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BENARES TAHSIL AND ESTATE.

267

work, jeweller}', enchased brass vessels, and lacquered wooden toys

The

the last two are largely exported to England. tions are

— the Queen’s College, which has

principal institu-

a roll of 700 students



the

Normal School; missions in connection with the Church of England, the Baptist, and the London Missionary Societies; Jai Narayan’s College the Benares Institute, a society mainly composed of native gentlemen, and devoted to literature, science, and social progress and the Carmichael Library, consisting of a large collection of English and Oriental standard works, periodicals, and library. In 1880-81, the municipal income of Benares amounted to 7,495 (from octroi duties,



.£13,432), or

Benares.

IS.

2^d. per head of municipal population.

— TahsU or Sub-division of Benares

Provinces, comprising

all

District,

North-Western

the portion of the District lying north of the

Ganges, and including the

Area (1881) 579 square city of Benares. which 402 are cultivated ; land revenue at time of settlement, incidence of Government revenue per acre, 3s. 4^d. The tahs'il contained, in 1883, 4 civil and revenue and 13 criminal courts, with 15 miles, of
 * ^62 ,i 63; total revenue, ;^66,oo6 ; rental paid by cultivators, ^102,049;

police circles {thdnds)



strength of regular police force, 643

men



village

watchmen (chaukiddrs), 926. Benares. Estate, comprising the Family Domains of the Maharaja of Benares, consisting of the pargarids of Kaswar Raja in Benares District and Gangapur and Bhadohf in Mirzapur District. The

—

average rental of the estate, which has an area of 985 square miles, somewhat exceeds ^(j8o,ooo, of which nearly ^30,000 is paid as

revenue to the British Government.

The

estate

is

in political relation

Government of the North-Western Provinces and the Family Domains have been specially exempted from the operation of Act xviii. of 1871 (an Act for the levy of land rates for local purposes, North-Western Provinces). The Maharaja, His Highness Sri Prasad Narayan Singh Bahadur, G.C.S.I., is a Gautam Brahman of the Bhuinhar clan. He has received a sanad giving him rights of adoption, and is entitled to a salute of 13 guns. The family of the Maharaja lay claim to great antiquity ; but the real founder was Mansa Ram, whose son, Balwant Singh, marched with the Mughal Emperor, Shah Alam, and the Nawab of Oudh, Shuja-ud-daula, to expel the British from Bengal. In this expedition, Balwant Singh acted a prudent part, and awaited with

the



the result of the battle of Baxar, after which he joined the British

camp ment



and the zaniinddri was

in 1775, subject to

finally transferred to the British

Govern-

a tribute, and on condition of his adopting

measures for the preservation of the peace of the country. In 1778, the Raja was required to subsidize three battalions of Sepoys ; and in 1780 he was also required to employ his cavalry for the general service ot the State.

Raja Chait Singh, son of Balwant Singh, manifested great