Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Qaboos bin Said Al-Said

(Encyclopedia)Qaboos bin Said Al-Said, 1940–2020, sultan of Oman (1970–2020). The only son of Sultan Said bin Taimur Al-Said, he served a year in the British army after graduating from Sandhurst. Upon his retur...

Alaric II

(Encyclopedia)Alaric II, d. 507, Visigothic king of Spain and of S Gaul (c.484–507), son and successor of Euric. He issued (506) at Toulouse the Breviary of Alaric for his Roman subjects. Alaric's adherence to Ar...

Hallaj, Hussein ibn Mansur al-

(Encyclopedia)Hallaj, Hussein ibn Mansur al- ho͞osānˈ ĭbn mänso͝orˈ [key], 857–922, Arabic-speaking Persian Muslim mystic and poet popularly known among Muslims as “the martyr of mystical love.” Born a...

Boleslaus II

(Encyclopedia)Boleslaus II, c.1039–1081, duke (1058–76), and later king (1076–79) of Poland; son and successor of Casimir I. Throughout his reign he opposed the influence of the Holy Roman Empire. He asserted...

Haitham bin Tariq Al-Said

(Encyclopedia)Haitham bin Tariq Al-Said, 1954–, sultan of Oman (2020–). A member of the ruling family of Oman, he held various positions in the Omani foreign ministry (1986–2002) and served as minister of nat...

Simeon II

(Encyclopedia)Simeon II, Simeon Borisov Sakskoburggotski, or Simeon Borisov Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, 1937–, czar (1943–46) and premier (2001–5) of Bulgaria. He succeeded his father, Boris III, under a regency. Aft...

Khalifa ibn Zaid Al Nahayan

(Encyclopedia)Khalifa ibn Zaid Al Nahayan, 1948–, Emirati ruler. The son of Sheikh Zaid ibn Sultan Al Nahayan of Abu Dhabi, he was named crown prince and chairman of Abu Dhabi's defense department in 1969 and its...

Bashir, Omar Hassan Ahmed al-

(Encyclopedia)Bashir, Omar Hassan Ahmed al- ōˈmär häˈsän äˈmĕd äl-bäshērˈ [key], 1944–, Sudanese military and political leader, president of Sudan (1994–2019). He graduated from the Sudanese milita...

Abu al-Faraj Ali of Esfahan

(Encyclopedia)Abu al-Faraj Ali of Esfahan äˈbo͞o äl-färajˈ älēˈ, ĕsfähänˈ [key], 897–967, Arabic scholar from Iran. He is mainly known for his invaluable Kitab al-Aghani (book of songs), which provid...

Sylvester II

(Encyclopedia)Sylvester II, c.945–1003, pope (999–1003), a Frenchman (b. Auvergne) named Gerbert; successor of Gregory V. In his youth he studied at Muslim schools in Spain and became learned in mathematics and...