AHMED SHAH, vide TAMER- | out to India in 1506, in command

took the expedition and captured | ALEXANDER THE GREAT, Malacca. Here he erected a strong King of Macedonia, son of Philip, fort, coined money, established by Olimpius, daughter of Neoptolaws, conciliated the natives and lemus, King of Epirus, was born founded the Portuguese power as B. c. 356. He was educated under strongly at Malacca as he had Lysimachus and Aristotle, and done at Goa. He returned to Goa while very young gave proofs of in 1512, having had a most tem- his unconquerable spirit, one of pestuous voyage on which he which was the breaking in of his was shipwrecked and nearly lost. fiery steed, Bucephalus. AlexanDuring his absence, Goa was again der was devotedly attached to his besieged by the Zamorin and Idal- mother, and took her part when can, but Albuquerque soon estab- the disputes arose which led to lished his sway again and fixed the her divorce from Philip. Philip Portuguese influence on a sure was assassinated, when making footing from Cape Comorin to Goa. preparations for an invasion of The desire of the Portuguese Court Asia, and Alexander succeeded to was still to prosecute the war in the throne in his 20th year. After the Red Sea, with the object of subduing a rebellion in Greece, destroying the existing Indian which arose on his succession, and trade with Egypt and monopolise winning several other victories, he it. In 1513, Albuquerque sailed marched against Persia and defor Aden, in trying to reduce feated Darius, its king. He next which place he was repulsed. He formed the vast design of conquerthen entered the Red Sea, com- ing India, and after a perilous manding the first European fleet march, reached the Indus, B. C. which ever entered it, but various 330, which he crossed at Attock, disasters compelled him to return after having subjugated Cabool. to India without accomplishing his India was at this time ill-prepared designs. Albuquerque after this to contend with this mighty confailure, vowed never to cut his queror's legions, for it was divided beard till he had regained Ormuz, into a host of petty principalities. and it is said that he wore it till Alexander sent envoys into the he could knot it to his girdle. He Punjaub to demand the submismade a second attempt in 1515 sion of her princes. Abissares with success. He here fell sick, sent his brother with rich presents and on his return to Goa, the ti- to conciliate him. Taxiles enterdings of his recall reached him, tained him at his capital, Taxila, which accelerated his disease. He most hospitably, but Porus, who died on the 16th of December 1515, ruled countries extending as far in the sixty-third year of his age. as Hustinapore, or Delhi, made a His body was buried at Goa, in most determined resistance to try the Church of Our Lady,' which and check the onward career of he had built. Fifty years after, Alexander, and massed his forces his bones were conveyed to Portu- on the banks of the Jelum. The gal. His tomb used to be fre- hostile camps were planted on quented by the natives, who loved each side-that of Porus presenthis just and humane rule and ing a most formidable appearance, prayed for help against the injus- with a long line of elephants. The tice of his successors. river, swollen with the periodical

freshes, checked Alexander for a short time, but he discovered an island ten miles above the camp, and taking advantage of a dark and stormy night, he crossed to the opposite bank with 11,000 men. The main body of his army in the meantime was drawn up in its original position. Thus Porus was lead to believe that only a small brigade had effected a crossing. He sent a detachment to meet it, which was speedily routed, and only then did Porus know of the reality of his position. He prepared to meet him with 4,000 horse and 30,000 foot, but Alexander's small army was composed of veterans, who never knew what defeat was, and they were led by that invincible Chief himself. Porus obstinately contested the field, but the greater portion of his troops deserting him, he was compelled to yield. Alexander most magnanimously admired his courage, and not only restored his kingdom, but added to it, and Porus ever after remained faithful to his generous victor.

campaigns, refused to proceed further. He then retraced his steps to the Jelum, on the banks of which he had built two cities, Nicæa and Bucephala, (the latter named in memory of his famous horse, who died there of age and wounds), constructed a fleet and sailed down the Indus. The voyage occupied nine months, as he had to contend with enemies at certain points. In one of these fights he was wounded, by an arrow entering his chest. He built a city and harbour at the estuary of the Indus and fitted out a large fleet, which he entrusted to his admiral Nearchus. While a portion of his troops were conveyed in it to the Persian gulf, Alexander marched with the remainder to Babylon. At Susa, he rested his army and endeavoured to cement a permanent union between the conquered and the conquerors by inter-marriage. He himself married a daughter of the defeated Darius, and 80 of his officers and 10,000 soldiers took Asiatic wives. After having quelled a mutiny in his army, and dismissed 10,000 of his veterans who wished to return home, he marched on to Babylon, where he began to make preparations of great magnitude for furAlexander continued his con- ther undertakings in Arabia and quering career to the banks of the Persia, but he was cut off by a Sutlej, where he heard of the great fever in the 13th year of his eventGangetic provinces ruled by Mu-ful reign and the 33rd of his life, gudu, who it was said could bring 30,000 cavalry, 600,000 foot, and 9,000 elephants into the field. Alexander was anxious to measure himself with him, and decided upon advancing on his magnificent capital Palibothra, (for an interesting account of the site of which, see Asiatic Journal, vols. IV to VII), but his troops, wearied out with the hardships of eight

Alexander's next onslaught was on the Cathians, who fought desperately. After great slaughter they were defeated and their territory was given to Porus.

May 323, B. C. His body was embalmed and taken to Alexandria, a city he had founded, which is at this lapse of time still the high road from Europe to the East. Plutarch, Arrian, Curtius, Diodorus. Justin and many others, all make mention of his wonderful exploits.

