AHMAD, SYAD ( ? – ? )
Of Bareli : a horseman under Amir Khan (q.v.) : went to Delhi, became a disciple of Shah Abdul Aziz, a famous devotee there : became a religious teacher and reformer, aiming at the restoration of pure Muhammadanism : went to Calcutta in 1821 : to Mecca, 1822 : to Bombay, 1823 : wrote the Incitement to Religious War, and opened a jihad against the Sikhs in 1826 : was killed in battle, and the movement terminated.
AINSLIE, WHITELAW (1766–1836)
Joined the E.I. Co's medical service in 1788, and served in Madras : in 1810 he was made Superintending Surgeon, and retired in 1815 : he wrote on cholera, fever, the Materia Medica of Hindostan, Materia Indica, and similar subjects : died April 29, 1836.
AIREY, SIR JAMES TALBOT (1812–1898)
Son of Lt-General Sir George Airey, and brother of Lord Airey : born Sep. 6, 1812 : entered the Army in 1830 : in 1841 he accompanied General Elphinstone (q.v.) to Kabul as his A. D. C. : in Dec. he was one of the hostages given up to Akbar Khan : they were released in Sep. 1842 : was present under McCaskill (q.v.) at Istalif : in the Gwalior campaign in 1843 : at Punniar : served in the Guards in the Crimea : C.B. : Colonel, 1859 : Lt-General and K.C.B. in 1877 : retired as General in 1881 : died Jan. 1, 1898.
AITCHISON, SIR CHARLES UMPHERSTON (1832–1896)
I.C.S. : born May 20, 1832, son of Hugh Aitchison, of Edinburgh : educated at the High School and University there : and at the University of Halle : passed in the first competitive examination, while Haileybury was being abolished : arrived in India in 1856 : he narrowly escaped the massacre of Emropeans at Hissar in 1857 : was Under Secretary in the Foreign Department of the Government of India, 1859–65, and, after some executive work, was Foreign Secretary, 1868–78. Sharing, as he did, the views of Lord Lawrence on questions of Central Asian and Afghan policy, he was strongly opposed to the measures which led to the second Afghan War of 1878–80. He was Chief Commissioner of British Burma from March, 1878, to July, 1880; Lieutenant-Governor of the Panjab, 1882–87; Member of the Supreme Council from April, 1887. to Nov. 1888 : also President of the important Public Service Commission in 1887–88 : K.C.S.I. in 1881, C.I.E. in 1882 : also LL.D. of Edinburgh and honorary M.A. of Oxford. He compiled the first edition of the Treaties, Engagements and Sunnuds, an authoritative work of reference, always quoted under his name : wrote also The Native States of India, and Lord Lawrence in the Rulers of India series : he died at Oxford Feb. 18, 1896.
AITKEN, EDWARD HAMILTON (1851–)
Son of the Rev. James Aitken, missionary. Free Church of Scotland : passed the B.A. and M.A. examinations of the Bombay University at the head of the list : Latin reader in the Dekkan College, 1880–6 : entered the Customs and Salt Department : writes under the name of E. H. A. : author of Tribes on my Frontier, Behind the Bungalow, The Naturalist on the Prowl, Five Windows of the Soul, Common Birds of Bombay : Chief Collector of Customs, Karachi.
AITKEN, ROBERT HOPE MONCRIEFF ( ? –1887)
Of the 13th Bengal N.I. : served in the Panjab campaign, 1848–9 : in the mutiny, at Lucknow, in the operations before Cawnpur, and in the Oudh campaign, 1858 : gained the V.C. for acts of gallantry during the defence of the Lucknow Residency : Inspr-General of Police in Oudh : Colonel 1876 : died Sep. 18, 1887.
AITKEN, WILLIAM (1846–)
Son of James Aitken, of Falkirk, N.B., educated at Edinburgh Academy and Heidelberg : entered the Royal Artillery, 1867, Captain in 1878 : in Afghan war, 1878–80 : in the Mahsud Waziri expedition, 1881 : Major, 1884 : served in the Burma expedition, 1885–87 : Brevet Lt-Colonel : in the Chitral Relief Force, 1895 : C.B. : Brevet Colonel, 1897 : served with the Malakand Field Force, and in the Mohmand and Buner expeditions, 1897–8 : commanded the Mountain Artillery, Rawul Pindi, Panjab, till 1899 :
