A Literary and Historical Atlas of Asia. J. G. Bartholomew
Temple of the Sun, built by Antoninus Pius. Taken by Arabs, 748; by Tamerlane, 1400. Destroyed by earthquake, 1170, 1750. (See Twain's 'New Pilgrim's Progress,' Lamartine's 'Voyage en Orient,' Moore's 'Lalla Rookh,' Volney's 'Voyage en Syrie et en Egypte,' Burckhardt's 'Travels in Syria and the Holy Land.')
Babylon ('the gate of the god'), Asiatic Turkey. 33N. 45E. First mentioned, 3800 B.C.; capital of Babylonia, c. 2300 B.C. Destroyed by Sennacherib, 689 B.C.; attained eminence under Nabopolassar, 625–604 B.C.; under Nebuchadnezzar, 604–561 B.C. Surrendered to Cyrus, 539 B.C. Alexander the Great died in palace of Nebuchadnezzar, 323 B.C. (See 'Purchas His Pilgrimes,' Hakluyt's 'Voyages.')
Badami, Bombay. 16N. 76E. Contains famous cave-temple, f. 650. Captured by General Munro, 1818; by Arabs, 1840.
Badarpur, Bengal. 25N. 93E. British defeated Burmese, 1824.
Badnera, Berar. 21N. 78E. Partially destroyed by Rajah Ram, 1822.
Bagalkot, Bombay. 16N. 76E. Captured by Peshwa of Savanur, 1775; by Hyder Ali, 1778; by General Munro, 1818.
Baghdad, Asiatic Turkey. 33N. 44E. F. by Caliph Al-Mansur, c. 762; embellished by Harun-al-Rashid; taken by Hulaku Khan, 1258; by Tamerlane, 1393; by Amurath IV., 1638. Contains tomb of Zobeida, wife of Harun-al-Rashid, and is famous by means of the 'Arabian Nights.' (See Firdausi's 'Sha Name,' Gosse's 'Firdausi in Exile,' 'Purchas His Pilgrimes,' 'Travels of Marco Polo.')
Baghput, Punjab. 29N. 77E. Said to be the Vyaghraprastha mentioned in the 'Mahabharata.'
Bahera, Punjab. 32N. 73E. Captured by Babar, 1519; pillaged by Nur-ud-din, 1757.
Bahraich, United Provs. 28N. 82E. Contains tomb of Mohammedan saint, Masaud.
Baj-Baj, Bengal. 22N. 88E. Fort captured by Clive from Siraj-ud-daula, 1756.
Bajwara, Punjab. 32N. 76E. Rajah Sansar Chand conquered Sirdar Bhup Singh, 1801; fort captured by Ranjit Singh, 1825.
Balkh, Afghan Turkestan. 37N. 67E. Zoroaster first preached his doctrine, 549 B.C.; died at Balkh. Visited by Chinese explorer, Fa Hian, 402; Hiouen Thsang, 643; by Marco Polo, 1263. Besieged and taken by Ninus, 1933 B.C.; pillaged by Genghis Khan, 1221; destroyed by Tamerlane, 1390. (See 'Travels of Marco Polo.')
Bamian, Afghanistan. 35N. 68E. Destroyed by Genghis Khan, 1221.
Bander Abbas ('harbour of Abbas'), Persia. 27N. 56E. Ancient Harmozia. Portuguese driven out by Shah Abbas the Great with help of British, 1623. (See Moore's 'Lalla Rookh,' story of 'The Fire-Worshippers.')
Bandhogarh, Central India. 24N. 81E. Attacked by Asaf Khan, 1563; captured by Patr Das, 1597; yielded to Anup Singh, 1658. Said to be bp. of Akbar.
Banera, Rajputana. 26N. 75E. Conquered by Akbar, 1567; fort built in 1726; captured by Rajah of Shahpura, c. 1756.
Bangalore, Mysore. 13N. 78E. F. by Hyder Ali, 1537. Taken by Lord Cornwallis, 1791. Contains palace of Tippoo Sahib, and Central College.
Bangkok, Siam. 14N. 101E. Ceded to Louis XIV., 1687; became royal residence, 1767. Contains famous temples, and a colossal statue of Buddha. (See Little's 'Far East.')
Banias, Syria. 33N. 36E. Visited by W. M. Thomson, and described in 'The Land and the Book.'
Bankapur, Bombay. 15N. 76E. First mentioned, 898. Stormed by Firoz Shah, 1406; conquered by Hyder Ali, 1776; ceded to British, 1802.
Bantam, East Indies. 6S. 106E. Described in first part of 'Purchas His Pilgrimes' as celebrated town of Java.
