History

Kingdom of Mysore: history, rulers, culture and legacy Kingdom of Mysore A historical South Indian kingdom founded by the Wadiyar dynasty in 1399. It rose to prominence under Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan, later became a British princely state, and acceded…

Kingdom of Navarre Medieval and early modern kingdom on both sides of the Pyrenees, rooted in Basque lands; partitioned in 1512 and later absorbed into France and Spain, leaving a lasting regional id…

Kingdom of Poland (1385–1569): the Jagiellon era Kingdom of Poland (1385–1569) The Jagiellon Kingdom of Poland (1385–1569) began with Władysław II Jagiełło and the Union of Krewo. It matured into a multiethnic realm with strong noble institutions and ended in…

Kingdom of Romania (1881–1947) Kingdom of Romania Constitutional monarchy that existed from 1881 to 1947, formed from principalities, expanded after World War I, then lost territory and monarchical rule after World War II amid Sov…

Kingdom of Sardinia: history, territory, and role in Italian unification Kingdom of Sardinia A historical European monarchy centered on the island of Sardinia and later the Savoy domains; under the House of Savoy (1720–1861) it became the nucleus of the modern Italian stat…

Kingdom of Scotland A historical monarchy on the island of Great Britain from the Early Middle Ages to the Acts of Union in 1707, known for its distinct institutions, laws, and cultural traditions.

Kingdom of Sussex (South Saxons) Kingdom of Sussex Early Anglo-Saxon kingdom in southern England covering roughly modern Sussex; noted for the Weald forest, conversion under St Wilfrid, archaeological evidence, and later absorption…

Kingdom of the Two Sicilies (1816–1861) Kingdom of the Two Sicilies A Bourbon-ruled state covering southern Italy and Sicily from 1816 to 1861, formed after the Napoleonic wars and dissolved during Italian unification; noted for its cultural life a…

Kingdom of Urartu (Ararat): Iron Age state of the Armenian Highlands Kingdom of Urartu An Iron Age kingdom (c. 9th–6th centuries BCE) centered on the Armenian Highlands around Lake Van; noted for fortress citadels, irrigation works, metalworking, cuneiform inscriptio…

Kitami Province — former province of Hokkaido, Japan Kitami Province Kitami Province was an administrative division of Hokkaido established in 1869 during the Meiji era and reorganized in 1882. Its territory corresponds largely to modern Sōya and Ab…

Kōan (Kamakura period, 1278–1288) Kōan (Kamakura period) Japanese era name during the Kamakura shogunate (1278–1288), known for the 1281 Mongol invasion (Kōan no Eki), political developments under the Hōjō regency, and the imperial trans…

Kōan (康安) — Northern Court era name, 1361–1362 (Muromachi period) Kōan (Muromachi period) Kōan (康安) was a short Northern Court nengō during the Nanboku-chō period (1361–1362), reflecting contested imperial authority between Kyoto and Yoshino under the wider influence of…

Kōchō (Japanese era, 1261–1264) Kōchō Kōchō was a Japanese era name lasting from February 1261 to February 1264, during the Kamakura period and the reign of Emperor Kameyama; it succeeded Bun'ō and preceded Bun'ei.

Kōei (Japanese era, 1342–1345) Kōei (era) Kōei (康永) was a Northern Court Japanese era name during the Nanboku-chō conflict, lasting April 1342 to October 1345; associated with the Kyoto pretender Emperor Kōmyō and rival so…

Kofun period (Japan, c. 250–538 CE) Kofun period Japanese archaeological period named for large burial mounds (kofun). Marks emergence of Yamato polity, distinctive keyhole tombs, haniwa figures, continental contacts, and social…

Kōgen (Japanese era, 1256–1257) Kōgen Kōgen was a short-lived Japanese era name (nengō) from October 1256 to March 1257 during the reign of Emperor Go-Fukakusa in the Kamakura period.

