of Lahore : retired in 1843 : died near Toulouse, April 3, 1858 : a man of honour and high character, greatly respected.
VERELST, HENRY ( ? –1785)
Governor : grandson of Cornelius Verelst : went to Bengal in the service of the E. I. Co., about 1750 : was taken prisoner by the Nawab's force, 1757 : released after Plassy : Member of the Bengal Council : was in charge of Chittagong, 1761–5 : Member of the Select Committee in Bengal : in charge of Burdwan and Midnapur, 1765–6 : succeeded Clive as Governor of Bengal, Jan. 1767, to Dec. 1769 : friend of Clive : opposed to extension of sovereignty : after retirement, was impoverished by litigation resulting from his action in Bengal against mutinous and illegal conduct : mulcted in heavy damages : died at Boulogne, Oct. 24, 1785 : wrote, in reply to Bolts, A View of the Rise, Progress and Present State of the English Government in Bengal, 1772.
VIDYASAGAR, ISVAR CHANDRA (1820–1891)
Educationist, reformer, philanthropist : of a Kulin Brahmin family in reduced circumstances : educated at the Sanskrit College, Calcutta, where he distinguished himself : studied Hindu philosophy and law and obtained the title of Vidyasagar in 1839 : Head Pandit of the College of Fort William, and Professor, 1850 : Principal, 1851, of the Sanskrit College : during this period he mastered the English language. His first literary work was Betal Panchabinsati, 1846, remarkable for purity of style. In 1851, on the death of Drinkwater Bethune, the Bethune school was placed under his care, and he was associated with it for twenty years. In 1855 he was appointed, in addition. Inspector of Schools and established several girls' schools in Hughli and Burdwan. In 1858, in consequence of a difference of opinion with the Director of Public Instruction, he resigned his appointment : from 1864 he managed the Metropolitan Institution, Calcutta : Fellow of the Calcutta University in 1857. After leaving the public service, he continued to interest himself in educational questions, especially in female education. He laboured to break down, by legislation, the system of polygamy, but without success : he started the widow-marriage movement. Though persecuted for his reforming zeal, he never lost heart in his educational, social, and philanthropic efforts. He published numerous works, chiefly in Bengali, on education : his name will long be remembered by his countrymen. A carriage accident in 1865 gravely affected his health. He was made C.I.E. on Jan. 1, 1890. Honesty and independence were the chief features of his character. His advice was constantly sought by Government. He died July 29, 1891.
VIGNE, GODFREY THOMAS (1801–1863)
Son of Thomas Vigne : born 1801 : educated at Harrow : called to the bar at Lincoln's Inn, 1824 : travelled in America. 1831 : went to India, 1832, through Persia : visited Kashmir, Ladak, Afghanistan, saw the Amir, and wrote A Personal Narrative of a Visit to Ghazni, Kabul and Afghanistan, 1840; and Travels in Kashmir, 1842 : travelled in the W. Indies, Mexico and Nicaragua : died July 12, 1863.
VIVEKANANDA, SWAMI (1863–1902)
Born in Calcutta, 1863 : his original name was Narendra Nath Dutt : educated at the General Assembly's Institution : B.A. in 1884 : early became attached to Ramkrishna Paramhansa, a religious devotee : in 1890 went to Madras : in 1893 was sent by the Raja of Ramnad as Representative of Hinduism to the Parliament of Religions at Chicago, and made a great impression : in 1896 went to England and lectured on Vedantism : in 1897 returned to India, and made a tour through Almora, Kashmir, Lahore,Madras, discoursing on religion : in 1899 again went to England and the United States : founded in San Francisco a Vedanta Society : in 1900 returned to India, with broken health : died July 4, 1902, at Belur near Calcutta.
VIVIAN, HON. SIR ROBERT JOHN, HUSSEY (1802–1887)
Born 1802 : son of the first Lord Vivian : educated at Gosport : entered the E. I. Co.'s Madras Army, 1819 : in the Burma war of 1824–6 : at the engagements at Rangoon, Kemendine, Maloun, etc., : took Fort Nipani in Feb. 1841 : Adjt-General of the Madras Army, 1849–54 : was a Direc-
