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
