MAH 
time, the hiftory of the Mahrattas is interwoven with that 
of Hindooftan in general. See that article, vol. x. parti¬ 
cularly pp. 64, 70-77, 101-114. from the latter parts of 
Vvhicli it will appear, that the Mahrattas are no longer 
very formidable, though they are ftill the molt conlider- 
able Hindoo power. 
The Mahratta dominions are ftill, as in the days of their 
profperity, divided into two empires, or ftates; that of Poo- 
nah, or the weftern, and Berar, or the eaftern. The firlt 
is divided again among a number of chieftains, who pay 
juft as much obedience as they like to a Peiftiwah, or head, 
whom Mr. Rennel juIlly compares to the emperor of Ger¬ 
many, and the chieftains to the princes of that great body ; 
they often quarrel with him, and often among themfelves, 
and never are united but by the apprehenlion ot a common 
danger. Though the genuine Mahrattas all over India 
do not exceed 60,000 men, yet, from their fuperior bra¬ 
very and fuccel's in depredation, thoufands ot all tribes 
enlift themfelves under their banners, who, inltead of pay, 
receive a certain proportion of the plunder. By thefe 
means an army of Mahrattas increases like a river, the 
further it advances; fo that it is no uncommon thing for 
a force of ten or twelve thoufand genuine Mahrattas to 
grow into 100,000 before they arrive at the place which 
they deftine to plunder. Their dominions' extend quite 
acrofs the peninfula of India, from the bay of Bengal to 
the gulf of Cambair, or Cambay. The amount of the 
revenues of the Mahrattas cannot eafily be afeertained. 
They fubfift their armies by depredations on their neigh 
bours; and are often the terror of the ealt, more on account 
of their barbarity than their valour. The armies of the 
Mahrattas, do not, like the troops of otherlndian powers, 
incumber themielves wdth bazars, or markets : they 
trult for their l’ubliftence to the countries through which 
they march. They are armed with firelocks, lotne with 
match-lock guns, and others with bows, ipears, javelins, 
fwords, and daggers. A few years back they made fome 
advances toward forming a difeiplined army ot infantry; 
they have accordingly ten or twelve battalions of fepoys, 
■uniformly clothed and armed. But the nation of the 
Mahrattas, though chiefly compoled ot Rajaputs, or that 
tribe of Indians whole chief bulinefs is war, retain the 
snildnefs of their countiymen in their domeltic govern¬ 
ment. While their armies carry deftruftion and death 
into the territories of the Mahometans, all is quiet, hap¬ 
py, and regular, at home. No robbery is to be dreaded, 
jjo impofition or obftruction from the officers of govern¬ 
ment, no protection neceflary but the lhade. To be a 
Granger is a fulficient fecurity. Provilions are furnilhed 
by hofpitality ; and, when a pealant is alkcd for water, 
be runs with great alacrity, and fetches milk. Col. 
Dow, who travelled into the country of the Mahrattas, 
avers, from experience, the truth of this ; and adds, that 
the Mahrattas, who have been reprefented as barbarians, 
are fubjeft to a regular government, the principles ot 
which are founded on virtue. The capital of the Weftern 
Mahrattas, under Scindia, is Ougein ; that of the Eaftern 
Mahrattas, under Holkar, is Indore. The former iiate 
k by far the moft powerful and extenfive. 
MAHRAUZEDUR'GAM, a town of Hindooftan, in 
Myfore : fix miles north-north-eaft of Kutnagheri. 
MA'HRENBURG, or Ma'renberg, a town of Ger¬ 
many, in the duchy of Stiria : nine miles north of Win- 
dilch Gratz. 
MA'HRISH NEU'STADT. See Uniczovv. 
MAHSAR'CH, a town of Egypt, on the left branch 
of the Nile : two miles fouth of Melaui. 
MA'HU, a town of Sweden, in Sudermanland s twen- 
ty-eight miles north-weft of Nykioping. 
MAHUDGE'E, a town of Hindooftan, in Oude : twelve 
miles north of Fyzabad. 
. MAHUDWA'H, a town of Hindooftan, in Guzerat: 
thirty-one miles fouth-eaft of Puttan Sumnauf. 
MAHUR', a circar of Hindooftan, in Berar, on the 
aorth fide of the Godavery, and to the ealt of Ellichpour, 
M A H 147 
and north of Tellingana. The chief towns are Mahur 
and Neermul. 
