Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 1.djvu/458

Rh 422 A H A A H M Ahashverosh is the natural equivalent of the old Persian Khsha- yarsha, the true name of the monarch called by the Greeks Xerxes, as now read in his inscriptions ; (2.) That there is a striking simi larity of character between the Xerxes of Herodotus and the Ahasuerus of Esther ; (3. ) That certain coincidences in dates and events corroborate this identity, as, e.g., &quot;In the third year of his reign Ahasuerus gave a grand feast to his nobles, lasting one hun dred and eighty days (Esther i. 3) ; and Xerxes in his third year also assembled his chief officers to deliberate on the invasion of Greece (Herod, vii. 8). Again, Ahasuerus married Esther at Shushan in the seventh year of his reign ; in the same year of his reign Xerxes returned to Susa with the mortification of his defeat, and sought to forget himself in pleasure. Lastly, the tribute im posed on the land and isles of the sea also accords with the state of his revenue, exhausted by his insane attempt against Greece&quot; (Kitto s Cydopcedia, s.v. Ahasuerus). To this it may be added that the interval of four years between the divorce of Vashti and the marriage of Esther is well accounted for by the intervention of an important series of events fully occupying the monarch s thoughts, such as the invasion of Greece. It may be added that &quot;by the advocates of both views appeal is made, with more or less of confidence, to the names of the queens of the respective sovereigns ; Atossa, wife of Darius, answering to Hadassah, and Amestris, wife of Xerxes, to Esther (Esther ii. 7) ; and also to the number of gene rations, indicated in the genealogy of Hordecai from the deporta tion of the Jews into Babylon (Esther ii. 5 ; cf. Tyrwhitt, p. 95, with Rawlinson, Bampton Lect., p. 186). If, as seems probable, the name Ahasuerus is the transcription of the Persian Khshayarsha (written Hisiarsa in Babylonian) which, according to Sir H. Rawlin son, means &quot;venerable king&quot; (see Rawlinson s Her. iii. 363), then this name may be reasonably supposed to have been originally an appellative, and its application, especially by foreigners like the Jews, to different royal persons, is explained. AHAZ (literally Possessor), son of Jotham, and the eleventh king of Judah, reigned 1C years, from 741 to 725 B.C. He was the most weak-minded and corrupt of all the kings that had hitherto reigned over Judah. About the time of his accession, Pekah, king of Israel, and Rezin, king of Syria, had formed an alliance with the view of acquiring the kingdom of Judah by conquest. They in vaded the country, laid siege to Jerusalem, and carried away an immense number of captives, though they failed to secure their ultimate object. At the same time incur sions were made by the Edomites and Philistines, and Ahaz was fain to call in the aid of Tiglath-Pileser, king of Assyria, who destroyed the power of Syria, but took care to exact heavy tribute for the service thus rendered. Ahaz was even compelled to appear as a vassal at Damascus, and so to bring his kingdom to the lowest point of political degradation. In religion Ahaz was a heathen. He broke in pieces the vessels of the temple of God, and at last ventured to close its gates altogether. He sacrificed to Syrian deities, erected altars on which incense was to be offered, and caused his son to pass through the fire to Moloch. He was succeeded by his son Hezekiah. In the inscriptions of Tiglath-Pileser II., king of Assyria, Yahu- khazi Jahudai, that is, Joahaz or Ahaz of Israel, appears among the names of those who acknowledged his sovereignty and paid tribute. (Schrader s Die Keilinschriften und das Alte Testament.} AHAZIAH (lit. Whom tlie Lord sustains), son and successor of Ahab, and eighth king of Israel, reigned scarcely two years, from 897 to 896 B.C. He continued in the idolatrous practices of his father, worshipping Baal and Astarte. Upon his accession the Moabites revolted, and refused any longer to pay the tribute which had been exacted from them since the establishment of Israel as a separate kingdom. Before Ahaziah could take measures to subdue them, he was seriously injured by a fall from the lattice of an upper chamber in his palace. He immediately sent messengers to the oracle of * the god Baalzebub at Ekron to inquire the issue of his illness. While on their way they were met by Elijah the prophet, who bade them return and tell the king that he would surely