Kōhei (Japanese era, 1058–1065) Kōhei Kōhei (康平) was a Japanese era name (nengō) from August 1058 to August 1065 during the Heian period, when Emperor Go-Reizei reigned; used for court dating, historical records, and c…

Kōhō (Japanese era, 964–968) Kōhō Kōhō (康保) was a Japanese era name from July 964 to August 968 in the mid-Heian period, spanning the end of Emperor Murakami's reign and the early reign of Emperor Reizei.

Kōji (Heian period) — Japanese era name, 1142–1144 Kōji (Heian period) Kōji (康治) was a Japanese era name (nengō) of the late Heian period, spanning April 1142 to February 1144 during the reign of Emperor Konoe. It followed Eiji and preceded Ten'yō.

Kōji (Muromachi period) — Japanese era name, 1555–1558 Kōji (Muromachi period) Kōji (弘治) was a Japanese era name from October 1555 to February 1558 during the late Muromachi (Sengoku) era, spanning the end of Emperor Go-Nara’s reign and the accession of Emper…

Kōka: Japanese era of the late Edo period (1844–1848) Kōka Kōka (弘化) was a Japanese era from December 1844 to February 1848, spanning the end of Emperor Ninkō's reign and the accession of Emperor Kōmei during the late Tokugawa shogunate.

Kōkoku: Southern Court era name in Japan's Nanboku-chō period (1340–1346) Kōkoku Kōkoku (興国) was the Southern Court nengō used from April 1340 to December 1346 under Emperor Go‑Murakami during the Nanboku-chō divided courts era, while a rival Northern Court in…

Kōnin era (810–824): early Heian period years of Saga and Junna Kōnin (era) Kōnin (弘仁) was a Japanese era name from 810 to 824 CE during the early Heian period, spanning the reigns of Emperors Saga and Junna and marking political, cultural, and administrat…

Kōō (康応) — Japanese era of the Northern Court (1389–1390) Kōō (Nanboku-chō period) Kōō (康応) was a short era name used by the Northern Court during the Nanboku-chō period, from February 1389 to March 1390, overlapping rival claims by Emperor Go-Komatsu (Kyoto) and…

Korea under Japanese rule Historical overview of Japan's colonial rule in Korea from 1910 to 1945, covering annexation, administration, resistance, assimilation policies, economic change, and the legacy of…

Korean calendar (traditional lunisolar calendar) Korean calendar Overview of Korea’s traditional lunisolar calendar: its structure, history, major festivals (Seollal, Chuseok, Daeboreum, Dano), and how it relates to the modern Gregorian system.

Korean Empire (Daehan Jeguk), 1897–1910 Korean Empire The Korean Empire (1897–1910), proclaimed by King Gojong as Daehan Jeguk, was Korea's final unified independent state; it pursued modernization and sovereignty before losing indepe…

Korean names: structure, history, and contemporary practice Korean name An overview of Korean personal names: order, components, historical development, legal and social uses in South Korea, and notable distinctions including romanization and North–Sou…

Korean War (1950–1953) Korean War Overview of the Korean War, its causes, main combatants and phases, the 1953 armistice, human and political consequences, and the war's continuing impact on the Korean Peninsula an…

Kōryaku era (1379–1381) — Northern Court nengō in the Nanboku-chō period Kōryaku Kōryaku (康暦) was the Northern Court era name from March 1379 to February 1381 during Japan's Nanboku-chō period, associated with Emperor Go-En'yū in Kyoto and rival Emperor Chōkei…

Kōshō (Japanese era, 1455–1457) Kōshō Kōshō was a short Japanese era name (nengō) from July 1455 to September 1457 during the Muromachi period, under Emperor Go-Hanazono; it followed Kyōtoku and preceded Chōroku.

