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BENARES.

256

1765 the Benares territory was restored to Oudh, the Wazi'r consenting guarantee the Raja in the quiet enjoyment of his possessions. Balwant Singh died in 1770, and the Wazir endeavoured to use the

to

opportunity thus afforded hinr of dispossessing his powerful vassals.

The

English, however, compelled

him

to recognise the succession of

Chait Singh, an illegitimate son of the late Raja,

Five years

later,

Wazi'r ceded the sovereignty of the Benares estate to the British,

the

who

confirmed Chait Singh in his holding by sanad, dated April T5, 1776. The succeeding events are so generally known, and have been so acrimoniously discussed, that a very brief recapitulation

will

here

suffice.

In 1778, a tribute of 5 Idk/is was levied upon Chait Singh for the maintenance of a battalion of sipdh'is similar demands were made in 1779

and 1780.

In the

our power in India being then threatened

latter year,

with a simultaneous attack on the part of Haidar Ali, the Nizam, and the

Marathas, the Governor-General, Warren Hastings, called upon

The Raja

the Raja to furnish a cavalry contingent of 1500 men.

returned evasive answers, but did not send a single trooper.

For

this

conduct, the Governor-General determined to inflict upon him a fine of In August 1781, Hastings arrived at Benares, 50 Idkhs, or ^500,000.

and finding Chait Singh

still insubordinate, gave orders that he should be arrested in his own house. A riot occurred, the little body of British troops was attacked and easily overcome, the Raja fled to one of his strongholds, and a general rising took place in the city. Hastings, shut up with his slender retinue in Benares, found himself in a most critical position, from which he only extricated himself by flight The Raja remained in open rebellion till the end of to Chanar. September, when the British troops collected and dispersed his followers. The Governor-General then returned to Benares, deposed Chait Singh, and recognised his nephew Mahi'pnarayan as Raja. Chait Singh retired to Gwalior, where he died in 1810. The criminal administration of the whole estate, and the civil administration of the city, were taken from the Raja and assumed by the English. was succeeded by his son, UditMahi'pnarayan died in 1795, On the death of the latter, in 1835, his estates descended narayan. {See to his nephew, the present Maharaja, Iswari Prasad Narayan,

When

Benares Estate.)

Wazi'r Ali,

Nawab

of Oudh, was deposed by

the British in 1798, he received orders to live at Benares. 1799, he attacked Mr. Cherry, the Governor- General’s

murdered him, with two other

officers.

The

magistrate,

In January agent,

whom

and

he pro-

ceeded to assail, defended himself in his house till the cavalry arrived from Bitabar and rescued him. Wazi'r Ali escaped at the time, but was given up and confined for

From

this period,

Mutiny of 1857.

life

in Calcutta.

English rule was never seriously disturbed

News

till

the

of the outbreak at Meerut reached Benares