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Qadariya
In Islam, adherents of the doctrine of free will.
Qaddafi, Muammar al-
Ruler of Libya from 1969.
qadi
Muslim judge who renders decisions according to the Shari'ah, the canon law of Islam.
Qadisiyyah, Battle of
(636?) Battle fought near Al-Hirah (in present-day Iraq) between forces of the Sasanian dynasty and an invading Arab army.
Qaeda, al-
Broad-based Islamic militant organization founded in Afghanistan by Osama bin Laden.
Qajar dynasty
(1794–1925) Ruling dynasty of Iran.
Qantas Airways Limited
Australian airline, the oldest in the English-speaking world, founded in 1920 as Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services Ltd. (later abbreviated as Qantas).
Qaraghandy
City (pop., 1999.: 436,900), central Kazakhstan.
Qasimi, Sheikh Sultan ibn Muhammad al-
Ruler of the emirate of Al-Shariqah (Sharjah) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from 1972.
Qatar
Country, Middle East, southwestern Asia.
Qazvin
City (pop., 1996: 291,117), northwestern Iran.
qedesha
One of a class of sacred prostitutes found throughout the ancient Middle East and associated especially with the worship of the fertility goddess Astarte.
Qi
One of the largest and most powerful of the many states into which early China was divided (771?–221 BC).
qi
In Chinese philosophy, the ethereal substance of which everything is composed.
Qianlong emperor
Fourth emperor of the Qing dynasty in China.
qilin
In Chinese mythology, a kind of unicorn whose rare appearance often coincides with the imminent birth or death of a sage or illustrious ruler.
Qin dynasty
(221–207 BC) Dynasty that established the first great Chinese empire.
Qin Hui
Chief counselor to the Southern Song emperor Gaozong.
Qin Jiushao
Chinese mathematician who developed a method of solving simultaneous linear congruences.
Qin tomb
Major Chinese archaeological site near the ancient capital city of Chang'an (now Xi'an), a 20-sq-mi (50-sq-km) funerary compound built by the first sovereign emperor, Qin Shihuangdi.
Qing dynasty
(1644–1911/12) Last of the imperial dynasties in China.
Qinghai
Province (pop., 2000 est.: 5,180,000), west-central China.
Qishon River
River, northern Israel.
Qiu Chuji
Daoist monk and alchemist.
Qo'qon
Region, eastern Uzbekistan.
Qu Yuan
Chinese poet.
quadrangle
Rectangular open space completely or partially enclosed by buildings of an academic or civic character.
quadratic equation
Algebraic equation of particular importance in optimization.
quadrille
Dance for four couples in square formation, fashionable from the late 18th through the 19th century.
Quadros, Jânio da Silva
President of Brazil (1961).
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