Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) Khomeini, Ayatollah Ruhollah khōmāˈnē [key], 1900–1989, Iranian Shiite religious leader. Educated in Islam at home and in theological schools, in the 1950s he was designated ayatollah, a supreme...

(Encyclopedia) Iran hostage crisis, in U.S. history, events following the seizure of the American embassy in Tehran by Iranian students on Nov. 4, 1979. The overthrow of Muhammad Reza Shah Pahlevi of Iran by an Isla...

(Encyclopedia) Murad IV, 1612?–1640, Ottoman sultan (1623–40), nephew and successor of Mustafa I. He recovered (1638) Baghdad, which Shah Abbas I of Persia had seized. On his victory he sent an order to murder h...

(Encyclopedia) Vijapura, formerly Bijapur bĭjäˈpo͝or [key], city (1991 pop. 193,131), Karnataka state, SE India. It is a trade and district administrative center. Cotton ginning is an important activity; manufac...

(Encyclopedia) Firozpur fərōzˈpôr [key], city, Punjab state, NW India, on the Sutlej River. It is a tran...

(Encyclopedia) Kalaburagi, formerly Gulbarga gŭlˈbərgä [key], city (1991 pop. 310,920), Karnataka state, S central India. It is along the route from Mumbai to Chennai. The city is a cotton-trading hub, with all ...

(Encyclopedia) Babism bäˈbĭzəm [key], system of doctrines proclaimed in Persia in 1844 by Ali Muhammad of Shiraz. Influenced by the Shaykhi Shiite theology that viewed the Twelve Imams as incarnations of the Div...

(Encyclopedia) Khamenei, Ali (Mohammad Ali Hoseyn Khamenei) mōhämädˈ älēˈ hōsānˈ khamānāēˈ [key], 1939–, Iranian religious and political leader, b. Mashhad. A Shiite Islamic cleric who was the son of...

(Encyclopedia) Kabul käˈbo͝ol, kəbo͞olˈ [key], city (1997 est. pop. 1,500,000), capital of Afghanistan and of Kabul prov. and its largest city and economic and cultural center, E Afghanistan, on the Kabul Rive...

(Encyclopedia) Muzaffar ad-Din mo͞ozäf-färˈ äd-dēnˈ [key], 1853–1907, shah of Persia (1896–1907), son of Nasir ad-Din. A weak ruler, he borrowed money from Russia and failed to oppose the encroachments of...