=Bangkok=, Siam. 14N. 101E. Ceded to Louis XIV., 1687; became royal residence, 1767. Contains famous temples, and a colossal statue of Buddha. (See Little's 'Far East.')
=Banias=, Syria. 33N. 36E. Visited by W. M. Thomson, and described in 'The Land and the Book.'
=Bankapur=, Bombay. 15N. 76E. First mentioned, 898. Stormed by Firoz Shah, 1406; conquered by Hyder Ali, 1776; ceded to British, 1802.
=Bantam=, East Indies. 6S. 106E. Described in first part of 'Purchas His Pilgrimes' as celebrated town of Java.
=Baragaon=, Bengal. 25N. 85E. Visited by Hiuen Tsiang, who here studied religion.
=Bardwan=, Bengal. 23N. 88E. Scene of the third story of the vampire in Burton's 'Vikram and the Vampire.'
=Bareilly=, United Provs. 28N. 79E. New town f. by Rajah Makrand-Mughals, 1657. Taken by English, 1801; Europeans massacred during Mutiny, 1857; recaptured by Sir Colin Campbell, 1858.
=Baroda=, Bombay, 22N. 73E. Tributary to Great Britain, 1802; Malhar Rao succeeded Sayaji Rao III., 1875.
=Barpeta=, Bengal. 26N. 91E. Sankar Deb, follower of Vishnu, here f. a religious college. Partially destroyed by earthquake, 1897.
=Barrackpur=, Bengal. 23N. 88E. Prominent town in Sepoy mutinies, 1824, 1857. Contains Lady Canning's tomb.
=Barsana=, United Provs. 28N. 77E. Fabled to be a res. of Radha, mistress of Kishna. Pillaged by imperial troops, 1774.
=Barwani=, Central India. 22N. 75E. Said to have been f. by Rana Chandra Singh, c. 1650. Near town is sacred hill of Jains, and temple with inscription dating from 1166.
=Basarh=, Bengal. 26N. 85E. Visited by Buddha, and sacred town of Buddhists. Visited by explorers Fa Hian and Hieun Tsiang.
=Basavapatna=, Mysore. 14N. 76E. Captured by Bijapurs, 1637; destroyed by Hyder Ali, 1763; plundered by Mahrattas, 1791. Ancient res. of Baba Budan.
=Basra= ('fortress'), Asiatic Turkey. 30N. 48E. F. under Omar, 656.
Contains tomb of Zobeir. (See 'Travels of Marco Polo.')
=Bassein=, Bombay. 19N. 73E. Ceded to Portuguese, 1534; taken by Mahrattas, 1765; by British, 1780.
=Batala=, Punjab. 32N. 75E. F. by Rai Ram Deo, c. 1465. Contains tomb of Shamsher Khan, foster-brother of Akbar.
=Batavia= ('good land'), East Indies. 6S. 107E. First European settlement f. by Pieter Both, 1610; new city f. by Jean Koen, 1621. Unsuccessfully besieged by Kings of Bantam and Jacantra, 1619. Earthquake experienced, 1699.
=Bayana=, Punjab. 26N. 77E. Contains temple with inscription dated 1043.
Fort near captured by Mohammed Ghori, 1196; by Sikanda Lodi, 1492; by Humayun, 1535.
=Bayazid=, Turkish Armenia. 39N. 44E. Captured by Russians, 1828, 1854, 1877. Yielded to Turkey by Treaty of Berlin, 1878.
=Bednore= ('bamboo city'), Mysore. 14N. 75E. Capital of Rajah of Ikari, 1645. Taken by Hyder Ali, 1763; by General Matthews, 1783; by Tippoo Sahib, 1784.
=Beer-Sheba= ('well of the oath'), Palestine. 31N. 35E. Only ruins remain of ancient city famous in Biblical history from time of Abraham's digging a well and planting a grove.
=Begampur=, Bombay. 18N. 76E. Contains tomb of daughter of Aurungzebe.
=Behar= ('monastery'), Bengal. 25N. 86E. Famous as ancient centre of Buddhism, and as city in which Buddha preached.
=Behistun= ('place of the gods'), Persia. 34N. 47E. Rock on which cuneiform inscriptions recounting deeds of Darius I. are engraved; discovered by Sir Henry Rawlinson, 1835.
=Beit Jibrin=, Syria. 32N. 35E. Visited by W. M. Thomson, and described in 'The Land and the Book.'
