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TRANSCRIPT
M O D ER N T R A VELLER .
VOLUME THE TENTH.
I N D I A.
VOL . IV.
THE
MODERN TRAVELLER .
D ES C R I PT I O N,
GEOGRAPH ICAL, H ISTOR ICAL, AND TOPOGRAPH ICAL,
O F THE
VARIOUS COUNTRIES OF THE GLOBE.
IN THIRTY VOLUMES.
B Y J O S I A H C o O N D E R .
VOLUME THE TENTH .
L O N D O N
JAME S DUNCAN, 37, P A T ERNO S T E R - ROW .
M D C C C X XX .
C O N TEN T S
O F’
THE FOURTH VOLUME.
DELH I , PROVINCE OF
MEERUTDELHI C ITY O F
INTERVIEW OF B ISHOP HEBER WITH THE EM.
~ PEROR
CUTTUB MINARFROM DELH I TO AGRAMUTTRA
AGRA
FU TTEHPOORAGRA, PROVINCE OF
JY EPOOR
AMBEER a .
NUSSEERABAD .
JOUDPOOR
RAJPOOTANA, D IVISIONS OFCHIT
’
I‘
ORE
OODEYPOOR
ABOOBARODA
GUJERAT, DIVISIONS OF
INTERVIEW OF B ISHO P HEBER W ITH SWAAMEE
NARAIN, THE H INDOOKA IRAH
BROACHSURA'
I‘
CAMBAYAHMEDABADDHUBOY .
KATTYWAR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
CONTENT S .
PAGE
BHOOJ ( a . 0 0o . 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 O . 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
JHAREJA RAJPOOTS , CHARACTER OF.
FEMALE INFANTIC IDE.
OTHER TRIBES O F CUTCH AND GUIERAT .
DWARAKA
FROM AGRA TO OOJEIN
208
MALWAH, H ISTORYBOUNDARIES AND DIVISIONS OF
BOMBAY
THE PARSEES . .
S ALSETTE
ELEPHANTACARLEE
POONAH
DOWLUTABAD
ELLORA o 287
BAUGBEJAPOOR
MADRASMAVALIPURAM
CEYLON
D IRECT IONS FOR PLACING THE PLATES.
JU MMA ME SJEED at DELH I
PALACE at JEYPOO R
CAVE at ELL O fififi?‘
SCU LPT U RED O CKE at M AVA L I PU RAM
PAG OD A of the GREAT BU LL , TANJOR EPALACE Of the KI NG Of CEY L ON
MODERN TRAVELLER,
6-0. eye.
I ND I A .
DELHI.
THE once imperial province of Delhi is onl y inpart compri sed within the present limits of BritishIndia.
“ The western region is divided among variouspetty Seik and other states. The Company’s territories comprise the three districts of Rohilcund
,
Barei lly,Moradabad, and Shahjehanpoor ; the dis
tricts of North Saharunpoor and South Saharunpoor,or Meerut
,lying wi thin the D oab ; the Hurrianna ;
and what are termed the Assigned Territories, therevenues of which were appropriated to the support ofthe imperial household. These have, however, beenresumed, and a regular monthly allowance has beensubstituted for them. Lord Cornwall is wished tomake the Jumna the south -western boundary of theCompany’s possessions in that quarter but subse
quent events have shewn the futility of this scheme,
and have compelled the British Government to extend
The soubah of Delhi , in the time of Akbar, comprehendedeight circars, viz. Delhi, Budayoon, Kumaoon, Samba] , Saharunpoor, Rewaree, Hissar Ferozeh, and S irhind.1 See vol. ii. p . 284.
PART V I I .
2 INDIA.
its dominion or protection almost indefini tely west
ward, a grand cantonment having been formed in
the heart of Rajpootana i tself.Meeru t, the chief town of the district of South
Saharunpoor, is now one of the principal mili tary
stations in the Upper Provinces . It is situated abou t
39 miles N. of D elhi,in lat. 28
°58
’N long. 77
°38’E.
It is thus described by Bishop Heber. Meerut is
a very extensive can tonment,but less widely scattered
than Cawnpoor. The native town,too
,on which it
is engrafted, is much less considerab le. It stands
advantageously on a wide and dry plain, all in pas
ture,which wou ld afl
'
ord delightful riding-
ground,if i t were not, like the steppes of Russia (which i tmuch resembles), very full of holes made by the smallmarmot
,cal led suslik. A small nullah
,with a hand.
some bridge over it, runs through the town . WhenI saw i t
,i t was dry , and the bridge seemed absurd ;
but during the rainy season, i t is not a bit longer than
is necessary.The church is much the largestwhich I have seen
in India. It is 150 feet long, 84 Wide,and being
galleried all round, may hold at leas t 3000 people.It has a high and handsome spire
, and is al together astriking bui lding, too good for the materials of whichi t is composed, which, like the rest of the publicbuildings of this country, are only bad brick coveredwith stucco andwhitewash. It is the work of CaptainHutchinson. It is a remarkable thing, that one of theearliest, the largest, and handsomest churches in India,as well as one of the best organs, shou ld be foundin so remote a situation, in sight of the Himalayammmtainsfi
The Bishop consecrated the church, onwhich Occas ion he hada numerous and attentive congregation ; and he had the gratifica~
INDIA. 3
I had heard Meerut praised for its comparativefreedom from hot winds, but do not find that theresidents confirm this statement : they complain ofthem quite as much as the people of Cawnpoor, and
acknowledge the inferiority of their climate in this
respect to that of Rohilcund. The beautiful valleyof (Deyra) Doon, since its conquest by the British,affords a retreat to their sick, which they seem to
value highly ; and i t has the advantage of being
accessib le without danger at all times ; but, except
during the dry months, even this lovely valley is notwholesome .
”
The old ci ty of Meerut appears to present nothingremarkable, except a ruined wall and fort, and some
good architectural remains of mosques and pagodas .
”
It must have been a’
place of sOme note prior to the
Mohammedan invasion,as i t is mentioned among the
first conquests of Sultan Mahmoud. It is stated tohave resisted a Mogul army under Turmeshirin Khan ,in the thirteenth century, butwas taken and destroyedby Timour in It was afterwards rebuilt, butdoes notappear to have regained its former importance.
tion of hearing twoOf his own hymns Brightest and best,” and
that for St. Stephen’s day ) sung better than he had ever heardthem in a church before ; the singing being considerably betterthan at Calcutta. The evening service was also well attended.
His Lordship subsequently confirmed about 250persons, young andold, of whom between 40and 50were natives, converted to Chris ~tianity by Mr. Fisher, the chaplain .
i Heber, ii. pp . 275, 6. The Doon (as it is generally called ) wasgranted as a jagheer by Aurungzebe toPuttenShah, the reigningrajah Of Gurwal ; it appears, therefore, tohave belonged to the
throne of Delhi. Its mil itary importance arises from its connecting the British territory east of the Ganges within the hills, withthe Kardeh-doon beyond the Jumna ; and thus , by means of theoccupation of Maloun, Sabathoo, and a fortress m Sirmore, fur~
nishing a line of defence from the Cal i to the Sq.
1 See vol. i. pp. 169, 196, 230.
4 IND IA.
A Pers ian and Hindoostanee school has been esta
blished here ; and there is a small congregation ofnative Christians.About twelve coss from Meerut is Sirdhana, the
chief town of the j agheer of the Begum Sumroo, the
widow of the notorious German adventurer of that
name This woman,who has the cha
racter of being a cruel tyranness in her li ttle terri tory,calls herself a Christian ,
having professedly embracedthe faith of her husband. She has a Roman Catholicpriest as her chaplain
,and had recently begun, at the
time of the Bishop’s journey, to build a very largeand handsome church at Sirdhana
,which promised to
rival, if not to excel, that of Meerut in size and architectural beauty.From Meeru t
, the Bishop proceeded by dawk toBegumabad
,a large village forming part of the j ag/leer
of a Mahratta princess under protec tion of the BritishGovernment ; and thence, to Furruk -nuggur. The
whole way presented scattered ruins ; the groves offrui t- trees were few
, small,and neglected the vi llages
very mean ; and the people looked half- starved and
qu i te heart- broken,a long drought having occasioned
great distress . He halted at mid -day at a. smal l
See vol. 11. p . 84. This man, whose real name was WalterReinihard, was a native of Treves. He entered ea rly in the Frenchservice ; he afterwards came toBengal , and entered a Swiss corpsin Calcutta , from which he deserted in a fewweeks, and fled to
Oude. He served for some time as a trooper in the cavalry ofSefdar Jung ; and then entered the serv ice Of Causim A li. Afterdeserting h im, he success ively served Shuja ud Dowlah, the JantR ajah, the Rajah of Jey poor, and Nuj ifl
’ Khan, in whose serv icehe d ied in 1776, and who assigned to him the territory retained ,through the doubtful policy Of the British Government, by hisfavourite concubine.
—Hamilton, i. p . 454.
7 They had not had more than three slight showers during thepreceding twelvemonths . I have been sorry to think,” adds the
IND I A . 5
ruinous walled town called Ghazi -ud-deen -nuggur;
Early on the next day , he reached the banks of theJumna, on the other side of which he had a nobleView of what y et remain s of the far - famed metropol isof the Great Mogul. He thus describes its presentappearance.
The inhabited part ofDelhi , (for the ruins extend"
over a surface as large as London,Westminster, and
Southwark,) is about seven miles in circuit, seated on
a rocky range of hi lls, and surrounded with an em
battled wall,which the English Government have
put into repai r, and are now engaged in strengtheningwi th bastions
,a moat
,and a regular glacis . The
houses within are, many of them,large and high.
There are a great number of mosques with highminarets and gilded domes, and
,above al l
,are seen
the pal ace, a very high and extensive cluster of
gothic towers and battlements, and the Jumma. M us
j eed, the largest and handsomest place of Mussu lman
worship in India. The chief material of all these finebuildings is red granite, of a very agreeable thoughsolemn colour, inlaid, in some
'
of the ornamental parts,.with white marble and the general style of bui ldingis of a simple and impressive character, which re
Bishop, that the Engl ish taxes are really exorbitant here, and
the mode of collection short- sighted and oppressive. Altogether,it seemed tohim the most miserable country he had y et seen in
f The extent of the ruins of Old Delh i,” says Lieut. Franklin,cannot, I suppose, be less than a circumference of twenty miles,
reckoning from the gardens of Shaliwar on theN.W ., tothe Kut
tub Minar on the S .E. ; and proceed ing thence along the heart ofthe Old city, by way of the mausoleum of Nizam-u-Deen, onwhichstands Humaioon
’s tomb, and the old fort of Delhi on the banks of
the Jumna, to the Ajmere gate of Shahjchanabad .
”—Asiat. Res.
6 INDIA.
minded me in many respects of Carnarvon. It far
exceeds any thing at Moscow. The Jumna, like the
other great rivers of this country, overflows , during
the rains, a wide extent ; but, unlike the Ganges,
does not confer fertili ty. In this part of its course, i tis so strongly impregnated with natron, extensivebeds of which abound in all the neighbourhood, thatits waters destroy, instead of promoting vegetation
and the whole space between the high banks and the
river,in its present low state, is a loose and perfec tly
barren sand, like that of the sea shoreFrom the gate of Agra to Humaiiion’s tomb, is a
very awful scene of desolation ; ruins after ruins,tombs after tombs
,fragments of brick-work, free
stone , gran ite, and marb le,scattered every where over
a soil naturally rocky and barren, wi thout cultivation,except in one or two small spots, and wi thout a single
tree. I was reminded of Cafl'
a in the Crimea ; butthis was Cafl
'
a on the scale of London, with the
wretched fragments of a magnificence such as Londoni tself cannot boas t . The ruins rea lly extended as far
as the ey e could reach, and our track wound amongthem all the way . This was the seat of Old Delhi , asfounded by the Patan kings on the ruins of the stilllarger Hindoo city of Indraput, which lay chiefly in a
western direction. When the present ci ty, which iscertainly in amore advantageous situation,was foundedby the Emperor Shahjehan, he removed many of
'
its
inhabitan ts thither ; most of the rest followed, to benear the pala ce and the principal markets ; and as
,
during the Mahratta government, there was nosleeping in a safe skin wi thout the wal ls, old Delhi wassoon entirely abandoned. The official name of thepresent city is Shahjehan- poor, (city of the king of
INDIA. 7
the world !) but the name of Delhi is alway s used inconversation, and in every wri ting but those whichare immediately offered to the Emperor’s ey e.
In our way , one mass of ruins larger than therest, was pointed out to us as the old Patan palace. Ithas been a large and solid fortress, in a p lain and
unornamented style of architecture, and would havebeen picturesque
,had it been in a country where trees
grow and ivy is green, but is here only ugly and
melancholy. It is chiefly remarkable for a high blackpillar of cast metal
,called Firoze
’s walking- stick .
This was original ly a Hindoo work ; the emblem,I
apprehend, of Siva, which stood in a. temple in the
same spot,and concernn which there was a tradition
,
like that attached to the coronation stone of theScots
,that while it stood
,the chi ldren of Brahma
were to rule in Indraput. On the conquest of thecountry by the Mussulmans , the vani ty of the prediction was shewn ; and Firoze enclosed i t within the
court of his palace, as a trophy of the victory ofIslam over idolatry. It is covered with inscriptions,mostly Persian and Arabic but that which is evidentlythe original, and probab ly contains the prophecy, is in
a character now obsolete and unknown,though appa
rently akin to the Nagree.
About a mile and a half further,still through
ruins, is HumaiOon’s tomb
,a noble building of grani te
inlaid with marb le,and in a very chaste and s imp le
style of Gothic architecture. It is surrounded by a
large garden with terraces and fountains, all now
gone to decay, except one of the latter, which enab lesthe poor people who live in the out- bui ldings of th etomb
,to cultivate a little wheat. The garden i tself is
surrounded with an embattled wall, with towersh four
8 INDIA .
gateways, and a cloister wi thin, all the way round.In the centre of the square is a
,platform, Of about
twenty feet high, and I should,apprehend 200 feet
square,'
supported also by Cloisters, and ascended byfour great flights of grani te steps . Above rises thetomb, also a
'
square,with a great dome of white
marble in i ts centre. The apartments wi thin are, a
c ircular room, about as big as the Ratclifl'
e Library, inthe centre of which lies, under a small raised slab
,the
unfortunate prince to whose memory this fine bu ild.
ing is erected . In the angles are smaller apartments,
where other branches of his family are interred.
From the top of the building, I was surprised to see
that we had still ruins on every side and that moreparticularly to the westward, and where old Indraputstood
, the desolation apparently extended to a range ofbarren hills seven or eightmil es off.
On coming down,we were conducted about a
mile westward, to a burying ground or collection oftombs and small mosques , some of them very beautiful ; among which the most remarkable was a li ttlechapel in honour of a celebrated Mussulman saint
,
Nizam ud D een. Round his shrine, most of thedeceased members of the present Imperial family lieburied, each in his own li ttle enclosure, surroundedwith a very elegant lattice -work of white marble .
Worm en were employed at this time in comp letingthe tomb of the late prince Jehanguire, thi rd and
darling son of the Emperor. The tomb,though
small, is very elegant, and the flowers, &c. into whichthe marble is carved, are as delicate and in as goodtaste and execution as any of the ordinary Italianartists could one part of these ruins is avery deep tank
,surrounded by buildings 60 or 70
10 INDIA.
marble ;'
and along the cornice are ten compartments,
(4 feet long by 25 ) which are inlaid with Arabicinscriptions in black marble. The interior is paved
throughout with large flags of white marble, decorated
with a black border, and is wonderft beautiful and
delicate. Thewalls and roof are al so lined wi th plain
white marble. Near the kibla is a handsome niche
adorned wi th a profusion of frieze-work . Close to
this is a mimber or pulpit of marble, having an ascentof four steps. The ascent to the minarets is by a
winding staircase of 130 steps of red stone. From
the top, a stil l more extensive view is obtained, com
prehending the Imperial palace, the Cuttub Minar,the Kurrun Minar, Humaioon
’s Tomb, the palace
of Feroze Shah, the fort of Old D elhi , and the fortof Loni on the Opposite '
side of the Jumna .
* BishopHeber thought the ornamental architecture of thismosque less florid
,and the general efl
'
ect less picturesque
,than the sp lendid groupe of the Imambaurah
and its accompaniments at Lucknow but its s ituationis far more commanding, and the size, solidity
, and
rich materials of the edifice impressed him more thanany thing of the sort he had seen in India. It is inexcellent repair
,the British Government havingmade
a grant for this purpose.The Kala M usjeed (black mosque) is small
, and
has nothing worthy of notice about it but its plainness,
sol idity, and great antiquity but it is interes ting as
a work of the first Patan conquerors , and be longing tothe times of primi tive Mussulman simp lici ty. It isexactly on the plan of the original Arabian mosques;a square court surrounded with a c loister
, and roofedwith many smal l domes of the plainest and most sol id
Asiat. Res., iv. 438—440.
INDIA. 11
construction,"
1ike'
the rudest specimens of what wecall the early Norman architecture. It has no mina.
ret the crier stands on the roof to proclaim the hourof prayer.”
Not far from the palace is the mosque of Roshunnd D owlah
'
; rendered memorab le to the Delhians as
being the p lace from which Nadir Shah witnessedthe massacre of the unfortunate inhabitants. 1 Sincethen
,this quarter of the c ity has been but thinly
inhabited. The mosque stands in the Chandnee-chokeeor silversmi th’s street : it is bui l t of red stone, of the
common size,and is surmounted with three domes
richly gilt . A gate leading to a bazar near it, retains
the name of Koonia-da rwaz a,slaughter gate.
On the banks of the Jumna stands the Zeenut alM ussajid (ornament of mosques), erected ‘ by a
daughter of Aurungzebe . I t'
is of red stone in laidwith marble
,and has in front a spacious terrace, with
a capacious marble reservoir. In the wes t corner is
the sepulchre of the foundress, of white marble, where
she was interred,A. H . 1 122 (A. D . There
Were formerly lands allotted for the repairs of the
edifice, but these have long been confiscated. Exclu
s ive of these mosques, there are,in Shahjehanabad
and its environs,above forty others ; but most of them
are of inferior size, and present nothing remarkable.
The modern city contains many good houses, chieflybrick . The streets are in general narrow, as in otherEastern cities ; but the principal ones, Bishop Heber
says, are really wide, handsome, and, for an Asiatic
city, remarkably cleanly, and the bazars have a good
appearance. There were formerly two very.
noble
o Heber, vol . ii. p . 296.
f According toFerishta. See page 352of ourfirst volume.
1 2 IND IA.
streets, one leading southward from the palace to the
Delhi or Agra gate ; the other running from the
palace north-westward to the Lahore gate. In bothof them
,Lieut. Franklin says, the inhabitants
have spoiled their appearance, by running a line ofhouses down the centre, and across the streets in otherp laces
,so that i t is with difliculty a person can discover
their former situation without a narrow inspection.
”
Along the middle of the former street runs the aqueduct, constructed by Ali Mirdan Khan, a Persian
nobleman in the service of the Emperor Shahjehan ,for the purpose of conveying water into the royalgardens. During the troubles which followed the
decline of theMogul power, the channel was neglec ted ,and when the Engl ish took possess ion of Delhi, wasfound choked up, in mos t parts, with rubbish . Itis conducted from the Jumna, immediately on its
leaving the moun tains, while its stream is y et pureand wholesome, for a distance of 120 m iles .
‘ Itis,
”says Bishop Heber, a noble work
, givingferti l ity to a very large extent of country near itsbanks, and absolutely the sole source of vegetation tothe gardens ofDelhi , besides furnishing its inhabitantswi th almost the only drinkable water within thei r
The environs to the north-west are crowded with the remains of spac ious gardens and country houses of the nobility,which were formerly abundantly supplied with water by means ofthe noble canal dug by All Mirdan Khan, and which formerly extended from above Paniput quite down to Delhi, where it joinedthe Jumna ; fertil izing in its course a tract of more than ninetymiles in length. The canal , as it ran through the suburbs ofMogu l -parah , (nearly threemiles in length.)was about twenty-five
feet deep, and about as much in breadth ; cut from the solid stone
quarry on each side, from which most of the houses in the neighbourhood have been bu ilt. It had small bridges erected over it atd ifferent places , some of which communicated with the gardenhousesof the nobility. —Asiatic Researches, vol. iv. p . 435,
INDIA. 13
reach. When it was firs t re-Opened, by Sir CharlesMetcalfe, in 1820
,the whole population of the city
went out in jubilee to meet its stream,throwing
flowers, ghee, &c . . into the water, and cal ling down all
manner of blessings on the British Government,who
have indeed gone far, by this measure, to redeemthemselves from the weight of, I fear, a good deal ofimpolicy. ’
It most unfortunately happened that, during thepresent year and amid all the othermisfortunesof drought and scarcity which this poor country has
undergone, the Jumna changed its course, and the
canal became dry The engineer officer who superintends its works, was at the time labouring underthe remains of a jungle fever his serjeant was in thesame condition
,and consequently there was no one
who,when the mischief was discovered
, could goupto the hills to remedy it . The
'
sufl'
ering of the people,
was very dismal ; since the restoration of the cana l ,they had neglected the wel ls which formerly had, insome degree, supplied their wants . The water whichthey drank was to be brought from a distance
,and
sold at a cons iderable rate, and their gardens werequi te ruined. That of the Res idency had not
,at the
moment when I saw i t, a green thing in it and thoseof the poor were in a y et worse condition, if worsewere possib le. Itwas not till the middle ofNovemberthat the canal cou ld be again restored , when i t washailed wi th similar expressions of joy to those whichhad greeted its former re- appearance.