MAHUR', a town of Hindooftan, and capital of the 
above circar: 112 miles fouth of Ellichpour, and 146 eaft 
of Aurungabad. Lat. 19. 24. N. Ion. 78. 34. E. 
MAHUR', a town of Hindooftan, in the circar of Gur- 
rah : ninety miles fouth-fouth-weft of Allahabad, and fe- 
venry-nine north-north-eaft of Gurrah. Lat. 24. 18. N. 
Ion. 81. 1. E. 
MAHUR', according to the Hindoos, is the third of 
the lix Ipheres placed above tile earth. Fakeers, and fuch 
as by dint of prayer have acquired an extraordinary degree 
of (anCtity, go there. 
MAHU'RIA.y; in botany. See Bonnetia. 
MAHUR'RY, a town of Hindooftan, in the circar of 
Surgooja: thirty-five miles north-weft of Surgooja. 
MAH'WAH, or Ma'wee, f. in botany; an Eaft In¬ 
dian tree, fo called by the natives of Bahar a.ld the neigh¬ 
bouring countries, but of which the Shanfcrit name is 
madhuca or madhudruma. According to Lieut. C. Hamil¬ 
ton, by whom a very particular account of this tree'is 
given in the Afiatic Ref’earches, vol. i. it is of the clafs 
polyandria, order monogynia, of Linnaeus, but of a genus 
not deferibed by him. It is now received into the fyftem 
by the name of Baffia latifolia, but was not included by 
us under that genus ; we (hall therefore deferibe it here. 
• The tree, when full grown, is about the fize of a com¬ 
mon mango-tree, withabufhy head, and oval leaves a lit¬ 
tle pointed ; its roots, fpreading horizontally, are funk but 
little in the earth ; the trunk, which is often of a consider¬ 
able thicknefs, rifes feldom to any great height without 
giving off branches ; it is, however, not uncommon to fee 
it (hoot up clear to the length of eight or ten feet; the 
wood itfelf is moderately hard, fine grained, and of a red- 
difh colour. By incifion the tree affords a refinous gum 
from the bark. The flowers are of a nature very extraor¬ 
dinary, “differing elfentially (fays Mr. Hamilton) from 
thofe of any other plant with which I am acquainted, as 
they have not, in any refpeCt, the ufual appearance of fuch, 
but rather refemble berries-, and I, like many others, had 
long conceived them to be the fruit.” The tree drops its 
leaves in the month of February, and early in March thefe 
flowers begin to come out in clulters of thirty, forty, or 
fifty, from the extremity of every fmall branch ; and, from 
this period till the latter end of April, as the flowers come 
to maturity (for they never open or expand), they con¬ 
tinue falling off, with their antherae, in the mornings, a 
little after lunrife; when they are gathered'; and after¬ 
wards dried by an expofure of a few days in the fun ; when 
thus prepared, they very much refemble a dried grape, 
both in tafte and flavour. Immediately after the flowers 
drop off, frefh Ihoots are made for the new leaves, which 
foon make their appearance, coming prefently to their full 
growth. The fruit (properly fo called) is of two forts in 
fhape ; the one refembling a imatl walnut, the other lome- 
what larger and pointed ; it is ripe towards the middle of 
May; and continues dropping from the tree till the whole 
fall, which is generally about the beginning or towards 
the middle of June. The outer covering, or pericarpium , 
which is of a foft texture, commonly burlts in the fall, fo 
that the feeds are very eafily fqueezed out of it; the feeds 
are foinewhat of the (hape, but longer than an olive. 
Thefe feeds are replete with a thick oil, of the conlittence 
of butter, or ghee, which is obtained by expreflion. 
From this defeription it may eafily be conceived, tha(r 
the rnahwah-tree and its productions are of Angular and 
general ufe, efpecially in thofe dry and barren countries, 
which, from the nature of their fituation, are not fo well 
calculated for producing in plenty or perfection the other 
neceffaries of life. The corolla, or flowers, after being 
dried as before deferibed, are eaten by the natives raw or 
dreffed with their curries; and, when even (imply boiled 
with rice, they afford a ftrengthening and wholefome nou~- 
rifhment. They are indeed, our author tells us, often ap¬ 
plied to a lefs laudable purpofe j for, being fermented, they 
- 1 . yields 