=Bela=, Baluchistan. 26N. 66E. Contains tomb of Sir Robert Sandeman.
=Belgaum=, Bombay. 16N. 75E. Taken by Aurungzebe, 1686; by Hyder Ali, 1776; by British, 1818.
=Bellary=, Madras. 15N. 77E. Captured by Sivaji, the Mahratta, c. 1678; ceded to British, 1800.
=Benares= ('the splendid'), N.W. Provs. 25N. 83E. Visited by Hsuan Tsang in 7th century A.D. Religious capital of India, containing many temples.
Taken by Sultan Mahmoud, 1190; ceded to England, 1775; outbreak during Indian Mutiny, 1857. (See Sir Edwin Arnold's 'Light of Asia,' Burton's 'Vikram and the Vampire.')
=Bencoolen=, Sumatra. 4S. 102E. F. by British, 1685; Fort Marlborough built, 1714. Formerly chief British possession in Sumatra; ceded to Holland in exchange for Malacca, 1824.
=Bendemeer=, Persia. 30N. 52E. (See Thos. Moore's 'Lalla Rookh,' story of the 'Veiled Prophet of Khorassan.')
=Berasia=, Central India. 24N. 77E. Contains tomb of his father built by Dost Mohammed.
=Berea=, Palestine. 32N. 35E. Battle fought in which Judas Maccabaeus was killed, 161 B.C.
=Berezov=, Siberia. 64N. 65E. F. in 1593. Partially burnt, 1719, 1808.
Prince Menshikov died in exile, 1729; Prince Dolgoruki, 1730. General Ostermann exiled, 1742; died, 1747.
=Berghama=, Asiatic Turkey. 39N. 27E. Ancient capital of Pergamus, and contains many magnificent ruins; bequeathed to Romans by Attalus III., 133 B.C. Bp. of Galen and Apollodorus.
=Berhampur=, Bengal. 24N. 88E. Indian Mutiny originated here, 1857.
=Besika=, Asia Minor. 40N. 26E. Bay used as station for British fleet, 1853-1854, 1877-1878.
=Bethany=, Palestine. 32N. 35E. Frequently mentioned in the Bible as the house of Lazarus, Martha and Mary, Simon the leper. Contains alleged tomb of Lazarus, and village is now called 'El-Azariyeh,' the 'Place of Lazarus.'
=Bethel= ('house of God'), Palestine. 32N. 35E. Supposed to have been f.
by Abraham or Jacob. Rachel and Deborah died at Bethel.
=Beth-horon= ('place of caves'), Palestine. 32N. 35E. The Syrians under Prince Sorom vanquished by Judas Maccabaeus.
=Bethlehem= ('house of bread'), Palestine. 33N. 35E. Bp. of David and of Christ. Devastated by Hadrian, 132. Contains Church of the Nativity built by Constantine; enlarged by Justinian; embellished by Manuel Comnenus, 1170; by Edward IV. and Philip of Burgundy, 1482. Burial-place of Jerome. (See Kinglake's 'Eothen,' Twain's 'New Pilgrim's Progress,'
Lamartine's 'Voyage en Orient,' 'Purchas His Pilgrimes,' Thomson's 'Land and the Book.')
=Beyrout=, Syria. 34N. 35E. Destroyed by Tryphon, 140 B.C.; taken by Arabs, 635; by Baldwin, 1111; re-captured by Saladin, 1187; by Turks, 1763. Lamartine's only daughter died here, 1832. (See Kinglake's 'Eothen,' Burton's 'Wanderings in Three Continents,' Lamartine's 'Voyage en Orient,' Thomson's 'Land and the Book,' Volney's 'Voyage en Syrie et en Egypte.')
=Bhadaur=, Punjab. 30N. 75E. F. by Sirdar Dunna Singh, 1718; res. of Bhadaur chiefs.
=Bhagalpur=, Bengal. 25N. 87E. Contains famous Jain temples, and native monument to Augustus Cleveland.
=Bhagwangola=, Bengal. 24N. 88E. Unsuccessfully besieged by Mahrattas, 1743; burnt by Mahrattas, 1750. Temporary res. of Surajah Dowlah.
=Bhainsrorgarh=, Rajputana. 25N. 76E. Said to have been f. by Bhainsa Sah; captured by Ala-ud-din, c. 1303.