Page:Dictionary of Indian Biography.djvu/26

10  to the Marine Survey of India on board the Investigator, 1888–1892 : Super-intendent of the Indian Museum and Professor of Zoology in the Medical College, Calcutta, since 1893 : C.I.E. : author of A Naturalist in Indian Seas and numerous zoological monographs : Major. 

ALEXANDER, SIR JAMES ( ? - ? )

Entered the Bengal Artillery, 1820 : at capture of Bhartpur, 1825–6 : commanded the Artillery under Pollock in Afghanistan, 1842 : forced the Khyber Pass, at Tezin and Kabul : in the Gwalior campaign, at Maharajpur, 1843 : in the Satlaj campaign, 1845–6, at Badiwal, Aliwal, Sobraon : C.B. : K.C.B., 1871 General, 1872 : retired, 1887. 

ALEXANDER, SIR JAMES EDWARD (1803–1885)

Born Oct. 16, 1803 : son of Edward Alexander, of Powis : educated at Edinburgh, Glasgow and the R.M.C., Sand-hurst : to Madras as a cadet in 1820 : Adjutant of the bodyguard to Sir Thomas Munro, and served in the Burmese war of 1824 : left the E. I. Co.'s army in 1825, but saw much active service, with the Persian army, in the Balkans, Portugal, S. Africa, Canada, the Crimea, New Zealand : employed on Government expeditions in exploring and surveying in Central Africa and New Brunswick, for which he was knighted : took a leading part in the removal of 'Cleopatra's Needle' to England, 1867–77 : made C.B. in 1873, retired as Lt-General, and became General in 1881 : died April 2, 1885 : wrote Travels from India to England by way of Burma, Persia, Turkey, etc., 1827, and other works : was Knight Commander of the Lion and Sun : F.R.S. Edinburgh : F.R.G.S. : F.R.A.S. : F.S.S.A. 

ALI IBRAHIM KHAN, NAWAB ( ? –1793?)

Of Patna : "Daroga" of the Court at Benares, that is, President of the tribunal there, in the time of Warren Hastings' Governorship : besides a number of compositions, he compiled the Gulzar-i Ibrahim, described as an anthological biography of Hindustani poets, written 1772–1784 : he had a poetical name, Khatil : died 1793 or 1794. 

ALISON, SIR ARCHIBALD, BARONET (1826–)

General : son of Sir. A. A., the historian : born Jan. 21, 1826 : educated at Glasgow and Edinburgh Universities : entered the Army in 1846 : served in the Crimea; in the Indian mutiny he was Military Secretary to Sir Colin Campbell, then C. in C. in India ; lost his arm at the relief of Lucknow in Nov., 1857 : made C.B. : served in the Ashanti expedition in 1873–4 : made K.C.B. and later G.C.B. : Commandant of the Staff College, 1877 : Head of the Intelligence Department, 1878–8 : in the Egyptian campaign of 1882, commanded at Alexandria, and the Highland Brigade at Tel-el-Kebir : C in C. in Egypt, 1882–3 : commanded the Aldershot Division from 1883 : Adjutant-General, 1888 : retired from the Army, 1893 : member of the Council of India, 1889–1899 : wrote a number of articles in Blackwood's Magazine. 

ALIVERDI KHAN (1676?–1756)

Nawab Nazim of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa : son of Mirza Muhammad, a Turkoman employed at Delhi : entered the service of Nawab Shujauddin, governor of Orissa (son-in-law of Nawab Murshid Kali Jafar Khan) as a commander of troops : in 1726, Jafar Khan died, Shujauddin succeeded him as Nawab Nazim, and Aliverdi Khan became General of the Imperial troops : in 1729 he was appointed Governor of Bihar by Nawab Shujauddin, and, later, became free from any dependence on the Nizam of Bengal : in 1739 Shujauddin died, and was succeeded by his son, Sarfaraz Khan, Aliverdi continuing to be governor of Bihar : in 1740 Aliverdi quarrelled with the Nawab Sarfaraz, defeated and killed him in battle and seized the Nizamat : he was known in Bengal as Muhabat Jang. From 1741 the Mahrattas invaded Bengal, and their leader, Bhashkar Pandit, was inveigled by Aliverdi to a conference, and treacherously killed : the Mahratta raids spread consternation throughout Bengal, and, after fighting with them up to 1751, Aliverdi made peace by ceding Orissa to them and agreeing to an annual payment of 12 lakhs of rupees. Aliverdi allowed the English to protect themselves in 1742, by digging the Mahratta ditch round the Company's territory to stop the 