as Major, 1772, he marched against the Poligars of Madura and Tinnevelly: Lt-Colonel: captured, 1779, the French settlement of Mahe: took an active part in the war with Hyder Ali: in 1780, Colonel, and in command of the troops in Tanjore: his defeat by Tippoo near Annagudi in 1782 was a serious blow to the Southern Army: he himself was wounded and taken prisoner, but released on the conclusion of peace in 1784: held high command in the Madras Army, 1792: when war broke out with the French Republic, Brathwaite took Pondicherry, 1793: Maj-General in 1800.
BREEKS, JAMES WILKINSON (1830–1872)
I.C.S.: born March 5, 1830: arrived at Madras in 1849: was Private Secretary to the Governor of Madras, Sir W. Denison, 1861–64, accompanying him to Calcutta when he acted as Governor-General, between Lord Elgin and Sir John Lawrence. In 1867 Breeks was appointed Commissioner of the Nilgiris: in 1871 he was called upon to make collections of objects among the aboriginal tribes for the Indian Museum, Calcutta: he fell ill and died June 7, 1872: he wrote a valuable report on the tribes and sepulchral monuments of the Nilgiris, published under the editorship of his widow in 1873.
BRIGGS, HENRY GEORGE (1824–1872)
Born in Bombay, Oct. 20, 1824: son of Henry Briggs: travelled in S. Africa, 1843: in China, 1845: settled in Bombay, 1846, in the ofifice of Briggs & Co.: served in the Bombay Secretariat: went to Karachi: edited, 1854, the Sindian, and, 1855, the Sind Kossid, both long since defunct: became, 1856, Assistant Secretary at Bombay to the G.I.P. Railway: Secretary to the Bombay Municipality, 1860–2: was a merchant and agent at Bombay and Hingolee, 1863: he wrote, 1849, Cities of Gujdrashtra, a book of travel in Gujarat, containing curious information gleaned from travellers in India: of whose rare works he made an extensive collection: published The Parsis or Modern Zardushtians, 1852, which has now been superseded: wrote an historical account of the Nizam, 1861, a valuable work containing special information. His firm failed in the share mania of 1865; he travelled in Gujarat, and settled in Calcutta, entering the P.W.D. there: in May, 1872, he went again to Bombay; died there July 4, 1872.
BRIGGS, JOHN (1785–1875)
Entered the E.I. Co.'s Madras Army in 1801: served in the Mahratta wars: accompanied Sir J . Malcolm on his mission to Persia, 1810: became Resident at Satara, and in 1831 was Senior Member of the Board of Administration of Mysore: resigned in 1832, and was Resident at Nagpur, 1832–5, when he retired: Maj-General, 1838. As Member of the Court of Proprietors of the E.I. Co., he opposed Lord Dalhousie's policy: he translated Ferishta's Muhammadan Power in India and the Siyar-ul-muta' akhkhirin from Persian into English: was F.R.S.: died April 27, 1875.
BRIGHT, JOHN (1811–1889)
Born Nov. 16, 1811: son of Jacob Bright, of Rochdale: educated there and at Ackworth, York, Newton: joined his father in managing mills, travelled, and entered politics: co-operated with Cobden against the Corn Laws: M.P. for Durham, 1843; for Manchester, 1847, 1852; for Birmingham, 1857–85: in his political life he paid special attention to India: in 1848, was Chairman of the Committee, for which he moved, to inquire into the obstacles to the cultivation of cotton in India: helped to raise a fund for a private Commission of inquiry: opposed the renewal of the Charter of the E. I. Co. in 1853: spoke, 1853, strongly in favour of making the Government of India a Department of the Government, with a Minister of State and a Council: in the discussions on the transfer of the Government of India to the Crown, in 1858, and again in 1879, he advocated a policy of decentralization, by the substitution of federated Provincial Governments for a Central Government: urged, in 1859, the reduction of military expenditure in India: declined to be Secretary of State for India, 1868, being unwilling, as a Quaker, to be mixed up with military matters: advocated developments of India by public works and canals, 1878–9: spoke against the Afghan war of 1878–80: D.C.L., 1886: died March 27, 1889: his general career in Parliament, his share in English politics, and his eloquent speeches, need not be dwelt upon here.
