Question

Original-language term or variant required. “Fayaz” and this word name tepes (“TEH-pehs”) that preserved Buddhist Gāndhārī writing near Termez. Scholars used “ilek” or this adjective to identify the Āl-i Afrāsiyāb dynasty, who patronized Yūsuf Balasaguni’s Kutadgu Bilig (“koo-TOD-goo BILL-ick”), built the Kalyan Minaret, and Islamized Khotan and Kashgar. This word (-5[1])and a (10[1])hat name a minority (10[1])whose autonomous republic contains “50 fortresses” occupied by (-5[1])the Khwarezmian (-5[1])Empire. This word identifies the Karluk “khanids” who ruled post-Samanid (-5[1])Transoxiana north of the Ghaznavids. (-5[1])Yēlǜ Dàshí’s (“yeh-loo dah-shurr’s”) Western Liáo (10[1])(“lee-ow”) are also called this sort (10[1])of Khitans. (10[1]-5[1])This (10[1]-5[1])Turkic adjective (10[1])describes the animals (10[1])grazed (10[1])by Jahan Shah’s confederacy before it was driven from modern Iraq by the rival Aq Qoyunlu (10[1]-5[1])Turcomans. For 10 points, what word for “black” is a prefix (10[2])in the names of the desert that contains Merv (10[3])and the main capital (10[1])of the Mongol Empire? (10[2])■END■ (10[3]0[3])

ANSWER: kara [or qara, k’ra, kora, khara, kālā, or gara; accept Karakorum, Karakum Desert, Kara Koyunlu, Qaraqoyunlular, Kara Khitai, Kālā Qìdān, Karakhanids, Kara-Khanid Khanate, Qarākhāniyān, Karakalpaks, Qaraqalpaqlar, Karakalpakstan, or Kara Tepe; prompt on black or hēi until “black” is read by asking “that is a translation of what non-English word?”] (Gāndhārī is also called Kharoshṭhī. The Kalyan Minaret is in Bukhara.)
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= Average correct buzz position