Ayodhya), was in flight, and the emperor had joined the British camp. But there was a political and military vacuum between Bengal and Delhi (the Mughal capital), and the whole Bengal administration was in chaos.

Shāh Shojāʿ was the shāh, or king, of Afghanistan (1803–10; 1839–42) whose alliance with the British led to his death. Shojāʿ ascended the throne in 1803 after a long fratricidal war. In 1809 he concluded an alliance with the British against an expected Franco-Russian invasion of India but, the

Shujing, one of the Five Classics (Wujing) of Chinese antiquity. The Shujing is a compilation of documentary records related to events in China’s ancient history. Though it has been demonstrated that certain chapters are forgeries, the authentic parts constitute the oldest Chinese writing of its

Aḥmad Shuqayrī was a Palestinian nationalist who led the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) from 1964 to 1967. The son of a noted religious scholar, Shuqayrī was born in Lebanon and returned to the family home in Acre, Palestine (now ʿAkko, Israel), when he was eight years old. After

Aḥmad Shuqayrī was a Palestinian nationalist who led the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) from 1964 to 1967. The son of a noted religious scholar, Shuqayrī was born in Lebanon and returned to the family home in Acre, Palestine (now ʿAkko, Israel), when he was eight years old. After

Aḥmad Shuqayrī was a Palestinian nationalist who led the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) from 1964 to 1967. The son of a noted religious scholar, Shuqayrī was born in Lebanon and returned to the family home in Acre, Palestine (now ʿAkko, Israel), when he was eight years old. After

Ukraine: The last years of Stalin’s rule: …UPA, under the leadership of Roman Shukhevych (killed 1950), continued effective military operations against Soviet troops until the early 1950s. The armed resistance received covert support from the local rural population, embittered by the concurrent forced collectivization drive, reminiscent of the 1930s in eastern Ukraine. Also accused of abetting the…

Shubhanshu Shukla is an Indian astronaut who is part of the Gaganyaan program, which will send India’s first astronauts into space in their own crewed vehicle, and who is scheduled to visit the International Space Station (ISS) as the primary mission pilot on Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) in 2025. Shukla,

Sen Rikyū: …the utter simplicity practiced by Shukō, a 15th-century monk who founded the Japanese tea ceremony. He firmly established the concepts of wabi (deliberate simplicity in daily living) and sabi (appreciation of the old and faded) as its aesthetic ideals. During his time the teahouse became smaller (from Shukō’s 4 12-mat…

Japanese art: Sculpture: The “secret” image of Shūkongōjin (733), a guardian deity, is secluded in a cordoned space behind the Fukūkenjaku Kannon and presented for viewing only once a year. A clay sculpture with its original gold leaf and polychromy largely intact, the thunderbolt-wielding deity is approximately life-size. Modeled on Chinese statues…

al-Takfīr wa al-Hijrah: …1971 by a young agronomist, Shukrī Muṣṭafā, who had been arrested in 1965 for distributing Muslim Brotherhood leaflets and was released from prison in 1971. Appealing to those who saw mainstream society—from which the group sought to flee (see Hijrah)—as weak, corrupt, and un-Islamic, it engaged in acts of terrorism,…

Sudan: Ethnic groups: …the Juhaynah grouping are the Shukriyah, the Kababish, and the Baqqārah. All three of these tribes herd camels or cattle on the semiarid plains of western, central, and eastern Sudan.

North Cascades National Park: Natural history: …in the north unit is Mount Shuksan in the west, at 9,131 feet (2,783 metres).

Russia: The 20th century: …Rasputin and the short-story writer Vasily Shukshin. The morally complex fiction of Yury Trifonov, staged in an urban setting (e.g., The House on the Embankment [1976]), stands somewhat apart from the works of Rasputin and Shukshin that praise Russian rural simplicity. Nevertheless, as in the 1930s and ’40s, the most…

astronomy: The Islamic world: … criticized the equant point in Shukūk ʿalā Baṭlamyūs (“Doubts About Ptolemy”). Ibn al-Haytham also objected to Ptolemy’s habit of defining motions with respect to immaterial points and lines as if they were real material bodies. (Complaints about the artificiality of Ptolemy’s constructions had been made even in late antiquity—for example,…

Ila, a Bantu-speaking people inhabiting an area west of Lusaka, the national capital of Zambia. The Ila-Tonga cluster consists of about 12 dialect groups, including the Lozi, Koba, Lenje, Tonga, Totela, Ila, and others. The Ila combine agriculture with animal husbandry. Men hunt, fish, and clear

Don Shula was an American professional gridiron football player and coach, notably of the National Football League (NFL) Miami Dolphins (1970–95), who won more games (347) than any other NFL coach. At Harvey High School (Painesville, Ohio) he was an all-around athlete, playing baseball and

Don Shula was an American professional gridiron football player and coach, notably of the National Football League (NFL) Miami Dolphins (1970–95), who won more games (347) than any other NFL coach. At Harvey High School (Painesville, Ohio) he was an all-around athlete, playing baseball and

ancient Iran: The Old Elamite period: …virtual conquest of Elam by Shulgi of the 3rd dynasty of Ur (c. 2094–c. 2047 bc). Eventually the Elamites rose in rebellion and overthrew the 3rd Ur dynasty, an event long remembered in Mesopotamian dirges and omen texts. About the mid 19th century bc, power in Elam passed to a…