Kosovo War (1998–1999) Kosovo War Armed conflict in Kosovo (1998–1999) between Yugoslav/Serbian forces and the Kosovo Liberation Army, followed by a NATO air campaign and UN administration with lasting political an…

Kōwa (1099–1104): Japanese era of the Heian period Kōwa (Heian period) Kōwa (康和) was a Japanese era name from August 1099 to February 1104 during the Heian period, coinciding with the reign of Emperor Horikawa and the continued influence of cloistered…

Kōwa (Muromachi period) — Southern Court era name (1381–1384) Kōwa (Muromachi period) Kōwa was the Southern Court nengō during the Nanboku-chō division of the Muromachi period, lasting from February 1381 to April 1384 and overlapping rival Northern Court rule.

Kronstadt rebellion (March 1921) Kronstadt rebellion Left‑wing uprising by sailors, soldiers and workers at the Kronstadt naval base near Petrograd, March 7–17, 1921; suppressed by the Bolshevik government and influential in promptin…

Kucha — ancient Buddhist kingdom on the Silk Road Kucha Kucha was an ancient Central Asian kingdom in today's Xinjiang, noted for its Buddhist culture, Tocharian language, cave-art, role on the Silk Road, and political ties with Tang Ch…

Kush: Ancient Nubian Kingdom of the Upper Nile Kush Kush was an ancient kingdom in Nubia (modern northern Sudan) that interacted with and at times ruled Egypt; it developed distinct political centres, material culture, and trade net…

Kushan Empire: rulers of Bactria and northwestern India (1st–3rd centuries CE) Kushan Empire A syncretic Central Asian dynasty that ruled Bactria, northern Afghanistan and northwest India from the early 1st to the 3rd century CE, influential in trade, art and the spread of…

Kushiro Province (former province of Hokkaido) Kushiro Province Kushiro Province (釧路国) was a short-lived province on Hokkaido established in 1869. Its area corresponds largely to modern Kushiro Subprefecture and part of Abashiri Subprefecture.

Kyōhō era (1716–1736): Tokugawa governance and cultural change Kyōhō Kyōhō (享保) was a Japanese era from July 1716 to April 1736, spanning the reigns of Emperors Nakamikado and Sakuramachi and marked by the Kyōhō Reforms under shogun Tokugawa Yoshimu…

Kyōroku (享禄): Japanese era name, August 1528–July 1532 Kyōroku Kyōroku (享禄) was a Japanese era name from August 1528 to July 1532 during the reign of Emperor Go‑Nara, set within the turbulent Sengoku period and placed between Daiei and Tenbun.

Kyōtoku era (享徳): Japanese nengō, 1452–1455 Kyōtoku Kyōtoku (享徳) was a Japanese era name from July 1452 to July 1455 during Emperor Go-Hanazono’s reign. The period falls in the Muromachi era and saw political tension in the Kantō re…

Kyōwa era (1801–1804) — a concise historical overview Kyōwa Kyōwa (享和) was a short Japanese era from February 1801 to February 1804 during Emperor Kōkaku’s reign, situated in the late Edo period under the Tokugawa shogunate.

Kyūan (Japanese era name, 1145–1151) Kyūan Kyūan (久安) was a Japanese era from July 1145 to January 1151 during the late Heian period, overlapping the reign of Emperor Konoe and reflecting the period's political and cultural…

Kyūju era (1151–1154) — a Japanese nengō of the late Heian period Kyūju Kyūju (久寿) was a Japanese era name from October 1151 to April 1154 during the late Heian period. It overlapped the reigns of Emperor Konoe and Emperor Go-Shirakawa and preceded the…

Late Old Japanese (Heian-period Japanese, c. 794–1185) Late Old Japanese Form of Japanese used in the Heian era. Covers its writing systems, phonological and grammatical changes, major literary works and its role as a bridge between Old and Middle Japan…

Latin: history, features, and legacy Latin An overview of Latin: its origins, varieties (Classical and Vulgar), key grammatical features, role in literature and Christianity, and influence on Romance languages and modern te…

Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990): causes, course and consequences Lebanese Civil War A multi-sided conflict in Lebanon from 1975 to 1990 involving sectarian militias, Palestinian groups and regional powers; it reshaped Lebanon's politics, society and regional align…