”
Half way along this street, and nearly opposi te theChandnee-chokee, (a street about as wide as Pall Mall
,
and having a branch of the aqueduct running downthe centre,) stands the imperial palace, bui lt by Shahjehan, of red grani te, and surrounded with a deep
14 INDIA.
moat. The wall on this side is nearly sixty feet high,embattled and machicollated
,with small round towers
and twonoble gateways . It is a place of nostrength,the walls being adapted onl y for bows and arrows, or
musketry but, as a kingly residence,” Bishop
Heber says,“ i t is one of the noblest that I have seen.
It far surpasses the Kremlin, but I donot think that,except in the durability of its materials, i t equalsWindsor. Sentries in red coats (sepoys of the Corn
pany’s regular army) appear at its exterior but the
internal duties, and, indeed, most of the police dutiesat Delhi, are performed by the two provincial battalions raised in the Emperor’s name, and nom inallyunder his orders. These are disciplined pretty muchlike Europeans
,but have matchlock -guns and the
Oriental dress ; and their commanding officer, Capt.Gran t of the Company’s service
,is considered as one
’
of the domestics of the Mogul , and has apartments inhis palace .
”
The Bishop’s presentation to the Emperor affordedan Opportunity for a disp lay of the faded grandeurand unmeaning pageantry of a kingdomless court,which sti l l retains , nevertheless, the magic of an illustrious name. The formal ities were nearly the same
as at Lucknow,except that the procession was less
splendid, and the Bishop rode an elephant instead ofbeing borne in a palankeen . We were received,
”
he says, with presented arms by the tr00ps ofthe palace drawn up within the barbican
,*
and
it At the entrance of the palace, there stood, in Bernier’s time,twolarge elephants of stone, one bearing the figure of the Rajahof Chittore, and the other, his brother Pottah, who irmnortalizedtheir names by their patriotic resistance to the Emperor Akbar.These figures, which struck the l ively Frenchman with somuchawe, were removed by Aurungzebe as savouring too much of
INDIA: 15
proceeded, still'
on"
our elephantsfthrough'
thei
noblest
gateway and vestibule which I ever saw. It consists, not merely of a splendid Gothic arch in the
centre of the great gate- tower,—but, after that, of a
long vaulted aisle, like that of a Gothic cathedral, wi tha small, Open, octagonal court in its centre
,all of
granite, and all finely ca rved with inscriptions fromthe Koran and with flowers. This ended in a ru inousand exceedingly dirty stable-yard ! where we werereceived by Captain Grant, as the Mogul’s officer onguard
,and by a number of elderly men wi th large
gold-headed canes, the usual ensign of office here, and
one of which Mr. El liott also carried. We were nowtold to dismount and proceed on foot ; a tas k whichthe late rain made inconvenient to my gown and cas
sock and thin shoes,and during which we were
pestered by a fresh swarm of m iserable beggars, thewives and children of the stable servants . After this
,
we passed another richly-carved, but ruinous and
dirty gateway, where our guides, W i thdrawing a.
canvas screen , called out in a sort of harsh chaunt,
Lo, the Ornament of the World Lo,the Asylum
of the Nations ! King of Kings ! The EmperorAobar Shah ! Just
,fortunate
,victorious " We
saw,in fact, a very handsome and striking court
,
about as big as that at All Souls,with low
,but richly.
ornamented buildings . Opposi te to us was a beautifulopen pavilion of white marb le
,rich ly carved, flanked
by rose- bushes and fountains, and some tapestry and‘
striped curtains hanging in festoons about i t ; wi thin
which was a crowd of people, and the poor old de
scendant of Tamerlane seated in the m idst of them.
Mr. Elliott here bowed three times very low,in which
idolatry and be enclosed the placewhere they stood, with a screenof red stone, which has disfigured the entrance to the palace.
1 6 INDIA.
we followed his example. This ceremony-
was repeatedtwice as we advanced up the steps of the pavi lion, theheralds each time repeating
'the same express ions abouttheir master’s greatness . We then stood in a row on
the right -hand side of the throne, which is a sort ofmarb le bedstead richly ornamented wi th gi lding,and raised on two or three steps . Mr . Elliott then
stepped forwards, and, with joined hands , in the usual
eastern way , announced, in a low voice, to the Em
peror, who I was. I then advanced,bowed three
times again, and offered a na s s a r of fifty -one goldmohurs in an embroidered purse, laid on my handker
chief, in the way practised by the Baboos in Calcutta .
This was received and laid on one side, and I remainedstanding for a few m inutes
,whi le the usual court
questions about my hea l th, my travels, when I leftCalcutta
,&c.
,were asked . I had thus an opportunity
of seeing the old gentleman more p lainly. He has a.
pale,thin
,but handsome face, with an aqui line nose
and a long white beard. His comp lexion is li ttle, ifat all
,darker than that of a European . His hands
are very fair and delicate, and he had some valuablelooking rings on them. His hands and face were al l
I saw of him, for, the morning being cold, he was so
wrapped up in shawls, that he remindedme extremelyof the D ruid’s head on a Welch halfpenny . I thenstepped back to my former place
,and returned again
with fivemore mohurs to make my offering to the heir.
apparent,who stood at his father’s left hand, the right
being occupied by the Res ident . Next, my two compan ions were introduced with nearly the same forms
,
except that their offerings were less, and that theEmperor did not speak to them .
The Emperor then beckoned to me to come forwards
,and Mr. E lliott told me to take off my hat,
18 INDIA.
largesse, and I again paid five goldmohurs. It ended
bymy taking my leave wi th three times three salams ,making up, I think, the sum of about threescore and
I retired wi th Mr. E ll iott to my dressing- room,
whence I sent to her Majesty the Queen, as she is
general ly called, though Empress would be the an
cient and more proper title,a present of five mohurs
more, and the Emperor’s chobdars came eagerly up toknow when they should attend to receive theirbakshish. It must not, however, be supposed thatthis interchange of c ivi l ities was very expens ive eitherto his Majesty or to me. All the presents which hegave, the horse included, though really the handsomestwhich had been seen at the Court of D elhi for manyyears, and though the old gentleman evident ly intendedto be extremely civi l
,were not worth much more
than 300s. rupees so that he and his fami ly gainedat least 800 s . rupees by the morning
’s work, besides
what he received from my twocompanions, which wasall c lear gain
,since the kheldts which they got in
return,were only fit for May -day , and made up, I
fancy,from the cas t-ofl’finery of the Begum . On the
other hand, since the Company have wisely ordered
that all the presents given by native princes to Europeans
,should be disposed of on the Government ao
count,they have liberally, at the same time
, taken onthemse lves the expense of paying the usual moneynuzzurs made by public men on these occas ions . In
consequence,none of my ofl
'
erings were at my own
charge, except the professional and private one of thetwobooks
,wi th which, as they were unexpected, the
Emperor,as I was told, was very much pleased. I
had, of course, several buckshishes to give afterwards
tohis servants , but these fel l considerably short ofmyexpenses at Lucknow. To return to the hall of
INDIA. 19
audience."While in the small apartment where I got
rid of my shining garments, I was struck with itsbeautiful ornaments. It was entirely lined with whitemarble, inla id with flowers and leaves of green ser
pentine, lapis lazuli and blue and red porphyry : theflowers were of the best Italian style of workmanship
,
and evidently the labour of an artist of that country .
A l l,however, was dirty, desolate, and forlorn. Half
the flowers and leaves had been picked out or other.wise defaced
,and the doors and windows were in a
state of di lapidation, while a quantity of old furni turewas pi led in one corner, and a torn hanging of fadedtapestry hung over an archway which led to the inte.
rior apartments. Such,’ Mr. Elliott said
,
‘ is the
general style in which this palace is kept up and fur.
nished. It is not absolute poverty which producesthis
,but these peop le have no idea of cleaning or
mending any thing.’ For my own part, I thought of
the famous Persian line,aThe spider hangs her tapestry in the palace of the Caesars
and felt a melancholy interest in comparing the pre.
sent state of this poor family wi th what i t was twohundred years ago, when Bernier
"vis i ted Delhi,or
Bernier thus describes the Great Mogul of his day . The
king appeared seated upon his throne at the end of the great hall ,in the most magnificent attire. His vest was of white and delicately fiowered satin, with a silk and golden broidery of the finesttexture. The turban, of gold cloth, had an aigrette whose footwas composed of diamonds of extraordinary size and value,besides an oriental town: which may be pronounced unparal leled,exhibiting a lustre l ike the sun. A necklace of immense pearlsreached tothe stomach, in the same manner as many pagans weartheir strings of beads . The throne was supported b y six massyfeet, said tobe of solid gold, sprinkled over with rubies, emeralds,and diamonds. The throne, to the best of my recollection, is
valued at four crores (fortymillions ) of rupees. Itwas constructedby Shahjehan, the_father of Aurungzebe, for the p urpose of dis
20 INDIA.
as we read its palace described in the tale of Madame
de Genlis .“After putting on my usual dress, wewai ted a li ttle,till word was brought us, that the King of Kings,
’
Shah - in- Shah,
’ had retired to his zennanah ; we
then went to the hall of audience, which I had previ
ously seen but imperfectly, from the crowd of people
and the necessity of attending to the forms which Ihad to go through. It is
'
a very beautiful pavilion ofwhite marb le
,Open on one side to the court of the
palace, and on the other to a large garden . Its pillars
and arches are exquisi tely carved and ornamented
with gi lt and inlaid flowers , and inscriptions in the
most elaborate Persian character. Round the frieze is
the motto,recorded
,I believe, in Lalla Rookh ,
If there be an Elysium on earth,It is th is, it is this ! ’
The marble floor,where not covered by carpets, is all
playing the immense quantity of prec ious stones accumulated successively in the treasury from the spoils of ancient rajahs andPataus , and the annua l presents to the monarch which everyomrah is bound tomake on certain festivals . The constructionand workmanship of the throne are not correspondent to the ma
terials ; but twopeacocks, covered with jewels and pearls , are wellexecuted . They were made by a workman of astonishing powers,a Frenchman by birth, who, after defrauding several of the
princes of EurOpe bymeans of false gems, whichhe fabricated withpeculiar skill , sought refuge in the Great Mogul’s court, where hemade his fortune. At the foot of the throne were assembled all
the omrahs, in splendid apparel, upon an estrade surrounded witha silver railing, and covered with a spacious canopy of brocadewith deep fringes of gold.
”See, for the restof the description of
this gorgeous scene, Bem ier (by Brock , ) vol . i. pp. 305—9 .,The
peacock throne here described, was carried 03 by Nadir Shah, andis now in possession Of his Persian majesty, who has sucweded to
the magnificence of the Mogul . See Mon. TRAV . Pers ia, vol. ii.p . 212. Legoux describes another peacock- throne, placed under apalm-tree of gold, wh ich, he says, was preserved in his time in the
Godm’
é Katelar . What has becomeof it?See Malte Brun, vol. iii.p . 88.
INDI I‘
ho 2 1
inlaid in the same beautiful manneqwith the li ttledressing-room which I had qui tted.
The gardens, which we next visited, are not large,but
,in their way , must have been extremely rich and
beautiful. They are full of very old orange and otherfrui t trees
,with terraces and parterres, on which
many rose-bushes were growing, and,even now
,a
few jonquils in flower. A channel of white marblefor water
,wi th li ttle fountain -pipes of the same
material, carved like roses,is carried here and there
among these parterres and at the end of the terrace isa beautiful octagonal pavi l ion, also of marble
,lined
wi th the same Mosaic flowers as in the room which Ifirst saw,
wi th a marble fountain in its centre,and a
beautiful bath in a recess on one of its sides. The
windows of this pavilion,which is raised to the height
of the ci ty wall, command a good View of Delhi andits neighbourhood. But all was
,when we saw i t
,
dirty,lonely
,and wretched : the bath and fountain
dry , the inlaid pavemen t hid with lumber and gardenet
‘
s sweepings, and the walls stained wi th the
dung of birds and bats .
We were then taken to the private mosque of thepalace, an elegant little building, also of white marbleand exquisitely carved, but in the same state ofneglect and dilapidation, with peepuls allowed to
Spring from its walls,the exterior gilding partially
torn from its dome,and some of its doors coarsely
blocked up wi th unplastered brick and mortar.“
'
We went last to the D ewanee a zim or ball ofpub l ic audience, which is in the outer court
,and
where, on certain occas ions, the Great Mogul sat in
state, to receive the comp l iments or petitions of hissubjects. This also is a splendid pavi l ion of marble
,
not unlike the other hall of audience in form,but con
22 INDIA.
siderably larger, and open on three sides only ; on the
fourth is a black wall , covered with the same Mosaic
work of flowers and leaves as I have described, and in
the centre, a throne raised about ten feet from the
ground,with a small platform of marble in front,
where the vizier used to stand to hand up petitions to
his master . Behind this throne are Mosaic paintingsof birds, animals, and flowers , and in the centre,what decides the point of their being the work ofItal ian
,or at least European artists, a small groupe
of Orpheus playing to the beasts . This hall,when
we saw it,was full of lumber of all
.
descriptions,
broken palanquins and empty boxes, and the throne socovered with pigeon’s dung, that its ornaments werehardly discern ible. How li ttle did Shahjehan, the
founder of these fine buildings,foresee what would be
fate of his descendants, or what his own wou ld be‘Vani ty of vani ties ! ’ was surely never written in
more legible charac ters than on the dilapidated arcadesof Delhi lThe Shalimar gardens (so highly extolled in Lalla
Rookh) are said to have cost, in the laying out, theenormous sum of a milli on sterling. Yet, they donot appear to have exceeded a mile in c ircumference .
Their present appearance would not lead any one tosuppose that so immense a sum had ever been laid outupon them but the most valuable and costly materialshave been carried ofl
’
,and they are completely gone to
decay. Nothingis now to be seen outside the ram .
parts of D elhi,but ruins and sun -burnt rocks .
Heber, vol . ii. pp . 297—305.
1 In 1794, L ieut. Franklin describes the prospect to the southward of Delhi as covered with the remains of extensive ga rdens ,
pavil ions, momues , and burying places , all desolate and in ruins.The country round about is equally forlorn.
”-As. Res , vol. iv.
p. 450.
IND IA. 23
Yet,”remarks Bishop Heber, I am assured by
every body, that the appearance of things in the pro.
vince of Delhi,is greatly improved since i t came into
our hands. To what a state must the Mahrattas
have reduced i tAt the south-western extremity of the c ity stands
the famous observatory,built in the third year of
Mahommed Shah by Jy e Singh , Rajah of Jy epoor.
He was assisted by many persons celebrated fortheir science in astronomy, from Pers ia, India, and
Europe,but died before the work was completed. It
has since been plundered and almost destroyed by theJants under '
Jawaher Singh.
”
But the object which has excited the most ad
miration,is the Cuttub M inar, which stands in a vil
lage about ten m iles S.W . of Delhi, remarkable for itsruins, and, among the Mohammedans, for its sanctity.It was the scene of very hard fighting between the
Hindoo sovereigns of Indraput and the original Pataninvaders and the Mussulmans say , that 5000martyrsto their religion lie interred in the neighbourhood.
O Asiatic Researches, vol. iv. p . 449. Tiefl‘
enthaler says, that itdiffers little from that which is to be seen at Jy epoor, compris ingan equatorial machine, a gnomon, and three astrolabes. A third,at Benares , constructed by the same enlightened Hindoo prince,whodied in 1742, has already been mentioned. (Vol. iii. p .
The same Writer mentions among the antiquities of Delhi, theobelisk of Feroze the Afghan, of a
'
cylindrica l form, on a squarepedestal of immense stones . It had been blown up by gunpowder,and broken into several pieces, five of which y et remained , onwhich were some ancient characters. At a short distance is anotherobelisk in the form of a parallelogram, said to have been erectedby a prod igiously strong man, named B im —Bernoulli,vol . i. pp . 128— 130. Among the ruined palaces, themost remarkable is the Gadai-kotlar, referred to in a preced ing note. The
walls of the great saloon were ornamented with crystal, and a
lustre of black crystal hung from the cieling, which, when lightedup, bad a splendideffect.
24 IND IA.
I ts principal sancti ty,however, arises from the tomb of
a celebrated saint, Cuttub Sahib, in whose honour thebuildings for which it is remarkable
,were begun, but
never quite completed,by Shems- cd -deen
The Emperor has a house here,and i t is a favourite
retreat of his during fine weather.” The way liesthrough the ru ins which extend before the Agra gate .
At the end of five miles from the ruins, there is abeautiful mausoleum,
raised in honour of Sufder Jung,Nawaub of Oude
,and an ances tor of the present
sovereign, whosill keeps up the tomb and garden ingood repair. The route from this place continues tolie over a rocky and barren country, still sprinkledwi th tombs and ruins
,till
, on ascending a little emi
nence,one of the mos t extensive and striking scenes
of ruin presents itself,which is to be met wi th in any
part of the country . The Cuttub M ina r, the grandobject of attraction
,is a round tower, rising from a
polygon of twenty- seven sides , in five stages , graduallydiminishing in circumference, to the height of 242feet. The lowest stage
, (90 feet in height) is flutedinto seven and twenty semi -cy lindrical and angulardivisions, inscribed, in a very ancient Arabic character
,
(i t is supposed) with sentences from the Koran . The
second stage is composed simply of semi - cyl indricalfluting, and rises fifty feet . The third of forty feet,
Tieffenthaler says : This place,which is sufficiently populous ,has been rendered famous by the tombof a Mohammedanhypocritenamed Cuttub- sahib (p res ses P011) . This tomb is of marble, andcovered with three lowcupolas. Not only the common people, buteven princes and kings are accu stomed togothither on pilgrimage.They relate many wonders of th is impostor, who, they say , came
from Outch intothese countries, and predicted toShahab-ud-deen,
the Afghan lead er, that he should obta in the empire of India.
”
Bernoulli, tom . i . p . 132. The country between this village and
Delhi , formed , when Tiefl'
enthalerwas in India, a large plain,very fertile in corn, and embellished with many gardens.
”
26 INDIA.
finest tower I have ever seen, and must, when its spirewas complete, have been 'sti ll more beautiful . The
remaining great arches of the principal mosque, wi ththeir granite pillars , covered wi th inscriptions in the
florid Cufic character,are as fine
,in their way , as any
of the details of York Minster. In front of theprincipal of these great arches is a metal pillar, l ikethat in Firoze Shah’s Castle
,and several Other
remains of a Hindoo palace and temple,more ancient
than the foundation of the M ine r,and which I should
have thought striking, if they had not been in such a
neighbourhood .
‘ '
A multi tude of ruined mosques ,tombs, serais, &c . are packed close round, mostly in thePatan style of architec ture, and some of them veryfine. One, more particularly, on a hill
,and sur
rounded by a wall with battlements and towers ,s truck me as pecul iarly suited, by its solid and simplearchitecture
,to its blended character, in i tself very
appropriate to the religion of Islam, of fortress, tomb,and temple. These Patans built like giants, and
finished their work like jewellers y et, the ornaments,florid as they are in their proper places , are neverthrown away
,or allowed to interfere with
’
the generalsevere and solemn character of their edifices . The
palace of the present imperial fam ily is at some li ttledistance behind these remains. It is a large but
paltry building, in a bad style of Italian architecture,
and with a public - road actually leading through its
court-yard The staircase within the great M ina r,
sufficiently account for the interruption of the building. See pp.
194- 6 of our first volume.In these environs are found a pagoda, supported by square
p illars of a grey stone, rude and inelegant, and the houseqf Pcthora ,a heathen king, the architecture of which has nothing morexcmarkable, excep t its antiquity and the little images of idolssculptured on its pil lars.”—Bernoulli, tom. i. p. 131.
INDIA. 27
is very good, except the—
uppermost story ofis ruinous and difficult of access. -I went up , however,and was rewarded by a very extensive view, from a
height of 240 feet, of Delhi, the course of the Jumnafor manymiles, and the ruins of Toghlikabad, another
giantly Patan foundation,which lay to the southThe traveller is here standing, in fact, on the si teof the New Delhi” of the sixteenth century . Ac
cording to Abulfazel ,’
there appear to have been no
fewer than seven different ci ties of that name. Sul tansCuttub-ud- deen and Shums-ud-deen both resided, weare told
,in the fort bu il t by Rajah Pithowra, the last
Hindoo sovereign of Indraput. Sultan Bal een erectedanother fortified palace
,containing many magn ificent
bu ildings . His grandson, Moaz-ud-deen, built anotherci ty on the bank s of the Jumna, called Gunglookhery ,which must have been in the immediate neighbour.hood of Humaioon
’s tomb, as Abulfazel adds Here
is the sepulchre of the late emperor, which is a verysub lime edifice.
” Sultan Allah -ud-deen founded a
new c ity and fort,which is called Sirry
”
(S rei).Ghias- ud-deen Toghlik was the founder of Toghlikabad, where he built a fort. In the reign of hisdegenerate son
,Mahommed III .
,Delhi was thrice
abandoned by the court and deprived of its p0pulation.
-
l He is stated by Abulfazel to have bui l tanother city
,wi th a palace, in which is a very high
building this must be an error, unless Dowletabad inthe Deccan is referred to al though he may , on his
return to Delhi,have found i t necessary to repair the
palace,and partially to rebuild the abandoned capital.
