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 BENARES.

257

on the 15th of May. The 37th Native Infantry at once became disorderly, and it was determined to disarm them on the ist of June. They replied to the order with a volley, but when it was returned The Sikhs and Irregular Cavalry joined the they shortly dispersed. The civil officers, however, held the Mint and the mutineers. treasury, and the rebellion went no further. Parties of Europeans passing up from Calcutta to the north-west sufficed to keep the city quiet, though in the District some disturbances took place, and Mr. Moore, the Joint Collector, was murdered at Gopfganj in Mirzapur District. Early in June, the Rajputs of Jaunpur marched to attack Benares, but on the 17th they were cut to pieces by an English force. Next day the erection of the fort at Rajghd.t was commenced, on a site which commands the whole city, and no breach of the peace afterwards occurred.

Population

.

— Benares

is

by

most thickly populated

far the

District in

the North-Western Provinces, having a density of 894 persons to the

square mile; while Ballia, which ranks next, has 808; Jaunpur, 778; Azamgarh, 747, and Ghazipur, 688. The population, which in 1872

numbered 794,039, had increased per cent.

The Census

of

to

892,684

1881, or by

in

11 '05

1881, taken over an area of 998 square

miles, disclosed the following results:

— Total

population, 892,684;

number of villages, 1946; number of occupied houses, 111,563; persons per square mile, 894 villages per square mile, i '9 houses per square mile, in'7 ; persons per village, 459 ; persons per house, 8. Classified



according to sex, there were portion

of males,

5o‘5

— males,

per cent.

450,784; females, 441,900; pro-

As

regards the religious distinc-

Hindus numbered 801,556; Musalmans, 89,351 Christians, 1768; Jains, 7; and Parsfs, 2. These figures show 90 per cent, of Hindus as against 10 per cent, of Muhammadans. The principal castes were represented as follows Brahmans,

tions of the people,





Baniyds,

—

80,088; Bhars, 104,092; Rdjputs, 53,930; 18,353; 36,407; Bhuinhars, 19,422; Chamars, 101,091; Gadarias, 12,510; Kachhis, 41,834 ; Kahars, 28,376; Kalwdrs, 17,696; Kayasths, 15,548; Kumbhars, 15,237; Kurmis, 29,849; Lohars, 20,994; Lonias, 15,136; Ahi'rs,

Mallahs, 9870; Nais, 10,314; Basis, 5164; Sonars, 7714; Tambulis, The District contains only two towns 5581; and Telis, 19,728.

—

namely, Benares city, 5000 souls Except these two, the latter of separate town, there is no place of any importance in the District, and the dense population lives in small scattered hamlets, thickly and evenly dotted over the Gangetic plain. This condition well illustrates the difference between the Doab and the eastern basin of the great river. The upper tract of country has its inhabitants collected together in considerable towns, once walled VOL. II. R with

a

population

exceeding

193,025, and Ramnagar, 11,859. which is rather a suburb than a