Ajmere

a district and town in Rajpootana, India. The district (Ajmere Merwara), miles in length by 50 in breadth, has an area of square miles, and a pop. of about half a million, majority being Hindoos. Towards the E. the is flat or undulating, and produces cereals, maize, oil-sced, tobacco, and cotton. In the the Aravalli range presents rugged valleys, sandy deserts and occasional spots of fertility. cae aL coc eal eis THR PALACE OF AKBAR, AJMEBE, are no rivers of consequence and no manufac- The city is in the mountainous district on the Hill, and is surrounded by a stone wall five handsome gates. There are palaces built Akbar and Jehaugir, a venerable Dargab, and a Jaire temple. The Anasagar Lake, artificially supplies water. It is a clean and well-built and was founded in 145 a.p. by Aji, whose ruled independently, or as va als of till 1365. For two centuries the chiefs of and Marwar disputed its po e ion. Akbar conquered it, and the Moguls retained it till when the Mahrattas became its master. the British purchased the city in 1818. trade is principally in salt and opium, The for Rajputana has his residence here, and is a thriving college. Akabah, THE GuLF oF, is the E. bifurcation the Red Sea at its N. end. It extends for 100 with a breadth of 12 to 17 miles. The steep of Arabia Petrrea hem it in, and the Port, 29 miles E. of Mount Sinai, is the only harbour. Akabah, a village near its head, is to be the ancient Elath, and some ruins the sea close by are conjectured to mark the of Eziongeber. Akbar, JELL A LAD IN MOHAMMED, was born Sindh in 1542, and succeeded his father Humas Mogul Emperor in 1556. He found that realms were disorganised and his autharity 71 A Xempis. ( 68 impaired by revolts and disaffection. By conquest and by conciliatory methods he succeeded, during a long reign of nearly half a century, in consolidating the empire on a firmer basis than before. Justice, moderation, and sympathy, were the characteristics of his policy. He even had the strength of mind to cast aside Musulman bigotry and adopt a purer Deism. He was a liberal patron of literature and had many Sanscrit works, and perhaps the Gospels, translated into Persian. The misconduct of his two eldest sons, who died through intemperance, and the rebellion of the third, Selim, afterwards the Emperor Jehangir, embittered Akbar’s last days. He died at Agra in 1605, and was buried at Secundra. A Kempis, THoMAS, the author of De I mit at i one Christ i, was born at Kempen (whence he took his name) about 1380. The greater part of his life was spent in a monastery at Zwolle, near the Zuyder Zee. Here he became sub-prior in 1429 and remained there until his death in 1471. Some critics affirm that he was only the copyist of the Jmitatio Christ i, but it seems to be now agreed that he was actually the author of this, one of the most beautiful of devotional books. Akenside, Mark, poet and physician, was born at Newcastle-on-Tyne in 1721, his father being a butcher and a Di enter. He was educated at the Universities of Edinburgh and Leyden, and took the degree of M.D. in 1744, in which year he published his chief poem, “The Pleasures of the Imagination.” Pope had read it in manuscript and praised it, and Johnson highly commended the intellectual ability of the pvet and his skill in blank verse. By the generous help of Jeremiah Dyson the author started in medical practice at North amp ton, moving later on to Hampstead, then to Blooms bury Square, and lastly to Burlington Street. His vanity and overbearing disposition made enemies, but his undoubted abilities caused his speedy profe ional advancement. He became physician to St. Thomas's Hospital and to the Queen. Among other poetical works his Odes, and Epistles to War burton and Curio, deserve notice. He died of putrid fever in 1770. Smollett drew him in the character of “The Doctor” in Peregrine Pickle. Akers, BENJAMIN PAUL, an able American sculptor, born in Maine, 1825. He went to Rome in 1855 and spent some years there in study. His best works are busts of Everett and Long fellow, and a head of Milton. He died in 1861 at Philadelphia.