History

Kaō (Japanese era) Kaō (era) Kaō (嘉応) was a Japanese era name from April 1169 to April 1171 during the late Heian period, coinciding with the reign of Emperor Takakura and a time of Taira clan influence at cou…

Karoku (Japanese era, 1225–1227) Karoku Karoku (嘉禄) was a Japanese era name (nengō) lasting from April 1225 to December 1227 during the Kamakura period, under Emperor Go-Horikawa.

Karyaku (嘉暦): Japanese era name, 1326–1329 Karyaku Karyaku (嘉暦) was a Japanese era name from April 1326 to August 1329 during the late Kamakura period, under Emperor Go-Daigo. It followed Shōchū and preceded Gentoku.

Kashō (848–851): Japanese era covering late Emperor Ninmyō and early Emperor Montoku Kashō (early Heian period) Kashō (848–851) was a Japanese nengō marking the transition from Emperor Ninmyō to Emperor Montoku. Spanning June 848–April 851, the era frames the final years of Ninmyō’s reign an…

Kashō era (1106–1108) — late Heian period Japan Kashō (late Heian period) Kashō (嘉承) was a Japanese era name from April 1106 to August 1108 in the late Heian period, spanning the reigns of Emperors Horikawa and Toba and set against the background of cloi…

Kassite dynasty of Babylon Kassite dynasty The Kassite dynasty ruled Babylonia after the fall of the First Dynasty of Babylon, maintaining Mesopotamian institutions for centuries and leaving distinctive administrative and a…

Katei (Japanese era, 1235–1238) Katei Katei (嘉禎) was a Japanese era name (nengō) used from September 1235 to November 1238 during the reign of Emperor Shijō in the Kamakura period; it followed Bunryaku and preceded Rya…

Katur Dynasty (Kator): Rulers of Chitral and the Hindu Kush Katur Dynasty Regional ruling house historically centered in Chitral and parts of the Hindu Kush; known for rulers called Mehtar and for shaping local politics, culture, and frontier relations.

Keian (Japanese era, 1648–1652) Keian Keian (慶安) was a Japanese era name (nengō) spanning 1648–1652 during the early Edo period under Emperor Go-Kōmyō; noted for political transitions and the suppressed Keian Uprising.

Keichō era (1596–1615) Keichō Japanese era name Keichō (慶長), 1596–1615: a period that saw Tokugawa ascendancy, the Battle of Sekigahara, the Siege of Osaka, and important cultural and administrative changes.

Keiō era (1865–1868): the final years before the Meiji Restoration Keiō Keiō (慶応) was a Japanese era from April 1865 to September 1868, covering the end of the Tokugawa shogunate, the death of Emperor Kōmei and the accession of Emperor Meiji during the…

Keiun era (704–708) — Japanese era name Keiun Keiun was a Japanese era name from May 704 to January 708 during the reigns of Emperor Mommu and Empress Gemmei, situated between the Taihō and Wadō eras in early Nara-period state…

Kemmu (建武): era name during Japan's Nanboku-chō period Kemmu Kemmu (建武) was a Japanese era name used during the Nanboku-chō period; it overlapped rival Northern and Southern Courts and coincided with the short-lived attempts to restore imper…

Kempo (Japanese era, 1213–1219) Kempo (era) Kempo (建保) was a Japanese era name from December 1213 to April 1219 during the reign of Emperor Juntoku. It followed Kenryaku and preceded Jōkyū, situating it in the early Kamakura…

Ken'ei (Japanese era) Ken'ei Ken'ei was a short Japanese era name used from 1206 to 1207 during the reign of Emperor Tsuchimikado, between Genkyū and Jōgen in the early Kamakura period.

Kenchō era (1249–1256) Kenchō Kenchō (建長) is a Japanese era name from March 1249 to October 1256, overlapping the Kamakura period and the reign of Emperor Go-Fukakusa. It saw the consolidation of Hōjō regency p…

Kengen (Japanese era, 1302–1303) Kengen Kengen (乾元) was a short Japanese era name from November 1302 to August 1303, occurring during the reign of Emperor Go-Nijō and situated between the Shōan and Kagen eras.

Kenji (建治) — Japanese era, April 1275 to February 1278 Kenji (era) Kenji (建治) was a Japanese era name (nengō) from April 1275 to February 1278 during the Kamakura period, spanning the reign of Emperor Go-Uda and the aftermath of the 1274 Mongol in…

Kenkyū (建久): Japanese era name, 1190–1199 Kenkyū Kenkyū (建久) was a Japanese era name from April 1190 to April 1199. It spanned the consolidation of the Kamakura shogunate and the reign of Emperor Go‑Toba, marking a key phase in m…

Kennin (建仁): Japanese era name, 1201–1204 Kennin Kennin (建仁) was a Japanese era name (nengō) spanning February 1201 to February 1204 during Emperor Tsuchimikado’s reign; noted for political consolidation under the Kamakura regime…

Kenryaku (建暦) — Japanese era name, 1211–1213 Kenryaku Kenryaku (建暦) was a Japanese era from March 1211 to December 1213 during Emperor Juntoku's reign, set in the early Kamakura period; it followed Jōgen and preceded Kempo.