His successor,Feroze III., founded a large ci ty adjacent
to Delhi,which he cal led Ferozabad ; he al so dug a.
canal from the Jumna to his new city, and at the
Heber, vol. ii.pp. 307—f-9. 1‘ See vol. i. p.
_218.
28 INDIA.
distance of three coss, built another palace, probably
as a garden residence. This city appears to have been
some miles below Delhi , and distinct from i t, as Timourremoved thither after the pillage of the capi tal .Delhi at that period compri sed three cities, Srei , thecity of Al lah -ud- deen , O ld Delhi , and an intermediatesuburb
,still more extensive, called the Jehaun -pun
nah ? About 150 years afterwards, the EmperorSheer destroyed the city of Allah -ud-deen (Srei) , andfounded another ; but now,
”says Abulfazel (writ
ing wi thin forty or fifty years from the death of thatmonarch ,) this new Delh y is for the most part inr uins . Here are many sepulchres .
” He then proceeds to name the royal and saintly personages interred here
,amongwhom are mentioned the Saint Cut
tub-ud-deen,and the Sul tan Shums -ud -deen . Many
also,who are now living
,
" he adds, have bu iltsepu lchres for themselves
,in the m idst of pleasant
gardens.
”
1 There can be no doubt that this citystood near Cuttub Minar . During the reign of Akbarand his successors , Agra was the seat of the imperialmagnificence ; and Delhi had sunk into decay, whenShahjehan , the founder of the city which retains hisname
,once more made i t the metropolis of Hindustan.
The present ci ty stands in latitude 28° 41'N.
,long.
77°5' E. I ts popu lation, which , in the time of
Aurungzebe, is said to have amounted to twomi ll ions,is now supposed to be below a tenth of that number ; 3;
See vol . i . p . 230, note. Major Price supposes Srei tohav estood on the s ite of Indraput, and y et tohave been d istinct fromO ld Delhi . In that case , what Ferish ta terms the New City, may
have been at Togh likabad . But if, as seems clear from Abulfazel,
Srei was distinct from Indraput, the latter must have been O ld
Delhi , and Srei the new city which Sheer destroyed , when h efounded his own capital .1 A y een Akbcry , vol. 11. pp . 24, 5.
1 Hamilton, vol . 1. p . 421. In the:Miss. Reg. for Ifebruary .
INDIA. 29
but noregular census has'
been taken. Notwithstanding its decayed condition, an impression is stil l preva.
lent in many parts of India, that the power whichhas possession of D elhi and the Emperor’s person
,is
the virtua l ruler of Hindostan. The commerce of thec ity is now very inconsiderable. Cotton cloths and
indigo are manufactured here and in the neighbourhood ; and Bishop Heber went to see a shawl -manu .
factory, carried on by Cashmerian weavers , with woolbrought from Himalaya. The shawls were not verybeautiful , though high -priced : the Bishop was morestruck with some Splendid specimens of jewellery.D e lhi is 976 miles from Calcutta, travelling distance,by the B irboom road.
FROM DELH I TO AGRA .
FR OM Delhi Bishop Heber proceeded southward,to
its former rival,the imperial Agra. His first stage
was about fifteen miles, to .
the l i tt le town of Furreed
abad. The stony and broken road was marked out,
at equal dis tances of about a mi le and a half,by
cogs -minors , solid, circu lar, stone obel isks erected dur
ing the prosperous times of the empire. Furreedabad
offers nothing curious, except a large tank wi th a.
ruined banqueting-house on its shore i t has a groveof tamarind and other trees round i t, but nomangoes.Few of these
,indeed, grow in the province of D elhi
,
owing to the unusual multitude of white ants,* to
1828, the population of Delhi is stated at but on whatauthority does not appear. The Serampore Missionaries have astation here.
About fifty ~nine miles N. E. from Delhi, on a branch of theGanges , is Hustinanagra, the supposed site (accord ing toColone lW ilford ) of the famous Hustinapoor of the Mahabharat. The
extens ive site of this ancient city is entirely coveredwith largePART V I I . D
30 IND IA.
whose increase the ruins and the dry sandy soil arefavourable, and whoattack the mangoes in preferenceto any other tree. The whole country is barren and
disagreeable, and the water had. That of the Jumna
acts on strangers like the Cheltenham waters,and the
wells here are als o extremely unpalatable. One mightfancy oneself already approaching the confines ofPersia and Arabia.
” This town stands in the districtof the Rajah of Bullumghur the fort of spears
a feudatory of the British Government, and, like hisrelative the Bhurtpoor Rajah, a Jaut. The capi tal ofthis l ittle Hindoo principa li ty, is about twenty-one
miles S . of D elhi,and is thus described by the Bishop ,
whose route the next day led him to the place.
The coun try gradually improved as we approached
Bullumghur, which , by its extensive groves, gave
evidence of its having been long a res idence of a re
apectable native fami ly. I was not,however, at all
prepared for the splendour wi th which I was rece ived .
First,we saw some of the wi ld- looking horsemen
whom I have al ready described, posted as if on the
look -out, who, on seeing us, fired their matchlocksand galloped off as fas t as possib le. A s we drewnearer, we saw a considerable body of cavalry withseveral camels and elephan ts
,all gayly caparisoned
,
drawn up under some trees , and were received by theRaja himse lf, a fat and overgrown man
,and his
younger brother, a very handsome and man ly figure
the former al ighting from a palanquin,the other from
a nob le Persian horse,with trappings which swept the
ground . I al ighted from my horse a lso,and the usual
comp l iments and civi l ities fol lowed. The elder brother
ant-hil ls ; wh ich has induced the inhabitants of the adjacentcountry to suppose, that it had been overturned or destroyed bythe termites.” Hamilton, vol. 1. p . 445.
INDIA. 31
begged me to excuse his riding with me, as he was ill,which indeed we had heard before ; but the secondwen t by my side, reining in his magnificent steed,and shewing off the animal ’s paces and his own horse
manship . Before and behind were camels,elephan ts,
and horsemen , wi th a most strange and barbarousmusic of horns, trumpets, and kettle -drums
, and
such a wood of spears , that I could not but tell mycompan ion
,that his castle deserved its name of Fort
of Spears .
’A s we drew nearer,we saw the fort i tself
,
with high brick walls, strengthened wi th a deep ditchand large mud bastions, from which we were complimented wi th a regul ar salute of cannon . Within, wefound a small and crowded, but not ill -built town ,wi th narrow streets, tall houses, many temples, and a
sufficient number of Brahminy bu l ls to shew the pureHindoo descent of the rul er. The population of thelittle capital was almost all assembled in the streets, on
the walls , and on the house - tops,and salamed tous as
we came in . We passed through two or three sharpturns
,and at length stopped at the outer gate of a
very neat little palace, buil t round a small courtplan ted wi th jonqu ils and rose-bushes, with a marblefoun tain in the centre, and a small open arched hall
,
where chairs were p laced for us. Sitringees werelaid, byway of carpet, on the floor and the walls wereornamented with some paltry Hindoo portrai ts of thefami ly, and some old fresco paintings of gods, god.
desses, and heroes encountering l ions and tigers .”
On our approach to Sikre, where the tents werepitched, I found we had entered another li tt le feudalterritory, being received by about twenty horsemen
,
wi th a splendid old warrior at their head, whoan.
nounced h imself as the Jaghiredar of the place, and
holding a little barony,as i t would be called in Eu
D 2
32 INDIA.
rope, under the Company, intermixed with the largerterritories of Bullumghur. Cassim A li Khan
,the
Nawfib of Sikre, who thus introduced himself, was afigure which Wouverman or Rubens wou ld havedel ighted to paint ; a tall
,large
,elderly man
,wi th a
fine countenance and a thick and cur ly, but not long,grey beard, on a large and powerful white Persianhorse
,wi th a brocade turban
,a saddle- cloth of tiger
’s
skin with golden tassels which almost swept the
ground, sword, shield, and pisto ls mountedwi th silver,and all the other picturesque insignia of a Mussulman
cavalier of distinction. He said,that he had been a
Tussildar in command of twohundred horse in LordLake’s war
,and had been recompensed, at the end of
the contest,with a little territory of ten villages , rent
and tax free. The Raja,he said
,whohad twohun
dred and fifty vi llages, nearly enclosed him,but they
were good friends .“
The next stage was to Brahminy Kerar, through anuninteresting coun try
,but rather more ferti le than in
the neighbourhood of D elhi . Only fifteen years before,the Bishop was assured, i t was as wild as the Terrai,as full of tigers, and with nohuman inhabitants butbanditti . The next station was Hora] , dista nt eightcoss and at Dhotana
,seven 0033 further, he entered
the province of Agra. Here, being met by somesuwarrs sent forward by the judge of Agra, his Lordship dismissed the escort which the Rajah of Bullum.
Heber, vol. i i. pp . 3184 3220
1' At Dhotana, the Bishop saw the first instance of a customwhich prevails among the worshippers of Krishna in the southernprov inces. About a dozen women, who professed to be gaop iauree(milk-maids ), and were in fact wives and daughters of the Gaowa la
caste, -came to meet him, danc ing and singing, withpitchers ontheirheads. Their voices and style of singing were by no means
unp leas ing. They had the appearance of extreme poverty. andwere very thankful for a rupee.
34 INDIA.
seen sitting'
on the tom of the houses, and runningalong the wal ls and roofs like cats. They are verytroublesome, and admitted to be so by the Hindoosthemselves, but are so much respected, that, a few
years since,two young officers who shot at one near
B indrabund,were driven into the Jumna, where they
perished,by a mob of Brahmins and devotees . In
other respects, also, Muttra is a striking town ,and a
good deal reminded me of Benares, the houses beingvery high, wi th the same sort of ornaments as in thatcity. There is a large ruinous cas tle on the shore ofthe Jumna
,and a magnificen t, though dilapidated
mosque, wi th four very tall m inarets. In the centre,or nearly so, of the town ,
Colonel Penny took us intothe court of a beau tiful temple
,or dwell ing -house
, (fori t seemed to be designed for both in one,) lately built,and not y et qui te finished
,by Gokul Pattu Singh,
Sindia’s treasurer
,and whohas also a principal share
in a great native banking- house, one branch of whichis fixed at Muttra . The building is enclosed by asmal l
, but richly carved gateway, with a flight ofs teps which leads from the street to a square court ,cloistered round
,and containing in the centre, a
bui lding, also square, supported by a trip le row of
pillars,all which
,as well as the ceiling, are richl y
carved, painted, and gilt . The effect, internally, is
much like that of the Egyptian tomb, of which the
model was exhibited in London by Belzoni externall y,the carving is very beautiful . The cloisters round
were represented to us as the intended habi tation ofthe Brahmins attached
“to the fane ; and in front,towards the street
,were to be apartments for the
founder on his occas ional visi ts to Muttra .
The cantonments are separated from the res t of
the town by a small interval of broken ground covered
with ruins. The buildings are very extensive and
INDIA. 35
Scattered over a wide plain,but the greater part of
them are unoccupied, the forces now maintained herenot being half sonumerous as they used to be before theestab l ishment of Nusseerabad and Neemuch , and the
consequent removal of our advanced corps to a greatdistance westward . Sti l l
,Muttra is an important
station, from the vicinity of many wi ld and indepen
dent, though, at present , friendly Rajas,and from its
forming a necessary link between Agra and the nor
thern
Muttra is thirty miles N.N.W. from Agra. The
next stage was eight 0033 to Furrah, a small villagedefended by a square mud fort . The road
,during
great part of the way , lay al ong the banks of theJumna, which is here a wide and winding stream
,
with woody banks,and bordered by a fertile coun try.
Nine coss further, is Secundra, now a ru inous villagewithout a bazar
,but remarkable as containing one of
the most Splendid mausoleums in India, the tomb of
Aobar.I s this a tomb
,a mere tomb y ou ask yourself as
,
descending from your elephant at a high - arched and
lofty gateway,wi th gallery, chambers
,and vaulted
dome, y ou see through and far beyond i t, a vast pile
of building of the most beautiful red grani te, adorned,in stone and marble
,with many rich borderings of
flowers, and wi th inscriptions from the Koran, in free,bold letters of prodigious size . You follow a pavedpathway through the garden , now covered with rank
grass, and stripped of half its trees, and approaching
Heber, vol. 11. pp . 328—30. Muttra was one of the first objects which attracted the cupidity of the Mohammedan invaders,and was taken and destroyed by Sultan Mahmoud of Ghizni, A .DJ
1018. It was subsequently rebuilt. In the fort are stil l tobeseen the remains of an observatory
“built by Rajah Jy e Singh.”Hamilton, vol. i. p . 367.
36 INDIA.
nearer,pronounce the building, though grand, too
much overcharged for the ey e of tas te. Too many
small m inarets are crowded on its top,nor is the
ascent to the door sufiiciently spacious or raised . The
lower story has one lofty dome, under which lies the
dust of A cbar, beneath such p lain and narrow tomb
as would simply mark where a Moslem lay . Above,upon the higher story, are arched verandahs and
marble chambers ; and on the very top, a handsomespace paved with marble, and surrounded wi th a lightpiazzaed gallery, whose outer face is open screen -workof the same precious material, perfectly white and
polished, but representing branches and wreathsinterwoven wi th the most natural grace and ease.
Here is a small sarcophagus of white marb le. Naturalin form
,and naturally strewn
,are the pale flowers
which lie thickly scattered on i t. For whom the
scu lptor scattered them,four smal l and beautifully
formed letters declare z— A CBAR , y ou read (in Arabiccharacters), and read nomore.
”
The tomb stands in a square area of about fortyacres , enclosed with an embattled wall wi th octagonaltowers at the angles, surmounted with Open pavi l ions,and four very nob le gateways of red granite . The
principal one is inlaid wi th white marble,and has four
h igh marble m inarets . The area is planted withtrees
,and d ivided into green al leys leading to the
central bu ilding. This is described by Bishop Heber asa sort of solid pyramid
,surrounded external ly with
Cloisters, gal leries , and domes, dim inishing gradual ly
on ascending i t, ti l l i t ends in a square p latform ofwhite marble
,surrounded with most e laborate lattice
Work of the same material : in the centre of this,is a
Sketches of India, pp. 191, 2.
INDIA. 37
small altar-tomb, also of white marble, carved with a.
del icacy and beauty which do full justice to the material and to the graceful forms of Arabic characterswhich form its chief ornament . At the bottom of thebu ilding
,in a smal l but very lofty vaul t, is the real
tomb of this great monarch,plain and unadorned
,but
also of white marble. There are many other ruins inthe vicinity
,some of them apparently handsome but
Akbar’s tomb leaves a stranger little time or in.
clination to look at any thing else.
” One other tomb,
however,deserves the traveller’s attention that of
Abulfazel,the able and enlightened minister of Akbar
i t is a large, p lain, but handsome structure of stoneand marble, not far from that of his imperial master.“
The Bengal Government has done i tself honour by a
grant of money for the repair of this magnificentmauso leum ; and a serjean t of artillery resides in oneof the gateways, whose business i t is to superintend a
plantation of s issomtrees made by Dr.Wal lich .
From Akbar’s tomb
,for about six m iles on the road
to Agra, the traveller passes through a succession ofruins little less continuous and desolate than thosewhich surround Delhi walls
,tombs
,mosques
,
minarets,summen houses, according to their materials
and size,either half broken down
,black, and crum
bling, or strong and handsome, even though neglected,owing to the stone
, grani te, or marble of which theywere original ly built.
” Some of the old tombs havebeen formed into dwelling-houses ; and in one of these,
Sketches of India, p . 193. Abulfazel was a native of Agra,born, as
'
_he tells us, on the same side of the Jumna as the Char
Bagh where also.were the tombs of his ancestors, together with
those of many other eminent personages. Ay een Akbery , vol . ii.
p . 40.
1 Heber, vol . 11. pp. 336, 7.
38 IND IA.
Bishop Heber found that Mr. I rving, the chaplain at
Agra, had fixed his habi tation.
AGRA.
THE city of Agra stands on the south-western bank of
the Jumna, about 137 m iles (travelling distance) fromD elhi
,in lat. 27
° 11’N., long. 77° 53’E . It cannot
boas t of any high antiqu ity, having been originally amere vil lage dependent upon Biana, a town 44 m ilesto the where Sultan Secunder Lodi held hiscourt . The Emperor Akbar was the founder of thec i ty, which is thus described by Abul fazel in 1580.
“ Agra is a large city, the air of which is esteemedvery heal thy. The river Jumna r uns through it forfive cos s and on both sides are del ightful houses and
gardens, inhabited by peop le of all na tions, and
where are displayed the productions of every climate .
His Majesty has erected a fort of red stone, the l ike of
which no travel ler has ever behe ld. It contains alone500 stone bui ldings , of surprising construction
,in the
Bengal , Gujerat , and other styles ; and the artificers
have decorated them wi th beautiful pain tings .At
the eastern gate are carved in stone two elephants,
with their riders,of exquisite workmanship On
the Oppos ite s ide of the river is the Cha r B agh (fourgardens), a monument of the magnificence of the inhabitant of paradise (the Emperor
’s father
, Hu .
By far the greater part of this’
once flourishing cityis now a heap of ru ins , and the inhabited portion ofthe town is comprehended wi thin a very narrowcompass the popu lation not exceeding, i t is supposed,
Ay een“my , VOL-i10
_ po 400
INDIA. 39
60000 souls . Of its present appearance, BishopHeber gives the following description .
The city is large, old, and ru inous, with little to
attract attention , beyond that picturesque mixture ofhouses, balconies, projecting roofs, and groupes of
p eople in the Eastern dress, which is common to all
Indian towns . The fort is very large and ancient,
surrounded with high walls and towers of red stone,which command some noble views of the c ity
,its
neighbourhood, and the windings of the Jumna.
The principal sights, however, which it contains, are,the Motee Musjeed, a beautiful mosque of whitemarble, carved wi th exquisite simplici ty and eleganceand the palace bui lt by A cbar, in a great degree of
the same material, and containing some noble rooms,now sadly disfigured and destroyed by neglect, and
by being used as warehouses, armories,offices, and
lodging- rooms for the garrison .
The ball,now used as the dewanny
-aum,or
pub l ic court of justice, is a splendid edifice , supportedby pil lars and arches of white marb le
,as large and
more nobly simple than that ofDelhi . The ornaments,
carving, andmosaic of the smal ler apartments, inwhichwas formerly the zennanah, are equal or superior toany thingwhich is described as found in theA lhambra .
The view from these rooms is very fine, at the same
time that there are some,adapted for the hot winds,
from which light is carefu lly exc luded . This suite islined with smal l m irrors in fantastic frames ; a 088
cade of water, also surrounded wi th mirrors, has beenmade to gush from a recess at the upper end
, and
marble channels, beautifully inlaid wi th carnelions,
agates, and jasper, convey the stream to every side of
the apartment . In another of the towers are baths of
equal beauty, one of which, a single block of whi te
40 INDIA.
marble, Lord Hastings caused to be forced up fromits s ituation
,not without considerab le Injury both to
the bath i tself and the surrounding pavement,in
order to carry i t down to Calcutta. It was,however,
too heavy for the common budgerow in use on the
Jumna, and the bath remains to shame its Spo liator.
Shou ld the plan ,which has been often talked of, of
having a separate government for Central India, everbe carried into execution , this wou ld unquestionablybe the governmen t -house. It might still be restored
at less expense than building a new residence for the
governor ; and there is,at present
,no architect in
India ab le to bui ld even a lodge in the same style .
The Jumma Musjeed is not by any means sofine as
that of D elhi . It is very picturesque, however, and
the more sofrom its neglected state and the grass andpeepul - trees which grow about its lofty domes .
”
B ut the most remarkable edifice in Agra is the
celebrated mausoleum cal led the Tauj e M aha l, erectedby Shahj ehan in honour of his favourite queen. Itis situated on the southern bank of the river
,abou t
three m i les from the fort, enclosed wi thin an area of300 yards, laid out as a garden. The building i tselfis a quadrangle of nearly 190 yards, and the loftydome of pol ished marb le which rises from the centre
,
is about 70 feet in diameter. Of the Tage-mahal,
”
continues Bishop Heber,i t is enough to say , that,
after hearing its praises ever s ince I had been in India,its beau ty exceeded
,rather than fell short of my ex
pectations . There was much,indeed, which I was
not prepared for. The surrounding garden , which ,as wel l as the Tage i tself, is kept in excellent orderby Government
,with its marb le fountains, beautiful
Heber, 11. P0937—90
42 IND IA.
side of the garden ; and there are some remains of abridge, which was designed by Shahjehan, wi th the
intention, as the story goes, to build a second Tigeof equal beauty for his own separate place of inter
ment, on the Opposite side of the river. On that
s ide are some interesting ruins of other structu res,more especially the tomb of Etmun ud Dowlah
,prime
minister ofAt Agra, Bishop Heber confirmed about forty per
sons,half of whom were native Christians
,mostly
old persons and converts of Mr. Carrie’s during hisresidence here .
” This li ttle congregation had beenkept together by the venerab le Abdoo l M es seeh , whomhis Lordship met at Agra, and subsequent ly admittedto episcopal orders . He was informed , that there
are a good many more Christians scattered up and
the hands of the architect. The delicacy may be in some degreeguessed by those whohave never seen it, from the expression ofZofi
'
ani, an I talian painter, who, after long gazing upon it withfixed adm iration, said, that it wanted nothing but a glass - case of
sufficientmagnitude to cover and protect it. I visited it again bymoon light ; a light soft and well adap ted togive effect tothe cold,c lear polish of the dome . -But, after all , how poor, howmean
are the associations connected wi th it ! I t is a monument of theboundless exactions of a beauty’s vanity ; of the yie lding folly of aproud , voluptuous, slave-
governed sensual ist ; for such was Shahjehan.
