His popularity continued to grow through the 20th century. His festi¬ val is especially popular in the Indian state of Maharashtra.
Gang of Four Most powerful members of a radical political elite convicted for implementing the harsh policies of Mao Zedong during the Cultural Revolution. The four were Wang Hongwen, Zhang Chun- qiao, Yao Wenyuan, and Mao’s third wife, Jiang Qing. Manipulating the youthful Red Guards, the Gang of Four controlled four areas: intellectual education, basic theories in science and technology, teacher-student relations and school discipline, and party poli¬ cies regarding intellectuals. The turmoil of the Cultural Revolution sub¬ sided after 1969, but the Gang of Four maintained their power until Mao’s death in 1976, when they were imprisoned; they stood trial in 1980-81.
The Buddha preaching, relief from Gandhara, schist, c. 2nd century ad; in the Prince of Wales Museum of West¬ ern India, Bombay.
P. CHANDRA
Indi ra Gandhi
AP/WIDE WORLD PHOTOS
Ganesa dancing, relief from Farrukha- bad, Uttar Pradesh, India, 10th century ad; in the State Museum, Lucknow, India.
PRAMOD CHANDRA
© 2006 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
734 i Ganga ► Gao Xingjian
Ganga Vgaq-goV dynasty Either of two distinct but remotely related Indian dynasties. The Western Gangas ruled in Mysore state from c. ad 250 to 1004. They encouraged scholarly work, built some remarkable temples, and encouraged cross-peninsular trade. The Eastern Gangas ruled Kalinga from 1028 to 1434-35. They were great patrons of religion and the arts; the temples of the Ganga period rank among the masterpieces of Hindu architecture. Both dynasties interacted with the Calukya and Cola dynasties.
Ganges delta or Ganges-Brahmaputra delta Region in West Bengal state, India, and Bangladesh. An area of about 220 mi (355 km) wide along the Bay of Bengal, it is covered by the network of streams forming the mouths of the Ganges (Ganga) and Brahmaputra rivers. In Bangladesh the Brahmaputra is joined by the Tista River and, from there to its junction with the Ganges, is known as the Jamuna River. The main streams, the Ganges and the Jamuna, unite to form the Padma River. The river farthest west that enters the Bay of Bengal is the Hugli River. Many smaller streams of the delta form a swamp region for about 160 miles (260 km) along the coast, known as the Sundarbans. The delta was struck in 1970 by one of history’s most devastating cyclones.
Ganges Vgan-jez\ River Hindi Ganga Vgoq-goV River, northern India and Bangladesh. Held sacred by followers of Hinduism, it is formed from five headstreams rising in Uttaranchal state. On its 1,560-mi (2,510- km) course, it flows southeast through the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal. In central Bangladesh it is joined by the Brah¬ maputra and Meghna rivers. Their combined waters (called the Padma River) empty into the Bay of Bengal and form a delta 220 mi (354 km) wide, which is shared by India and Bangladesh. Its plain is one of the most fertile and densely populated regions in the world. Millions of Hin¬ dus bathe in the river annually at special holy places ( tirthas ). Many cast the ashes of their dead into its waters, and cremation temples are found along its banks in numerous places.
Gangetic \gan-'je-tik\ Plain or Indo-Gangetic Plain Fertile low¬ land region of north-central India. It stretches westward, centred on the Ganges River, from the Brahmaputra River valley and the Ganges delta to the Indus River valley. It contains the subcontinent’s richest and most densely populated areas. The greater part of the plain is made up of allu¬ vial soil, deposited by the extensive network of rivers in the region. The eastern part of the plain has summer rainfall so heavy that vast areas become swamps or shallow lakes. It becomes progressively drier toward the west, where it incorporates the Thar Desert.
ganglion \'gaq-gle-on\ Aggregate of nerve-cell bodies outside the cen¬ tral nervous system (CNS). The spinal ganglion contains the nerve-cell bodies of the nerve fibres that carry impulses toward the CNS (afferent neurons in dorsal root ganglia) or away from it (efferent neurons in ven¬ tral root ganglia).
