494 



NICHOLAS I. 



NICIAS 



be was forced to look on inactive at the fall of 



Constantinople in U.Vt. Nicholas >lio<l in 1 1.V>. at 



the < paratively early age of fifty seven. He 



must nut be confounded \vith an anti]>o[ie of the 

 same name, Peter tie Corlwirio, ho .i- set up, in 

 l.'.-'x. by l.udwiir f Bavaria, in antagonism to John 

 XXII. (q.v.). See also NICOLAS (Sr). 



\irllolas I., emperor of Russia, was the third 

 son of Paul I., ami was born at St Petersburg, 7th 

 July 1700. He was very carefully educated under 

 the eye of his mother, a princess of Wiirteniberg, 

 and subsequently devoted nis attention to military 

 studies and political eronoiny. He visited England 

 and oilier BmopMM countries in 181H, and in the 

 same year made a tour through the Kn ian pro- 

 vinces. On 13th .Inly 1817 he married the eldest 

 daughter of Frederick-William III. of Prussia a 

 union that long affected European politics and 

 lived in domestic retirement till the death of Alex- 

 ander I. (Docemher 1S2,~>), when, owing to the 

 resignation of his elder brother Constantino, he 

 MI. -reeded to the throne of Russia. A long-prepared 

 military conspiracy broke out immediately after 

 lii- accession, which he suppressed with" great 

 vigour and cruelty. After a brief ebullition of re- 

 forming zeal, he reverted to the ancient policy of 

 the czars absolute despotism, supported uy mere 

 military power. 



Soon after his accession a war with Persia com- 

 menced, but it was concluded by the peace of 

 Turkmanshai (1828), which gave a considerable 

 extent of territory to Russia. In the same year he 

 entered upon a war with Turkey, in which victory, 

 though at enormous cost, constantly attended his 

 arms, and the peace of Adrianople obtained for 

 Russia another increase of territory. The political 

 movements of 1830, in the west of Europe, were 

 followed by a national rising of the Poles, which 

 was suppressed after a desolating contest of nine 

 months, in which the utmost efforts of the whole 

 military resources of Russia were required. 

 Nicholas punished the rebellion by converting the 

 kingdom of Poland into a mere Russian province, 

 and strove to extinguish the Polish nationality. 

 This policy, however, was viewed with great dis- 

 satisfaction throughout Europe, and the vanquished 

 Poles were every where regarded with general sym- 

 pathy. Russia, by Nicholas's mode of govern- 

 ment, became more and more separated from the 

 fellowship of the western nations. Intellectual 

 activity was, as far as possible, restrained to things 

 merely practical, education limited to preparation 

 for the public service, the press was placed under 

 the strictest censorship, and every means used to 

 bring the whole mind of the nation under official 

 guidance. His Panslavism (q.v.) also prompted 

 him to Ku inni-e all the inhabitants of the empire. 

 and to convert Roman Catholics and Protestants to 

 the Russian (Jreek Church, of which the czar is 

 the head. War was waged against the moun- 

 taineer* of the Caucwun with the greatest energy 

 and |>eroverance. at the cost of immense sacrifice* 

 iMith of money ami lives. The extension of British 

 influence in central Asia was also viewed by him 

 with alarm, ami led to an unsuccessful expedition 

 to Khiva. During the political storm of 1 848-49 he 

 abstained from interference until an op|Mirtunitv 

 was found in the request of the em|>eror of Austria 

 for his assistance to quell the Hungarian insur- 

 rection. He succeeded M, the same time in draw- 

 ing closer the Imndx of alliance lietwecn the Russian 

 and Prussian monarchies. The re-establishment of 

 the French empire still further tended to confirm 

 these alliances, and led Nicholas to think that the 

 time had at length come for carrying into effect the 

 hereditary Russian scheme for the absorption of 

 Turkey; but the unexpected opposition of Britain 

 aud France, aud bis own invincible repugnance to 



yield led to the Crimean War (q.v.). He died 

 March 2, 1855. See Lacroix, Hittnirr ,1, \i,-,ilat I. 

