BOHEMIA

western land of CzechoE.); bounded N. and_W. by Germany, 8. by Austria, E. by Moravia. Surface is undulating plateau with slight northern slope, surrounded by mountain ranges, N.E. by Riesengebirge, N.W. by Erzgebirge, S.W. by Bohemian Forest, S.E. by Bohemian and Moravian Mts.; drained by Elbe and tributaries, chief being Moldau, Iser, and Eger. Climate is genial in valleys, cold in upper districts. About one-third of surface forested; over half cultivated; chief crops, wheat, rye, barley, oats; flax, hops, fruit, beet produced; hops important for beer manufacture, and beet for sugar. The chief mineral is lignite; black coal, iron ore, silver, gold, antimony, zinc, tin, graphite, lead, sulphur also produced; manufactures in linen, silk, gloves, gla , buttons, bottles, porcelain. There are mineral springs at and road-rollers from U.K., tools from Germany. Cap. Prague. Area, 20,065 sq. m.; pop. 6.770,000, of whom over 5,000,000 are Czecho-Slovaks, the remainder Germans. History.—Early inhabitants of Bohemia were Celtic tribe called Boii, conquered by Marcomanni, Teutonic, tribe, ist cent. B.O. Other Teutonic tribes followed; ultimately Czechs, Slavonic tribe, subdued country about A.D. 450. Early history obscure; seems to have been divided into number of small states or princedoms, united for short time under Samo in 7th cent.; came into collision with Charlemagne in 8th cent., becoming tributary to him. Introduction of Christianity occurred in 9th cent. in reign of Borswog, prince of Premyslid dynasty, which ruled Bohemia for 600 years. Kingly title first bestowed on Wratislaws (1088). In 13th cent. Premysl Ottakar II. extended his dominions; joined Teutonic knights in crusade against Pru ia; defeated part of Italy; ultimately came into conflict with emperor, Rudolph of Hapsburg, by whom he was defeated and slain near March field (1278). With his grandson, Wenceslas JIII., the Premyslid dynasty came to an end (1306). From 1310 till 1437 Bohemia was ruled by kings of Luxembourg dynasty. John of Luxembourg, elected in 1310, went on crusade against heathen in Lithuania, when he lost his eyesight; killed at Crécy (1346). His son Charles (1846-78) founded Prague Univ.; became emperor (1349); i ued Golden Bull (1356), regulating election of Ger. king, His son, Wenceslas IV., was involved in struggles with nobles; caused St. John Nepomuk to be drowned, and John Hu , reformer, to be burned; period marked by religious wars, which continued in reign of Sigismund (1419-37), who persecuted Hu ites; became emperor; d. 1487; succeeded by Albert of Austria, after death of whose posthumous son George of Podebrand was chosen king (1458). George warred against Matthias Corvinus of Hungary; his succe or in 1471 was Ladislaus of Poland, in whose reign religious disputes were ended by Peace of Kuttenberg ee; Bohemia and Hungary united by his election to Hungary i an throne in 1490. Reign of Ladislaus’ son Louis marked by wars against Turks, who invaded Hungary under Solyman, defeating and killing king at Mohacz (1526). His brother-in-law, Archduke Ferdinand of Austria, elected 1526; subsequently had himself declared hereditary king; crushed revolt in Prague (1547); became emperor; introduced Jesuits in Bohemia; d. 1564. His son Maximilian, emperor and king of Bohemia, tolerated Reformation; and Maximilian’s son Rudolph granted Letter of Majesty in 1609, ensuring religious liberty; he was deposed and succeeded by his brother Matthais (1612), whose reign was marked by religious disputes. Matthias died without i ue, and his cousin Ferdinand (Emperor Ferdinand I1.), was elected king, but was presently deposed in favor of Frederick the Elector Palatine; whereupon Thirty Years’ War broke out. Ferdinand, aided by Bavaria, Spain, Poland, Italy, Saxony, defeated tor fled; Ferdinand reinstated; extirpated Protest an ism, and re-established Rom. Catholicism; suppre ed national privileges, promulgated a new constitution, established Hapsburg as hereditary dynasty in Bohemia, history of which henceforth follows that of Austria. (See AvusTria-~-HUNGARY.) On death of Charles VI. (1740), struggle took place between his daughter, Maria The res a, and Charles of Bavaria—former ultimately succe ful. Her son, Joseph II., pa ed Edict of Toleration and established many reforms. In 1848 occurred ‘a quickly suppre ed rising in favor of Bohemian independence, after _ whic h time there were constant struggles for supremacy between the Czechs and Germans, the former aiming at autonomy. During Great War Czechs and Slovak emigrants organized a Provisional Goyernment at Paris. Revolution on Oct. 28, 1918, and Republic of CzechoSlovakia proclaimed Nov. 14, 1918. Language and Literature.— Czech language belongs to Slavonic subdivision of Aryan group; alphabet has forty-two letters, ‘ch’ being only guttural sound; there are many inflections and prefixes, and few articles and auxiliaries. Earliest period of literature down to time of Hu is represented by various hymns, legends, didactic and satirical poems, trans. of Bible, and Chronicle of Dalimil. Various religious works were written by Hu and his followers, many of which are lost. Greatest age of Bohemian literature was 16th cent.; historian Hajek may be men- ‘tioned among writers of that time. Lit Brethren,’ among whom Comenius (15921670) wrote excellent works on educa- ‘tion. See Map CzecHo-sLovakIA. jan B.