Austrians. Inhabitants of the Austrian empire, including a great diversity of races. The name is properly applied only to the German-speaking people, of High-German Teutonic stock, who predominate in Austria proper.
Auvergnats. Natives of Auvergne, in Central France. A short, sturdy, dark, round-skulled race, formerly regarded as typical Aryan Celts, but possibly descended from an older non-Aryan people. Much employed in Paris as porters.
Avars. See [LESGHIANS].
Avars. A Tartar tribe, belonging to the Turki stock of the Northern Mongolic family, who appeared in the district round the Caspian Sea about the fourth century, and later made predatory raids over a large part of Eastern Europe. They were subdued by Charlemagne, and disappeared from history in the ninth century. They seem to have been closely allied to the Huns, whom they resembled in physical characteristics and warlike qualities.
Awawandias. Bantu Negroes of the Nyassa plateau in British Central Africa.
Aymaras. A race of South American Indians in Bolivia, probably related to the [Incas] (q.v.) and perhaps their ancestors.
Azandeh, or Niam-Niam. Sudanese Negroes of the Welle group. Notorious cannibals.
Aztecs. The dominant Indian race in Mexico at the arrival of the Spanish invaders. They entered the country about the end of the thirteenth century, and founded the city of Mexico in 1325. Around it they reared a remarkable civilisation and a sanguinary religion. They were warlike, ferocious and cruel, but had a considerable aptitude for the arts of peace. Their empire was destroyed by Cortes in 1521, and annexed to Spain. Every trace of Aztec nationality was suppressed, but their name still lingers among the Nahuan Indians, and their blood is mixed with that of the conquerors. Many attempts have been made to find an Old World origin for Mexican culture, but they are not convincing.
Babylonians. The Semitic race which founded one of the greatest of ancient civilisations in the rich alluvial plains of Chaldæa and on the arid plateau of Mesopotamia. Their history is too long to summarise here, but it may be stated that the Semitic peoples, variously known as Babylonians, Chaldæans, Elamites, Medians, and Assyrians, invaded and dispossessed at different times the primitive Mongolic race of [Akkads] (q.v.). Their earliest settlement seems to have been at Ur of the Chaldees, on the right bank of the Euphrates. Babylon and Nineveh were afterwards the seats of the Babylonian and Assyrian powers, whilst Elamite and Median conquerors intervened at various times. These powerful Semitic races made great advances in art, science, literature, religion, and social policy. Their first incursion, probably from Arabia, into the Euphrates Valley dates back to about 3800 B.C.