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NAAMAN. Biblical character. Syrian general cured of leprosy by following the advice of the prophet Elisha. He then adopted the Jewish relition (2 Kings 5).
NABONIDUS. Babylonian king. The last independent ruler of Babylon. His life was spared on the capture of Babylon by Cyrus of Persia in 538 B.C.
NABOTH. biblical character. He refused to part with his vineyard which adjoined the palace of king Ahab, whereupon the queen Jezebel had him and his sons executed on a charge of blasphemy (1 Kings 21).
NACHTIGAL, Gustav (1834-85) German Explorer. He was sent on a mission to the sultan of Bornu in 1869. From there he explored the Central Sahara and reached Khartum in 1874. In 1884 he explored the west coast of Africa and explored Togoland and the Cameroons.
NADIR (1688-1747). Shah of Persia. He entered the service of Tahmasp II, shah of Persia, and deposed him in 1732, proclaiminhg himself regent for the minor Abbas III. When he died in 1730 he seized the throne. He was victorious against Afghanistan and Bokhara, invaded India seizing Delhi in 1739 and carried away the Koh-i-Nur diamond and the Peacock throne. He was assassinated in 1747.
NADIR SHAH (1880-1933). King of Afghanistan. He defeated Habibullah in 1929 being proclaimed king. His efforts to civilise his country were cut short by his assassination.
NAEGLI, Karl Wilhelm Von (1817-91). Swiss botanist. Professor of botany at Freiburg in 1852 and Numich in 1858. He specialised in the microposic study of plants and made many important discoveries, notably that of protoplasm.
NAHUM. Biblical character. One of the minor prophets in the 7th century B.C. His book consists of predictions of the fall of Nineveh, which took place in 606 B.C.
NAIR, Sir Sankaran. public prosecutor in madras, 1899, then promoted to the high court bench. Knighted in 1912, 1915 became a member of the viceory's executive. A member of the India council, 1919-21, then becoming adviser to the Indore state and Chairman of the Indian central committee in 1928.
NAIRNE, Carolina, Baroness (1766-1845). Scottish poet. Married William later Baron Nairne in f1806. Wrote nearly 100 ballads some of them adaptations of old favourites. They were issued in volume form in 1846 as Lays from Strathearn. She was known for her beauty as the Flower of Strathearn.
NANA SAHIB. Indian revolutionary. He was the adopted son of the last Mahratta peshwa Baji Rao. When the British refused to continue his father's pension after his death in 1853 he fomented discontent in the disaffected parts of India, and on the outbreak of mutiny he ordered the massacre at Cawnpore. When the mutiny was suppressed he fled to Nepal where he was reported to have died.
NANSEN, Fridtjof (1861-1930). Norwegian explorer. Went to Greenland in 1882 to obtain zoological specimens and on his return was appointed curator of the natural history museum at Bergen. He crossed the Greenland ice-field from east to west, described in The First Crossing of Greenland, 1890. The time he spent among the inhabitants of west Greenland was recorded in his book Esquimo Life, 1893. In 1895 leaving from the New Siberia Islands he made a dash for the north pole reaching 86 degrees 14' North, the farthest point then attained. Farthest North, was published in 1897 along with various scientific articles on arctic conditions. From 1905 he took part in politics, especially in the separation of Norway from Sweden and was the first Norwegian ambassador to England resigning in 1908. He was director of the international scheme for repatriating prisoners of the Great War in 1920, professor of oceanography at Christiania University, and in 1921 high commissioner for Russian famine relief. Other books include In Night and Ice, 1897; Norway and the Union with Sweden, 1905, and Spitzbergen, 1922. Sporting Days in Wild Norway, 1925.
NAOMI. Biblical character. The wife of Elimelech, of Bethlehem-Judah, she lost her husband and two sons in the land of Mobab, where the family had fled through famine. On returning to Israel, she told people due to her many sufferings, that she be called Mara (bitter) rather than Naomi which means pleasant. (Book of Ruth).
NAOROJI, Dadabhai (1825-1917). Indian politician. Professor of mathematics and natural philosophy at Elphinstone College, Bombay 1854-55. Went to England and was Liberal M.P. for Holborn, 1892-95, the first Indian to sit in the House of Commons. President of the Indian national congress in 1886 and 1893. Published Poverty and Un-British rule in India, 1901.
NAPHTALI. Biblical character. The 6th son of Jacob, he gave his name to one of the ten northern tribes of Israel.