”— Sketches of India, pp . 198, 9. Noorjehan was not, how
ever, wholly unworthy of this memorial of the monarch’s affectionand regret. See p . 281 of our first vol .
Heber, ii . p . 340—2.
'
f See note at page 297 of our third volume. A brief memoir ofthis estimable man will be found in the Miss ionary Reg ister for1827.PP 449—453 ; alsoin the Asiatic Journal , vol. xxiv. p . 774.
A monument has been erected to his memory at Lucknow, byMr. R icketts , the Resident. The Author of Sketch es of India ,gives a highly pleas ing description of his venerable appearance anddignified , y et gentle manners ; and Bishop Heber seems to havebeen not less favourably impressed with his “
almost apostolic ”air. Of his sa lary as Christian Missionary, of sixty rupees amonth,he gave away atJeast hal f.
INDIA. 43
down in the neighbouring towns of Coel, Alighur,and Etaweh , several of whom know no language but
Hindoostanee, and were glad to have religious in
struction afforded them in that language ; whileothers were zealous Roman Catholics, and adhered
closely to the priest of Agra The remnant ofAbdool Messeeh
’s flock continue to assemb le for
Christian worship under a native teacher named
Puez Messeeh . Encouraged by a l iberal individual,
this worthy successor of that venerable Confessor haslately established three native girls
’schools in the
c i ty, in one of which six widows and five young girls
are instructed by a moonshee,and in each of the
other two, ten girls are taught by a widow.f
c The Jesuits had a college atAgra in the time of Tiefi'
enthaler,
which he describes as a handsome edifice ; and in the m iddl e of awa lled Christian cemetery, stood a sepulchral chapel , in which the“ sacred remains of the fathers were interred . The place washeld in veneration by both Moslems and Hindoos. At a littledistance was a well , the water of which smelled of incense andmyrrh —Bernoulli, t. i. pp . 162, 3.
1 Miss. Reg. February l 828, p . 99 . Fuez (or F y zee) Messeeh ,
we presume, is the“ interesting and remarkable person ” men
tioned by Bishop Heber, vol . ii. pp . 10— 14. He is the son of a
wealthy Hindooma t at Moradabad , who, though a heathen, senthis son to a celebrated Mussulman preceptor, in the hope thata knowledge of Arabic and Persian would recommend him to theservice of the king of Oude. The instruction he received , led him
to renounce idolatry , and he was circumcised ; but, hearing thata very holy Mussulman saint in the neighbourhood had , on his
death- bed , dec lared that he found nocomfort but in the words ofJesus the son of Mary, he repaired toa Rom ish priest at Lucknow,
toobtain a copy of the Gospels . The priest took cons iderablepains with h im, but Fy zee Mohammed (as he was then cal led ) nosooner saw the images in the chapel , than he cried out, that thiscould never be the religion of which he was in quest.” He thenundertook another journey in search of Mr. Chamberlain,
'
the
Baptist Missionary, from whom he obtained the book he wanted ;and at length he was baptised at Agra, by Mr. Corrie. A growingcontempt for idolatry and; an anxiety to become acquainted with
44 INDIA.
FUTTEHPOOR.
AB OU T nineteen miles ( twelve coss) W.S .W . fromAgra , is Futtehpoor- Sikri , another royal ci ty foundedby Akbar
,on the site of the vi l lage of Sikri , and his
favourite residence . Abulfazel thus describes i t . Ithas a stone fort containing magnificen t bui ldingsand over one of the gates are twoastonishing elephan ts
carved in stone . The royal palace and the houses ofthe nobi lity are bui l t upon themountain ; but the p lainsare also decorated wi th many houses and gardens.
His Majesty has caused to be erected upon the t0p ofthe mountain, a mosque, a co l lege, and a monasteryfor Soofi
’
ees,which are the admiration of travellers .
Adjoining to the city, is a lake extending twelve 0033and upon the edge of i t, his Majesty has built anamphitheatre with high minarets . The amphitheatreis us ed for the game of chowgong and here are alsoexhibited the elephant -fights . In this neighbourhoodis a quarry of red stone, out of which they cut pillarsand s labs of any In the time ofTiefi
'
enthaler (A .D . this city was litt le betterthan a mass of ruins, a very few houses being thenstanding . The spacious lake or pond had become a
field, and corn was growing where formerly stood theshops of traders and the hou ses of the inhabitants .
The worthy Missionary dwells with fond regret onthe singu larly transi tory duration of this beautifulc ity, which he compares to the flower that in the
morning flourisheth,
and in the evening wi therethaway. It was founded subsequently to Agra, and
other forms of belief, are, accord ing to his testimony, spreadingamong Hindoos ; towing to which, the Mussulmans gain manyconverts.9 Ay een Akbery , vol. 11. p. 40.
INDIA.
’
45
sank before that city into decay fi‘ I ts remains
,how.
ever, still retain an impos ing character. The approachto Futtehpoor
,Bishop Heber says, is striking. The
town “ is surrounded wi th a high stone wall,adorned
with battlements and round towers, like the remaining
part of the ci ty walls at Oxford. Within this is a
wide extent of ru ined houses and mosques, interspersed wi th fields of rice and mustard
,and a few
tamarind trees ; and nearly in the middle,on a high
ridge of rocky hi ll s , is a range of ruinous palaces,serais
,and other public buildings, in the best style of
Mussulman architecture. A noble mosque,in good
repair,forms the centre of the picture.
”
The mosque was founded by Akbar, in grati tudefor the birth of a son
,after his Empress had remained
for many y ears barren an event for which he believedhimself to be indebted to the cfiicacious devotions ofSheikh Selim Cheestee. That son ,
in honour of thesaint
,received the name of Selim ; but, on ascending
the throne, he assumed the title of Jehanguire. The
great gate of the mosque is approached by a very nob leflight of steps, leading to a fine arch, surmounted witha lofty tower. Through this, the traveller passes intoa quadrangle of about 500feet, surroundedwith a verylofty and majestic cloister. On the left hand is themosque, crowned with three fine domes of whitemarb le ; and Opposite to the entrance are two tombsof very elaborate workmanship : that to the rightcontains several monuments of the imperial family ;that to the left, a beau tiful chapel of white marble
,is
the shrine of Sheikh Sel im .
Bernoul li. tom . i . p . 169. I twas in this city that the Jesuits , inth e reign of Akbar, first obtained a footing. Three zealous labourers
” were first sent th ither by the viceroy of Goa, and werefavourably received,
46 INDIA.
The impression which this whole view producedon me,
”adds Bishop Heber
,will be appreciated
when I say , that there is noquadrangle either inOxford or Cambridge fit to be compared with it
,either
in s ize,or majestic proportions
,or beauty of architec
ture. It is kept in substantial repair by the British
Government, and its grave and solid style makes thisan eas ier task, than the intricate and elaborate in laidwork of Secundra and the Tage-mahal . The interiorof the mosque i tself is fine
,and in the same simple
character of grandeur ; but the height of the portaltower, and the magnificence of the quadrangle, hadraised my expectations too high , and I found that thesewere the greates t as well as the most striking beautiesof Futtehpoor.A li ttle to the right is the palace, now all in ruins,
except a small part which is inhabited by the Tus a
sildar of the district . We rambled some time amongits courts, and through a range of stables worthy of an
emperor,cons isting of a long and wide street, wi th a
portico on each side, fifteen feet deep , supported by
carved stone pillars in front, and roofed wi th enormous slabs of stone, reaching from the colonnade tothe wall. There are four buildings particular ly worthyof notice . One is a small but richly- ornamented house,which is shewn as the residence of Beerbal, the Empe
ror’s favourite minister
,whom the Mussulmans
accuse of having infected him wi th the strange reli
gious notions wi th which, in the latter part of his
life,he sought to inocul ate his subjects. Another is a
very beautifu l oc tagonal pavilion in the corner of the
court,which appears to have been the zennanah , and
was variously stated to us to have been the Emperor’s
private study,or the bed- chamber of one of his wives,
who was a daughter of the Sultan of Constantinople.
IND IA. 47
I t has three large windows filled with an exquisitetracery of white marble, and all its remaining wal l is
carved with trees, bunches of grapes, and the figuresof different kinds of birds and beasts
,of considerable
merit in their execution ; but the last twoare disfiguredby the bigotry of Aurungzebe, who, as is well known,sought to make amends for his own abominab le cr uelty
a nd wickedness towards his father and brothers, by amore than usual zeal for the traditions and Observancesof Islam . The third is a little building which, if itstraditional destination be correct, I wonder Aurungzebe allowed to stand . It consists merely of a shrineor canopy supported
'
by four pillars,which , the Mussul
man ciceroni of the place pretend, was devoted byA cbar to the performance of mag ical rites. Whatever its use may have been, i t is not wi thout beauty .
The fourth is a singul ar pavilion, in the centre ofwhich is a pillar or stone pulpit, richly carved, ap .
proached by four stone gal leries from different sides of
the room ,on which the Emperor used to siton certain
occas ions of state,while his subjects were adm i tted
below to present their petitions . It is a mere capric~
do, with no merit except its carving, but is remark.
able as being one of the most singu lar bui ldings I haveseen
, and commands from its terraced roof a veryadvantageous view of the greater part of the city, anda wide extent of surrounding country .
Of this last, much appears to have been laid out inan extensive lake, of which the dam is sti ll to betraced and the who le hill on which the palace stands
,
bears marks of terraces and gardens, to irrigate whichan elaborate succession of wells, cisterns, and wheelsappears to have been contrived, adjoining the greatmosque, and forcing up the water nearly to the height
of its roof. The cisterns are still useful as receptacles
48 INDIA.
for raimwater,but the machinery is long since gone to
decay. On the whole,Futtehpoor is one of the most
in teresting p laces which I have seen in India ; and i twas to me the more so, because, as i t happened, I hadheard little about i t
,and was by no means prepared
to expect buildings of so much magnitude and splen
The province of Agra, which is about 250mi les inlength by an average breadth of 180, was subdivided,in the reign of Akbar, into thirteen c ircars , or districts viz.
,Agra, Calpee, Canouje, Koul, Gwalior,
I rej , Sauwan ,Narwar
,Mandalay er, Alvar, Tejareh,
Narnoul,and Sahar. These are now comprised under
the following modern divisions. l . The Agra district,
extending along the Jumna to its junction wi th theChumbul . 2 . The D oab, or the country between the
Jumna and the Ganges ; comprising the districts ofEtaweh
,Furrukabad
,and A lighur. 3. The Gohud
and Gwalior terri tories. 4. The Bhurtpoor territory.5 . The Macherry territory. A great part of the province
,which was long a debateable ground, liable to
constan t civil contests and predatory inroads,is still
wi ld and uncultivated and the population is a motleyassemblage of Jauts, Rajpoots, Mahrattas, M ewatties
,
Patans,and almost every cas te and tribe of Hindoos .
It is onl y within a few years that the roads could betraversed with any degree of safety . The Bhurtpoor
territory, the capital ofwhich has become soce lebrated
in the hi story of British India, for having successfullywi thstood the repeated assaults of a British army
,1lies to the west of the Agra district, extending fromGOpaulghur to Biana, and comprehending an area of
nearly 5000 square mi les . In proceeding from Agra
Heber, VOIO 11 . pp . 351—3530
1 See page 275of our second volume.
50 INDIA.
buried, from the red soil and red rock of the neighbourhood . On its top is a small mosque and thoughin a Hindoo country, the maj ority of the inhabitants
are Mussulmans. The houses in this neighbourhood
are al l of red sand- stone ; and several of them are
supported by many small pillars internally, and roofed
wi th large stone s labs, la id from one pi l lar to another .Wood is very scarce and dear. There were noboughs
to be had for the elephants and camels, and the onlyfuel that could be found,was dried cow-dung.
” Owingto the extreme lightness of the soil
,i t is impossible to
s ink a wel l in the u sual method and a very singular
expedient is adopted. They bu i ld a tower of ma.
somry of the diameter required,and 20 or 30 feet
high from the surface of the ground. This theya llow to stand a year or more, till its masonry is rendered firm and compact by time they then graduallyundermine and promote its s inking into the sandysoi l , which it does wi thout diflicul ty and all together.When level with the surface
,they raise the wall
higher, and sogoon , throwing out the sand and rais.ing the wall, till they have reached theFrom Khanwah to Pharsah, the next stage, is seven
coss (above fourteen miles), through a sandy tract,irrigated onl y from wells
,but one of the bes t cul ti .
vated which the Bishop had seen in India. The cropsare of corn
,cotton
,and sugar- cane. Wuerh
,the
next place, distant five long 0083,is a large town,
surrounded with a high mud rampart, well flankedby sem i - circular bastions
,with a wide but shallow
di tch . Within the gate of the ci ty, nothing at firs twas visible
,but a narrow bazar
,wi th its usual aecom
paniments ofmud huts, heaps of grocery, fat bunyans,
Heber, 11. pp. 356, 7.
INDIA. 51
scolding women, Brahminy bulls, and all uncleanness .
Passing through a narrow gate, however, which ledinto the court -yard of a very handsome Hindoo house,the Bishop was thence led into an}extremely pretty,though not large garden
,watered by stone channels
conducted from a tank supplied by fountains. Atthe further end of this garden was seen an old stonebuilt cast le
,wi th round towers and high ramparts of
stone, surrounded with a broad moat. Nearly halfway on the next stage, about seven or eight mi lesfrom Wuerh
,is Peshawer, the frontier town of this
li ttle principali ty ; s i tuated on the side of a rockyeminence
,with a ru inous palace on its summit, and
surrounded with groves and scattered trees . The
next town, Mowar, is wi thin the terri tory of Jey poor.
BHURTPOOR.
THE city of Bhurtpoor,which is only thirty-one milesW. by N. from the ci ty of Agra, did not fall wi thinthe line of his Lordship’s route but its rampart wasjust visible from the mosque of Futtehpoor, at the
distance of eight coss . On ly a month after he had
passed through this part of the country, the rupture
occurred wi th that state,which brought once more a
British army before the walls of the only fortress in
India that had alike baffled the Mogul Emperors
and the English .
‘ The circumstances which led to
Hav ing once beaten ofl‘
Lord Lake from their c ity, theyhave ever since not only regarded themselves as inv incible, buthave been so esteemed b y the greater part of the Mahrattas , Rajpoots , &c . , whohave always held up their example as the rallyingpoint and main encouragement toresistance ; insomuch that, evenwhen 1 was pass ing through Malwah, gal lantee shows , like thosecarried about by the Savoyards, were exhibited at the fairs and inthe towns of thatwild district, which displayed, among other pa
52 INDIA.
thewar,were a disputed succession. Sometime before
his death,the former rajah
,Bulder Singh, anxious
to secure to his son, Bulwunt Singh , the peaceable
accession to his inheritance,app l ied to the British
Government for a kelaa t or dress of investiture, whichwas granted ; the young rajah being thus recognisedas the lawful heir. On the 8th of February, the
death of Bulder Singh took place ; but sca rcely had
the young prince ascended the guddee, when his
cousin,Durjunt Sail, attacked and made himself mas
ter of the citadel of Bhurtpoor, capturing the rajahhimself
,with all the property in the fortress. No
sooner had tidings of this usurpation reached the
British Resident at D elhi,the brave and venerable
Sir D avid O chterlony , than , assemb l ing a considerablebody of troops and a great train of arti llery, b e im .
mediately prepared to expel the usurper. The troopsof Bhurtpoor were known to be divided
,3 portion
only having declared in favour of the usurper ; theramparts were out of repair ; and i t has been main .
tained,that
,had Sir D avid been allowed by the Su
preme Governmen t to move down to Bhurtpoor at the
first moment,he would have carried the fortress wi th
out difiiculty .
’ The decis ive and energetic measuresof the old veteran were not, however, acceptab le tothe new Governor -General
,Lord Amherst
,who ao
cused Sir David of having acted upon the most imperfec t and unsatisfactory information
,and propounded
triotic and popular scenes, the red-coats driven back in dismay fromthe ramparts , and the victorious Jats pursuing them sabre inhand .
”—Heber, iii. p . 368.
Sir David confidently anticipated , that he should have beenab le in a few days to bring matters to an am icable and honourab le conclusion.
”To this , h is great personal influence and the
divided state of the Bhurtpoor army, would certainly have contributed. See Asiat. Journal, xxii. p . 74 ; xxiii. p . 137— 143.
INDIA. 53
afresh the old doctrine of non- interference.
” The
Company,i t was said
,had no right to interfere in
the disputes going on at Bhurtpoor.
” The old
General,finding his measures thus countermanded
and di sapproved, felt that he had only to resign hisoffice ; and his death, which took place shortly after
,
is supposed to have been hastened by vexation .* Six
months after,the Governor-General
,having made up
his m ind that the usurper should be expelled,issued
orders for reducing the fortress.On the 6th of October
,General Lord Combermere,
whohad been appointed to succeed Sir Edward Pagetas commander- in - chief in India
,arrived at Calcutta ;
and hostilities having been determined upon,On the
10th of D ecember he joined the British army beforeBhurtpoor. The rejection of the propositions made
by Sir Thomas Metcalfe, for the re- instatement ofthe rightful Rajah of Bhurtpoor, Bulwunt Singh ,cousin of the usurper, Doorjun 851, had now renderedhosti l i ties unavoidab le. It was moreover deemed
desirable to strike a decis ive blow, in order to repress
the return ing turbulence of the chiefs ofRajpootana.
”
Doorjun'
Sal had now col lected a large force, ofwhich were cavalry. The British forces amounted to
He died , July 15, 1825, at Meerut, Whither he had proceededfor the benefit of change of air, at the age of sixty- eight. It is
certain, that he felt deeply aggrieved by the conduct of theGovernor-General. One strange feature in the case is,
” remarksBishop Heber in one of his Letters , that the war and siege havebeen commenced by Sir D . O chterlony on h is own sole authority ,and without any commun ication with the Supreme Government.I believe he was fully justified by the urgency of the case ; but thisis one among many proofs which have fallen under my notice ,how impossible it is to govern these remote provinces from Cal.
outta , and how des irable it is to estab lish a separate presidency fornorthern and central India .
”— Heber, iii . p. 369
f Asiat. Journal, xxi. p . 632.
PART VI I . 13
’J
54 INDIA .
about men, with an immense field of artillery.The second division, under Major -General Nicholls ,occupied the pos ition formerly held by Lord Lake, the
bund of the j eel (lake) being taken possession of without opposition. On the 23d of D ecember
,the first
parallel was formed, at the di stance of about 800 yardsfrom the fort ; and by the 3l st, forty eighteen and
twenty -four pounders had opened on the north- eas t
curtain, and two mortar batteries on the citadel andpalace . The mud walls were
,however, found to be
sosol id, being sixty feet in thickness,that the heavies t
artillerv cou ld have but l ittle effec t, and i t was foundnecessary to proceed by m ining. Mines were accordingly formed under the north - eas t angle of the town,against which the principal operations were directedand on the 17th of January, an excellent breach waseffected. At eight o
’c lock the next morning, the
s ignal was given for storming. In the course oftwohours , though vigorous ly and bravel y defended at
every gateway and bas tion,the who le rampart sur
rounding the t own , together w i th the command of the
gates of the citadel, were in our possession . The
c i tadel was surrendered at about four o’c lock ) ”
Doorjun Sail , who, with his wife, two sons,and 160
chosen horse, attempted to force a passage throughthe British cavalry
,was taken prisoner
,wi th the
whole of his remaining forces ; and all the stores,
arms,and ammuni tion being secured by the surrender
of the citadel, the whole mili tary power of this formidable li ttle s tate was at once annihi lated. The
prisoners , after being disarmed, were set free . The
loss of the.
British in the as saul t,is stated at 103
ki lled (of whom 61 were Europeans,inc luding on ly
O Lord Combermere’s DeSPatch. Asiat. Joun, vol. xxi. p . 804.
INDIA. 55
3 officers), 11 missing, and 466 wounded. That ofthe enemy was estimated at above 4000killed, amongwhom were many veterans wi th grisly beards , who,having fought and conquered in Lord Lake’s attacks,were resolved neither to give nor to accept of quarter.The fa l l of Bhurtpoor was immediately followed by
the submission of the whole country. By the end ofJanuary
,all the ameers and vakeels of the neighbour .
ing districts had come in to the British camp. Amongothers, Madhoo Singh had arrived from Deeg , and
paid his homage to the Commander- in - chief. Khom.
beer,Biana, and Alwar were also surrendered by their
respective chiefs . On the 4th of February, the young
Rajah was formally reinstated on the guddee, beingled to the palace by Lord Combermere and the poli ticalagent
,Sir Thomas Metcalfe, at the head of the
British regiment left to garrison Bhurtpoor. It was,
however,deemed advisab le to disman t le the fortress .
The principal bas tions and parts of several curtainswere blown up on the 6th of February, i t being leftto the rains to complete the ruin . The P atteh
boorje, or bastion of victory, bui l t, as the Bhurt
pooreans vaunted, wi th the bones and blood of theEnglishmen whofel l in the assau l ts under Lord Lake
,
is now laid low and among the destroyers were someof those white men permitted to flee from her
eternal who,after a period of twenty years,
returned to the assau l t,to w itness her towers and
battlements crumbling to dust.”
