=Ashta=, Central India. 23N. 77E. Contains fort built by Dost Mohammed Khan, 1716; captured by Mahrattas, 1745; stormed by Kudsia Begam, 1837. =Ashta=, Bombay. 18N. 75E. British defeated Baji Rao Peshwa, 1818. =Asirgarh=, Central Provs. 21N. 76E. Massacre of garrison by Ala-ud-din Khilji, 1295; captured by Akbar, 1600; by General Wellesley, 1803; besieged by British, 1819. =Askelon=, Palestine. 32N. 35E. Ancient seat of worship of Astarte, and of Dagon and Dercetis, whose temple was plundered by Scythians, 630 B.C. Bp. of Herod I., who embellished it. Godfrey de Bouillon defeated Egyptians, 1099; city taken by Crusaders, 1153; by Saladin, 1187; destroyed by Sultan Bibars, 1270. (See Scott's 'The Talisman.') =Assaye=, Haidarabad. 20N. 76E. Mahrattas conquered by Sir Arthur Wellesley, 1803. (See Malleson's 'Decisive Battles of India.') =Athni=, Bombay. 17N. 75E. Visited by French traveller Mandelslo, 1639. Yielded to Rajah Sahu of Satara, 1730; British possession, 1839. =Atrauli=, N.W. Provs. 28N. 78E. Held for three months by Mohammedans during Mutiny, 1857. =Attock=, Punjab. 34N. 72E. Contains fort built by Akbar, 1581; captured by Ranjit Singh, 1812. =Augur=, Central India. 24N. 76E. F. by Agra Bhil; destroyed by Bapuji Sindhia, 1801; suffered during Mutiny, 1857. =Aurangabad= ('the abode of Aurungzebe'), Haidarabad. 20N. 75E. F. in 1620. Contains Buddhist caves, and mausoleum built by Aurungzebe in memory of his daughter. =Ava= ('a fish-pond'), Burma. 22N. 96E. F. by Thadominpaya, 1364. Former capital of Burma. Ruined by earthquake, 1839. =Ayodhya=, United Provs. 27N. 82E. Famous in legend as city of Dasa-ratha, father of Rama. (See 'Ramayana.') =Ayuthia=, Siam. 14N. 101E. Founded in 1351; capital of Siam until nearly destroyed by Burmese, 1767. Chief ruin is a Buddhist temple, the 'Golden Mount.' (See Little's 'Far East.') =Baalbek= ('city of Baal'), Syria. 34N. 36E. Contains 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.