484 • Glossarymandate: (1) Commission given by the League of Nations to a Western power to
prepare a former territory of Germany or the Ottoman Empire for eventual
self-rule; (2) a country governed under this tutelary relationship
Manichaeism (ma-ni-KEE-izm): Dualistic religion formulated by Mani, a third-
century Persian, calling for the liberation of the body from the soul by various
ascetic spiritual exercises, strong formerly in Iraq, Persia, and some parts of
Central and East Asia
al-Mansur, Abu-Ja'far (AH-boo JAH-far el-man-SOOR): Abbasid caliph
(754-775) who began the construction of Baghdad
Manzikert, Battle of (man-zi-KERT): Seljuk victory over the Byzantines (1071)
Mapai (ma-PIE): Israel's moderate labor party
marches: Frontier areas between two countries or cultures
Maronite: Pertaining to a Christian sect, mainly in northern Lebanon, whose dis¬
tinguishing belief is that Christ contained two natures within one will and
which has been in communion with the Roman Catholic church since the
Crusades
Marwan I (mar-WAHN): Umayyad caliph (684-685)
Marxism: System of socialist thought, founded by Karl Marx and others, which
teaches that capitalism must be overthrown by a revolution leading to a work¬
ers' state, which will later give way to a classless and harmonious society; ac¬
cepted by some Middle Eastern leaders at various times
mawla (pi. mawali) (MOW-la, ma-WA-lee): (1) Client member of Arab tribe, en¬
titled to protection but not all membership privileges; (2) non-Arab convert to
Islam during the early Arab conquests
McMahon, Henry: British high commissioner in Egypt (1914-1916), who initi¬
ated the Husayn-McMahon Correspondence
Mecca: Birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad and chief commercial and pilgrim¬
age center of western Arabia
Medina (ma-DEE-na): Northwest Arabian farming oasis, formerly Yathrib, to
which Muhammad and his followers went in 622
Mehmet I (meh-MET): Ottoman sultan (1413-1421)
Mehmet II: Ottoman sultan (1451-1481), conqueror of Constantinople
Mehmet Ali: Albanian adventurer who took control of Egypt and instituted
many westernizing reforms (1805-1849), also called Muhammad Ali
Meir, Golda (may-EER): Israel's prime minister (1969-1974)
Mersin (mer-SEEN): Port city in southern Anatolia
Mesopotamia: Greek name for the land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers,
especially Iraq
Messiah: According to the Bible, the expected deliverer of the Jewish people and,
according to Christians, Jesus Christ
Middle East Supply Center: Cairo-based British organization that coordinated
manufacturing and distribution in Arab states and Iran during World War II