NAPIER Baron, Sir Archibald Napier. 9th Baron Merchiston (1576-1645). Experimented with agriculture. Followed James I to England in 1603, became lord of session in 1623 and was created Baron Napier of Merchiston in 1627.
NAPIER, Robert Cornelis Napier, 1st Baron (1810-90). British soldier. He was chief engineer at the siege of Multan in the 2nd Sikh war, 1848, then became chief engineer of the Punjab. During the Indian mutiny, he planned the attack on Lucknow. He commanded the Abyssinian expedition of 1867 and his success in storming Magdala won him a peerage as Baron Napier of Magdala. Commander-in-chief of India 1870-76.
NAPIER, Sir Charles (1786-1860) British admiral. In 1833 he was given command of the Portuguese fleet in opposition to Dom Miguel, whose squadron he defeated. He was hailed as the liberator of the country and raised to the Portuguese peerage, but resigned when his proposals for naval reform were rejected. He commanded the troops ashore on the Syrian coast in 1840 and was knighted for the capture of Acre, where he was second-in-command. His command of the Baltic Fleet in 1854 was only partially successful.
NAPIER, Sir Charles James (1782-1853) British soldier. He served in the Peninsular campaign in 1782, being wounded and captured at Corunna. After service in the United States in 1813 he was appointed inspecting field office at Corfu in 1819, governor of Cephalonia in 1822, retiring in 1830. In 1837 he was promoted to major-general, and in 1842 he was appointed to the command of Sind. In 1843 he defeated the Baluch army at the battle of Meeanee, winning a decisive victory at Hyderabad the following year. The province was annexed and thoroughly reorganised by Napier who was appointed governor. On his return to England in 1847 he was recalled to take command against the Sikhs, but arrived too late to take a share in the victory of Gujerat.
NAPIER, John (1550-1617). Scottish mathematician. About 1504 he began to lay the foundations of his great discovery, logarithms, upon which he worked for the next 20 years. In connection with these he suggested the present notation for decimals. His tables were published in 1614 under the title Mirifici Logarithmorum Canonis Descriptio. This invention marked one of the greatest steps achieved in practical mathematics.
NAPIER, Macvey (1776-1847). Scottish writer. He was admitted writer to the signet in 1799. He was librarian to the writers of the signet, 1805-45. He edited the 7th edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica and became editor of the Edinburgh Review in 1829. He published a work on the writings of Lord Bacon and a Life of Raleigh in 1853.
NAPIER, Robert (1791-1876). British shipbuilder. He opened in 1841, a ship-building yard at Govan, commencing the construction of iron ships in 1850. He constructed in 1860, one of the two armour-clad vessels first built, the Black Prince.
NAPIER, Sir William Francis Patrick (1785-1860). British military historian. He commanded a regiment at the battle of Salamanca, was promoted major-general in 1841, and was knighted in 1848. His History of the Peninsular War, a classic of military history was published 1828-40.
.NAPOLEON, [Napoleon Bonaparte] [1769-1821]. Born in Corsica , he became lieutenant in the La Fere artillery regiment and served in various garrison towns. His struggles with the monarchist factions ended in his having to flee to France in 1793. The siege of Toulon, in the same year so impressed his superiors that he was placed in charge of the artillery. After the flight of the British and Spanish forces he was promoted to general of brigade and put in charge of the army in Italy. In 1794 he was arrested for treason, then released. He was largely responsible for the defeat of the Austrians.On his return to Paris in 1795 he made himself indispensable to Barras and the Convention by quelling the mainly royalist riots. He then married Josephine de Beauharnais, and left to command the army in Italy. The winning of the Italian campaign 1796-97 with the final crushing of the Austrians and the Sardinians at Rivoli led to Napoleon becoming the hero of France and the master of the Directory. After replenishing the French finances with his booty and making a treaty with the Austrians he mounted an expedition to Egypt which was successful, but Nelson's victory at the battle of the Nile doomed the expedition. Napoleon had to leave his army and escape to France.In his absence France had been driven out of Italy. There was a crisis in the Directory. Napoleon faced the hostile Jacobin Council, with the support of Iraq Murat and his brother Lucien Bonaparte. Napoleon was appointed first consul. He promoted the Code Napoleon which was widely copied in Europe. Administration was centralized ; the bank of France was founded; the Legion of Honor was instituted; and religion was restored to France. His position was strengthened by the capture of Milan, winning against the Austrians at Marengo, 1800, and Moreau's victory at Hohenlinden. Peace was made with England, 1802. Napoleon was proclaimed emperor 1804. He now planted his relatives and friends upon the thrones of Europe. His high-handedness brought about an effective European opposition. Militarily he was supreme though the battle of Trafalgar stopped an invasion of England. Austria was crushed at Ulm and Austerlitz, 1805; Prussia at Auerstadt and Jena, 1806; Russia at Friedland. He dictated the treaty of Tilset with the Tsar of Russia. Then followed his Spanish intervention, and the unexpected rising of the Spanish people. Austria rose up but was defeated becoming almost a vassal state, Napoleon marrying Marie Louise, the emperor's daughter, after first divorcing Josephine. He also abolished the temporal power of the Papacy and annexed the papal states. With English goods excluded from Europe but with England supreme at sea, there was a checkmate, thus bringing economics hardship to Europe. In 1810 the Tsar refused to abide by these terms causing Napoleon to start the Moscow campaign of 1812-13. This failed disastrously. Prussia and Austria turned against him. He was defeated at Leipzig. After the surrender of Paris he abdicated and retired to Elba in 1814. He returned to France in 1815 drawing back his soldiers and finally meeting Wellington and the British troops at Waterloo where he was finally defeated. The last six years of his life were spent as a captive at St. Helena where he died. His remains were returned to France in 1840 and laid to rest in a magnificent tomb.
