A military dictionary

by William Duane

MYRMILLONES. A sort of combatants among the Romans, who had on the top of their cask or helmet, the representation of a fish; and in their engagements with the Retiarii, if they were caught and wrapped in the net, it was not possible for them to escape.

MYSORE. An extensive country in the East Indies, which borders on the Carnatic to the S. W. bounded on the East by the south part of the Carnatic, and the district of Tritchinopoly. It extends west within 30 miles of the sea coast of Malabar. Seringapatam was the capital. It was wantonly attacked, taken, and partitioned twice, and at last completely occupied and incorporated with the British conquests.

N.

NABOB, Ind. a corruption from Nawaub, the plural of naib. The title means a deputy, but it is often assumed in India without a right to it. As the real signification and import of this word is not generally known, we shall extract a passage out of Mr. Orme’s History of the Carnatic, that will place them in the clearest point of view:

“Most of the countries which had been conquered by the great Mogul in the peninsula of India, are comprised under one viceroyalty, called from its situation decan, or south. From the word soubah, signifying a province, the viceroy of this vast territory is called soubahdar, and by Europeans sometimes the subah. Of the countries under his jurisdiction, some were entirely subjected to the throne of Delhi, and governed by mahomedans, whom Europeans improperly call Moors; whilst others remained under the government of their original Indian princes or Rajahs, and were suffered to follow their ancient modes on condition of paying tribute to the great Mogul. The Moorish governors depending on the soubah, assumed, when treating with their inferiors, the title of nabob, which (as we have already observed) signifies deputy: but this in the registers of the throne (of Delhi) is synonimous to soubahdar, and the greatest part of those who styled themselves nabobs were ranked at Delhi under the title of phousdar, which is much inferior to that which they assumed. The Europeans established in the territories of these pseudo-nabobs (if we may be allowed the expression) following the example of the natives with whom they have most intercourse, have agreed to give them the title they so much affect.

“A nabob ought to hold his commission from Delhi, and if at his death a successor has not been previously appointed by the great Mogul, the soubah has the right of naming a person to administer the nabobship, until the will of the sovereign is known; but a nabob thus appointed by a soubah was not deemed authentically established until he had been confirmed from Delhi. The soubah received from the several nabobs the annual revenues of the crown, and remitted them to the treasury of the empire. The nabobs were obliged to accompany him in all military expeditions within the extent of his viceroyalty, but not in any without that extent. These regulations were intended to place them in such a state of dependence on the soubah, as should render them subservient to the interests of the empire, and at the same time leave them in a state of independence, which would render it difficult for the soubah to make use of their assistance to brave the throne.

Nabobs, however, often kept possession of their governments in opposition both to the soubah and the throne; and what is more extraordinary in the offices of a despotic state, both soubahs and nabobs have named their successors, who have often succeeded with as little opposition as if they had been the heirs apparent of an hereditary dominion.” It is, perhaps, superfluous to observe, that the British have taken the place of the mogul, and that nabobs are made and unmade much more freely and frequently than European kings in modern times.

NABOBSHIP. The office of a nabob. The Carnatic was one of the most considerable nabobships dependent on the soubah of Decan. From its capital it was likewise named the province of Arcot; but its present limits are greatly inferior to those which bounded the ancient Carnatic before it was conquered by the great Mogul; for we do not find that the nabobs of Arcot ever extended their authority beyond the river Gondegama to the north, the great chain of mountains to the west, and the borders of the provinces of Tritchinopoly, Tanjore, and Mysore to the south. The sea bounds it to the east. It was not before the beginning of last century that this country was entirely reduced by the Mahomedans. For further particulars respecting nabobs, see pages 27 and 28 in the Dissertation prefixed to the History of the Carnatic.

NACELLE, Fr. A small boat that has neither mast nor sail. It is properly called a ferry-boat.

NADIR. In astronomy, is that point in the heavens which is directly under our feet, and is diametrically opposite to the zenith, or point over our heads. The word is pure Arabic, signifying the same thing. The zenith and the nadir are the two poles of the horizon, each 90° distant from it, and consequently each in the meridian.