Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Aśoka

(Encyclopedia)Aśoka əshōˈkə, –sōˈk– [key] or Ashoka, d. c.232 b.c., Indian emperor (c.273–c.232 b.c.) of the Maurya dynasty; grandson of Chandragupta. One of the greatest rulers of ancient India, he br...

Charles IV, duke of Lorraine

(Encyclopedia)Charles IV, 1604–75, duke of Lorraine. He succeeded to the duchy in 1624 but was to lose it several times because of his anti-French policy. In 1633, French troops invaded Lorraine in retaliation fo...

Helvetic Republic

(Encyclopedia)Helvetic Republic hĕlvēˈtĭk [key], 1798–1803, Swiss state established under French auspices. In Sept., 1797, several exiled Swiss leaders in France (notably Frédéric César de La Harpe) formal...

La Trémoille, Louis de

(Encyclopedia)La Trémoille or La Trimouille, Louis de də lä trāmoiˈyə or trēmo͞oˈyə [key], 1460–1525, French general; grandson of Georges de La Trémoille. He commanded the army that attempted to secur...

Augereau, Pierre François Charles

(Encyclopedia)Augereau, Pierre François Charles pyĕr fräNswäˈ shärl ōzhərōˈ [key], 1757–1816, marshal of France. He fought in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars and was a principal in the coup...

Frederick William II

(Encyclopedia)Frederick William II, 1744–97, king of Prussia (1786–97), nephew and successor of Frederick II (Frederick the Great). He had the power but lacked the ability of his distinguished predecessors. He ...

La Tour d'Auvergne, Théophile Malo Corret de

(Encyclopedia)La Tour d'Auvergne, Théophile Malo Corret de tāōfēlˈ mälōˈ kôrāˈ də lä to͞or dōvĕrˈnyə [key], 1743–1800, French soldier. Although an aristocrat, he fought for the revolutionaries i...

Erie, indigenous people of North America

(Encyclopedia)Erie ĭrˈē [key], indigenous people of North America of the Iroquoian branch of the Hokan-Siouan linguistic stock (see Native American languages). In the Iroquoian language the word erie means “lo...

Herkimer, Nicholas

(Encyclopedia)Herkimer, Nicholas, 1728–77, American Revolutionary general. He was born in a German colony near the present town of Herkimer, N.Y. He served in the French and Indian War and was appointed (1776) br...

Kerguelen

(Encyclopedia)Kerguelen kûrˈgəlĕn, Fr. kĕrgālĕnˈ [key], subantarctic island of volcanic origin, 1,318 sq mi (3,414 sq km), in the S Indian Ocean, c.3,300 mi (5,310 km) SE of the southern tip of Africa; larg...