His work on rotating bodies led to solutions of problems involving oscillation of a pendulum and uni¬ form circular motion. He was also the first to determine acceleration due to gravity.
Huysmans \wes-'ma n s\, Joris- Karl orig. Charles-Marie- Georges Huysmans (b. Feb. 5,
1848, Paris, France—d. May 12,
1907, Paris) French Decadent writer.
His early works, influenced by con¬ temporary naturalism, were followed by far more individual and violent works. The first was Down Stream (1882). His best-known novel, A rebours (1884; Against the Grain), relates experiments in decadence by
the bored survivor of a noble line. The controversial and clearly autobio¬ graphical La-bas (1891; Down There) is a tale of 19th-century satanists. His final novels concern his return to Roman Catholicism. He also wrote perceptive art criticism.
Hwang River See Huang River
Hwange Vhwaq-ga\ National Park formerly Wankie \'waq-ke\ National Park National preserve, northwestern Zimbabwe. Located on the Botswana frontier, it was established in 1928 as a game reserve and in 1930 as a national park. The land, with an area of 5,657 sq mi (14,651 sq km), is largely flat, with hardwood forests of mukwa and teak. It is one of Africa’s largest elephant sanctuaries; its abundant wildlife can be observed from platforms overlooking the water holes.
Hwarangdo Vhwa-'raq-'doN Military and philosophical code devel¬ oped in the Korean state of Silla during the 6th century. It formed the basis for training an elite society of young warriors known as the hwarang, who were instrumental in unifying Korea under the Silla dynasty (668- 935). Their moral code, derived from Buddhism and Confucianism, empha¬ sized loyalty to the king, filial piety, faithfulness to friends, courage in battle, and the evil of indiscriminate killing. The hwarang were disbanded during the Choson dynasty (1392-1910), but interest in the code revived in the late 20th century with a style of Korean martial arts known as hwarangdo.
hyacinth Any of the approximately 30 species of bulbous ornamental herbaceous plants that make up the genus Hyacinthus (lily family), native primarily to the Mediterranean region and tropical Africa. The common garden hyacinths are derived from H. orientalis. Most species have nar¬ row, untoothed leaves at the base of the plant and fragrant flowers (usu¬ ally blue, but sometimes pink, white, or other colors in cultivated varieties) borne in a cluster at the top of the leafless stems. See also grape HYACINTH.
Hyacinthus V.hl-o-'sin-thosX In Greek mythology, a young man of great beauty who attracted the love of Apollo. The god killed him accidentally in discus throwing, and from his blood grew the flower hyacinthos (not the modern hyacinth), whose petals were marked with the words AI, AI (“Alas”). His death was celebrated at Amyclae, his native town in Sparta, with an early summer festival known as the Hyacinthia. The festival marked the transition from spring to summer.
Hyades VhI-9- 1 dez\ Open cluster of several hundred stars in the constel¬ lation Taurus. The bright star Aldebaran appeal's to be a member of the cluster but is much closer to Earth than the Hyades, which is about 130 light-years away. Five genuine members of the group are visible to the unaided eye.
hybrid Offspring of parents that differ in genetically determined traits (see genetics). The parents may be of two different species, genera, or (rarely) families. The terms “mongrel” and “crossbreed” refer usually to animals or plants resulting from a cross between two races, breeds, strains, or varieties of the same species. Because of basic biological incompat¬ ibilities, sterile hybrids (those that cannot produce living young) such as the mule (a hybrid between a jackass and a mare) commonly result from crosses between species. Some species hybrids, however, are fertile and can be sources for the formation of new species. Many economically or aesthetically important cultivated plants (e.g., bananas, coffee, peanuts, dahlias, roses, bread wheats, alfalfa, etc.) originated through natural or artificially induced hybridization. Hybridization is important biologically because it increases necessary genetic variation within a species.
Hyde, Edward See Earl of Clarendon
Hyder Ali Vhl-dor-a-'leV (b. 1722, Budikote, Mysore, India—d. Dec. 7, 1782, Chittoor) Muslim ruler of Mysore, in southern India. He organized the first Indian-controlled corps of Indian soldiers armed with Western weapons, obtained a command in the Mysore army, and eventually over¬ threw Mysore’s raja. He conquered neighbouring areas and joined a con¬ federacy with the Nizam 'All Khan and the Marathas against the British. He fought the British for more than a decade, but at the end of his life, recognizing that he could not defeat them, he urged his son to make peace.
Hyderabad City (pop., 2001 prelim.: 3,449,878), capital of Andhra Pradesh state, southern India. Founded by the sultans of Golconda in the 16th century, the town was plundered and destroyed following the Mughal occupation in 1685. In 1724 it became the capital of the independent kingdom of Hyderabad. A walled city, it has many buildings in a blend of
Christiaan Huygens, portrait by C. Netscher, 1671 ; in the Collection Haags Gemeentemuseum, The Hague
COURTESY OF THE COLLECTION HAAGS GEMEENTEMUSEUM, THE HAGUE
Joris-Karl Huysmans, detail of an oil painting by Jean-Louis Forain.
J.E. BULLOZ
© 2006 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
916 I Hyderabad ► hydrogen
Hindu and Muslim styles. Adjacent Secunderabad grew as a British can¬ tonment, connected to Hyderabad by an embankment 1 mi (1.6 km) long. It is the site of Osmania University (1918) and the University of Hyder¬ abad (1974).
Hyderabad or Haydarabad City (pop., 1998: 1,151,274), Sind province, Pakistan. Located east of the Indus River, it was founded in 1768 by Ghulam Shah Kalhora. It remained the capital of Sind until 1843, when it surrendered to the British and the capital was transferred to Karachi. It is now a communications, commercial, and industrial centre. Notable antiquities include the tombs and palaces of former rulers; characteristic of the city are badgirs (“wind-catchers”) fixed to housetops to catch sea breezes during the hot season.
Hyderabad Vhl-ds-ro-.badV Former princely state, south-central India. Originally part of the kingdom of Golconda, it was brought into the Mughal Empire in 1687. The independent kingdom of Hyderabad was founded by Nizam ul-Mulk in 1724. In 1798 it was placed under British protection, although the nizams (rulers) continued to rule over their princely state. At Indian partition in 1947, the nizam chose to resume Hyderabad’s independent status, but India invaded the state (1948) and took control. The area is now divided among the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Maharashtra.
hydra Any of 20-30 species of freshwater cnidarians (genus Hydra). The POLYP-type body is a thin, usually translucent tube that measures up to slightly more than 1 in. (25 mm) long. Food is ingested and wastes are ejected from the open, tentacled end. Individuals are usually hermaphro¬ ditic (see hermaphroditism). Reproduction by budding is also common. Spe¬ cies differ in colour, tentacle length and number, and gonad position and size. All hydras feed on other small invertebrates (e.g., crustaceans).
hydrangea \hl-'dran-j3\ Any of approximately 23 species of erect or climbing woody shrubs that make up the genus Hydrangea (family Hydrangeaceae). It is native to the Western Hemisphere and eastern Asia. Several species are grown in greenhouses and gardens for their showy, usually ball-like flower clusters. Cultivated varieties of the French hydran¬ gea, or hortensia H. macrophylla, bear large globular flower clusters in various colours; they are the florist’s hydrangeas.
hydraulic jump Sudden change in water level, analogous to a shock wave, commonly seen below weirs and sluice gates where a smooth stream of water suddenly rises at a foaming front. The fact that the speed of water waves varies with wavelength and with amplitude leads to a wide variety of effects. Tidal bores, which may be observed on some estuar¬ ies, are large-scale examples. See also Bernoulli's principle.