Kentoku (建徳) — Southern Court era of Japan, 1370–1372 Kentoku Kentoku (建徳) was the Southern Court era name during Japan's Nanboku-chō period, spanning July 1370–April 1372 under Emperor Chōkei at Yoshino while a rival Northern Court claimed a…

Khalji dynasty (Delhi Sultanate, 1290–1320) Khalji dynasty Muslim dynasty of largely Turkic background that ruled the Delhi Sultanate from 1290 to 1320, notable for military expansion, administrative reforms and resisting Mongol incursions…

Khan: title, surname, and cultural meanings Khan Khan is a historic title and a common surname across Central and South Asia. This article explains its origins, political role, notable bearers, cultural uses, and distinctions fro…

Khan Khan (title) Khan is a historical and modern title meaning leader or ruler in Turkic and Mongolic cultures; it has related forms (khatun, khagan) and appears across Central and South Asia and i…

Kharan (princely state) Former autonomous princely state in southwestern British India (est. c.1697). Acceded to Pakistan in 1948; now Kharan District in Balochistan. Arid, tribal territory with a long lo…

Khayu — a possible Early Dynastic king of Lower Egypt Khayu Khayu is a name that appears on the Palermo Stone as a ruler associated with Lower Egypt in the Early Dynastic era. He has no other secure archaeological or textual attestations an…

Khazars: Khazaria, a medieval Eurasian steppe polity and trading hub Khazars Medieval Turkic polity (6th–10th centuries) that ruled Khazaria on the Volga–Don steppe, controlled trade routes between East and West, served as a buffer state, and is noted for r…

Kievan Rus': medieval East Slavic state centered on Kyiv Kievan Rus' Kievan Rus' was a federation of East Slavic principalities (late 9th–mid 13th c.) centered on Kyiv, influential in trade, law, and Christianisation; its legacy shaped Russia, Ukrai…

King in Prussia — the princely title of the Prussian rulers King in Prussia A concise history of the title 'King in Prussia': its legal meaning, origins in the early 18th century, diplomatic background, change to 'King of Prussia' in 1772, and its politica…

Kingdom of Aksum: overview, history, culture, and legacy Kingdom of Aksum An encyclopedic overview of the Kingdom of Aksum: its geography, political structure, economy, religion, chronology and lasting cultural importance in the Horn of Africa.

Kingdom of Armenia (Antiquity) Ancient Armenian state on the Armenian Highlands, prominent under the Artaxiad and later Arsacid dynasties, expanded by Tigranes the Great and shaped by Hellenistic, Roman and Pers…

Kingdom of Castile Medieval Iberian kingdom that grew from a ninth‑century frontier county into the dominant Castilian realm whose institutions and language shaped later Spain and its overseas empire…

Kingdom of Croatia (925–1102) A medieval Croatian kingdom centered on the Dalmatian coast and inland regions, traditionally dated from the reign of Tomislav around 925 until a dynastic union with Hungary in 110…

Kingdom of Egypt (1922–1953) Kingdom of Egypt Monarchy established under the Muhammad Ali dynasty after 1922 independence. Partially sovereign under British influence until 1952 revolution ended the monarchy and led to a repub…

Kingdom of the East Saxons (Essex) Kingdom of Essex An overview of the Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Essex: territory, rulers, society, conversion to Christianity, relations with neighbouring powers, and its legacy in later England.

Kingdom of France: origins, institutions, and legacy Kingdom of France A concise, structured overview of the Kingdom of France: its origins, political development, institutions, major events, and long-term legacy from early medieval beginnings to the…

Kingdom of Galicia (medieval polity in northwestern Iberia) Kingdom of Galicia Medieval kingdom in the northwest Iberian Peninsula, centered on Santiago de Compostela; part of the Visigothic realm, later Asturian/Leonese, and integrated into the Crown of Cast…

Kingdom of Great Britain (1707–1801) Kingdom of Great Britain State created by the 1707 union of England and Scotland; based in London, in personal union with Ireland and a driver of early British imperial expansion until 1801.

Kingdom of Holland (1806–1810) Kingdom of Holland A short-lived Napoleonic client state in the Low Countries (1806–1810), ruled by Louis Bonaparte; created from the Batavian Republic and later annexed to the French Empire.

Kingdom of Hungary (1000–1918; 1919–1946) Kingdom of Hungary Central European monarchy founded under Saint Stephen around 1000; evolved through medieval, Ottoman and Habsburg eras, entered the Austro‑Hungarian dual monarchy (1867), and cease…

Kingdom of Iceland (1918–1944) Kingdom of Iceland A short-lived constitutional monarchy in personal union with Denmark from 1918 to 1944 that achieved full independence after World War II and became the Republic of Iceland.

Kingdom of Ireland (1542–1801) Kingdom of Ireland A political entity created under Henry VIII in the mid-16th century that replaced the medieval Lordship of Ireland; it persisted until the Act of Union 1801 and influenced the late…

Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946) Constitutional monarchy from Italy's 1861 unification to the 1946 referendum. Ruled by the House of Savoy, it experienced industrialization, colonial ventures, the Fascist regime,…

Kingdom of Kent Early medieval kingdom in southeastern Britain established by Jutish settlers; notable for early conversion to Christianity, law codes, and its role in Anglo-Saxon England.

Kingdom of Kerma: Nubian power and culture in Upper Nile (c.2500–1520 BC) Kingdom of Kerma Kerma was an independent Nubian kingdom centred at the city of Kerma near the Third Cataract. It developed distinctive art, large tumuli and trade ties with Egypt before its incorp…

Kingdom of León Medieval Christian kingdom in northwest Iberia (est. 910). Influential in the Reconquista, legal tradition, and cultural life; later fragmented as Portugal emerged and was joined t…

Kingdom of Lindsey — an early medieval polity in Lincolnshire Kingdom of Lindsey A concise overview of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Lindsey: its location in present-day Lincolnshire, status in the Tribal Hidage, political history between Northumbria and Mercia, a…