NAPOLEON III (1808-73) French emperor. Charles Louis Napoleon Buonaparte, was the nephew of Napoleon 1, son of Louis Buonaparte. Fostering the Napoleonic legend in France by a series of pamphlets, he organized a mutiny at Strasbourg in 1836, fleeing to New York when it failed. He returned Switzerland the following year, moving to London in 1838. In 1840 he risked landing at Boulogne, but was arrested and sent to the fortress of Ham. He escaped from there in 1846, returning to London where he remained until the Revolution of 1848. Elected a member of the Republican Assembly in June, he was elected president by a majority in December. From the 10 years presidency conferred on him in 1851, it was an easy step to becoming emperor in 1852. He married Eugenie de Montijo, Comtesse de Teba, and established a magnificent court noted for its splendor. He joined England in the Crimean War 1854-56; assisted Piedmont to throw the Austrians out of Northern Italy 1859, and obtained Savoy and Nice for France. By then he had much opposition and many enemies. Napoleon's ministers brought about the War with Prussia, upon which the emperor embarked in desperation. In 1870 he surrendered to the Prussians at Sedan. He was imprisoned until the end of the War, when he then joined the empress in England.
NAPOLEON, Eugene Louis Jean Joseph (1856-79) French prince. He was the only son of Napoleon III and the empress Eugenie. Having undergone military training 1872-75, he joined the British expedition to Zululand and was killed in 1879.
NARES, Sir George Strong (1831-1915). British navigator. He entered the navy in 1846, serving in the Resolute during the search for Sir John Franklin, 1852-54. He commanded the Challenger during part of her famous cruise, but was recalled to take command of the Arctic expedition, 1875-76, for which service he was made a K.C.B. He was made vice-admiral in 1892.
NARSES (c.478-573). Byzantine soldier. A Persarmenian eunuch, he rose to high position at the court of Justinian, and for some time shared the command in Italy with Belisarius. His own military triumphs included a series of victories over the Goths, Alamanni, and Franks, as a result of which Italy was recovered as a province of the empire, governed by Narses himself from Ravenna. His administration, however, was harsh and he was recalled. In revenge he intrigued with the Lombards. He died in Rome.
NARAVAEZ, Ramon Maria (1800-68). Spanish soldier and statesman. He came into prominence as a supporter of Isabella II, defeating the Carlists near Arcos in No., 1836. In 1844 he became prime minister and was created duke of Valencia, but resigned in Feb., 1846.
NASCIMENTO, Francesco Manoel de (1734-1819). Portuguese poet. He was ordained in 1754, but his unorthodox views caused his arrest in 1778. He escaped to France, where he lived most of his life. His works, mainly written in blank verse were distinguished by their national appeal, especially his Contos, or romances of Portuguese life.
NASH, John (1752-1835). English architect. Winning the patronage of the prince regent through his early activities, he became famous for his architectural improvements in the west end of London. Between 1811 and 1820 he laid out most of the stucco-faced terraces around Regent's Park, and projected the Regent's Canal. He was also responsible for a street connecting Carlton House with Regent's Park, which became famous as Regent Street. Other notable buildings designed by Nash were the Haymarket theatre, the United Service club and the Marble Arch, which was originally intended to form an entrance to Buckingham Palace.
