ongst the Cossacks stands
at a higher level than in the remainder of Russia. They have more
schools and a greater proportion of their children go to school. In
addition to agriculture, which (with the exception of the Usuri
Cossacks) is sufficient to supply their needs and usually to leave a
certain surplus, they carry on extensive cattle and horse breeding, vine
culture in Caucasia, fishing on the Don, the Ural, and the Caspian,
hunting, bee-culture, &c. The extraction of coal, gold and other
minerals which are found on their territories is mostly rented to
strangers, who also own most factories.

A military organization similar to that of the Cossacks has been
introduced into certain districts, which supply a number of mounted
infantry _sotnias_. Their peace-footing is as follows:--Daghestan, 6
regular squadrons and 3 of militia; Kuban Circassians, 1 _sotnia_;
Terek, 8 _sotnias_; Kars, 3 _sotnias_; Batum, 2 infantry and 1 mounted
_sotnia_; Turkomans, 3 _sotnias_; total, 25 squadrons and 2 companies.

For the origin and history of the Cossacks see POLAND: History, and
the biographies of Razin, Chmielnicki and Mazepa. (P. A. K.)

COSSIMBAZAR, or KASIMBAZAR, a decayed town on the river Bhagirathi in
the Murshidabad district of Bengal, India, now included in the Berhampur
municipality. Pop. (1901) 1262. Though the history of the place cannot
be traced back earlier than the 17th century, it was of great importance
long before the foundation of Murshidabad. From the first European
traders set up factories here, and after the ruin of Satgaon by the
silting up of the mouth of the Saraswati it gained a position, as the
great trading centre of Bengal, which was not challenged until after the
foundation of Calcutta. In 1658 the first English agent was established
at Cossimbazar, and in 1667 the chief of the factory there became an
_ex-officio_ member of council. In English documents of this period, and
till the early 19th century, the Bhagirathi was described as the
Cossimbazar river, and the triangular piece of land between the
Bhagirathi, Padma and Jalangi, on which the city stands, as the island
of Cossimbazar. The proximity of the factory to Murshidabad, the
Mahommedan capital, while it was the main source of its wealth and of
its political importance, exposed it to constant danger. Thus in 1757 it
was the first to be taken by Suraj-ud-dowlah, the nawab; ana the
resident with his assistant (Warren Hastings) w