 (1864-73). His great -grandson, Nicholas II., son 

 of Alexander III., was horn 1st), M.,\ isi;s. and 

 succeeded his father in IS'.M. He married tin- 

 Princess Alix of Hesse; and their coronation cele- 

 brations (marred by an accident that caused many 

 deaths) took place in 1896. The chief e\cnt of his 

 reign has been the entente with France. 



MrlioK. a family of printers and antiquaries, 

 associated with the Gentleman's Magazine from 

 1778 to 1856. To it belonged John Nichols ( 174'. 

 1826); his son, John Bowyer Nichols (1779-1803) ; 

 and his son, John (.lough Nichols ( 1806-73). 



\irholsoil, JOHN, a distinguished Indian 

 soldier, was Uini at Lisbnrn. llth December 1N'_"J. 

 In 1H.'W he joined the East India Company's service, 

 and in 1840 his regiment was ordered to Gluuni 

 in Afghanistan (q.v.), where, two years later, it 

 was compelled to surrender to the enemy. After 

 a time of miserable captivity he regained his liliertv. 

 On the breaking out of the Sikh war in 1845 fie 

 served in the campaign on the Sutlei, and was 

 present at the battle of Ferozeshah. He was now- 

 appointed assistant to the resident at the ronqueii-d 

 capital, Lahore. During the Sikh rebellion of 1848 

 he greatly distinguished himself, the prcscnation 

 of the important fortress of Attock being due to his 

 daring and promptitude, whilst soon after, at the 

 Margulla Pass, he succeeded in intercepting and 

 defeating a large body of the insurgents. At the 

 battles of Chillianwalla and (lujrat successively he 

 eained the special approval of Lord (lough, to 

 whom he was immediately attached. The Punjab 

 having finally liecome a liritish province, Captain 

 Nicholson was appointed a deputy -commissioner 

 under the Lahore Board. His success in bringing 

 the savage tribes under thorough subjection to law 

 and order was something marvellous. 



In the mutiny in 18f>7 Nicholson perhaps did more 

 than any other single man to hold firm the British 

 grasp of" the Punjab. He it was who suggested the 

 formation of the famous movable column, and he 

 presided over its organisation ; while in his dealings 

 with the suspected regiments of sepoys he exhibited 

 throughout a brilliant combination of boldness with 

 subtlety, discretion, and astuteness. At Trimmoo 

 Ghaut on the 12th and 14th July he nearly annihil- 

 ated a force of rebels, and at Najafgarh on the 

 24th he dispersed another body of mutineers. As 

 brigadier-general, on September 14 he led the first 

 column of attack at the siege of Delhi, and 

 after the troojw had forced their way into the 

 city he still exposed himself in the most fearless 

 manner, and fell, shot through the body. He died 

 on 23d Sentcmlior 1857. Over the whol'e of India it 

 was felt that, to use Lord Canning's expression, 'a 

 tower of strength ' had fallen. 



See Kyc' Live* of Indian Offreri (2 vols. 18C7; new 

 ed. 1889); R Borworth Smith's Life of Lord Lawrence ; 

 and Edwnles and Merivile, Life of Sir J. Latmnn. 



\ivias. a famous Athenian statesman and 

 general during the Peloponnesiaii war, was the son 

 of Niceratus, a very wealthy citizen, who had 

 acquired his fortune by working the silver-mines at 

 Lauriuin. He belonged to the aristocratic party, 

 and after the death of Pericles was the chief 

 opponent of the demagogue Cleon, and later of 

 Alcihiodes. In 427 B.C. he captured the island of 

 Minoa, next year he ravaged the island of Melos 

 and the coasts of Locris, the next he compelled 

 the Spartan force in Sphacteria to surrender, ami 

 defeated the Corinthians. In 424 he ravaged port 

 of Laconia and captured the island of Cythera, 

 After the death of Cleon he brought about a peace 

 l.etwceii the Spartans and Athenians, 421. Six 

 years later the Athenians at the instigation of 