NASH, Richard (1674-1762). English dandy. Known as Beau Nash. After a brief time in the army, he entered the Inner Temple, 1693 but he took to gambling and living by his wits, In 1705 he went to Bath, and soon set about organizing its social attractions. He came to be regarded as the arbiter of affairs and titular master of the ceremonies.
NASHE, Thomas (1567-1601). English writer. He settled in London in 1588, publishing in the following year The Anatomie of Absurditie, a biting review of contemporary writers. He took a prominent anti-puritan part in the Martin Marprelate pamphlet war, and in 1594, completed Marlowe's unfinished Tragedy of Dido and published the novel The Unfortunate Traveller. In 1597 he produced a play, the Isle of Dogs, which led to his imprisonment in the Fleet.
NASI, Joseph (d. 1579). Turkish statesman. Born in Portugal, after commercial success in Antwerp he went to Turkey in 1553, where he secured the favour of Sultan Sulaiman. In 1566 Nasi was made duke of Naxos and became intermediary between Sultan Salim and foreign powers, notably Maximilian II and William of Orange, while the Turkish conquest of Cyprus in 1571 was due to him.
NASMYTH, Alexander (1758-1840) Scottish painter. He studied in London and in Italy. Settling in Edinburgh, he commenced portrait painting, executing a portrait of Robert Burns; but later devoted himself to landscape painting.
NASMYTH, James (1808-90). British engineer. He opened a foundry in Manchester in 1834. In 1842 he patented the steam hammer by which he is best known. His claim to this was disputed by the French manufacturer Schneider, who had copied the design from Nasmyth's note book and had built one at his Creusot works. Nasmyth also invented various tools and mechanical appliances and constructed a telescope to assist his astronomical studies. His observations were recorded in his book. The Moon, 1874.
NASMYTH, Patrick (1787-1831) British painter. He settled in London in 1808, where, on account of his imitation of the Du schoolhe was acclaimed as the Scottish Hobbema. He exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1811, and was an original member of the Society of British Artists.
NASR-ED-DIN. (1829-96) Shah of Persia. he succeeded to the throne in 1848, and placed it in friendly relations with France and Russia; but his attempt to annex Herat brought him into conflict with Britain 1856-57. In spite of opposition he introduced many reforms into Persia now Iran, including religious toleration, the telegraph, banking organisation, and a post office. He was assassinated May 1, 1896.
NAST, Thomas (1840-1902). American caricaturist. He was taken from Bavaria in 1846 to America. After drawing for Harper's Weekly and other journals, he went through the Garibaldi campaign in Italy, 1860-2, and the American Civil War. As a caricaturist, he proved a subtle and dangerous opponent of Tammany Hall. The Fight at Dame Europa's School, 1871, and the New York edition of Pickwick, 1873 were illustrated by him. He became American consul in Ecuador, where he died.
NATHAN. Biblical character. A prophet, he advised King David concerning the building of the temple, reproved him for the Bathsheba episode, and helped to secure the succession of Solomon.
NATION, Carrie Amelia (1846-1911). American temperance reformer. She married David Nation, lawyer and Minister, 1877, and devoted her life to militant prohibition propaganda, which took the form of smashing saloon and public house fittings with an axe, which frequently brought her into conflict with the authorities. In 1908-09 she visited England and Scotland in pursuit of her campaign, but her efforts proved abortive.
NAUMANN, Friedrich (1860-1919) German politician and publicist. He helped to found the National Socialist party in 1896, the weekly periodical Die Zeit being established as its organ, with Naumann as editor. In 1907 he was returned as Radical deputy for Heilbronn. His name was prominent in world war I owing to his advocacy of a Central European league, particularly in his book Mitteleuropa, 1915. After the war he became leader of the new Democratic Party.
NAUNDORFF, Karl Wilhelm (d.1845). French pretender. He lived in Germany until 1833, when he came to Paris securing recognition among many members of the court of the late King Louis XVI as the dauphin, Louis Charles, son of that monarch and Marie Antoinette, who was supposed to have diedin the Temple in 1795. Naundorff's attempt to secure the dauphin's property resulted in his expulsion from France in 1836.
NAVARRETE, Juan Fernandez (1526-79). Spanish painter. He became official painter to Phillip II in 1568, and produced pictures for the Escorial, the most celebrated of which are a Nativity, and Abraham receiving the three Angels, 1576.