gangrene Localized soft-tissue death (necrosis) from prolonged blood- supply blockage. It can occur in atherosclerosis, diabetes mellitus, or decu¬ bitus ulcer, and after severe burns or frostbite. In dry gangrene, gradual blood-supply decrease turns the part discoloured and cold, then dark and dry. Treatment requires improving blood flow. Moist gangrene comes from a sudden blood-supply cutoff. Bacterial infection causes swelling, discoloration, and then a foul smell. Along with antibiotics, tissue removal may be needed to prevent spread, which can be fatal. A more virulent form, gas gangrene, is named for gas bubbles under the skin produced by a highly lethal toxin from Clostridium bacteria. The wound oozes brown¬ ish, smelly pus. Infection spreads rapidly, causing death. All dead and diseased tissue must be removed and antibiotics given; an antitoxin can also be used.
Gangtok Vgoq-.tokV Town (pop., 2001 prelim.: 29,162), capital of Sik¬ kim state, northeastern India. At an elevation of 5,600 ft (1,700 m), it over¬ looks the Ranipool River. It was the governmental seat of the kingdom of Sikkim until the monarchy was abolished (1975) and India annexed Sikkim (1976). It was an important point on the India-Tibet trade route until the border with Tibet was closed in 1962. The former royal palace and chapel are located there; the noted Buddhist monastery of Rumtek is nearby.
Ganioda'yo \,gan-yo-'dI-yo\ or Handsome Lake (b. c. 1735, Ganawaugus, N.Y.—d. Aug. 10, 1815, Onondaga, N.Y., U.S.) Seneca Indian chief. He led a somewhat dissolute life before becoming seriously ill in 1799; on recovering, he reported a vision revealing the will of the
Great Spirit. He developed a religion he called Gai’wiio (Good Message) that combined elements of Christianity and Indian beliefs; as an itinerant preacher, he urged his people to refrain from adultery, drunkenness, lazi¬ ness, and witchcraft. The religion revitalized the demoralized Iroquois, and it was adhered to by many into the 20th century.
gannet Any of three oceanic bird species (family Sulidae) closely related to the booby. Gannets are found in the North Atlantic, where they are the largest seabirds, and in temperate waters around Africa,
Australia, and New Zealand. Adults are mainly white with black-tipped wing feathers and a large, yellowish or buff-coloured head marked with black around the eyes. They have a tapered beak and pointed tail. They dive with half-closed wings to catch fish and squid. They waddle on land but are expert fliers, spending most of their lives over water. They nest in dense colonies on cliffs. The larg¬ est species is the 40-in. (100-cm) northern gannet.
Gannett Co., Inc. One of the largest newspaper groups in the U.S. It was founded by Frank Ernest Gannett (1876-1957), who in 1906 began buying small newspapers in upstate New York. It was incorporated in 1923, and its stock was first publicly traded in 1967. In 1982 it began publishing USA Today, the first national general-interest newspaper in the U.S. By 2005 Gannett owned about 100 daily papers, with a combined circulation of more than 7 million. Most of its newspapers are located in small and medium-sized cities; Gannett’s larger papers include the Des Moines Register and the Detroit Free Press. The company’s other hold¬ ings include online newspapers, television stations, and regional and daily newspapers in Europe.
Northern gannets (Morus bassanus).
WILLIAM AND LAURA RILEY
Gansu Vgan-'su\ or Kan-su conventional Kansu Province (pop., 2000 est.: 25,620,000), north-central China. It is bordered by Mongolia, the autonomous regions of Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia, and the provinces of Shaanxi, Sichuan, and Qinghai. It has an area of 141,500 sq mi (366,500 sq km). Its capital is Lanzhou. For centuries a passage between the upper Huang He (Yellow River) region and western China, it became part of Chinese territory in the 3rd century bc. It was renowned as the entranceway into China used by Marco Polo. Eastern Gansu is the main site of earthquakes in China; in 1920 an earthquake there destroyed many towns and caused 200,000 deaths. Wheat is the province’s chief crop, and wheat flour rather than rice is the basis of the local diet.