die. AHAZIAH, son of Jehoram and Athaliah, daughter of Ahab, and sixth king of Judah, reigned one year, 885 B.C. Under the evil influence of his mother, he walked in the ways of Ahab s house, and was an idolatrous and wicked king. He was slain by Jehu, the son of Nimshi. AHENOBARBUS, the name of a plebeian Roman family of the gens Domitia, which rose in the course of time to considerable distinction. The name was derived from the red beard and hair by which many of the family were dis tinguished. The emperor Nero was of this family. AHITHOPHEL (lit. Brother of Foolishness, i.e., foolish), the very singular name of one of the sagest politicians in Old Testament history. In regard to his family rela tionships it is almost beyond doubt that he was the grand father of Bathsheba, and it has been suggested as probable that he was first introduced at court through this connec tion. He was one of David s most trusted counsellors, and his defection to the cause of Absalom was a severe blow to the king, who prayed that God would bring his counsel to &quot;foolishness,&quot; probably alluding to his name. David s grief at the desertion is expressed in Ps. xli. 9, Iv. 12-14. Ahithophel s advice was at first acceptable to Absalom s party, and probably laid down the policy which alone was likely to be successful ; but Hushai s counsel of delay, given in the secret interest of David, was ultimately adopted. Ahithophel s political foresight enabled him to see that this resolution would prove fatal to the rebel cause, and he at once returned to his home at Giloh, &quot;put his house hold in order, and hanged himself.&quot; This is the only case of deliberate suicide that is mentioned in the Old Testament. AHMAD ABAD, a district and city of British India, in the province of Gujrat, within the jurisdiction of the governor of Bombay. The DISTRICT lies between 21 4 and 23 5 N. lat., and between 71 2 and 73 25 E. long. It is bounded by the province of Katiwar on the N. and W., by the Mahi Kanta on the N. and E., by the Kaira collectorate on the E. and S., and by the gulf of Cain bay on the S. The area of the district is returned at 3844 square miles. The river Sabarmatl and its tributaries, flowing from north-east to south-west into the gulf of Cambay, are the principal streams that water the district. The north-eastern portion is slightly elevated, and dotted with low hills, which gradually sink into a vast plain, sub ject to inundation on its western extremity. With the exception of this latter portion, the soil is very fertile, and some parts of the district are beautifully wooded. The total population of Ahmadabad is returned at 829,637 souls, the average density, as compared with the area, being 216 to the square mile, and the proportion of females 891 to every 1000 males. About 86 per cent, of the popu lation are returned as Hindus, 10 per cent, as Mahome tans, and 4 as Buddhists. The percentage of persons of other denominations is infinitesimal, their total number being only 1237 souls. The hamlets for the most part consist of substantial houses of bricks and tiles, with only a small proportion of huts. Some of the larger villages contain houses with upper stories, and the general appearance of the inhabitants indicates prosperity. The principal agricultural products are rice, wheat, bajra, and cotton, with a little sugar-cane, tobacco, and oil-seeds. Silk manufacture forms an important industry of the city. The total revenue of the district in 1872 amounted to 152,344, of which 147,283 was derived from the land ; the total net expenditure on civil administration in the same year amounted to 21,700. The fiscal system consists for the most part of settlements direct with the husbandman, technically known as rayatwari ; but some villages are &quot;tdlukddri,&quot; in which the &quot;talukdar&quot; or landholder collects the revenue, and pays 70 per cent, of it to Government, retaining the remaining 30 per cent, for himself. The excise revenue is generally farmed out, but a government distillery exists in the city. The land settlement is fixed for a penod of thirty years, and expires in different parts of the district between the years 1884 and 1888. Seventy-live per cent, of the total area of the district is cultivable, of which 55 per cent, is actually under cultivation, the other 20 per c&amp;lt;&amp;gt;rit. remaining fallow. The principal marts in Ahmadabad are Dhollera, Gogp, Dholkd, and Viramgaon. Municipalities have been established in