ALMANSG, a t. of Murcia, Spain, in the province of Albacete, and 43 m. e. by s. from Albacete, on the Madrid and Alicante railway. It is situated in a wide plain, and is tolerably well built, and rather flourishing. The vega, or plain around the t. is irrigated by water from a large reservoir called the Pantano of Albufera, and is very fertile. Many of its ague-breeding swamps have been drained and brought under cultivation. A. carries on manufactures of linen, hempen, and cotton fabrics, the materials of which are supplied from the neighborhood, also of brandy, leather, and soap. Pop. 8736.—Near A the French, under the duke of Berwick, natural son of James II of England, gained a victory, On 25th April, 1707, over an army of Spanish and English troops. commanded by Henry de Ruvigny, earl of Galway. The French were more than twice the number of their opponents. Ruvigny fought under orders from home, contrary to his own judgment, and was deserted by the Spaniards almost as soon as the battle began. The battle of A. was, in its results, one of the most im portant in the war of the Spanish succession. See SUCCESSION WARS.
Alatit.NSOIC, or, with his full name, Abu-Jafer-Abdallah-ben-Mohammed-al-Mansor (al-itiansor, " helped by God"), the second caliph of the house of the Abbasides (q. v.), reigned from 754 to 775. Warfare, treachery, and murder were his steps to the throne, and his thole rule was as cruel as its beginning. He specially persecuted the Christians in Syria and Egypt. In war against external foes he had but little success. He removed the seat of the caliphate to Bagdad, which he built at immense cost, raising the money by oppressive taxation. He introduced the pernicious custom of making his freed slaves, mostly foreigners, rulers of provinces. The best feature in his character was his patron age of learning. lie caused the Elements of Euclid to be translated from the Syriac, and the famous fables of Bidpai (q.v.) from the Persian language. A. d. during a pilgrimage to Mecca, in the 63d year of his age.