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DICTIONARY OF INDIA BIOGRAPHY

the Army, but only till 1790: started, 1802, on his voyage to India: attended by Henry Salt, his draughtsman and secretary: returned to England, 1806: published Voyages and Travels in India, the Red Sea, Abyssinia and Egypt, 1802–6, in 1809–11: was M.P., 1808–12: succeeded to the Irish peerage as second Earl of Mountnorres, on his father's death, 1816: died July 23, 1844.


VALIANT, SIR THOMAS (1784–1845)

Born 1784: entered the Army, 1804: Maj-General, 1844: in the campaign of 1805–6 in Gujarat and against Ranjit Singh of Lahore, 1809: while in the Afghan war, in command of the reserve of the Army of the Indus, Feb. 1839, he, in concert with Rear Admiral Sir F. Maitland, the Naval C. in C, took the fort of Manora, at the mouth of Karachi harbour: the town and fortress of Karachi surrendered the following day: served in Upper and Lower Sind: and at Quetta: commanded a Brigade at Maharajpur, 1843: severely wounded: C.B. and K.C.B., 1844: died April 22, 1845, while commanding the garrison at Fort William, Calcutta.


VAMBERY, ARMINIUS (1832–)

Educated at Pressburg and Constantinople: Professor of Oriental Languages, Pesth University: has travelled much in Central Asia and has defended British interests in his writings: author of Travels in Central Asia, 1864; Sketches of Central Asia, 1867; History of Bokhara, 1873; Central Asian Question, 1874; The Coming Struggle for India, 1885: C.V.O., and many foreign Orders.

VAN CORTLANDT, HENRY CHARLES (1815–1888)

General: son of Lt-Colonel Henry Clinton Van Cortlandt: born 1815: educated in England: was employed in the military service of the Sikh Government, under the Maharaja Ranjit Singh, from 1832: present at the assault and capture of Fort Chumaille in Hazara and occupation of other strongholds: in action against Amir Dost Muhammad at Pesha war, and the battle of Jamrud, 1832: co-operated with British troops in the Khyber Pass: in the Satlaj campaign, acted as Political Officer in the British service at Firozshahr and Sobraon: rejoined the Sikhs, and assisted Edwardes at Multan in 1848: at Kineyri and Sadusain: at the capture of Multan: on the annexation of the Panjab took civil employ: served in the mutiny: raised the Hariana Field Force: in several actions: brought the districts N.W. of Delhi into order, after the siege: C.B.: Commissioner of Multan: retired, 1868: died in London, March 15, 1888.


VANDELEUR, SIR JOHN ORMSBY (1763–1849)

Born 1763: son of Captain Richard Vandeleur: joined the 5th foot in 1781: Major in the Light Dragoons, 1794: served in Flanders and at the Cape: Lt-Colonel, 1798: to India, 1802: commanded a Brigade of Cavalry under Lake in the Mahratta war, 1803–5: at Laswari, Nov. 1, 1803, took 2,000 prisoners: at the defeat of Holkar at Fatehghar: and of Amir Khan at Afzalghar, 1805: returned to England, 1806: in the Peninsula: commanded the British Cavalry at Waterloo, and afterwards: K.C.B: G.C.B., 1833: Lt-General, 1838: died Nov. 1, 1849.


VANSITTART, HENRY (1732–1770)

Governor: born June 3, 1732: son of Arthur Vansittart: educated at Reading and Winchester: went out as a writer of the E. I. Co. to the Madras service, 1745: to Fort St. David, 1846: Factor at Fort St. George, 1752: became a friend of Clive: deputed to negotiate with the French E. I. Co., 1754–5: became Member of Council, 1759: in the defence of Madras, 1759: appointed Governor of Bengal, Nov. 23, 1759: assumed office, July 27, 1760: removed Mir Jafar, the Subadar of Bengal, from his position and substituted Mir Kasim, his son-in-law: had differences with his Council and the officials, regarding private trade: and hostilities with Mir Kas'm, reinstating Mir Jafar: returned to England, 1764: wrote Original Papers Relative to the Disturbances in Bengal, 1764, and A Narrative of the Transactions in Bengal from 1760 to 1764, 1766: M.P. for Reading, 1768: Director of the E. I. Co., 1769: deputed with Scrafton and Forde to enquire and report on Bengal: touched at Cape Town, Dec. 1769, and perished at sea, in the Aurora, (Falconer, the poet, and Pitcairn, the dis-