MAHRATTAS amusing- series of articles known as the "Prout Papers" to "Eraser's Magazine." For the last 12 or 15 years of his life he was Paris correspondent for the "Globe." "Reliques of Father Prout" was pub- lished in 1836 and 1860, and "Final Reliques" in 1876. He died in Paris, France, May 18, 1866. MAHRATTAS, MARATHAS, or MAR- HAT AS (ma-rat'az), a people of mixed origin, Hindus in religion and caste or- dinances, inhabiting western and cen- tral India, from the Satpura Mountains to Nagpur. The Mahratta Brahmans claim to be Rajputs; the bulk of the peo- ple are Sudras, and probably of aborigi- nal blood mainly. They are first men- tioned in history about the middle of the 17th century, when they possessed a nar- row strip of territory on the W. side of the peninsula. The founder of the Mah- ratta power was Sivaji, a freebooter or adventurer, whose father Shahji Bhon- sla, was an officer in the service of the last King of Bijapur. His son and (1680) successor, Sambhaji, after vigorously fol- lowing out his father's policy, was taken prisoner by Aurungzebe in 1689, and put to death. His son, a prisoner, resigned his rule with the title of Peshwa; the descendants of Sivaji henceforward reigned over but did not govern Sattara. Under the fourth hereditary Peshwa there were five Mahratta states, more or less powerful and independent. They wrested additional territory from the feeble grasp of the Mogul emperor; but the frightful defeat (in January, 1761) they sustained at the hands of Ahmed Shah Durani, the ruler of Afghanistan, on the field of Panipat, weakened their power for a time. They still, however, continued to be the hired mercenaries of the Delhi emperor, till the growing influ- ence of the British compelled them to look to their own safety. After many long and bloody contests with the British and their allies they were one by one, with the exception of Sindhia, reduced to a state of depend- ence. This last-mentioned chief con- tinued the contest for a number of years till his power was finally broken in 1843. The Mahratta states of Indore, Gwa- lior, and Baroda refrained from partici- pation in the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857. The dfenity of Peshwa was abolished in 1818, and his territories were occupied by the British. MAIDENHAIR, Adiantum capillus 'veneris, and the genus Adiantum. The former has many spreading capillary branches (whence the English name), a three to four pinnate frond, with the pinnules cuneate, lobed, crenate, glab- 84 MAIN rous. It is rare in Great Bintain, but is found in the United States, in continen- tal Europe, Asia, Africa, and Polynesia. Also Passiflora adiantum. MAIDENHAIR TREE, the Salisburia adiantifolia, a deciduous tree of the yew family, a native of Japan, so called from the likeness of its leaves to the maiden- hair fern. MAIDENHEAD, a municipal borough and market-town of Berkshire, England, situated amid beautiful scenery 26 miles W. of London, on the right bank of the Thames (over which are two bridges, one of stone, built in 1772 at a cost of $100,000, and the other of brick) and on the Great Western railway. In 1399 it was the scene of an engagement between the rival forces of Richard II. and Henry IV., and in 1647, at the Greyhound Inn, of the interview of Charles I. with his children. Pop. about 16,000. MAIDEN PLUM, the name of two West Indian plants, Coinocladia integ- rifolia and C. dentata, belonging to the natural order Anaoardiacese. They yield a milky juice which, on exposure to air, becomes an indelible black dye. MAIKOP, Caucasia, a town 93 miles S. E. of Ekaterinodar, situated on a branch of the main railroad line to Baku. The region round about is rich in oil wells, whose products are shipped through Maikop. Pop. about 45,000. MAILS. See Postal Service. MAIMONIDES, MOSES (mi-mon'i- dez), a Jewish philosopher; born in Cor- dova, Spain, March 30, 1135. He har- monized Judaism and philosophy. Driven with his family from Spain, he resided in Fez; then traveled by way of Pales- tine to Cairo, becoming there chief rabbi and the caliph's physician. His chief work, written in Hebrew, is "Mishneh Torah" (Repetition of the Law: 1170- 1180), a masterly exposition of the whole of the Jewish law as contained in th« Pentateuch and the voluminous Talmudic literature. His principal philosophical work, written in Arabic, was "Dalalt al Hairin" (Guide of the Perplexed: 1190). He died in Cairo, Egypt, Dec. 13, 1204. MAIN (min), a river of Germany; rises in the Fichtelgebirge ; flows in a generally W. direction for a distance of 300 miles; and joins the Rhine a little above the town of Mainz. It is navigable for about 200 miles, and has been im- proved so as to admit the largest Rhine steamers to Frankfort. By means of King Ludwig canal it affords through navigation to the Danube.
