father, Aga Ali Shah, as head of Ismaili Muhammadans : has many religious followers in East Africa, Central Asia and India : attended the Coronation (1902) as guest of the English nation : K.C.I.E. 1898 : G.C.I.E. 1902 : Member of the Governor General's Legislative Council : has the Zanzibar and Prussian Orders.
AGNEW, PATRICK ALEXANDER VANS (1822–1848)
I.C.S. : son of Lt.-Colonel P. Vans Agnew, a Director of the E.I.Co : educated at Haileybury : arrived in India in 1841 : Assistant to the Superintendent of the Cis-Satlaj States, and at Sobraon in 1846 : after political work connected with Kashmir was assistant to the British Resident at Lahore : was sent in 1848 with Lt.Anderson to Multan, to introduce both a change in the personnel of the native Government and new fiscal arrangements : they were treacherously attacked on April 20, 1848, wounded and subsequently murdered by Mulraj's retainers, with his knowledge : this outrage led to the second Sikh War of 1848–9, after which the Panjab was annexed.
AGNEW, SIR WILLIAM FISCHER (1847–1903)
Son of General Agnew, of the Indian Staff Corps : called to the bar at Lincoln's Inn, 1870 : joined the bar of the Calcutta High Court : edited, from 1877, the Indian Law Reports, Calcutta : was Law Lecturer, Presidency College, 1879 : Recorder of Rangoon, 1884—1900, officiating in 1885–6 as a Judge of the Calcutta High Court : knighted, 1899 : retired in 1900 : edited several books on Indian Law : died Dec. 26, 1903.
AHLIA BAI ( ? –1795)
Wife of Khandi Rao Holkar, (who died 1754), son of Malhar Rao Holkar, of Indore. On the latter's death, in 1765, Mali Rao, son of Khandi and Ahlia, succeeded to the throne, but died in 9 months. Then Ahlia assumed the government, chose Takaji Holkar as her minister, and ruled till her death in 1795. She transacted business daily, unveiled, in open darbar from 2 p.m : had great ability and character, was deeply religious, and governed admirably.
AHMAD KHAN, SIR SYAD, KHAN BAHADUR (1817–1898)
Educational reformer : born Oct. 17, 1817, at Delhi, of a noble family : his ancestors came into India from Central Asia, and held high office under the Mogul Emperors : he entered Government service in 1837 and rose to be a subordinate Judge in the N.W.P. In the mutiny he rendered faithful service to the British at Bijnur, saving their lives : he wrote a pamphlet in Urdu on the causes of the mutiny. He was devoted to antiquarian research and was a Member of the Royal Asiatic Society : in 1864 he formed a Translation Society at Ghazipur (afterwards moved to Alighar) and had several valuable English works translated into Urdu. He visited England in 1869, and left his son (afterwards Mr. Justice Mahmud of the Allahabad High Court), to be educated at Cambridge. He wrote a reply to Sir W. W. Hunter's work on The Indian Musalmans—are they bound in Conscience to rebel against the Queen? In 1876 he retired from Government service, and in 1877 commenced the Anglo-Oriental College at Alighar. He was a Member of the Legislative Council, N.W.P. and an Additional Member of the Governor General's Legislative Council, 1878–1882 : was made a K.C.S.I. in 1888 : a man of extreme courtesy combined with personal dignity : to his College he devoted his whole energy and means : died March 27, 1898 : wrote Archaelogical History of Delhi 1847 : F.R.A.S. 1864.
AHMAD SHAH ABDALI, or DURANI ( ? –1772)
Son of an Afghan chief of the tribe of Abdal, near Herat : held a command under Nadir Shah : after whose death, in 1747, he attacked the Persians, seized Kandahar, Kabul and Lahore : in 1748 he attacked the Moguls in Hindustan : returned to Kabul, but, in 1757, came down on Delhi and Agra, plundered Mathura and returned to Kandahar : about 1758, in response to an invitation from India, he advanced against the Mahrattas, then in great power, and defeated them at Panipat, Jan. 1761 : returned to Kabul : again invaded India in 1767 : returned to Afghanistan with little success, but some plunder : died 1772, succeeded by his second son, Timur Shah.