1
Several corp s and ind ividual officerswho had been present atthe unfortunate s iege of 1805, had the satisfaction of assisting at
the fal l of the fortress in 1826. Among these was Sir C . Metca lfe ,who, in the former war, had joined the storm ing party in the
assault of Deeg.
1 Asiat. Journal , xxn . pp . 238, 348. Had the British failed in thisattempt,;Bishop Heber_expresses his apprehension that1every man
56 INDIA.
At the time that Bishop Heber passed through thewes tern provinces, all was peaceable ; although the
little court of Jy epoor had not long before been on
the point of coming to an open rupture wi th the
Bri tish Res ident, and some concessions on the part of
our Government had alone obviated an appea l to
arms. Smouldering resentments were not y et whol ly
extinguished ; but at that moment,Sir David O chter
lonywas in high friendship wi th the Rannee, and occu
py ing apartmen ts in her palace at Jy epoor. Mowar,
the frontier town, has a large mud fortress with six
bas tions . On a hill,abou t twomiles distant, stands
another more cons iderable cas tle, ca lled Ramghur, bui l tof stone, with six round towers , perched on a steepeminence
,wi th a double embatt led wall stretching
down the dec livity to a wall at its foot. From the
rocks without the rampart, an extens ive view is ob
tained, over a level coun try interpersed wi th simi lareminences, each with its village surmounted by a.
cas tle. The principal chain of hi l ls runs pretty nearly
north and south. In this country, the fort had been,till very recently, as necessary to the husbandman as
the barn .
In Mowar, the Bishop found a bazar tolerably wellfurnished wi th cutlery
, gold and si lver ornaments,and shawls, as well as the usual more rustic commodities of cotton
,corn, and flour, ghee, and coarse
cloth : the prevalent colour for all garments in thisneighbourhood is yel low,
being the cheapest and mos tdurab le. On the evening of the day be hal ted at
whoowned a sword , or could buy or steal a horse, from the SutlejtotheNerbuddah ,wouldhave been induced torise against the Company ; less , however, from d islike of us, than in the hope of
booty. The effectof the fall of th is last strong-hold of Hindoo independence , has been, to extinguish every hope of overthrowingthe Company’s raj in these parts.
58 - INDIA.
soil. I should add,perhaps
,the ravens, whoare here
seen in considerable numbers and of large size.
” The
country resembled extremely a large estuary studdedwith rocky islands, whose sands have been left bareby the receding tide . Except the few thorny shrubs,which donot grow higher than common heather, not
a blade of verdure was to be seen. The hi lls are of
singular forms,mostly insulated, steep, and rocky.
The town to which this day’s route conducted the
Bishop, meri ts a more m inute description .
D eosa is a rather large town ,bui l t on one side
of a square table- l ike hi l l ,’
wi th a sharp peak adjoiningto i t. The hill is crowned wi th a very extensive fortress
,
and there are various remains of antiqui ty, such as a
large tank , now ruinous and dry , and a good manytombs
,which evince that the p lace has seen better
days . From its name, Deosa, or D ivine, i t shouldseem to possess a sacred character ; and even now
, we
found a considerab le encampment of merchants‘
and
pilgrims,wi th flying chairs , swings , and other symp
toms of a Hindoo fai r or festival. It turned out tobeone which I cannot find in the Calcutta Almanack
, but
which they here call Pusund and i t was celebratedin the course of the day wi th a degree of gl i tter and
show which I did not expect in a place apparently sopoor and ruinous. Two litt le images of a male and
female,called
,I think
,Gungwala and Gungwalee,
were carried wrapped up in a piece of kincob,in a
very gaudy gi lded rutt, drawn by the people to an
open tent pitched wi thout the town . A good dea l ofdrumming and singing fol lowed, and the ceremonyended by pel ting each other wi th red powder, asduring the Hoo lee. Meantime the usual traffic and
diversions of a country fai r went on ; cakes , cloth of
different kinds, and coarse trinkets were exposed in
I NDIA. 59
considerable abundance ; and a good many of the
peOpleawhom we met in the afternoon
,had evidently
either been drinking or taking opium . We walkedthrough the town
,which had a ruined wall round i t
,
and contained one fine old pagoda, resembling those at
Benares,several smaller ones
,a Mussulman mosque
,
and some large and richly carved stone houses,but all
verging to decay. The ru in of the town, as of therest of the country
,was laid by the peop le on Ameer
Khan though they did not seem to have any accurateinformation about the matter
,and owned that i t had
been always as i t is now,in their memory. I ts dila
pidation , I suspect, is of older date . There are somevery e legant tombs wi thout the wal ls, and altogether,the p lace is one extremely characteristic of the ancienthabits of India.
The images which we saw,were taken back to
their pagoda at night, and after a few days more ofs imilar parade, were to be comm itted to the neares triver, and sunk in i t, where, being of unbaked c lay
,
they soon dissolve . It is said,that this is the relic of
a hideous custom which still prevail s in Assam,and
was anciently practised in Egypt, of fl inging a youthand maiden
,richly dressed
,annual ly into their sacred
river . That such a custom formerly existed in India,is, I bel ieve, a matter of pretty uniform tradi tion .
But this practice of drowning images , is not confined
to the twofigures in question, but is the case with all
their idols , except a very few. Kali in her variousforms
, and the other many-handed, many ..headed
potentates who are worshipped in Calcutta, are all
of clay,and are all carried in like manner, after their
festivals, to be absorbed in the holy stream .
”
About two0038 from D eosa is a good-s ized village
With a handsome old house belonging to_ the Rajah
60 IND IA.
and a l ittle further, a very beautiful reservoir, sur
rounded with c loisters, and wi th a handsome gatewayof three Gothic arches the charitable work of a
merchant of Jy epoor. At four 0033 , the route passes
another low l ine of bills, with gran itic summits and
sandstone valleys and s ides, and succeeded by another
plain similar to that of theMaungunga . The countryrises gradually, the descent c f the hi lls to the west
being never sogreat as the ascent from the eas t. The
stage of eight long coss terminated at a poc r vi llage
cal led Mohunpoora. The next day , a march of nearly
twenty mi les, led to
JYEPOOR .
THE early part of this stage was over a desolate plain
of deep sand, traversed by a nu l lah. Within about
eight mi les from the city, the Bishop came to a deepwater -course, apparent ly the work of art, with a small
s tream in it,flowing from the hi l ls he was approaching.
Round its edge some l i tt le cul tivation was visible,though nothing could exceed the dryZand hungry natureof the sandy soil all around, which now began to be
interspersed w ith sharp stones and bits of rock . The
hi l ls,
"continues the Author, as we drew near, ap
peared higher and steeper than those which we hadhi therto crossed
,composed entirely of rock, shingle, and
sand,without a blade of vegetation of any kind, ex
cept a very little grass edging here and there the
stony,ragged water- course which we ascended, and
which was our on l y road. The desolation was almos tsub l ime
, and would have been quite so,had the hi lls
been of a more commanding elevation. The pass
grew narrower, the path steeper and more rugged as
we proceeded along i t ; and the little stream which we
were ascending, instead of dimpling amid the grass
INDIA“
. 61
and stones, now leaped and bounded frOm crag to crag,like a Welch rivulet. Still
,all was wild and dismal
,
when,on a turn of the road
,we found ourselves in
front of a high turretted and battlemented wal l,pierced with a tier of arched windows, shewing us
beyond them the dark green shades of a large Orientalgarden. A grim - looking old gateway on one side,bu i l t c lose to the road
,and seeming almost to form a
part of it,shewed us the path which we were to pur
sue and Iwas thinking of Thalaba on the bridlelesssteed at the gate of A loaddin
’s paradise , and fel t
almost ready to look round for the bugle-horn sus.
pended in the portal , when the English uniform ap
peared to disso lve the i l lusion, and Colonel Raper,
who had good-naturedly come out thus far to meet me,
rode up to welcome me.
On seeing him,I at first hoped that we had
already arrived at the gate of Jy epoor but he told me,
that we had still four mi les of very bad road beforeus . The rampart which we now passed, is intendedto guard the approach and the garden which I men.
tioned,is one of several attached to different temples
founded in this wild situation by the same sovereign,Jy e Singh, who built the city. Of these temp les, wepassed through a l ittle street, wi th very picturesquebui ldings on each side of i t
,and gardens perpetual ly
green from the stream which we were now leaving,and which derives its source from a considerab le poolhigher up in the bosom of the hi l ls. O ur own trackemerged on an elevated but sandy and barren plain
,
in which ,nevertheless, some fields of wheat were seen,
and, what su rprisedme, some fine peepul- trees. Thisp lain,
which seems to have been once a lake, is surrounded, ou three sides, by the same barren
, stonyhills,and has in its centre the city of Jy epoor, a place of
62 INDIA.
considerable extent , with fortifications solike those of
the Kreml in , that I could .
almost have fancied myselfat Moscow. The wall is high, with dentellated bat.
tlements and , lofty . towers, extremely picturesque, butwith no pretensions to strength, having neither ditch
nor glacis .
’ The trees wi th which the bu i ldings areintermingled , and the gardens wh ich , in spite of thehungry soil, are scattered round i t, make up a very
singu lar and romantic, or, I might almost say , a beautiful scene.
The c ity is a very remarkable and striking one .
Being all the work of ~ oue sovereign, Jy e Singh , i t ison a regular plan, with one very wide street, crossed at
right angles by three others, with a square in the
centre of the town,which serves as a market -p lace .
The houses are general ly two stories high ; but someare three and four
,with ornamented windows and balco
nies, and many of them finely carved. They are interspersed wi th some handsome temp les in the same
s tyle with those of Benares and in the centre of thetown
,adjoining the palace
,is a very noble tower
or minaret of, I should sup pose, 200 feet high . The
town is tolerably clean, but a great part of the housesare in a state of decay. Still
,however, i t has a p0pu
lation of souls . The palace, with its gardens,occupies ab
'
out one- sixth part of the city. It presentsto the streets an extremely high front of seven or eightstories, diminishing in the centre to something like a
p ediment, and flanked by two towers of equal height,topped with open cupolasf ‘Vithin are two spaci ouscourts and many smaller ones, surroundedwith cloistersof stone pillars, except in the verandahs leading to theprincipal rooms
,which are of marble. The gardens,
which I was first taken to see,are extensive, and, in
their way , extremely beautiful, full of fountains,
64 INDIA.
over which, in certain places, sitringees are placed,and, in the more cos tly rooms
,small Pers ian carpets .
There are very strong wooden doors in differen t partsof the building, whose hinges and lock s are as r ude asthose of a prison but the sui tes of apartments themselves are on ly divided by large striped curtains hungover the arched doorways . The ceilings are general lylow
,and the rooms dark and close ; both the walls
and ce ilings are,however
,splendidly carved and
painted ; and some of the former are entirely com
posed of {small looking-
glasses in fantas tic frames ofchunam mixed wi th tal c
,which have the appearance
of silver ti ll c losely examined . The subjects of thepaintings are almost entirely mythological , and theirstyle of co louring, their attitudes, and the generalgloomy silence and intricacy of the place, reminded mefrequently of Belzoni’s model of the Egyptian tomb .After a long sui te of these strange rooms
,we
were taken into a very striking and beautiful apart.
ment, where breakfas t was prepared for us. It wasa small pavilion wi th arches on ei ther s ide
,Opening
i nto two smal l cloistered courts ; the one filled by abeautiful cold bath about thirty - feet square,
'
theother,
by a l i ttle flower- garden, divided,fparterre-wise,wi th
narrow,winding paths of white marb le, wi th a jet
d’eau in every winding, to the number
,I should
think,of fifteen or twenty, which remained playing
all the whi le we were at breakfast. Nothing could
be prettier or more refreshing than the sight and
sound of these tiny fountains though I did not think
the effect improved, when, all at once, several of theprincipal ones began to throw up water tinged wi thsome yel low dy e. It was evidently much admired bythe natives
,and reminded me of the golden water,
’
which, together with the talk ing bird ’ and the
INDIA. 65
singing tree,’cost the princess in the Arabian tale
somany labours to obtain .
”
For breakfast, Colonel Raper had furnished the
usual requisi tes ; but the 'M aha-m nnee, or M a -j ee
(as she is also cal led) , sent his Lordship some specimens of Hindoo cookery, abundant in
'
ghee, spice, and
sugar, but wi thout the garlic which forms soessentiala part of Mussulman luxury. One of the messes
,
consisting of rice, raisins, and some green sweetmeat,
strong ly scented with rose-water, and seasoned wi thcinnamon,he thought very good. The others were,apparent ly, kid, or mutton, m inced small w i th rice,and covered wi th a very rich , brown sauce, which theBishop felt nodispos ition to encounter. The durbar
,
which he afterwards attended,was held in a nobleOpen . pavi l ion
,
'
w ith marble pillars rich ly carved ;rather inferior in size
,but in other respects fully
equal to the audience- hall in th e castle of D elhi . The
vis iters were received with due honours by all the
m inisters of the Rannee but the Bishop was mortified that her Ladyship never appeared, even behindthe purdah, though he was .told that she was lookingthrough a latticed window at some distance in front.One of the few days which the Bishop passed at
Jy epoor, was devoted to a journey to Umeer, the
ancient capital of this principali ty, ti ll Jy e Singhbui l t the present c ity in the plain, and wel l worthy ofbeing visited. He was
“
accompanied by Colonel andMrs. Raper, and the Res idency surgeon , the only Europeans resident in Jy epoor. After leaving the city
,
”
says his Lordship, we proceeded by a wide,sandy
road, through a succession of gardens and gardenhouses, some of the latter of which are very handsome,
I leber) VO10 ii. pp. 401- 4050
PART V I I I . F
66 INDIA.
tothe banks of a large lake, covered with water-fowl,and with a small island in the midst
,on which were
the ruins of a palace. The mere supplies the streamwhich we had passed in our way up the ghat ; i t hason this side every appearance of being a natural shee tof water . I ts bank s are more woody and wi ld than
a ny thing which I had seen since I left Kemaoon ; and
the steep and rugged road by which we ascended the
hi ll beyond i t,contributed to raise my expectation of
a beautiful view from the top .This road led us through an a ncient gateway in
an embatt led and turretted wall, which connec ted thetwo hill s
,like that which I described on the other
side of Jy epoor andwithin,we found a street like that
also, of temples and old buildings of the same characterone of them was pointed out to me as a shrine whitherthe young Raja is carried weekly to pay his devotions,and another as the hd'ii se where he puts up his horses,and reposes on such occasions . Beyond was a still
steeper ascent to a second gate, which introduced usto a very wild and romantic valley, with a smal l lake
at the bottom,the crests of the hills on either side
crowned wi th walls and towers, their lower parts all
rock and wood interspersed with ru ined bui ldings. In
front, and on themargin of the lake,was a smal l ruinoustown, overgrown with trees
,and interm ingled wi th
towers and temples ; and over it, but a li ttle to the lefthand
,a noble old fortified palace
,connec ted
,by a long
line of wall and tower, wi th a very large castle on the
highest part of the hill . We now descended the ghatby a similar road to that which had conducted us
thi ther, among some fine old trees,fragments of rock,
and thickets of thorny underwood, till we reached thetown , which almost entirely consisted of temples, andhad few inhabitants but grim and ghastly Yogis, with
.INDIA. 67
theirlhair in elf-knots, and their faces covered with
chalk , s itting naked and hideous, like somany ghoules,amid the tombs and ruined houses. A narrow,
wind.
ing street led us through these abodes of supersti tion,
under a dark shade of peepul - trees, till we found our
selves on another steep ascent, paved wi th grani te, and
leading to the palace . We wound along the face ofthe hil l
,through, I think, three Gothic gateways ;
al ighted in a large moss-grown quadrangle surroundedby what seemed to be barracks and stables ; and followed our guides up a broad and long flight of steps,through another richly- ornamented gateway, into theinterior courts of the building . These contain one verynoble hall of audience
,a pretty little garden with
fountains,and a long succession of passages
,cloisters,
alcoves,and small and intricate apartmen ts, many of
them extremely beautiful , and enjoying from thei rwindows, balconies, and terraces, one of the moststriking prospects which can be conceived . The
carving in stone and marble, and the inlaid flowers
a nd ornaments in some of these apartments, are equalto those at D elh i and Agra, and surpassed only bythe beauties of the Tage-mahal . :M y companions
,
none of whom had visited Umeer before, all declaredthat, as a whole
,i t was superior to the cas tle of
D elhi . For myself,I have seen ma ny royal palaces
containing larger and more stately rooms,_ many , the
architecture of which was in a purer taste,and some
which have covered a greater extent of ground ;(though in this , if the fortress on the hill be included,Umeer will rank, I think , aboveWindsor — but, forvaried and picturesque effect, for richness of carving,for wild beauty of si tuation , for the number and
romantic singul arity of the apartments, and the
strangeness of finding such a building'
in such a placeF 2
68 INDIA.
and country , I am able to compare' nothing withUmeer. And this
,too
,was the work of Jy e Singh
The ornaments are in the same style,though in a.
better taste than those of his palace at Jy epoor,
and the size and numbers of the apartments a re alsos imilar. A greater use has been made of stained glasshere or else
,from the inaccessible height of the win
dow, the glass has remained in better preservation .
The building is in good repair, but has a sol itary anddeserted aspect and as our guide, with his bunch ofkeys, unlocked one iron - c lenched door after another
,
and led us over terraces and up towers, down steep,
dark, sloping passages, and through a long successionof little silent courts, and dim vau l ted chambers , seenon ly through coloured glass , and mademore gorgeously
gloomy by their carving, gi lding,”
and mirrors,
- the
ideaof an enchanted castle occurred, I bel ieve, to us all ;and I could not help thinking what magnificent u seAriosto or Sir Walter Scott would have made of sucha building. After all, we saw on ly part of i t . Higher
up _the b ill was another grim- looking ward, wi th fewexternal windows
,but three or four elegantly carved
kiosks projecting from its roof, and a few cypressespeeping over its walls, which, they said, was the Zen11anah
, and not allowed to be seen ; and above thisagain, but communicating by a succession of gates andturrets
,was the castle which I have mentioned
, grim .
mer and darker sti l l,with high towers and machicol
lated battlements,with a very few ornamented win
‘
.
dows,many narrow Ioop -holes, and one tall m inaret
ris ing above the whole c luster. The interior of this,of course
,was not shewn indeed, i t is what the
government of Jy epoor consider as their last resource.
The pub l ic treasure used to be laid up . here ;‘
and
here, i t is said, are many state-prisoners, whose .num.
INDIA. 69
bar is likely‘
to be increased if the present' rule con.
tinues .
On returning . to. the stable-yard, our conductor
asked us if we wished to see the temple I answered
of course, any thing more that was to be seen and
he turned short and led us some l ittle distance up thec i tadel
,then through a dark low
,arch into a small
court, where, to my surprise, the first object whichmet my eyes
,was a pool of blood on the pavement, by
which a naked man stood with a bloody sword in his
hand. The scenes through which we had passed weresoromantic
,that my fancy had almost been wound
‘
up
to expect an adventure ; and I felt, I confessifor aninstant,my hand instinctively clench more firmly a
heavy Hindoostanee whip I had with me,the butt
end of which would , as a last resource, have been no
despicable weapon . The guide, however, at the same
instant, cautioned me against treading in the b lood
,
and told‘
me that a goat was sacrificed here every
morning . In fact, a second glance shewed me“
the
headl ess body of the poor animal lying before the
steps of a smal l shrine,apparently of Kali. The
Brahmin was officiating and tinkling'
his bell ; but itwas plain to see
,from the embarrassment of our
guide,that we had intruded at an unlucky moment
,
and we therefore merely cast our eyes round the court,
without going nearer to the al tar and its mysteries .
The guide told u s in our way back, that the traditionwas, that, in ancien t times, a man was sacrificed hereevery day ; that the cu stom had been laid aside til lJy e Singh had a frightful dream ,
in which the destroying power appeared to him, and asked him why her
image -was suffered to be dry P The Raja,afraid to
disobey , and reluctant to fulfil the requisi tion to its
761 INDIA:
ancient extent of horror, took counsel and substituteda goat for the human victim,
wi th which the
Dark'
gdddess of the azure flood ,Whose robes are wetwith infant tears.
Scul l—Chaplet wearer, whom the bloodOfman delights three thousand years,
was,graciously pleased to be contented.
we were now taken down the hill, outside thefortifications, to some baths and summer- houses on
the banks of the lake, which I shoul d have thoughtpretty, if they had not been much inferior to what Ihad already seen ; and we crossed the lake by a nar.
row bridge, from the further end of which I made an
attempt to sketch the view. Here our horses met us,
and we returned home, all highl y gratified, and myselfnot a little surprised tha t a place socurious and in.
teresting should be so little known, not merely inEurope
,but in
The Umeer of Bishop Heber, is the Ambeer ofIndian his tory, which formerly gave its name to theraj , orjprincipality . It stands in lat. 26° 57
’N., long .
75°40’E.,
above five miles N. by E . from the moderncapital . The kingdom of Ambeer is said to haveexisted for upwards of a thousand years . Jy e Singh,who succeeded to the rajahship in the year 1693,appears to have attached himself pecul iarly to the
mathematical sciences ; and his reputation was so
great, that he was chosen by the Emperor, Mahommed
Shah , to reform the calendar. He finished his tablesin Tieifenthaler characterises him as a
prince interesting himself in every thing that camefrom Europe, cultivating the acquaintance of foreigners, and anxious to make his name descend to
0 Heber, vol. 11. pp. 415- 420.
72 IND IA.
Jy epoor, Delhi, Benares, and Oojein, five-
Splendidmemorials of his enl ightened public Spirit and at
tachment to his favourite science.
