Rapport sur la dernière expéd. des Chotts (1881) (and other reports
by the same author); Tchihatchef, “The Deserts of Africa and
Asia,” in British Association Reports (Southampton, 1882); Derrécagaix,
“Explor. du Sahara: les deux missions du Lieut.-Colonel
Flatters,” in Bull. de la Soc. de Géogr. (1882); O. Lenz, Timbuktu.
Reise durch Marokko, &c. (1884); and E. L. Reclus, Nouv. Géographie
univ. xi. (1886); H. Schirmer, Le Sahara (Paris, 1893); P. Vuillot,
L’Exploration du Sahara (Paris, 1895); P. L. Monteil, De Saint-Louis
à Tripoli (Paris, 1895); Fr. Foureau, D’Alger au Congo par
le Tchad (Paris, 1902) and Documents scientifiques de la mission
saharienne, fasc. i.-iii. (Paris, 1903–1905); Privat-Deschanel,
“Peut-on reboiser le Sahara?” Rev. scientif. (1896); K. A. Zittel,
Paläontologie der libyschen Wüste (Cassel, 1893); G. Rolland,
Chemin de fer transsaharien, géologie du Sahara algérien, et aperçu
géologique sur le Sahara de l’océan atlantique à la mer rouge (Paris,
imp. Nat., 1891); J. Walther, Die Denudation in der Wüste (Leipzig,
1900); M. Honoré, Le Transsaharien et la pénétration française en
Afrique (Paris, 1901); E. Dürkop, Die wirtschafts- und handelsgeographischen
Provinzen der Sahara (Wolfenbüttel, 1902); W. J.
Harding King, A Search for the Masked Tawareks (London, 1902);
A. Bernard and N. Lacroix, La Pénétration saharienne (Algiers,
1906); C. Vélan, “Etat actuel de nos connaissances sur la géographie
et la géologie du Sahara d’après les explorations les plus
récentes,” Revue de géogr. t. i. (1906–1907), pp. 447-517; J. Lahache,
“Le Desséchement de l’Afrique française est-il démontré?" Bul.
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M. Cortier, Mission Arnaud-Cartier: nos confins sahariens (Paris,
1908); E. F. Gautier and R. Chudeau, Missions au Sahara, t. i.
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sudanais,” par R. Chudeau (Paris, 1909); H. Vischer, Across the
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Fallot, “Le Commerce du Sahara,” Ques. dip. et col. t. 15 (1903),
pp. 209-225. (E. He.; F. R. C.)
SAHARANPUR, a city and district of British India, in the Meerut division of the United Provinces. The city is situated on a stream called the Damaula Nadi, 907 ft. above sea-level, 998 m. by rail from Calcutta. Pop, (1901) 66,254, of whom more than half are Mahommedans. It is an important junction of the North-Western railway with the Oudh and Rohilkhand line. The government botanical gardens were established in 1817. There are railway workshops, and a large industry is pursued in wood-carving.
The District of Saharanpur has an area of 2228 sq. m. It forms the most northerly portion of the Doab, or alluvial tableland between the Ganges and Jumna. The Siwalik hills rise precipitously on its northern frontier; at their base stretches a wild submontane tract, with much forest and jungle. Cultivation generally in this part is backward, the surface of the country being broken by ravines. South of this tract lies the broad alluvial plain of the Doab, with fertile soil and good natural water-supply. This portion of the country is divided into parallel tracts by numerous streams from the Siwaliks, while the Eastern Jumna and Ganges canals cover the district with a network of irrigation channels. The annual rainfall averages about 37 in. The population in 1901 was 1,045,230, showing an increase of 4.4% in the decade. The principal crops are wheat, rice, pulse, millet, and maize, with some sugar-cane and cotton. The district contains the towns of Roorkee and, Hardwar.
During the later years of the Mogul empire, Saharanpur suffered much from the perpetual raids of the Sikhs, but in 1785 the district under Ghulam Kadir enjoyed comparative tranquillity. On his death the country fell into the hands of the Mahrattas. It was afterwards again overrun by the Sikhs, remaining practically in their hands until their defeat at Charaon November 1804, when it passed under British rule. Several disturbances subsequently took, place among the native chiefs; but from 1824 to 1857 nothing occurred to disturb the peace of the district. The Mutiny in this part was soon quelled.
