NAJ 
N 
N Or n, the tlurteenth letter, and tenth 
’ consonant of o.ur alphaoei : it is a 
liquid, the sound of whicli is formed by forc- 
ing the voice strongly throngli the mouth 
and nostrils ; being at the same time inter- 
cepted by applying the tip of the tongue to 
tlie fore-part of tlie palate, with the lips 
open. It suffers no consonant immediately 
after it, in the beginning of words and syl- 
lables ; nor any before it, except g-, k, and 
s ; as in gnmu, know, snow, &c. as a numeral, 
N stands for 900 ; and with a dash over 
it, thus 57 , for 900,000 ; N, or N", stands 
for numero, i. e. in number ; and N. B. for 
nota bene, note well, or observe well. 
NABOB, a corruption from nawanb, the 
plural of naib. The title means deputed, 
but it is often assumed in India without a 
right to do it. As the real signification and 
import of this word are not generally known, 
■we shall extract a passage out of Mr. 
Orme’s “ History of the Carnatic,” that will 
place them in the clearest point of view : 
“ Most of the countries which have been 
conquered by the. Great Mogul in the pe- 
ninsula of India, are comprised tmder one 
viceroyalty, called from its situation, Decan, 
or South. From the word soubah, signify- 
ing a province, the viceroy of this vast ter- 
ritory is called soubadar, and by Europeans, 
improperly, soubah. Of the countries under 
his jurisdiction, some are entirely subjected 
to the throne of Delhi, and governed by 
Mahomedans, whom Europeans improperly 
call Moors ; whilst others remain under the 
government of their original Indian princes, 
or rajahs, and are suffered to follow their 
ancient modes, on condition of paying tri- 
bute to the Great Mogul. The Moorbh 
governors depending on the sonbah, assume, 
when treating with their inferiors, the title of 
nabob, which signifies deputy ; but this in 
the registers of the throne (of Delhi) is syno- 
nimous to Soubadar, and the greatest part of 
those who style tliemselves nabobs are rank- 
ed at Delhi under the title of phous-dar, 
which is much inferior to that which they 
assume. The Europeans established in the 
territories of these pseudo-nabobs (if we 
may be allowed the exnression) following 
tlie example of the natives with whom they 
have most intercourse, have agreed in giv- 
ing them the title they so much affect. 
“ A nabob ought to hold his commission 
from Delhi, and if, at his death, a successor 
has not been previously appointed by the 
Great Mogul, the soubaii has the right of 
naming a person to administer the nabob- 
ship until the will of the sovereign is known > 
but a nabob thus appointed by a soubah is 
not deemed authentically esitablished until 
he is confirmed from Delhi. The soubah 
receives from the several nabobs the annual 
revenues of the crown, and remits them to 
the treasury of the empire. The nabobs 
are obliged #3 accompany him in all military 
expeditions within the extent of his vice- 
royalty, but not in any without that extent. 
These regulations were intended to place 
them in such a state of dependence on the 
sonbah, as shall render them subservient to 
the interest of the empire, and at the same 
time leave them iu a state of independence, 
which would rend^' it difficult for the Sou- 
bah to make use or their assistance to brave 
the throne. Nabobs, however, have kept 
possession of their governments in ojrposi- 
tion both to the Soubah and the throne ; 
and what is more extraordinary in the offices 
of a despotic state, both soubahs and nabobs 
have named their successors, who have often 
succeeded with as little opposition as if they 
had been the heirs apparent of an heredi- 
tary dominion.” 
NABONASSAR, or JEra.of Nahonassnr, 
a method of computing time from the com- 
mencement of Nabonassar's reign. The 
epocha of Nabonassar is of the greater im- 
portance, as Ptolemy and other astronomers 
account their years from it, 
NADIR, in astronomy, that point of the 
heavens which is diametrically opposite to 
the zenith, or point directly over our heads. 
The zeiiitli and nadir are the two poles of 
the horizon. 
NAJ AS, in botany, a genus of the Dioecia 
Monandria class and order. Natural order 
of Inundat®. Naiades, Jussieu. Essential 
character: male, calyx cjdindric, bifid; co- 
rolla four-cleft ; filament none : female, ca- 