‘ Whatevershare vani ty may have had in their erection, Indiacontains few monuments so honourable to the
memory of their founders . Jy e Singh was succeeded
by his son,Issor Singh, who embel lished Jy epoor
wi th “ beau tiful terraces and a very high tower,no doubt the one described by Bishop Heber. The
decl ine of this l ittle state dates from the Mahrattaconquests, which blighted all its former prosperity.“ The rajah was so much weakened as to lose all
authority over his own thakoors ; twenty or thirtylaks was the whole amount of his revenue, and thiswas growing less under the almost annual scourge of
the Pindarries of Jeswunt Row Holk ar,and
,above
all,of his general, Ameer Khan. Even before the
conquest of Lord Hastings, the late Rajah of Jy epoorhad
, as i t is said, shewn great anxiety to obtain the
protec tion of Bri tain but,from the jarring members
of which his state is composed, i t was one of the lastwhich, in any regular way , acceded to the confederacy.The thakoors , keeping c lose in thei r castles, l ike feudalchiefs
,and alike averse to any interference either of
our Government or their own, were chiefly occupied inmaking war on each other
,leading plundering parties
into the neighbouring states , and picking the bones
which more poten t devourers left behind . The
principality was , in fac t, in a state of anarchy as
wretched and as bloody as Circassia at the pre
sent day , or England in the time of Ivanhoe, with
See pp . 23 and 35 of the present volume, and p .,256 of vol. iii.
These observatories have been ascribed to Akbar, but erroneous ly.They are not mentioned by Abulfazel , and are all of the samemodern date.
-See As. Res. vol,vi. 42.
'
INDIA. 73
the"
additional misery, that foreign invaders wereadded to domestic feudal tyrants . This anarchy hasnever y et been c ompletely put a stop to in the remoterprovinces ; but i t had, in the greater part of the king.
dom,been materially abated by British arms and
influence , when the las t Rajah died .
” He left noson, but a posthumous infan t was admi tted as his
successor,notwithstanding that many of the thakoors
doubted the legi timacy of its pretensions ; and the
reputed mother became rannee or regent, chieflythrough the influence of a noble of respectab le cha
racter, generally known by his heredi tary ti tle of
rawul,whopossessed, in a high degree, the confidenceof the British Government . Under his adm inistration
, the country continued to improve . He paid hisnominal mistress, however, little deference ; and she
soon forgot the protection which he had afforded toherself and her son . The rawul was maintained inhis place, on ly by means of British influence till
, at
length , the Ma- jee ventured upon the bold measureof attacking, with
'
an armed force, the house of themin ister
,whovery narrowly escaped, and took shelter
in the Res idency . She then got together a cousi
derable number of tr00ps, and assumed so martial
an air,that Colonel Raper, having only a smal l force
of sepoys,found i t necessary to retreat to a position
near Bancrote, about n ine mi les from Jey poor. Ul
timately , it was“ thought best to give up the point
in dispute, rather than risk a new war in western
and central India.
”
it Heber, vol . ii. pp . 409—413.
INDIA.
FROM JYEPOOR TO SURAT.
ON leaving Jy epoor, the Bishop’s first stage was
'
nineteen miles to Buggeroo, a rather pretty place,
surrounded with groves of the tam - palm,a rare sight
in these inhospitable plains.
” A great part of thesoi l , in the trac t over which the route Iay ,
“ is not
bad, and the water is every where near the surface ;
but the late troubles and the drought had destroyedall cu l tivation . A ride of seven 0033
,through a very
wild and desolate country overgrown with brush-woodand jungle, led to Mouzabad, a rather large town wi tha ru ined wall
, a mosque,some good gardens, and
several temples. One of these belonged to the Jain'
sect, whoare numerous in all the west of India, wherethey nearly engross the internal traffic. They are
looked upon with high contempt , alike as traders andas heretics
,by the Rajpoot “ chi ldren of the sun .
The next stage was six 0033 over a country equallylevel, i ll cultivated, and thin ly inhabited, to Hirsowlee,the last p lace in the Jy epoor territory . The Bishopthen entered the little principali ty of Kishengur.
The town of that name is seated amid a rugged chain(if grani te hills
, and, with its walls of substantialmasonry
,its castle on the mountain top, and its
gardens fenced with the prickly pear, looked some
thing like Jy epoor in miniature.
” Another stage, of
about seventeenmiles from Kishengur, led to
AJMERE.
I wa s disappointed,”
says the Bishop, in the
firs t view of Ajmere, which I had expected to find a
large city, but which is only a well- bui l t, moderate.
sized town, on-
the‘
slope of a high hill, or what really
4
INDIA. 75
deserves the name of mountain. The buildings are
chiefly white-washed, and the surrounding rocks have
some thorny trees and brushwood on them,which hide
their barrenness, and make a good background to theli ttle ruinous mosques and Mussulman tombs, which
are scattered round the circui t of this holy ci ty.Above, on the mountain tOp, is a very remarkab lefortress , called Taraghur, nearly twomiles in circuit
,
but,from its irregular shape and surface
,not capable
of containing more than 1200men. It is , however, amagnificent place of arms in many respects. The rockis in most parts qui te inaccessible ; i t has an abundantsupp ly of good water, in all seasons
,from tanks and
c isterns cut in the live rock ; there are bomb - proofsto a vast extent , and store -houses l ike wells
,where
corn , ghee, &c. used to be kept and,wi th very little
improvement from European skill,i t might easily be
made a second Gibraltar. It is, however, .no part ofthe policy of the British Government in India, to rely
on fortresses, and the works are now fast going todecay.
The main attractionof Ajmera in the eyes of itsMussulman visiters
,is the tomb of Shekh Kajah
Mow-fid-Deen, a celebrated saint, whose miracles arerenowned all over India. The Emperor A cbar,
great and wise as he was, and suspected of placinglittle faith in the doctrines of Islam,
made nevertheless a pilgrimage on foot to this place, to implore,at the saint’s tomb
,the blessing of male offspring.
The crowd of pi lgrims whomet us,or whom we over.
took during the last three or four days , shewed howmuch the shrine is sti ll in fashion ; and in Malwah
,it
is not uncommon for pilgrims who have been at the
AjmereDurgah, to set up a brick or a stone taken
fromthe sanctuary ,’
near their dwelling, and tobecome
37 6 IND IA .
saints themselves, and have pilgrimages made tothemin consequence of such a possession .
Nor are they Mussu lmans alone who reverencethis tomb . The Sindia fam i ly, while masters ofA jmere, were magnificent benefactors to its shrine ;and my own sirdar and the goomashta Cashiram werequi te as anxious to come hi ther as if i t had been oneof their own holy places . I regret that I cou ld not
see it, but we were encamped at some distance fromthe c i ty, and i t blew all day long a dry north-wester,which fi l led the air in such a manner wi th dust
'
as tomake going about extremely painful . I sat waitingin my tent in the hope that i t m ight abate towardsevening but i t on ly became bearable as i t grew dusk ,and the account which I heard of the tomb from
Mr. Moore,was not s uch as to lead me to incur,any
great inconvenience in order to visi t i t . My servantsdescribed i t as of white marble
,with a great deal of
golden and silver ornament butLM r.Moore, said that,though rich , i t was neither finely carved nor of anyparticular curiosity
f
The Emperors of Delhi shewed favour in manyways to Ajmere, but in none more than in a nob le
KhajaMoy enuddeen is said to have flourished about 600yearsago. The tomb is thus described by Tiefl
’
enthaler. Entré dans leparvis par une ample porte, on remarque eu couchant, unemosquéecouverté d
’un déme, etau midi , ls tombeau meme,qui ne 5
’éloigneguere par l
’architecture de ceux que l’on voit aAgra et aDehli .
Tout cet edifice est entouré de murailles, etmérite par se grandeuret par sa construction d’étre vanté. L’aire carree du tombeau est
pavée de marbre blanc, et entourée d’un double enclos , l’un
d’
argent, l’autre'
demarbre. I ci se rendent en foule et a l’envi,
pour y adorer le cadavre pourri de l’hy pocrite mahométan,non
seulement les sectateurs de la superstition mahométane, maisles Indous également. Les empereurs Mogols nouvellementappeles au throne, avoient coutume, avant d’y monter, de veniren pelerinage a cc tombeau, pour seménager—Bemoul li, tom. 1. p . 310.
. IND IA. 7 7
fresh -water lake which they made just above the’
ci ty,by damming up the gorge of an extensive valley,
and conveying different smal l rills into it. The resul tis a fine sheet of water, now four miles, and duringthe rains six miles , in circumference; sufficient , in industrious hands, to give ferti l ity to all the neighbour.
hood . A s i t is , i t affords the means of irrigation to alarge district on its banks, supp l ies abundance of excellent water to the citizens of Ajmere
,is ful l of fish
,
and would,if there were any boats, be an excellent
place for sailing .
Mr . Moore lives in a small house fitted up out
of a summer- house erected by Jehanguire, on the
very bund or dam of this lak e, and with its watersbeating against the basement . The bui lding is prettily carved and lined wi th white marble but a muchmeaner edifice would, in such a situation , be delight ,ful . There is no flood -gate in the bund, nor doesany water escape that way ; whatever is superfluousbeing diverted right ha nd and left, and employed inagricu l ture .
Three coss west of Ajmere is a celebrated Hindootemple named Pokur
,which
,from the remoteness of
its si tuation from the more populous parts of Hin
dostan,is an object of much interest and curiosity
with peop le from the East and the D eccan .
”
The temple of Pooshkur derives its name from the
sacred reservoir or lake on the bank of which it
stands . This lake is described by Tiefl'
enthaler, as
rather more than three quarters of a mi le in circui t,
and surrounded with mountains : i t is encircled with
an embankment of stones,and its shores are adorned
wi th numerous bui ldings . In the month of October,a prodigious crowd (of pilgrims) arrive here from all
Heber, vol. ii. pp. 440- 443.J
78 INDIA.
quarters.* The place is renowned also
“
for its gardensand vineyards. The grapes are said to equal those ofShiraz, and are by far the largest and best in India.
A jmere (Ajamida) is supposed to take its name
from an ancient Hindoo monarch who reigned overthis region . The Emperor Jehanguire occasionallykept his court in
'
this city ; and in 1676, the Eas tIndia Company had a regular factory established here.
It has long , however, been superseded in importance bythe more modern capitals . It stands in lat. N.
,
long. 74° 28
'
E. ; 80 miles W.S .W. from Jy epoor
230miles (travelling distance) from Delhi ; 256 fromOojein 650 from Bombay ; and 1030 from Calcuttas l'
From Ajmere, Bishop Heber proceeded to Nusseera
abad ; a stage of“ fourteen very long miles over a
sandy and rocky plain, bordered on each side bymountains which would have been picturesque, had
they had a less bleak and barren foreground.
” The
l ittle dells and stony p lains between the ranges of
bills, are inhabited by a race of mongrel Mussulmans
named M hairs ,“ robbers by profession
,
”and whom
even Sindia found i t impossible to tame. L ike the
Puharrees of Rajmahal,however, they have been
conci liated by the promise of protection from thei rlowland neighbours ; and -
a corps of light troops hasbeen raised among them
,who have proved both brave
and faithful under Bri tish oflicers. They are appa .
rently a Bheel tribe. The Bishop found Nusseerabada much pleasanter place than , from the bad reportshe had heard of i t
,he anticipated . It is a considerable
military station, one of the heal thiest in India, the
climate being pleasant at all times, except during the
Capt. Grant Dufl'
states, that the only temp le toB rahma in a ll
Ind uz, is at Pooshkur. Hist.of Mahrattas, vol . i. p . 20:S india
stil l retains a house there.u THamut‘on} VOIO it
.
PO 520, l l Bernoulli, tome i. P' 3100
280 INDIA.
that they might be bought best'
and cheapest, as wellas all kinds of crockery, hardware, wri ting-desks , &c.at Pal lee, a large town and celebrated mart in Marwar,on the edge of the desert, several days’ j ourney westof Joudpoor, where, till very lately, noEuropean hadbeen known to penetrate .
The Joudpoor territory, and the whole of theMarwar district , were described to the Bishop by
Capt . Sandys (the quarter-master general at Nusseerabad) as in a better state of cultivation than eitherJy epoor, Ajmere , or Mey war. Marwar, indeed,escaped better during the troubles , as being furtheroff from the Pindarrees . The wel ls are very deep
,
and agricu l ture therefore expensive. The villages,however, were in a good state ; the corn covering a
large surface ; and the cotton the finest he had everseen. The oxen
,and sheep also give evidence of the
goodness of their pasture, being the largest and mos thighly prized in all this part of India. The castle ofJoudpoor, in which the Rajah resides
,Capt. Sandys
described as extremely magnificent . It is as large as
Windsor,less strikingly si tuated , and of more simp le
and solid architecture, but in many respec ts fullyequal to its rival .”
Joudpoor, which takes its name from its founder,
the Rajah Joda or Joodha, is buil t in the form of acrescent, at the foot of a moun tain, on a sandy and
sterile soil, destitute of either springs or wel ls. Itseems
,
”says Tiefl
’
enthaler, that the king of Marwardesigned ly fixed his residence in this town on accountof the scarcity of water
, (which is only to be obta inedfrom a very high and large well, dug in the rock withprod igious labour and at a vast expense
,) in order thatnohosti le army might be able to approach him,
much
less to invest and besiege the place ; for the want of
IND IA. 8 1
water keeps every enemy at a distance.
‘
The fortress1s seated on a mountain, level on the summit
,and not
very high i t hasan imposing appearance, being fur
nished on all sides wi th walls, towers, and bas tions i tis about three quarters of a m ile (un mills d
’I talie) in
circuit . The walls and towers,being constructed of
stone and plaster, have a degree of beauty and soliditynot observab le in other fortresses . What , however,is most remarkable, is, to see on the very summi t andin the middle of the fortressh a Mohammedap temp le,and another in the centre of the town ; for, in general ,the Hindoos do not al low of any in the towns and
other p laces dependen t upon them. But,as the kings
of Marwar have given their daughters or sisters inmarriage to the Mogul sovereign, whether of theirown accord, or compelled by fear, or in the hope ofacquiring presents and digni ties, there is no room forsurprise that they should have permitted temp les. tothe infamous Mohammed, to be erected in their townand district
,dissemb l ing how hateful to them must be
such bui ldings . The latitude of this'place is 26
°
The King has another residence, more pleasantlysituated, at two0033 from the ci ty, called Mandor
,to
which he is accustomed to repair for recreation.
”
The worthy Father describes the city i tself as, at thatperiod
,very populous
,.filled with .merchants and
artisans , and enjoying a flourishing trade. The streetsare narrow, but the houses are solid and handsome
,
being built of a stone of a chestnut colour. It is .not
very large.
‘
The district of Marwar originally comprised, bes idesthe present territories of the Joudpour Rajah , the
Bernoulli, tom. 1. pp .
’
336, 7. According to Hamilton, Jondpoor is in lat. 26° long . 739, 320 m iles S.W. from Delhi, and260mi1estravelling distance from Oojein,
821 INDIA.
oircars of Ajmeer, Nagore, Sarowy , Jesselmere, and
Bikaneer ; and Abul fazel includes Jy epoor under thesame denomination . The soubah of Ajmeer, in the
time of Akbar, comprehended the there g rand divi
sions of Marwar, the coun try of the Rhatore Raj
poots ; Mewar (or Meywar), the terri tory of the Chit .
tore or Oodey poor Rajah ; and Harowti, the countryof the Hara Rajpoots,
"i bordering on the Chumbul , andincluding the districts of Boondee and Kotah . Thesethree divisi ons were again distributed into seven dis
tricts , five of which ~were in Marwar,the other two
being Chittore and Rantampoor. The sou th -westernand more mountainous parts of the province appear tohave been at that time imperfectly explored, and were
never entirely subdued by theMoslems . The moderndistribution of Rajpootana is still more complicated,owing to the dismemberment of the ancient princi
palities, and the number of tributary and protec ted
states but the following tab le wi l l exhibi t the principalterritorial and geographical divisions.
D rvrsrons . GOVERNMENT.
l . Bhatty country. Zabeta Khan.
2. Shekawut count 0
3. Jy epoor.
W ry}Jy epoor Rajah.
4. Bikaneer Bikaneer Rajah.5. Jesselmere Marwar Jesselmere Rajah;6. Joudpoor Joudpoor Rajah.
7. Ajmeer British Government.8. Hoondee Boondee Rajah.
9. Kotah Harowtee { Kotah Rajah.10. Oodey poor Oodey poor Rajah.l l . Sarowy Meywar Sarowy Rajah .
12. Neemuch British Government and S india.
The limi ts of this vas t province are extremely in.
The tribe of Hara has produced many celebrated men. Ram
S inghHarawas esteemed oneof Aurungzebe’s bestgenerals. Zal imS ingh of Kotah is of the same tribe. Sir John Malcolm doubts,however, whether Barowti takes itsname from this tribe.
INDIA. 89
determinate. The Bhatty country, which extends
northward to the Sutlej and the Beyah , meets, on theeas t, the Hurriana district of Delhi and the Seikcountry ; on the south, i t is bounded by the Shekawutty country and the B ikaneer territory and to thewest, i t is lost in the great sandy desert . The Bhat.
t ies were originally shepherds of the Rajpoot race,who have embraced Mohammedism. Various tribesof them are found in the Punjaub, and they are alsoscattered over the high grounds east of the Indus
,
from the sea to Ooch . In this country is the famouspasture district, known by the name of the LackyJungle, said to form a circle forty miles in diameter.Batindah
, the chief town of this district, s ituated inlat. 30° 12'N.
,long. 74° 48’E.,
is about seventy-fivemi les S .W . from Loodeana . I ts chief formerly paidtribute to the S eik Rajah of Pattiala . The otherprincipal towns are Futtehabad, Sirsah, Raneah
,
B eergur, Beeranah , and Seerah,which lie al ong or
near the banks of the Cuggur river. Forty-five m ilesW. of Seerah , is the celebrated town of Bhatneer,it
formerly the capital of the Bhatty Khan, butwhich
was taken in 1807 by the Rajah ofB ikaneer. To thewes t of Bhatneer, the Cuggur is said to be lost in thesand, although it is stated to have formerly joined theSutlej
,in the vicini ty of Ferozepoor : 1 it is probable
that the desert has gained very considerably upon districts once cul tivated by a numerous population . The
B urriana di strict, upon which it borders on the eas t;was once the channel of a considerable trade wi thCaubul and Persia, and conta ins several towns of high
antiqui ty. I ts name, in Hindostanee, signifies green ;
Taken and destroyed by Timour in 1398. See page 225ofourfirst volume.rSee page 221of.ourfirst volume.
84 INDIA.
referring, - probably, to the excellence of its pas tures .
During the flourishing periods of theMogul sovereigns,i t was considered as of sufficient value and importance
tobe the personal appanage . of the heir apparent . Itis, _
for the most part,an extens ive plain ,
free fromjungle, and the water l ies at a great depth below the
surface.* To
_supply . this _ deficiency, the Emperor
Feroze constructed several canals drawn from the
Jumna the remains of that which flowed by Hissar,are perfectly distinct, and the Chitang river is sup
posed to be a canal throughout its extent . The junction, by means of these arms
,of the waters of the
Jumna and the Sutlej,which that patriotic monarch is
supposed to have contemplated, Colonel Tod believesto be not impracticable. The remains of the pal acewi thin the fortress 1 at Hissar Ferozeh , the nob leartificial lake into which the canal , flowed, with the
mausoleums on ,its banks, are sufficient evidence,
” he
remarks, that a great mind had been there exertingits powers. The natural ferti l i ty of the soil is seen inthe richness of its pastures, and even in its miniatureforests of the grand shr ub of the desert , the p ile, inwhich the lion stil l finds shelter In estab lishingHissar , Feroze appears to have had in view the neces
sity of a more extens ive~
post than Hansi, which the
Hindoos seemed to think the key to the capi ta l of theempire, covering i t in the line of the fords of t heSutlej or Garah, by which invas ion often came fromthe west .Hans i is 126 miles nearly W .N.W . from Delhi -I
The depth atwhich water is reached , increases as we travelwestward.
,At Rotuk ,{it is 70feet ; at Moh im, 90; at Hansi, 120 ;
at Hissar, 136.a t Feroze had intended this as a royal residence . See p . 221 of
our first volume. Hissar is in lat. 28° long. 75°
i Hamilton makes Hansionly 92milesW. by N. fromDelhigin
INDIA“
. 85
Ac cording to an inscription (saved from the generalwreck of its halls by the materials being taken to
erect '
a. small Mussulman p lace of worship) , Asi *isthe proper name . It is a singular place and if everfire-worship had been prevalent on these plains, I wouldsay , i t had the appearance of a grand fire- temple,rather than that of being intended for defence . It
is,in shape
,the frustrum of a pyram id from 80 to
100feet in height, artificially raised : the exterior l pe
of each side (faced wi th brick) form ing an'
angle ofabout 7 Sti ll
,the terre-
p leine at t0p is considerab leand the palace of Prithwiraja wou ld have been standing to grace i t, but for the guns of Mons. Perron,
when he put a stop to the schemes of sovereignty ofGeorge Thomas
,whohad established his court in these
halls of the Caesars,
’now a heap of ruins.