SAHEL (Arabic for “shore”); a common place-name in countries where Arabic, is the dominant language. By sahel any coast belt may be indicated, but the name has become the definite designation of certain districts, e.g. the Tunisian coast between the gulfs of Hammamet and Gabes. Another region so called is that part of the Sahara washed by the Atlantic. The name is also used to designate the territory under French jurisdiction west of Timbuktu and north of the Senegal. Sahel thus understood comprises regions which form the intermediate zone between the fertile lands of the Sudan and the desert. In its plural form, Swahili, the word has become the tribal name of the natives inhabiting the coast strip opposite Zanzibar.
SAHIB, a title of respect in India, specially used to designate
Europeans. The word is Arabic, and originally means a companion.
It is generically fixed to the titles of men of rank,
as Khan Sahib, Nawab Sahib, Raja Sahib, and is equivalent
to master. The proper feminine form is sahiba; but the hybrid
term memsahib (from madam and sahib) is universally used
in India for European ladies.
SAHOS, or Shonos, Africans of Hamitic stock living to the
W. of Massawa. Some authorities regard them as true Abyssinians,
but more probably they are akin to the Gallas and Afars.
They are for the most part Mahommedans, but some few are
Christians.
SAHYADRI, a mountain range of India. The term, which
is Sanskrit rather than vernacular, is applied to the entire system
of the Western Ghats (q.v.) from the Tapti river to Cape Comorin,
but more especially to that part of the system in the Bombay
Presidency. In this restricted sense the] Sahyadri hills begin
in Khandesh district, and run S. as far as Gao.
In the territory of the Nizam of Hyderabad, the cross range forming the watershed between the river systems of the Tapti and the Godavari, is locally known as Sahyadri Parbat.
SAIDAPET, a town of British India, administrative headquarters of Chingleput district, Madras, on the South Indian
railway, 5 m. S.W; of Madras city, from which it is separated
by a line of tanks. Pop. (1901) 14,254. The government
teachers’ college has a hostel or boarding-house for Brahmans,
opened in 1897. The agricultural college, originally (1865) at
model farm, has been transferred to Coimbatore.
SAID PASHA (c. 1830–), surnamed Kuchuk, Turkish statesman, was at one time editor of the Turkish newspaper Jeridé-i-Havadis. He became first secretary to Sultan Abd-ul-Hamid II. shortly after his accession, and is said to have contributed to the realizations of his majesty’s design of concentrating power in his own hands; later he became successively
minister of the interior and Vali of Brussa, reaching the high post of grand vizier in 1879. A Turkish statesman of the old
school, he was regarded as somewhat bigoted and opposed to the
extension of foreign influence in Turkey. He was grand vizier
four more times under Abd-ul-Hamid. In 1896 he took refuge
at the British embassy at Constantinople, and, though then
assured of his personal liberty and safety, remained practically
a prisoner in his own house. He came into temporary prominence
again during the revolution of 1908. On the 22nd of July he
succeeded Ferid Pasha as grand vizier, but on the 6th of August
was replaced by Kiamil Pasha, a man of more liberal views,
at the instance of the young Turkish committee.
SAID PASHA KURD (1834–1907), Turkish statesman, son of Hussein Pasha, was born at Suleimanié. After holding various
administrative posts he became governor-general of the
Archipelago (1881), minister; for foreign affairs (1882),
ambassador at Berlin (1883) and again foreign minister in
1885. He was afterwards president of the Council of State,
an office which he held till his death on the 29th of October 1907.
SAIGA (Saiga tatarica) the native designation of a desert-dwelling antelope, easily recognized by its extraordinary swollen
and puffy nose, in which the apertures of the tubular nostrils
are directed downwards. The ringed lyrate horns of the males
are amber-coloured, and wide apart on the heads. There is a
small gland on each side of the face below the eye; and the ears
are remarkable for the short and rounded form. The colour
is whitish in winter and sandy in summer. It is the sole representative
of its genus. At the present day the headquarters of
this antelope are the Kirghiz Steppes, but a century ago its range
extended as far west as Poland. During the latter part of the
Tertiary period the saiga was much more widely distributed,
fossilized remains having been obtained from many parts of
Western Europe, including Britain.