Alexander the Great. On the route of. Lond. As. Trans., vol. i,

ALI-ALM

148-199.-Court on exploits of,on western bank of the Indus. Bl. As. Trans., vol. viii, 304.-March of. As. Jl., 1837, vol. xviii.-Battle betwixt and Porus. Abbot on. Ibid, vols. xvii, xviii.-Expedition of, into the East, illustrated from the campaigns in Afghanistan. H. T. Prinsep on. As. Jr. 1843, 628.Reputed descendants of, in the valley of the Oxus. Sir A. Burnes on, Bl. As. Trans., vol. ii, 307.” ALIM-GIR, II, vide TAMERLANE.

ALIVERDI, a general of Sujah Khan's, succeeded him on his death, as Nabob of Bengal, after defeating Suffraze Khan, the only surviving son of the late Nabob. At the instigation of Nizam-ulMulk, a Mahrattah force of 80,000 attacked Aliverdi, with a view of checking further conquests. By a treacherous assassination, Aliverdi put an end to the life of its general and the army retired. But after a series of continual incursions which were harrassing his subjects and exhausting his treasury, he in 1751 agreed to pay chout to the Mahrattahs to the extent of 12 lacs of Rupees (£120,000) a year. He died on the 9th of April 1756, and was succeeded by SURAJ-A-DOWLAH.

ALMEIDA, FRANCISCO, was the first Portuguese Viceroy of India. On the 25th March 1505, he sailed from Lisbon to fill this important post. Barros says, " His embarkation was the most brilliant that had ever taken place in Portugal. His force consisted of 1,500 men, all belonging to very respectable families; many of them were noblemen of the king's household, all anxious to serve under so distinguished a leader." He reached Quilon on the 22nd of July of the same year.

5

Though his intentions were peace-
ful, Ibrahim the Moorish king of
that city fled, so Almeida gave the
crown to Mahommed Anconni.
He next proceeded to Mombaza,
which he destroyed, and then to
Cannanore, where he received an
embassy from the king of Bijia-
nugger, who proposed a treaty of
alliance, and offered his own
daughter in marriage. He here
erected a fortress and made a

shipment of spices, in eight vessels,

way home diswhich on their covered the Island of Madagascar. His son, Lorenzo (vide ALMEIDA, Lorenzo) was engaged in the naval expedition against the Soldan of Egypt; his defeat and death induced Almeida to avenge the Portuguese cause, and though re-called, he sailed to Onar, burnt some vessels of the king of Calicut, took the town of Dabul and destroyed it, and then engaged the Egyptian fleet, near Diu, in the kingdom of Cambay and gained a complete victory over it. Almeida surrendered his government to Albuquerque (vide ALBUQUERQUE) in 1509, and returned to Portugal. In an affray with the natives at Jaldanha Bay on the coast of Africa, where he stayed to get a supply of water, he was killed by the thrust of a spear into his throat by a native.

ALMEIDA, LORENZO, the son of Don Francisco Almeida, was a Naval Commander, who served under his father, the first Portuguese Viceroy in India. He made the first establishment in Ceylon, and took the Maldive Islands.

He next distinguished himself in an encounter with the Egyptian squadron in 1506 in the port of Chaul. The two squadrons fought equally and bravely, and when

night came, some of Lorenzo's | barren island which had always officers advised him to cross the been considered a part of the E. I. bar and put to sea, but though Company's territories. On this wounded, he refused to do so, as island, the Burmese put to death he considered it a cowardly act. and drove off the survivors of a On the Portuguese squadron sail- feeble detachment of the Coming out next morning, Lorenzo's pany's sepoys who had been placed vessel was the last, and the enemy there to assert their rights. Lord directed their fire against her in Amherst remonstrated, after havparticular. She got separated from ing sent a force, who dislodged the squadron and the enemy fired the Burmese. The remonstrance on her mercilessly. Though urged made for the continuance of peace, by his men to save himself in a was considered by the Burmese boat, the gallant Lorenzo would Government as a symptom of fear not abandon them. A shot carried and dread on the part of the off one of his legs; he then ordered British to encounter their troops. his men to tie him to the mast, The insults became aggravated. where he continued to cheer and An army was sent (vide MUHA encourage them till another shot BUNDOOLA) to Arracan "with blew away the left side of his orders to expel the English from chest. The vessel then stranded, Bengal." Lord Amherst finding was easily boarded by the enemy, that all attempts to maintain peace and the crew were carried away were unavailing, declared war on captives. the 24th of February 1824. The details of this campaign so disasAMHERST, WILLIAM PITT, Earl, trous at first, belong to history. was born in 1773. In 1816 he was It is not the declaration of the sent as Ambassador extraordinary war, but its conduct that deserves to China, where he refused to censure. It was the most ill-arsubmit to the degrading cere-ranged and reckless campaign that monies insisted on by the Court was ever attempted in India, and of Pekin, and thus caused his to the military authorities then mission to be fruitless. He was in office the blame must be attachappointed Governor-General of ed. Thousands of British troops India in 1823, and assumed the fell,-not on the battle field, but reins of government in August of in camp, from the effects of bad that year. The chief events of his accommodation, scanty and unadministration were the Burmese wholesome provisions and miasma. war, the mutiny at Barrackpore, After a duration of two years the and the capture of Bhurtpore, his war ended in the entire defeat and policy through which will here be subjugation of the Burmese at a briefly detailed. cost of thirteen crores of Rupees set off by the cession of Assam, Arracan and Tennasserim, and the payment of one crore of rupees. A great outcry was unjustly raised in England against Lord Amherst, and he had to draw up an elaborate defence of his proceedings, but the greatest statesmen in India pro

For several years before the first Burmese war arose, the Burmese were extending their conquests towards the British territories of Bengal, and their menacing attitude culminated in the seizure of Shahpoore at the southern boundary of the Chittagong district, a