Page:Dictionary of Indian Biography.djvu/18

 "a poet, antiquarian, and man of letters;" wrote a Narrative of a Journey from Herat to Khiva, Moscow and St.Petersburg, etc., and about Alexander the Great in the Panjab, etc.

ABBOTT, SAUNDERS ALEXIUS (1811–1894)

Maj-General: born July 9, 1811: son of Henry Alexius Abbott, merchant, Calcutta; educated privately and at Addiscombe; joined the Bengal Infantry in 1828: appointed, in 1836, Assistant in the Revenue Survey under Sir (q. v.): held Survey charges, 1838–42: present at Mudki, Dec. 18, 1845, bringing the reserves from Kasauli and Sabathu by forced marches: also as A.D.C. to Lord Hardinge at Firoz-shahr; dangerously wounded: Deputy Commissioner of Umbala, 1847: of Hoshiarpur, 1849: in charge there during the mutiny; Commissioner of Lucknow, 1858–63; Brevet-Major, 1846; Hon. A.D.C. to Governor-Generals, until he retired Sep. 1864: after retirement was Agent of the Sind, Panjab, and Delhi railway at Lahore for years, and after-wards on the Home Board of Direction: died at Brighton, Feb. 7, 1894. 

ABDUL HAK, SIRDAR DILER JUNG UL MULK (1853–96)

Son of a small hereditary chieftain in the Dekkan: joined the Bombay Government service before he was 20: in the police, captured a dangerous dakait: made C.I.E.: joined the Hyderabad service: Sir Salar Jung sent him to England to obtain an alteration in the guarantee which the Nizam had given on his State railway: for effecting this, he was handsomely rewarded: was given a mining monopoly in the Nizam's state, from which he made a personal profit of nearly a quarter of a million: but, after the publication of the facts in 1888, he suffered political downfall at Hyderabad: and strove in vain to regain his position in the Nizam's service: died May, 1896.

ABDUL LATIF, NAWAB BAHADUR (1828–1893)

Son of a leading pleader in the Sadr Diwani Court at Calcutta: born, March, 1828: educated at the Calcutta Madrasa: entered Government service in 1846: appointed a Deputy Magistrate in 1849: acted sometimes as Presidency Magistrate: Member of the Bengal Legislative Council for several years, and of the Calcutta Corporation: J.P.: on the Central Board of Examiners; Fellow of the Calcutta University: on the Income Tax Commission for Calcutta, 1861–5: founder and secretary, from 1863, of the Muhammadan Literary and Scientific Society, and several other public bodies: Nawab, 1880: C.I.E. 1883: Nawab Bahadur, 1887: often consulted by Government, as the most progressive and enlightened among the Muhammadans of Bengal, whose interests and aspirations he never ceased to urge: died 1893.

ABDUL MUSSEAH, REV. (? –1827)

Born at Delhi; his original name was Sheikh Salih: son of a learned man, a teacher: became a Munshi at Lucknow to Englishmen: served at the Oudh Court, and was a trooper under the Mahrattas: he turned to Christianity on hearing preaching at Cawnpur, and was baptized at Calcutta by Rev. (q. v.) in 1811, receiving his name Abdul Musseah; became in 1812 a catechist of the C.M.S., a teacher and preacher and writer of commentaries on Scripture, making converts: about 1820 he received Lutheran ordination, and undertook Missionary work, remaining at Agra till 1825: ordained by Bishop Heber as minister of the Established Church at Calcutta, 1825: died March 4, 1827.

ABEL, CLARKE (1780–1826)

Physician to Lord Macartney on the mission to China, and, as naturalist, made extensive collections, which were lost: also physician to Lord Amherst, when Governor-General: died in India, Nov. 24, 1826.

ABERCROMBY, SIR JOHN (1772–1817)

Son of Sir Ralph Abercromby: born 1772: entered the Army, 1786: served in Flanders, W. Indies, and as Military Secretary to his father in Egypt: seized in 1803 and imprisoned by Napoleon, to 1808: C. in C., Bombay, 1809: in command of the expedition for the capture Mauritius, 1810: C. in C, and temporary Governor at Madras, May 21, 1813, until Sep. 16, 1814: Lt-General, 1812: