Christians, 479 ; " others," 25. Sanitary improvements are being carried out; and a wealthy Muhammadan gentleman lately gave a donation of 5000 for the purpose of provid ing the city with a pure water-supply, and in 1875 it vas proposed to light the main thoroughfares with gas. The principal local institutions are the Mitford Hospital and the Dacca Government College. Two English and
several vernacular newspapers are published in the town.
History.—Dacca first attained political importance between 1608 and 1612. In order to check the depreda tions of Magh pirates from Chittagong, and the rebellions of the Afghans, it was found necessary to remove the seat of government of Bengal from Rajinahal to Dacca, where the Nawab Islam Khan erected a fort and increased the strength of the fleet and artillery, and changed the name of the town to Jahangirnagar. Subsequently, in 1704, the capital of Bengal was removed to Murshidabad, and the government of Dacca and the eastern districts made over to a deputy of the Nawab Nazim. During the time of the Mughul government, the city was under the jurisdiction of a magistrate (faujddr) and six amws, who, with the police, were maintained by rent-free grants of land. The fleet consisted of 700 war boats and state barges. Dacca was also a depot for the Mughul artillery in Eastern Bengal, and possessed a mint. On the establishment of the British power the old officers and representatives of the native rulers were pensioned, but the title of Nawab was continued in tb family until 1845, when it became extinct on the death of the last incumbent without heirs. The only event of historical importance in late years was the mutiny of 1857, when two companies of the 73rd Native Infantry, which were stationed in the town, joined in the revolt, but were overpowered by a small European force and dispersed.
DACE, Dare, or Dart (Leuciscus vulgaris), a fresh water fish belonging to the family Cyprinidce. It is an inhabitant of the rivers and streams of Europe north of the Alps, but is most abundant in those of France and Germany. It prefers clear streams flowing over a gravelly bottom, and deep, still water, keeping close to the bottom in winter but disporting itself near the surface in the sun shine of summer It is preyed upon by the larger predaceous fishe of fresh waters, and owing to its silvery appearance is a favourite bait in pike-fishing. The dace is a lively, active fish, of gregarious habits, and exceedingly prolific, depositing its eggs in May and June at the roots of aquatic plants or in the gravelly beds of the streams it frequents. Its flesh is wholesome, but is not held in much estimation. In appearance it closely resembles the roach, usually attaining a length of 8 or 9 inches, with the head and back of a dusky blue colour and the sides of a shining silvery aspect, with numerous dark lines running along the course of the scales. The pectoral, ventral, and anal fins are white, tinged with pale red ; and the dorsal yellowish, darkly clouded at its anterior edge. The dace feeds on worms, maggots, and other soft bodies. It is abundant in many of the streams of the south of England, but is unknown in Scotland and Ireland. See Angling, vol. ii. p. 42.
DACIA, or the country of the Daci, the ancient name of that district of Europe which lies to the N. of the Danube between the Theiss on the W. and the Dniester on the E. It thus comprehended the modern provinces of Transylvania, Wallachia, and Moldavia, the Bukowina, the banat of Temeswar and other parts of Hungary, as well as the southern portions of Galicia.
The first occupants of the district with whom we are made acquainted by history are the Gette, a rude tribe of Thracian extraction, originally settled on the right bank of the Danube. They first appear in connection with the Scythian campaign of Darius, which nominally attached them for a moment to the Persian empire. By Philip of Macedon their friendship was considered of importance, and he married Medopa, the daughter of their king Cothelas ; but they afterwards took part in the confederation of the Scythian tribes against the invasion by which Alexander the Great sought to secure his northern frontiers. About forty years later Lysimachus, king of Thrace, made an attempt to subdue them, but he was defeated and obliged to give his daughter in marriage to their chief ; and a second expedition, by which he hoped to retrieve his fortunes, left him a prisoner in their hands, and brought him under obligation to his Dacian son-in-law, Dromichsetes, for the restoration of his liberty. We next hear of the Getaa as being defeated by the Gauls, by whom many of them were sold as slaves to the Athenians and other Greeks.
and give place to the Daci, or Daoi, as they were called in Greek, a cognate race, who seem to have migrated from Rhodope, and about 90–57 B.C. attained a stable settlement and extensive influence under their leader Burvista. It has been usual to identify the Getse and Daci as one, but though they continued to occupy the same country, and were, at least for a time, politically united, the allusions of the ancient writers seem to point to an essential difference. At the time of the war between Octa-vius and Antony, the Getaa sided with the former and the Daci with the latter ; and during the fifty years after the formation of the province of Mcesia the Getoe continued to disturb the Roman frontiers, while the Dacians kept peacefully at home. After 73, however, the Geta3 almost completely disappear, and the Dacians come forward as one of the most powerful enemies of Rome. Their reputation was heightened by the submission which they exacted from the tyrant Domitian, and the tribute by which he was obliged to purchase immunity from their attacks. In 101 A.D. Trajan, who had succeeded to the purple, set out against them in person, and defeated them with great slaughter at a place which is still called Prat de Trajan (Pratum Trajani), or Crossfield, near Thorda, in Transylvania. This was followed in 104 by another invasion, in which he advanced to the Dacian capital Sarmizegethusa (now Varhely), and routed Decebalus, who soon after committed suicide. The country was reduced to a Roman province, under the jurisdiction of a legate of praetorian rank ; and colonists were brought from other parts of the empire, and more especially from southern Italy. In honour of the campaign of 104 the famous column of Trajan was erected at Rome ; and to secure his conquests the victor constructed three great military roads and the bridge over the Danube, which ranked as one of the architectural wonders of the world. Under Hadrian (129 A.D.) the province was divided into two parts Upper Dacia, which probably included the Banat and the moun tain region of Transylvania ; and Lower Dacia, situated in the Wallachian lowlands. Under Antoninus Pius the division became three-fold Dacia Apulensis, so called from Apulum, the modern Carlsburg ; Porolissensis, from Porolissum ; and Malvensis, a name of unknown derivation. Dacia remained a Roman province till 272, when Aurelian adopted the line of the Danube as the frontier of the empire. The Roman legions and colonists retired to the southern side of the river and settled in the eastern part of Upper Mresia and the district of Dardania ; while their former territory was relinquished to the Goths and other Germanic tribes. The name of Dacia, sometimes with the addition of Nova or Rijpensis, was applied to the new region along the Danube, and Dardania was distinguished as Dacia Mcditerranea, or Inland Dacia. After the time of Constantino the designation, in its wider use, included
Dacia Ripensis, Dacia Mediterranea, Moesia Prima,