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 BENARES

264

During the i8th century, Benares

whom

Wazirs, under

the surrounding

CITY. into the

fell

hands of the Oudh

a family of local Rajas established their power in

The

country.

story of their rise to authority, the

and deposition of Chait Singh, and the subsequent fortunes of their house, belong rather to the wider history of Benares District than to the special annals of the city. Benares was ceded to the British, with the remainder of Chait Singh’s domain, in 1775, and a Resident was appointed to watch the interests of the new Government. Wazir AH of Oudh, after his deposition, was compelled to live at Benares; and in 1799 he attacked and murdered Mr. Cherry, the Resident, with two other officers. The Wazir escaped for the time, but was afterwards captured and deported to Calcutta. During the Mutiny

rebellion

of 1857 a serious outbreak took place at Benares.

On

receipt of the

news from Meerut, the 37th Native Infantry became mutinous, and resisted an order to disarm. The Sikhs and Irregular Cavalry joined the mutineers but the whole body dispersed after being fired upon. The Europeans then fortified the Mint, in which the civil officers took up their abode. The frequent passage of troops from Calcutta west;

wards proved sufficient to overawe the mob of the city. General Appearance, Architecture, etc. Benares, or Kasi,

—

on the

lies

west bank of the Ganges, which flows nearly north and south as it passes before the city. The native town skirts the sacred river, with a

West of

constant succession of stone steps and ornamental fagades. this

crowded labyrinth stands the suburb of

Si'ghra,

the seat of the

Northward, towards the Barna,

chief missionary institutions.

the

bank of the smaller stream, which is here crossed by two bridges of stone and iron respectively. South of the Bama lie the church, post-office, and court-house ; the civil station occupies the northern bank, while beyond comes a vacant cantonment, formerly used by European cavalry. Along the edge of the Ganges a precipitous cliff rises to a height of 100 feet, and numerous ghats or bathing stairs descend by long flights from this elevation to the level of the stream below. At intervals a handsome Sikraul cantonments and parade ground stretch

away

to the

shrine or picturesque temple, built close to the water’s edge, breaks their line.

The

impressive

Within

cliff, being for the most part crowned with pinnacles or towers, add to the

buildings on the edge of the

five or six storeys high, effect.

the

city,

substantially built

and crowded

the

streets

contain

state

usually

disappoints

the

expectations aroused by the view from the often project

many handsome

and elaborately decorated

beyond the lower

floor,



houses,

but their narrow,

dirty,

the

high

visitor,

river.

after

The upper

storeys

and small bridges thrown across

the roadway occasionally connect the houses on opposite sides of the street.

To

prevent

inspection

from the neighbouring

fronts,

the