A sig urh , or A sidurg, is celebrated as the scene ofcontest between ~
the Hindoos and ear ly Mohammedans .
It was by _this route that most of - Shahabuddin ‘
s at.
tempts were made to wrest the throne of -Hind fromthe subject of the inscription , Prithwiraja ; and oftendid the warriors of the mountains of Caubul find thei rgraves before A si. Even now
,i t presents the ap.
pearance of a great sepulchre all around, but especial lyto the west . The route was by Pacapattan on the
Setlej , to Bhatneir and Futtehabad, to A si and D elhi ) “
The Shekawutty country is said to derive its namefrom a horde of predatory Arabs. It consists of
,an
immense sandy plain, encircled and traversed by rockyhills. It is ill watered and badly cu l tivated and the
lat. 28° long. 75° 39’
and Hissar, only 105 miles W.N.Wfrom Delhi.
Transactions of the Royal As iatic Soc iety, vol. i. pp .
‘
l 34, 5.
Prithwiraja, the Pithowra ofAbulfazel , was thehead of the Chahamana or Chohau race, stil l one of the most distingu ished of thethirty-six royal tribesof India.
" See page 190ofourfirst volume.
86 INDIA.
only vegetation’
which clothes the naked sands, are
tufts of bug-grass, the bamboo! (mimosa Arabica) , the
karrecl (caper- tree), and a bush named foke. There
are several considerable towns, however, in the district,the principal of which are Jhoonjoona, Islampoor,Futtehpoor, Khetri (or Kautery ), Seekur, and Kundai .
lah . The Shekawutty chiefs are nominally feudatories to the Rajahs of Jy epoor, and the country may be
considered as geographically belonging to the Jy epoorterritory, by which i t is bounded on the south. On
the north and north - east,i t meets the British district
of Hurriana ; eastward,i t joins the territory of the
Macherry Rajah ; and on the west, B ikaneer and
Joudpoor. It extends about eighty m i les N. and S .,
and rather less from E . to W.
The B ikaneer Rajah is of the same
'
family as the
Rhatore Rajahs of Joudpoor. He is the least powerfulof all the princes of Rajpootana ; but i t does not ap ;
pear that he ever paid tribute to the Mahrattas an
exemption for which he was probably indebted to thes teri l i ty and consequent inaccessibi l i ty of his miserablecountry. The only water is obtained from wells ofgreat depth, and tanks which are fi lled by the rains .B ik aneer is a walled town, containing some temples'
and a shewy fort ; but, wi thin ten yards of the walls,
the country is as waste as the wi ldest parts of Arabia.
It is situated about 260miles W. by S . from Delhi , in
lat. 27° 57'
N.
,long. 73° 2
’ E . The next town in
importance is Chooroo, situated 107 milesW. by N.
from Bikaneer ; but its chief is a dependent, rather
than a subject of the Bikaneer Rajah .
To the westward of this territory, and nearly sur
rounded by the'
great desert, l ies the principal ity ofJesselmere ; the chief of which is al so said to be of
the Joudpoor family, butthe inhabitants are Rajpoots
88 INDI A"
.
Englishmaps,bears Sindia’s colour
,aremany extensive
districts belong ing to Holkar, Ameer Khan, the Rajahof Kotah, &c .
,and here” (between
’
Neemuch and
Baroda), scarcely any twovillages'
together belong tothe same sovereign. Sindia
,however
,though all this
is usually reckoned beyond his boundary,has the
‘
lion’s
share.
This brief account of the ch ief divisions of Rajpootanawill
,probab ly,be notunacceptab le to our readers ,
as enabling them better to follow the Bishop throughthe rest of his adventurous rou te
,as well as fi ll ing up
the blanks in his'
survey of the country.From Nusseerabad
,his Lordship marched n ineteen
mi les to Bunace, a good - sized town s ituated at the
foot of one of the ranges of mountains seen from the
former p lace. A little old castle crowns an adjoiningrock
,and round its base are seen the unusual and
valuable or nament (in this part) of'
a good manySpreading trees . These are
'
preserved wi th care, as a
great part of the trade of the town depends on them , a
religious fair being annual ly held under their shade.
In the town are twovery elegant l ittle temples. The
next day , the Bishop proceeded six 0033 to Deeolea, asmal l
, shabby town with a mud rampart and’
a
ruinous castle. At Dobla, a poor town seven coss fur
ther, he entered on the terri tories of the Ranah ofOodey poor, and was accordinglymet by one of the ser
vants of the British Resident at that court. There is
a cast le here much dilapidated, and the thakoor,its
proprietor, was an exile. A great many of the trades
men and merchants in this neighbourhood are natives
of B ikaneer,who generally return,
’
when they have
made a li ttle money, to end their days in that place
a remarkab le instance,” observes Bishop
‘
Heber,of the love of country, inasmuch as that city stands
INDIA. 89
in one of the most inhospitable regions of the earth,
wi th an ocean of sand on every side, and all the drink
ab le water in the place is monopolized and sold out by
the Government?“
A s the Bishop advanced southward, the soil appearedto improve,fal though the country was sadly burned up,
and bare of every thing but thorny trees, in someplaces pretty thickly scattered. All this country
,
”
he remarks,
is strangely desolate ; y et, the numberof tombs and ruins whichwe passed, proves that i t hadbeen well inhabited at novery distant period . Oodey .
poorwas,indeed, the district which sufl
'
ered mos t fromthe Pindarries and from twoof the Chieftains whohadthe greatest influence with those horrible robbers
,
B appoo Sindia and Jumsheed Khan. The only district which escaped, was the territory of Kotah, thenunder the regency of Zalim- Singh , who
,by firmness
,
personal popu larity,and the able emp loyment of very
limited means,made his li ttle country a sort of Eden
,
amid the surrounding misery. He died a few yearsago, loved by his own subjec ts
,and reverenced even by
theworst and most lawless of his neighbours .
Bunaira,the next stage (about sixteen miles)
'
from
Dabla, is a large walled town ,pretti ly situated in the
midst of gardens and fields,at the foot of a range of
craggy and shrubby hills,on one of which is a very
fine castle, larger than that at Caernarvon ,and in good
repair . A good deal of cotton grows round the c ity,and
some wheat and barley ; and the whole scene struckthe Bishop as interesting and romantic . Ruinedtombs and mosques were scattered over the hills to a.considerable distance. In his way to this place, he
Heber, vol . ii. p . 458. 1 l b. p . 451. See for an interestingaccount of this able ruler, Malcolm’
s C . L, vol . i-Ipp . 488—60441PART V I I I . G
90'
INDIA .
passed the first field of white poppies, a sign of hisapproaching the opium district . Seven miles further,on the next day , he passed Sanganeer, a large town and
celebrated fortress,with a good rampart, bastions ,
glacis, and ditch. The walls were, however, muchd ilapidated
,and the town
,he was informed
,had been
sacked by Ameer Khan . The day’s stage, ten m iles,terminated at Bheelwara, a large town wi thout anySplendid bu i ldings , but wi th a number of neat houses,four long bazars, and a greater appearance of trade,industry, and moderate but widely difliused wealthand comfort , than he had observed since leavingD elhi . The streets were full of hackeries laden withcorn and flower ; the shops were stored wi th all sortsofwoollen, felt, cotton ,
and hardware goods and the
neatness of their workmanship in [iron , far surpassedwhat the Bishop had expected to see in this remotecorner of India. For this unusual state of prosperi ty,the town had been indebted to the able and benevolentexertions of Captain (now Colonel) Tod, to whoseadministration the whole of Meywar had been for a
considerable time entrusted,on its becom ing con
nected wi th the British Government . The p lacehad been entirely ruined by Jumsheed Khan, and
deserted by all its inhabitants, when Captain Tod
persuaded the Rajah to adopt measures for encouraging the owners of land to return, and foreign mer
chants to settle : he himself drew up a code of regulat ions for them
,obtained them an immuni ty from
taxes for a certain number of years , and sent thempatterns of different articles of English manufacturefor their imi tation . He also gave money liberally to.
wards the beautifying of their town. In short, as oneof the merchants said
,i t ought to be call ed Tod
gunge but there is noneed, for we shall never forget
92 INDIA.
brook, which, even at that burning season, was suffi
ciently abundant to nourish a tolerab le turf. It isbounded by a wood of the finest mango
,saul
, pee.
pul, and banyan trees, above which rise the hillswith their rock, brush -wood, and ruinous towers.
But for a few scattered palm - trees, the scene would bealmost English in its character. A wild but interesting road winds through the woods at the foot of thehills
,to Chittore ; a stage of between twelve and
thirteen miles. Of this celebrated capital, we have thefollowing description.
CHITTORE.
CH I 'r 'roxE, once the capital of this principality, is
still what would be called in England a tolerab ly largemarket- town, wi th a good many pagodas and a meanlybuilt
,but apparently busy bazar. The population
seem chiefly weavers and dealers in grain . The for.
tress rises immediately above the town , and extendsfor a considerable distance to the right and left of i t.The rock, where not naturally precipitous
,has been
scarped by art all round the summi t,to the height of
from 80 to 120 feet, and is surmounted by a r ude wallwith semi -circular bas tions
,enclosing, as the thakoor
assured us, a circuit of six coss . Of course, i t does notcontain an area proportionate to this circumference,s ince the form is extremely irregular, and the ridge ofthe hill, in many places, narrow. The approach is bya zig -zag road of very easy slape, but stony and in badrepair
,passing under six gateways wi th traverses and
rude out-works , before we arrive at themain entranceof the castle. The whole face of the hill, except theprecipice, is covered wi th trees and brushwood, and
the approach is therefore very picturesque and inter
INDIA. 93
esting. It may be not far short of a coss in gradualascent. In advance of the castle gate is an out-workor barbican
,with a colonnade, internally of octagonal
pillars and carved imposts, supporting a flat terrace,
and wi th a hall in the interior . The gateway itself isvery lofty and striking, wi th a good deal of carvmg,in the
'
genuine s tyle of Hindoo architecture, wi th noMussulman intermixture, and more nearly resemblingthe Egyptian
,than any thing I have seen since .my
arrival in this coun try.On entering, we passed through a small street of
very ancient and singular temples ; then through a.
narrow and mean bazar ; then, and so long as daylight lasted, through a succession ofmos t extraordinaryand interesting buildings, chiefly ru inous
,but some
still in good repair. The temples were the most numerous, none of them large, but several extremely so lemnand beautiful . There were two or three l ittle old
palaces, chiefly remarkable for the profusion of carving
bestowed on rooms of very small dimens ions, and
arranged with no more regard to convenience than a
common prison . One of these, which is seated on a
rock in the midst of a large pool, was poin ted out as
the res idence of a very beautiful Rannee, whose fame
induced the Emperor Aobar, to demand her in mar
riage, and, on her father’s refusal, to lay siege to
Chittore,like another Agramant, in order to win the
hand of this Eas tern Angelica. After a long s iege, hesucceeded in undermining a part of the wa l l on whichthe princess in question persuaded all her country.
women in the garrison to retire with her and her
children into this palace, where they were, at theirown des ire
, sufl’
ocated wi th the smoke of fuel heapedup in the lower apartments
,only tworemaining al ive.
The garrison then sallied out on the enemy, and all
G 3
94 INDIA.
died fighting desperately, neithef giving‘
nor acceptingquarter. The two female survivors of the carnagewere found by A cbar, and given in marriage to two of
his oflicers . I give this story as I heard i t from the
Thakoor My te Motee Ram. W ith the excepti on of
the romantic cause assigned for A cbar’s invas ion of
Oodey poor, i t is indeed an ower true tale,
’the hor
rible circumstances of which may be found in D ow’s
History of Hindostan . It is extremely probable, that
there may have been some one high - spi ri ted princesswho urged her companions to submi t cheerfuhy toslaughter, rather than to the wretched lot of female
captives ; but i t is certain, that all the women and
chi ldren were slaughtered nearly in the manner de.
scribed,which, in the blood. stained history of India,
was of no uncommon occurrence, and known by the
technical name of joar, being an act of devotion to
Kali,to which men had recourse in the las t extremity.‘
This is a mistake. The catastrophe referred to took place250years before the reign of Akbar, and is mentioned by Abulfazel . Ancient historians relate,” he says, that Sultan Allah uddeen Khilj i, king of Delhi, hearing that Rawul Rntten Sein,Rajah of Mey war, was possessed of a woman of incomparablebeauty , sent a person to demand her. Rutteu Sein refused h is con~
sent, upon which the Sul tan led an army to force him to compliance. The fort of Chittore was besieged for a long time, till Al lah.
ud-deen, being convinced that he could efl‘
ectnothing by force, hadrecourse toartifice, and offered peace. The rajah readi ly acquiesced,and invited him to be h is guest.” Abulfazel goes on todescribethe treacherous seizure of the unsuspecting rajah by Allah-ud-deen,
and the stratagem by which hewas rescued. I t was announced to
the amorous Sultan, that the runnec was about to repair in persontohis camp, attended by a great train of handmaids. Seven hundred soldiers , havingplaced themselves in women’s doolees , accordingly set out from Chittore ; and the pretended mnnec having solicited a previous interv iew with the captive rajah, the opportunitywas se ized for ba ring him off, and he reached Chittore in safety,though not before many of his brave Rajpoots had fall en in covering his escape. RuttenSeinwas afterwards decoyed a second time
96 INDIA.
court of the temple,and there are many others scattered on different parts of the hill . In this and all the
other temp les,I was much struck with the admirable
masonry and judicious construction of the domes whichcovered them, as well as wi th the very solemn efi
'
ect
produced by their style of architecture . A Gothic orGrecian bui lding of the same size would merely havebeen beautiful but these, small as they are
,are}awful.
The reason of this effect may be found in the low and
massive proportion of thei r pi llars, in the strongshadow thrown by their projecting cornices and un
pierced domes, in the long flights of steps leading tothem ,
which give a consequence to structures of verymoderate dimensions
,and in the character of thei r
ornaments : these consist either of mythological basreliefs
,on a veryminute scale, soas tomake the bui ld
ings on which they are found seem larger, or in an
endless repetition and con tinuation of a few verys imple forms , soas to give the idea of a sort of infini ty.
The general construction of all these buildings is thesame ; a small court- yard, a portico, a square openbuilding supported by pillars , and surmounted by adome
,and behind this a close square shrine
,
mounted by an ornamented pyramid. One, and one
only,of the buildings on the hill, struck me as a Mus
sulman erection ; and on inquiring whobuilt i t, I wastold, i t real ly was thework ofAzeem Ushfin, son of Aurungzebe, whoal so was fortunate enough to take Chit .
tore,and whocalled this bu ilding Futteh Muhul
’
(Victory Hall) . It is singular that such a trophy shouldhave been allowed to s tand when the Hindoos recovered the place . Though un inhabited and falling todecay, i t is still to lerab ly entire.
There are,besides the pool which I have already
noticed, many beautiful pools, cisterns, and wells, in
INDIA. 97
different parts of this extraordinary hill, amounting,as we were assured, to eighty-four, of which, however,in the present singularly dry season, only twelve havewater. One of these last, cut in the solid rock, and
fed by a beautiful spring with a little temple overi t,is a most picturesque and romantic spot. It has
high rocks on three sides, crowned wi th temples and
trees on the fourth are some old bui ldings, also of areligious character, erected on the edge of the prec i.
pice which surrounds the castle. A long flight of rock .
hewn steps leads down to the surface of the water, andthe whole place breathes coolness, seclus ion
,and
solemni ty. Below the edge of the precipice, and wi ththeir foliage just rising above i t
, grow twoor threeplantains of a very large size, which were pointed outto me as great curiosities. The Kamdar assured me,that they were 300 years old, and that they everyyear produced excellent frui t, though , as he truly
said,there could be very little earth on the ledge where
they were rooted. They probably derive moisturefrom the water filtering through the rampart
,which
here forms a dam to the pool . For their‘ great age, I
have only his authority.The most extraordinary buildings in Chittore are
two minarets or tower temples, dedicated to Siva.
The smaller of these, we only saw from a distance, andwere told
,i t was now ruinous. The larger, which
resembles i t in form,is a square tower n ine stories
high, of white marble most elaborately carved, sur.
mounted by a cupola, and the twohighes t stories pro
jecting, bal cony-wise, beyond those beneath them, so
that i t stands on its smaller end. There is a steep andnarrow, but safe staircase of marble wi thin
,conducting
to seven small and twolarge apartments, all richly anddelicately carved with my thological figures, of which
98 INDIA.
themost conspicuous and mos t frequently repeated are,Siva embracing Parvati
,and Siva in his character of
destroyer, wi th a monstrous cobra-di- capello in eachhand. Our guides said
,that the bui lding was 500
years old ; but, from its beautiful state of preservation ,I should not suppose i t half that age. It is , so far asI could judge by the ey e, about 1 10 or 120 feet high .
The view from the top is very extensive, but, at thepresent season of the year , there is somuch dust and
glare, that a di stant prospect cannot be seen to advantage in this part of India.
lVe did not see much of the rampart, but weres truck wi th the very sl ight appearance of precautionor defence at the gates which iwe passed . There was
on ly one clumsy piece of cannon vis ible, and the number of armed men did not al together amount to sixty.A considerable population reside within the fort, butthey seemed all Brahmins
,weavers, andmarket- people.
If well garrisoned by a British force, the p lace would,with the addition of some casemates, be very nearlyimpregnable. I ts s ituation is such, that to batter itcou ld be of little use and
,from its great extent, shell
would not occasion muct anger to the garrison. B ut
to man its‘
walls, even in the most imperfect manner,
would require a moderate army.’
Chittore, notwi thstanding its apparent strength, was
thrice taken by the Mohammedan armies ; by Allahud deen in 1303 by Akbar in 1567, and by Az im
Ooshaun in 1679 . In 1790, i t was taken by Madha
jee Sindia from Rheem Singh , a rebell ious subject ofthe Oodeypoor Rajah
,to whom i t was restored, in
conformity to a previous agreement . The decl ine of
its importance dates from the transfer of the seat of
s Heber, vol . ii. pp . 477—485.
1 See pp . 207.272, and 324ofour first volume. 3
100 INDIA.
rapidly under the protection of the British Govern.
Tiefl'
enthal er describes Oodey poor, in 1750, as a con.
siderable and populous ci ty, remarkable, as much [as
any place whatever, for its fine temples, and boasting
of the palace of its Rana, - an edifice presenting a
s ingular number of towers or cupolasxl The neighhout ing mountains are fortified wi th towers and
wall s descending from the summi t to the foot. On
approaching the city from Surat, y ou encounter, near
the village of Kevera, very narrow ravines, closedby a wall running from one summit to another of the
mountains which form them ; so that no way to the
ci ty is open, but by these defiles. If there is any place
apparently accessible, i t is found guarded by a fortor a redoubt. In going to Jy epoor, y ou must pass byanother very narrow defile, enclosed between twomountains, and fortified by walls and towers i t iscalled It must have been in such defilesas these that Aurungzebe found himsel f hemmed in,
Malcolm’s C. 1. vol. ii. p . 508. In 1818, on its emancipation
from the yoke of theMahrattas , it received an immediate access ionof several thousand inhabitants.1' Le culte abominable des Idoles se pratique ici dans toute se
fierce. On y voit des temples élevés en pierre avec une grandedépense, et d
’une architecturequi n’est pas s mepriser, consacrés
je ne sais aquels dieux, dont ils adorent les statues informes , horribles , barbou ill ées d’huile, de beurre, et de terre rouge.”—Bernoul li, tom. i. p . 326.
1: Bernoulli , tom. i . p . 327. The Rana’s treasure, it is added , is
preserved in the fortress of Coumbalmere (Kumulnere Nearthe village of Dariba, c0pper is obtained ; and there is also said tobe a silverm ine in the Oodey poor district. Hamilton states, that thewells in the neighbourhood , although near the surface, are stronglyimpregnated with mineral particles brought down with the waterfrom the hills. There is but one road through the hills thatadmits of a carriage, but there are twoother passes through whichahorse can go. Hamilton, vol. i. p. 550.
INDIA; 101
so as to owe his escape to the generosity of the
enemy.“
.
~ The Maharanah of Oodeypoor has a large ex
tent of territory, and, in ordinary years,”says Bishop
Heber, a singularly fertile one, were these people tocul tivate i t. But he was quite ruined and beggaredby Bapco Sindia and Jumsheed Khan. Hal f his revenues at leas t are mortgaged to shrofi
'
s and moneylenders, and his people are pitiably racked in order to
pay the exorbitant interest of his debts . It has beenthe misfortune of his family to have been the o ldestand purest in India to be descended in a right linefrom the Sun wi thout any debasing mixture, havingresis ted all attempts of the Emperors of Delhi to effec tan intermarriage of the houses
, and reckoning, Ibelieve
,in their pedigree
,one or twoavatars of the
D ei ty. In consequence, they have been generally halfmad with pride, perpetually marrying among themselves, fond of show and magnificence beyond theirmeans
,or the usual custom of Hindoo Sovereigns
,and
very remarkab ly deficient in knowledge and intelligence.
The present Ranah adds to all these advan tages a greatfondness for opium. In consequence , the revenue is collected in the most Oppressive, and dissipated in themostabsurd manner ; and except in the large towns
,which
have obtained,more or less, the protection of the BritishResident, the country, D r. Gibb said
,has profited
infinitely less than either Malwah or the rest of M ey
war, by the peace which it has enjoyed since the de.
struction of the Pindarrees. Yet, in comparison w ithJy epoor, the country is plentiful and thriving. Corn
is cheap, and the number of beggars less than I have
Seen on this side of Delh i .”
