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AHMEDABAD—AIDE-TOI
ET LE CIEL T’AIDERA.
amidships, an-end, apeak, ashore, astern, atrip, avast,
a-weather, a-weigh. Such of these terms as seem
to require it, will be found briefly explained under
their proper headings.
AHMEDABA'D, or more properly AHMADA-
BAD, the chief town in the district of the same
name, in the Presidency of Bombay, is situated on
the left bank of the Sabermutty, which flows nearly
due south into the Gulf of Cambay. It was built
in the year 1412, by Ahmed or Ahmad Shah, and
underwent all the vicissitudes of government incident
to the cities of Hindustan, till the year 1818, when
it finally came under the power of the British. It
was formerly one of the largest and most magni-
ficent capitals in the East—in the opinion of a
native writer, ¢the handsomest city in Hindustan;
perhaps in the world” TIts architectural relics are
gorgeous, even in the midst of decay. The Jumna
or Juma’ah Masjid, or Great Mosque, rises from
the centre of the city, and is adorned by two
superbly decorated minarets, ¢each of which con-
tains a circular flight of steps, leading to a gallery
near the summit. Its domes are supported by
lofty columns, regularly disposed; the concave of
these cupolas is richly ornamented with mosaic
and fret-work. The pavement is of the finest
marble.” The mosque of Sujaat Khan is extremely
elegant. There is likewise an ivory mosque, which
has obtained that name from the circumstance, that
although built of white marble, it is ¢ curiously lined
with ivory, and inlaid with a profusion of gems,
to imitate natural flowers, bordered by a silver
foliage on mother-of-pearl.” There are also the Fire
Temple and the Tower of Silence of the Parsis. A.
once abounded in gardens, aqueducts, reservoirs,
&e. ; but these, especially the gardens, are now sadly
defaced and injured. Its prosperity has been almost
wholly destroyed by the rapacity of the Mahrattas,
although at one time it was famous for its manu-
facture of rich fabrics of silk and cotton, articles of
gold, silver, steel, and enamel. ‘It employed many
artists in portrait-painting and miniatures,” and had
extensive trade in indigo, cotton, and opium. The
old city-walls, built in 1485, which had in the course
of ages, and through the assaults of enemies, become
very dilapidated, were repaired in 1834 at an expense
of 250,000 rupees, and water conveyed from the river
through the city by means of pipes. It is distant
from Bombay 290 miles north ; in lat. 23° N, long.
72° 36'. Pop. 130,000.
AHMEDNU'GGUR, or AHMADNUGGUR, an
important town in the Presidency of Bombay. It
was founded in 1494 by Ahmad Nizam Shah.
During the reign of his son, Boorhan Nizam Shah,
it reached a high degree of prosperity; but after
his death, it witnessed an incessant series of wars,
confusions, and murders. In 1797, it fell into the
hands of the Mahrattas; and in 1803 was sur-
rendered, after a trivial resistance of two days, to
General Wellesley. It was, however, shortly after
restored to the Peishwa; but in 1817, the fort
was again occupied by the British. The town has
increased rapidly since it came under British pro-
tection and rule. It possesses a most singular
defence, in addition to its wall ; this consists of an
‘immense prickly-pear hedge about 20 feet high,
which is so full of sap that no fire will kindle it, and
80 vigorous that it is almost impossible to force one’s
way through it.” A. contains an English church, a
dhurmsalah (or place of entertainment for travellers)
capable of holding 250 persons. It also possesses a
good supply of water by means of aqueducts. It is
distant from Bombay 122 miles east, in lat. 19° 6/,
long. 74° 46". There are several places of the same
name in Hindustan.
A'HRIMAN (in the Zend, afilro mainyus, i.e.,
the malignant, destroying spirit) is, according to the
dualistic doctrine of Zoroaster, the personification
of malignity, the original source of all moral and
physical evil, the chief of the devils and malignant
spirits, the king of darkness and of death, and
consequently the efternal enemy and opponent of
Ormuzd and of his kingdom of light. See
ZOROASTER.
AI'DE-DE-CAMP, an officer who may be re-
garded as a kind of superior confidential attendant
upon a general in active service. The A. is the
organ of the general. He carries all orders on the
field of battle : these he is to deliver in the plainest
terms, so as to be distinctly understood ; and when
so understood, the orders are to be as implicitly
obeyed as if the general himself were present and
speaking. As an example of the importance of this
matter, may be adduced the brilliant but disastrous
light-cavalry charge at Balaklava in the autumn of
1854. Lord Raglan sent a message, partly verbal
and partly written, to the Earl of Lucan, concerning
a particular piece of strategy at a certain time and
place ; the message was misconceived, and the Earl
of Cardigan was directed to make a military move-
ment, perfectly hopeless in its character, resulting
in a very serious cavalry loss; although the inci-
dent presented a fine display of heroism united
with discipline. An A. also acts as secretary to
the general, and assists him in his correspondence.
He aids likewise in dispensing the courtesies of the
general’s house or tent. Generals are much accus-
tomed to appoint their sons or other relations to this
confidential post. The Aides-de-camp vary from
one to four in number, according as the commander
is a brigadier-general, major-general, lieutenant-
general, general, or field-marshal. Before an officer
can be appointed as A., he must have been two
years with his regiment. Aides-de-camp are not
to be full effective officers of regiments; but they
usually have the rank of captain. Besides these
Aides-de-camp to generals, the Queen has the power
to appoint any number of Aides-de-camp to herself,
in her capacity of nominal head of the army. There
are no particular duties attached to the office; but
it is much sought after, both as an honour, and as
conferring on the holder the rank of colonel in the
army. The post is intended as a reward for deserv-
ing officers, but is not always conferred without
favouritism. There is a limited number who receive
daily pay as Aides-de-camp, and who take it in
turn to attend the Queen on state occasions;
but the others receive no direct emolument. In
the year 1858 there were no fewer than thirty-
five military Aides-de-camp to the Queen, of whom
six were peers of the realm, and one a prince of a
German royal, or rather ducal house. In addition
to all the above, there are naval Aides-de-camp to
the Queen, of whom there were ten in the year 1858;
besides two belonging to the Royal Marines.
AIDE-TOI ET LE CIEL T AIDERA. (Help
yourself, and Heaven will help you). This moral
aphorism was the cry of certain French political
writers to the middle classes, about the year 1824,
and became the watch-word and title of a society,
having for its object to agitate the electoral body in
opposttion to the government. This, however, was
to be done by means strictly legitimate, and chiefly
by correspondence and political publications. Most
of its founders and active members belonged to the
party of Doctrinaires (q. v.), as Guizot, who was
president for some time, Duchatel, Duvergier de
Hauranne, Dubois, Remusat, Thiers, Cavaignac,
&e. Le Globe newspaper was the organ of the
association, and afterwards Le National. It had
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