Glossary
Abadan (ah-ba-DAHN): Iran's main oil refinery
Abbas, Mahmud (ab-BASS, mah-MOOD): Palestinian prime minister (2003) and
president (2005-)
Abbas I, Shah (awb-BOSS): Safavid ruler (1587-1629)
Abbas II, Khedive (ab-BASS, khe-DEEV): Egypt's viceroy (1892-1914)
Abbasid dynasty (ab-BAS-sid): Arab family descended from Abbas, Muhammad's
uncle, that ruled from Baghdad over parts of the Muslim world (750-1258)
Abd al-Ilah (AB-dul-ee-LAH): Regent of Iraq (1939-1953)
Abdallah (ab-DULL-ah): Son of Amir Husayn of Mecca, participant in Arab Re¬
volt, and amir of Transjordan (1921-1951)
Abdallah: Saudi crown prince (1997-)
Abdallah II: Jordan's king (1999-)
Abdallah ibn al-Zubayr (ab-DULL-ah ibn ez-zoo-BAYR): Mecca-based chal¬
lenger to the Umayyads from 683 to 692, when he was killed
Abd al-Malik (AB-dul MA-lik): Umayyad caliph (685-705) who ended the second
fitna
Abduh, Muhammad (AB-doo, moo-HOM-mad): Egyptian Muslim reformer
(d. 1905)
Abdulhamid II (AB-dul-ha-MEED): Ottoman sultan (1876-1909) who advo¬
cated pan-Islam and opposed constitutional government
Abdulmejid I (AB-dul-me-JEED): Ottoman sultan (1839-1861)
Abu-Bakr (AH-boo-BEKR): First caliph (632-634), who put down tribal revolts
and began conquests outside Arabian Peninsula
Abu Ghraib (AH-boo-GHRAYB): Large prison near Baghdad, site of atrocities by
US troops against Iraqi detainees
Abu-Ja'far al-Mansur: see Mansur
Abu-Muslim (AH-boo-MOOS-lim): Persian leader of the Abbasid revolt (d. 754)
Abu-Talib (AH-boo-TAW-lib): Muhammad's uncle and protector (d. 619)
Achaemenid (AK-a-MEE-nid): Persian dynasty (550-330 B.C.E.)
Aden (AH-den): Port city between the Red and Arabian seas, ruled by Britain
(1839-1967), now united with the Republic of Yemen
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