Baragaon, Bengal. 25N. 85E. Visited by Hiuen Tsiang, who here studied religion.
Bardwan, Bengal. 23N. 88E. Scene of the third story of the vampire in Burton's 'Vikram and the Vampire.'
Bareilly, United Provs. 28N. 79E. New town f. by Rajah Makrand-Mughals, 1657. Taken by English, 1801; Europeans massacred during Mutiny, 1857; recaptured by Sir Colin Campbell, 1858.
Baroda, Bombay, 22N. 73E. Tributary to Great Britain, 1802; Malhar Rao succeeded Sayaji Rao III., 1875.
Barpeta, Bengal. 26N. 91E. Sankar Deb, follower of Vishnu, here f. a religious college. Partially destroyed by earthquake, 1897.
Barrackpur, Bengal. 23N. 88E. Prominent town in Sepoy mutinies, 1824, 1857. Contains Lady Canning's tomb.
Barsana, United Provs. 28N. 77E. Fabled to be a res. of Radha, mistress of Kishna. Pillaged by imperial troops, 1774.
Barwani, Central India. 22N. 75E. Said to have been f. by Rana Chandra Singh, c. 1650. Near town is sacred hill of Jains, and temple with inscription dating from 1166.
Basarh, Bengal. 26N. 85E. Visited by Buddha, and sacred town of Buddhists. Visited by explorers Fa Hian and Hieun Tsiang.
Basavapatna, Mysore. 14N. 76E. Captured by Bijapurs, 1637; destroyed by Hyder Ali, 1763; plundered by Mahrattas, 1791. Ancient res. of Baba Budan.
Basra ('fortress'), Asiatic Turkey. 30N. 48E. F. under Omar, 656. Contains tomb of Zobeir. (See 'Travels of Marco Polo.')
Bassein, Bombay. 19N. 73E. Ceded to Portuguese, 1534; taken by Mahrattas, 1765; by British, 1780.
Batala, Punjab. 32N. 75E. F. by Rai Ram Deo, c. 1465. Contains tomb of Shamsher Khan, foster-brother of Akbar.
Batavia ('good land'), East Indies. 6S. 107E. First European settlement f. by Pieter Both, 1610; new city f. by Jean Koen, 1621. Unsuccessfully besieged by Kings of Bantam and Jacantra, 1619. Earthquake experienced, 1699.
Bayana, Punjab. 26N. 77E. Contains temple with inscription dated 1043. Fort near captured by Mohammed Ghori, 1196; by Sikanda Lodi, 1492; by Humayun, 1535.
Bayazid, Turkish Armenia. 39N. 44E. Captured by Russians, 1828, 1854, 1877. Yielded to Turkey by Treaty of Berlin, 1878.
Bednore ('bamboo city'), Mysore. 14N. 75E. Capital of Rajah of Ikari, 1645. Taken by Hyder Ali, 1763; by General Matthews, 1783; by Tippoo Sahib, 1784.
Beer-Sheba ('well of the oath'), Palestine. 31N. 35E. Only ruins remain of ancient city famous in Biblical history from time of Abraham's digging a well and planting a grove.
Begampur, Bombay. 18N. 76E. Contains tomb of daughter of Aurungzebe.
Behar ('monastery'), Bengal. 25N. 86E. Famous as ancient centre of Buddhism, and as city in which Buddha preached.
Behistun ('place of the gods'), Persia. 34N. 47E. Rock on which cuneiform inscriptions recounting deeds of Darius I. are engraved; discovered by Sir Henry Rawlinson, 1835.
Beit Jibrin, Syria. 32N. 35E. Visited by W. M. Thomson, and described in 'The Land and the Book.'
Bela, Baluchistan. 26N. 66E. Contains tomb of Sir Robert Sandeman.
Belgaum, Bombay. 16N. 75E. Taken by Aurungzebe, 1686; by Hyder Ali, 1776; by British, 1818.
Bellary, Madras. 15N. 77E. Captured by Sivaji, the Mahratta, c. 1678; ceded to British, 1800.
Benares ('the splendid'), N.W. Provs. 25N. 83E. Visited by Hsuan Tsang in 7th century A.D. Religious capital of India, containing many temples. Taken by Sultan Mahmoud, 1190; ceded to England, 1775; outbreak during Indian Mutiny, 1857. (See Sir Edwin Arnold's 'Light of Asia,' Burton's 'Vikram and the Vampire.')
Bencoolen, Sumatra. 4S. 102E. F. by British, 1685; Fort Marlborough built, 1714. Formerly chief British possession in Sumatra;