Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume II.djvu/535

 BENARES BENBOW 515 nares number more than 300, that built by Aurungzebe in the 17th century being the most prominent. It occupies the site of an ancient Hindoo temple in the centre of the city. Its 28 minarets rise each 232 ft. above the surface of the Ganges, the foundations ex- tending to the water's edge. The architecture of the building is variously described as beau- tiful and unattractive. The observatory of Jai Singh, established during the Mogul supremacy, is a massive structure, furnished with curious astronomical instruments and ancient oriental drawings of the celestial heavens. A Hindoo Sanskrit college was founded in 1792, to which an English department was added in 1832, providing instruction in mathematics, history, belles-lettres, and political economy. There are other Hindoo and Mohammedan schools, and several foreign Christian missions. A court of civil and criminal justice is maintained by the British government. Secrole, the Eng- lish settlement containing the official resi- dences and cantonments, lies between 2 and 3 m. W. of the native town. It is an unhealthy station and much dreaded by European troops. The manufactures of Benares comprise cottons, woollens, silks, and magnificent gold brocades. The city is the centre of a large provincial trade in fine shawls, muslins, and diamonds, which articles, in addition to its own manu- factures, form the principal exports. It is also a great mart of distribution for European goods. The modern city of Benares dates from the period of Mohammedan ascendancy in the latter part of the 17th century, but the ruins found in the vicinity indicate a much earlier origin. The Hindoos believe Benares to have been founded at the creation of the world. It Benares. is noteworthy that three great religions have flourished there: Buddhism, the founders of which there began to propagate their faith; Mohammedanism, which was temporarily dom- inant ; and Brahmanism, which has regained its supremacy. The district of Benares has an area of about 1,000 sq. m. and a population of about 800,000. It is abundantly watered by the Ganges, Goomtee, and many smaller streams. The climate is characterized by violent ex- tremes of temperature, with a mean of 77 F., and an annual rainfall of more than 30 inches. The country is fertile and well cultivated, pro- ducing abundant crops of sugar, opium, and indigo. It was ceded to the East India com- pany in 1775 by the king or nawanb of Oude, who acquired it after the destruction of the Mogul empire. On an agreement providing for the payment of certain tribute, the East India company in 1776 granted the district to Kajah Oheyt Singh. This agreement was broken by Warren Hastings as governor general, and its violation was the subject of one of the charges on which he jvas subsequently impeached. liKMtOH. John, an English admiral, born at Newport in 1650, died in Jamaica, Nov. 4, 1702. He was reared in the merchant service, and in a trip to the Mediterranean in 1686 he fought so desperately against an African cor- sair, that he was invited to the Spanish court by Charles II., who recommended him to James II. of England. The latter gave him the command of a ship of war to protect Brit- ish interests in the English channel, and subse- quently he was promoted to the rank of rear admiral, and employed in blockading and bom- barding the French ports. In 1701, with a squadron under his command, he sailed to the