SEHESTED, HANNIBAL (1609-1666), Danish states man, born at Arensborg Castle on osel, was educated abroad, returned to Denmark in 1632 and was attached to the court of Christian IV. Two or three years later he was sent to Wismar to negotiate a treaty with the Swedish chancellor, Axel Oxen stjerna, and, if possible, bring about a match between Christian's son Frederick and Gustavus Adolphus's daughter Christina. Though failing in both particulars, he retained the favour of the king, who betrothed him to his daughter Christine, then in her tenth year, whom he married in 1642. In May 1640 Sehested became a member of the Rigsraad. In 1642 he was appointed viceroy of Norway (April 1642). He sought to develop Norway's material resources, and reorganize her armaments and fiscal sys tem; and he aimed at giving her a more independent position as regards Denmark. During Christian IV.'s second war with Sweden (1643-1645), Sehested, as viceroy of Norway, assisted his father in-law materially. He invaded Sweden four times ; successfully defended Norway from attack; and he won an engagement at Nysaker in 1644. After the war he renewed his reforming efforts, and during the years 1646-1647 he succeeded with the help of Christian IV. in creating a separate defensive fleet for Norway and giving her partial control of her own finances. Sehested's success, and still more his accumulation of money and honours aroused the distrust of the Rigsraad and the envy of his rivals.
Charges of embezzlement and peculation were brought against him, and he surrendered his private property in Norway to the Crown. From 1651 to 166o he lived abroad. In the summer of 1657 he returned to Denmark, but Frederick III. refused to
receive him, and he hastily quitted Copenhagen. During the crisis of the war of 1658 he was at the headquarters of Charles X. of Sweden. In seeking the help and protection of the worst enemy of his country, Sehested approached the very verge of treason, but, as soon as he was assured that the case of Denmark was not hopeless, he began to work in her interests in Sweden. In 166o Frederick III. allowed him to return to Copenhagen, and finally made him plenipotentiary to negotiate with the Swedes. The treaty of Copenhagen, which saved the honour of Denmark, was very largely Sehested's work. He was one of the willing abettors of Frederick III. at the revolution of 166o, when he re-entered the Danish service as lord treasurer and councillor of state. As a diplomatist he, in some respects, anticipated the views of Griffen feldt, supporting the policy of friendship with Sweden and a French alliance. He died suddenly on Sept. 23, 1666 at Paris, where he was conducting important negotiations. His "political testament" is perhaps the best testimony to his liberal and states manlike views.
See Thyra Sehested, Hannibal Sehested (Copenhagen, i886) ; Julius Albert Fridericia, Aldelsvaeldens sidste Dage (Copenhagen, 1894). SEHORE, a British station in Central India, within the state of Bhopal, 24 m. E. from Bhopal. Pop. (1931) 13,860. It is the headquarters of the political agent for Bhopal, and a British military cantonment. For many years it was also the headquar ters of the Bhopal contingent, which was in 1903 incorporated in the Indian army.