See page 323_ot'
ourfirst volume.
PART VI I I .
102 INDIA.
ABOO .
AB OU T forty coss directly west from Oodey poor, in
a wild and thinly inhabited country, are found the
city and sacred mountain of Aboo,the first acknow.
ledged seat of the Chohan sovereignty. The p lace isa dependency on the Sarowy rajah, whose capi tal l iesabout eighteen m iles to the north of it
,and whose
tribe (the D eora or D eolah Rajpoots) are a branch of
the Chohan race, and have held the sovereignty ofthis remote regi on for about five hundred years .
‘ Ofthis remarkable place
,we regret that we have no
further description than is incidental ly furnished byCol . Tod, in a paper already referred to. I had thepleasure,
” he says,of visiting this classical spot in
the mythology of beth religions , ( the Brahminicaland the Boudhie, we presume
,are alluded to
,)“where
Adinat’h and Adiswara, Rishabhadeva and Nandiswara
,have their prim itive shrines and thei r common
origin in name and in symbols. The superior wealth
of the min isters of the Balhara sovereigns, (in whoseterri tory Abri was a tributary fief,) following the Jaindoctrines
,has eclipsed, in the sp lendour of the temples
to Rishabhadeva, the simpl ici ty of the shrine of FatherAdam, as Mahadeva is often termed in these countries .
He is here also worshipped as P ataleswara,or lord of
the infernal regions. There are no temples in Indiawhich can for a moment compete with these , whetherin costliness of materials or in beauty of des ign Iplaced myself on the top of the Guru - sikhar
, or saint’s
Aboo, according to Hamilton, is fifty -sixmiles W. by S . fromOodey poor, in lat. 24° long. 73° Sarowy , the cap ita l ofthe Sarowy district, is in lat. 24° long . 73° 15 , sixty- twomilesW. from Oodey poor. Bishop Heber was informed , that Aboo isforty coca distant, whichmay intend either sixty or eightymiles.
104 INDIA;
Prithwiraja is called (in the native legends), thoughenjoying the imperial sovereignty, the prince of Sam .
bhari (Sambhari discovered a rock nearJonagurh Girinar, another great seat of this race
,
covered with the same characters (as on the F iroz Lathat Delhi) ; likewise a triumphal pillar in a lake in
-Meywar .
”
We now resume Bishop Heber’s route towardsSurat . From Chittore to Sawa, a stage of ten m i les ,the road leads through a country almost entirely coveredwi th scattered trees and wi th a tolerab leturf under foot . It abounds with deer and wi ld hogs,and there are wolves, but few tigers. The want ofpeop le
,in this part of Meywar, is very striking.
Sawa is a good- sized town,walled
,and containing
twoor three good houses , four handsome pagodas,and
twovery beautiful boolees (reservoirs) ; Neemhaira,
Trans. of R . A . Soc. vol. i . pp . 138— 141. In Part I . of Capt.Grindlay’s Indian Scenery, there is a viewof the mounta ins ofAboo, with the source of the river Sum swutee,
”— a mountaintorrent dashing from a considerab le
.height into a small lake, on
which are situated a cluster of temples.1 The most common tree, or rather bush,” in these forests , is
the dhdk , with a large, broad leaf, like that of the peepul , and bearing a beautiful pink flower.1 These fine boolees , Bishop Heber says, seem pecul iar to India
west of the Jumna. They are very deep square pits aboutfifteen or twenty feet across, l ined with hewn stone , and sometimessixty or seventy feet deep . At the top is a pulley, as in a commonwell, by which water is drawn from the bottom by oxen. On one
side is a long and broad flight of stone steps tothe water’s edge,and , with its approach, sometimes ornamented with pillars and a
kind of portico. They are generally ful l of pigeons , who buildtheir nests in crannies of the walls A rt works of art, they are
eminently beautiful ; but they are strangely deficient in any me
chanical aids for raising the water. No means are used but the
small brazen lotee, wh ich every body carries, or atmost an earthenjaror skin : the former is let down by a long string from the top
the next town,’
distant six cars , 18 small, but sur
rounded with a good rampart and towers the
district is well cul tivated wi th wheat, barley, and
poppies . It forms part of the jagheer‘ of Ameer
Khan,* but is rented by the British Governmen t.In the town is a neat cutoherry with three or foursmall temples and a li ttle mosque, adjoining which isthe tomb of Jumsheed Khan, the Patan chief, whoheld this jagheer till his death, and who, wi th BapouSindia, held Oodey poor in so complete and inhuman
subjection. There is also a very beautiful boalee,
built, wi thin a few years, from a legacy left forthat purpose by a rich merchant. It has a nobleflight of steps and a verandah of rich Saracenic archesround the wall about hal f way down . Another stage,between seventeen and eighteen miles over a more.
Open and better cultivated country, conducted the
Bishop to the British station at Neemuch.
This place, which has but very recen tly found itsway into the Indian Gazetteer,
“ differs in nocon.
spicuous respect from any of the other large canton-5
ments of the Bengal army. It is a stationary camp ofthatched bungalows and other buildings, Open on all
of one of the galleries ; the other must be carried'
down to thewater’s edge, and brought up again on the head or back. The
rude pulley at the top is used only in irrigat’
mg the fields, and tobring up the large leathern bucket, which is drawn by oxen.
”
Heber, vol . ii. pp . 463, 489.
The district of Neemhaira contains 275 villages , yielding a re
venue of three laks . Besides this, Ameer Khan had secured to
h im several other detached portions of territory , bes ides the principal one of Tonk , where he resided , producing altogether aboutfifteen or sixteen laks . Now that he can no longer carry fire andsword from Bhopaul toJoudpoor, he is grown devout in his old
age, dresses in sackcloth and ragged apparel, tel ls his beads , andreads his Koran continually, and is surrounded with fakeers. He
is extremely rich, but his army, excep t a fewhousehold troops, hewas obliged by Lord Hastings to dismiss.”—Heber, vol. ii. p. 473;
see pagewoofoursecond volume.
106 INDIA.
sides, and surrounded with a fine plain for the per
formance of mili tary evolutions. There is a fine
house here, built by Sir David Ochterlony , and wellfurnished, but which he had never occupied. Thesebuildings, wi th the surrounding slip of meiddn, 00nstitute the entire British terri tory in this neighbourhood ; the small town of Neemuch and most of thesurrounding country belonging to Sindia.
” The
ground on which the cantonment stands , was re
luctantly sold or ceded by him at the last peace.
From Neemuch, Bishop Heber proceeded to Per
taubghur, a large fortified town , the capital of a pettyrajah, with a battalion of sepoys cantoned in the
neighbourhood. The little principali ty of which itforms the capi tal, occupies nearly the whole of thesmall dis trict ofKantul , which is included in Malwah.The p lain of Pertaubghur is one of the highes t partsof that province, be ing elevated nearly 1700 feetabove the level of the sea . The n ight before the
Bishop arrived there, i t had been a hard fros t. Per
taubghur stands in lat. 24° 2’ N.,long. 74° 51
'
E.
The town itself contains little or nothing worth see
ing. Sir John Malcolm describes the surrounding
country as very rugged a nd much covered with jungle.In the immediate neighbourhood, however, BishopHeber found i t undulating and ferti le, with extensivefields of pOppies and wheat, and a good many scatteredpeepul - trees. The groves of fru it- trees had been all
ruined by the Pindarries . The Pertaubghur rajah isdescended from a junior branch of the Oodey poor
fami ly. His ancestors were oflicers of the Delhiemperors ; and one of them obtained from MahomedShah
,perm ission to coin money in his own name.
This privi lege he'
retained as the tributary of B oikar ;and i t has not hitherto been thought proper to deprivehim of it, since he has become a feudatory of the
108 INDIA:
ry ing their loads from Doongurpoor toPertaubghur,against the great festival of the Hoolee, when all sorts
of excitation are in demand . The country becomes
more rugged and woody in the next stage, but is sti lltolerably well cul tivated . At the end of seven was
(about s ixteen miles) , is Ambera (Amba Ramba), a
large village on a dec livity,wi th a nullah at its
foot . Twomiles beyond this place, the road descends
a steep pass, overhung wi th trees , into an extens ive
forest, which i t traverses for fifteen miles to Chotee
S irwan,a small station of police sepoys.
The Bishop had now entered the Bheel country
and in this day’s route, twoor three little hamlets ofthis nation were passed, cons isting of thatched hu ts ofthe rudes t description, surrounded wi th small patchesof cultivation. The soil is poor and stony
,and there
are few large trees ; but i t is tolerably well watered,none of the nullahs being, even at that thirs ty season,perfectly dry , but standing in pools . Thewhole country,as well as what he saw of the natives, brought to mindBruce’s account of the Shangalla country. The Bheels .
whowere met wi th, are described as small,slender
men,
“wi th faces less Celtic than the Puharrees ofRajmahal,
”and of complexions less dark ; their beards
and hair not wool ly, but thick and dishevelled their
only dress, a coarse dirty cotton cloth wrapped round
is used chiefly by the poor.”—Forbes , vol. 11 . pp . 451, 2. Sir JohnMalcolm says, that the flowers resemble berries , and that they fal lspontaneously as they ripen. Eaten raw or dressed , they afforda wholesome, strengthening food.
”The oil is alsoused externally
as a remedy for wounds and all cutaneous eruptions, as wellas , mixed with ghee , for cu l inary purposes .—Malcolm, C. I .,
vol . ii. p . 47. This fruit and the smal l pistachio-nut, which growswild in great abundance, but requires tobe roasted , are the principal foodof thewilder tribesof Bheels .
—Heber, vol . ii. p . 526. See,for a botanical description of th is invaluab le tree, As. Res. vol. 1,art. 14. It is of the class poly andfia monogy nia,
mural 109
thehead and shoulders,and a sortof plaiteil petticoat’of the same materials ; and their whole appearancevery dirty and i l l fed. They Spoke cheerfu l ly
,how
ever ; their countenarices were Open, and the ex
pression of their eyes and lips was good - tempered .
Twoof them had rude swords and shields : the re.
mainder had all bows and arrows . The po l ice .thanna
consists of three or four hu ts, with a small stage elevated on four poles for a sentry to stand on so likethose used by the Cossacks on the Circassian frontier,as to strengthen greatly the resemb lance which the
Bishop’s ey e discerned in the general appearance ofthe country and peop le
, the very huts, and the formof the hills, to those on the borders of Circassia and
Georgia . This season (March) was an advantageousone for passing the jungle. The long grass was now
burned, the marshes nearly dry , and those preva iling
causes of disease removed, which, at other times of the
year,render this tract not less pesti lential than the
Terriana. Even the tigers are less form idable , now
that their covert is somuch diminished. The pro.
spect, nevertheless,” remarks the Bishop,
“ is dismal .Nobody can say ,
‘.Merry it is in the good greenwood !
The rocks seem half calcined ; the ground is entirelybare and black, or covered wi th a withered, rustling
grass ; the leaves which remain on the trees, are dryand sapless, crackl ing in the hand like parchment,and the bare
,scorched bougbs of by far the greater
number give a wintry appearance to the prospect,
which is strangely contras ted with the fierce glow of
the atmosphere, and a sun which makes the blood boi l
and the temples throb. A great proportion of the treas
are teak, but all of small size. There are some fine11 5
peepuls which retain their leaves in the moist dinglesby the river side ; and the pink blossom of the dhcik
,
and a few Scattered acac ias, the verdure of whichbraves even the blast of an Arabian desert
,redeem
the prospect from the character of unmingled barren,
ness. Still , i t is sufliciently wi ld and dreary Fiveyears ago, one of the .mwarrs said, a thousand men
could hardly have forced their way through thesejungles and their inhabi tants . Now,
I was safe withsixty.”
From Chotec Sirwan, the Bishop proweded aboutseven miles , through a very wild fores t of rock, wood,dingles , and dry ravines, to Panchelwas , a small vi l .
lage inhabited by a mixed population of Bheels and
Rajpoots , under the government of the Ranah of
Banswarra. One or two shops here, and the workyard of a wainwright, indicated a return to somethinglike civilization . From this place, there is a directroad over the hi l ls to Neemuch , which is shorter, by atleast eight mi les , than that which the Bishop had fol.lowed ; but i t is so rugged, and somuch infes ted bythe unsubdued tribes of Bheels, that few travellersfrequent it
, except beggars and pilgrims . The countrynow improves
,and, on the other side of Panchelwas
,
becomes extremely pretty. The Bishop had herereached the banks of the Mbye, which, notwithstand,
Heber, vol. ii . p. 512—514. The Bheels , the Bishop was told,are deemed as great robbers and murderers as ever ; but they arevery much afraid of the red- coats . On h is first approaching theBheel villages, a man ran from the nearest hut tothe top of a hill ,and gave a shril l scream, which was heard repeated from the
furthest hamlet in s ight, and again from two others out of sight.These were signals to give notice of the strength of the party, bywhichmeans they could knowWhether it was adviseable toattack,toflee , or toremain quiet. This sounds l ike a description Of
Rob Roy’s country ; but. these poor Bheels are far less formidableenemies than theoldM‘Gregors.
”
1 12 INDIA.
the Bagu'
r district, a hilly tract of country separatingM eywar from Gujerat . It stands in latitude 23
° 31'
longi tude 74° 32
' E. The onl y other p laces of any
consequence in the district, are Doongurpoor and
Saugwarra ; but there are scat tered traces of a farmore numerous and flourishing popu lation . The
R ajpoot prince of Doongurpoor c laims to be a seniorbranch of the reign ing fami ly of Oodey poor ; and
this right,” Sir John Malco lm says
,is taci tly ad
mitted by the highest seat being always left vacant,when the prince of the latter country dines.” The
Rawuls of Banswarra are descended from a youngerbrother of the same fam i ly. Both territories have
been rescued from a condition of extreme m isery anddesolation
,to which they had been reduced by the
Mahrattas,Pindarries, and Arabs, and are now fast
recovering under the protection of the British Govern~
ment, to which they pay a small tribute. The ma
jority of their subjects are Bheels ; and there can‘
be no doubt,in Sir John Malcolm’
s Opinion,that
these Rajpoots conquered the greater portion of theirprincipal ity from that race.
“
The next stage was about twelve miles through awild but pretty country, to a small village calledBurodeea
,surrounded with patches of cultivation
amid the jungle, and a great ma ny mhowah trees. A:
romantic road through the forest, led, at the end ofseven mi les further
,to a well-built village named
Kal injera, the domain of an hereditary thakoor,who
resides here in a sort of manor-house, not unlikes ome of the dismal zemindaree-houses near Barrackpoor.” A majority of the . Rajpoot houses in the
Banswarra territory, are extremely respectable, well
Malcolm, C. I. vol . 1. pp . vol. ii; pp. 480—490
n INDIA. 113
built, of large bricks, frequently twostories high ;and
,in thei r general style,r wi th their out-building
’
s,
presenting much of the exterior appearance; of an
English farm. The most remarkable bui lding at thisplace, is a Jain temple
,the largest and handsomes t
the Bishop had y et seen ; but i t was completelydeserted
,which gave him an opportuni ty
‘
to explore i tthroughout.
The entrance is under a sort of projecting porch ,by a flight of steps conducting to an open vestibu le,supported by pi l lars
,and covered by a dome. On each
side of the entrance are some more steps, leading toan open verandah over the porch. To the right ofthe vestibule just mentioned is a small court ; to itsleft, a square hall
, supported by pillars interna lly, androofed with flat slabs of stone, laid across stone beamsof unusual length , being twelve feet from pillar to
pillar. Beyond the vestibule, and facing the entrance;I passed by an ascent of three steps into anothersquare hall
,also wi th a flat roof, but differing from
the las t as being open on the sides, and having a
square platform,I apprehend intended for an altar,
in the midst. To the right and left of this hall wereothers of the same size, but covered wi th domes ;
and beyond these,to the extreme right and left,
were sanctuaries of about twelve feet square, sur
mounted by high ornamented pyramids, with theirdoor -places richly carved, and having wi thin, smallaltars like those in Roman Catholic churches, wi thvestiges of painting above them.
In the centre, and immediately opposite to the en.
trance, a dark vestibul e led into a large square room,also covered externally with a pyramid, and havingwi thin, in the middle
,a sort of altar or throne of
marble, on which were placed four idols in a sitting
114 INDIA.
pos ture, alsoofmarble, and not i ll carved. On either
side of this apartment was a richly carved niche, orsmall alcove ; and beyond i t, and still oppos i te to theentrance, another small vestibule led to an innershrine about twelve feet square, also covered wi th apyramid, having an al tar at its furthes t end, and abasa -
alief of Parisnfith, surrounded by several smaller
s itting figures, over it. The details of this room,
however, I only saw imperfectly. It had no light butwhat came through its door after traversing all thepreceding apartments. It was very close and noisome,being full of bats, which kept flapping against myface, and whose dung covered the floor of both rooms.
Though the Thannadar of the village very c ivillybrought me paper, pen, and ink, he had no torchesand Without them
,i t was neither pleasan t nor pro»
fitable to remain long in such a place,in a country
where it was sure to be a harbour for all unclean and
noxi ous an imals. I could, however, by the lightwhich I had, see enough to satisfy me tha t the ar
rangement of the figures was pretty similar to thatwhich I had seen in the Jain temple at Benares .
From the dome- roofed apartments to the rightand left of the hall which has the al tar in i t, a doub le
verandah extends, surrounding a court in which the
twosanctuaries which I have just described are en.
closed ; the verandah to the court being open and
supported by pillars. The exterior one has noOpen .
ing to the country, but internally has a numberof narrow doors corresponding to the intercolumni.
e tions of the other. It is also surmounted external lyby a succession of small pyramids. On its westernside, and immediately behind the central sanctuary, isanother chapel cf the same kind with this las t, coveredwith a similar pyramid, and approached by a very
INDIAI
the misfortunes of this country are, with apparentreason, laid.
The antiquity of the building I had nomeans of
ascertaining. It is in too good repair for me to thinki t very old, and there are no inscriptions on its '
con
spicuous parts. A Nagree date (1103) is vis ible on oneof the stones in the pavement of the in terior ve.
randah, near the sou th -west corner ; but I know not
from what era this is reckoned, and the stone, fromits s ituation ,
is not likely to have been selected to receive the date of the building.
’
It may have beenremoved from some other ed ifice .
”
From Kalinjera, the Bishop proceeded seven milesthrough the jungle, to Tambresra, a vi l lage of Rajpoots and Bheels, belonging to the district of Kishul
gur, the thakoor of which assumes the tit le of Raja.
The li ttle tow‘n of that name is about three coss distant
,and his terri tory may comprise fourteen or
fifteen villages . This place is described as beau tifullysituated under a hi l l crowned wi th some nob le mhowahtrees. The Bheel huts here were very neat
, con .
structed of bamboos wattled like basket -work, the
roofs thatched with grass, and lined wi th teak leaves,wi th very projecting eaves, and the upper part of eachgable end is left Open for the smoke to escape. The
whole is enclosed wi th a fencing of tall bamboo poles,
with several plants of the everlas ting pea trailed overi t. Within this fence is a small stage, elevated onfour poles, about seven feet from the ground, and
covered wi th a thatched roof, which the Bishop sup
posed to he intended as a post to watch from, as each
of these houses stands in the centre of its own littlepatch of Indian corn .
Heber, vol. ii. pp .526—530.
INDIA; 1 17
A march of fourteen miles through a thick‘
forest,interrupted only (about half way ) by a few patches ofcorn round a Bbccl hamlet and thanna called Doonga,brought the Bishop to the rocky and beautiful banksof the Anass . Here,
” he says,“we left Malwah,
and entered Guzerat.” The river, the bed of which
is as broad as the Dee at Bangor,
” was standing inpools
,with every appearance of being qui te dry before
the heats were over ; and indeed,six or seven days
later,his Lordship was informed, such a caravan as
his would have been reduced to great distress fromwant of water. On the Gujerat side is a police thanna ,consisting of two thatched hu ts with an elevated stagefor a sentry. The place is called Cheeta - talao (leopard
’
s
rock) ; but no ferocious animal of any description waseither seen or heard, and animals of all kinds seemedscarce in the woods, owing, probably, to the scarci ty ,
of forage.
‘ The Bishop’s tents were pitched near
the confluence of the A nass with a considerable torrentcal led the Mhy sree ; a s i tuation which wanted onlymore water to make i t the loveliest, as i t was thewildest and most romantic he had seen since leaving
Kumaoon. The spot was considerably elevated, andpresented a small, irregular lawn, dotted wi th noblepeepul , mhowah, and toon trees, and bounded, on twos ides
,by a rocky bank with brushwood, overhanging
the uneven and broken channels of the two rivers.Beyond them,
rose hills rocky and covered wi th wood,an apparently trackless and boundless wilderness as faras the ey e could fo llow the only signs of humanhabitation being a few Bbccl huts scattered over the
surrounding heights.
The route of next day led through a deep and close
3 The baboon is an inhabitantof these forests,
1 18 INDIA.
forest, in the lower parts of which, even at that season,the same thick, milky vapour was seen hovering,which
,in the Terriana, is called “
essence of owl .
”
We passed one or two places,”
says the Bishop,than which nofitter spots could be conceived, at a
p roper time of y ear, to shelter a tiger or comma
n icate a jungle fever. Even now, they were chil ling
cold, and the gloom and closeness of the ravines, seen
in the moonlight, made them dismally wild and
awful.” Yet this is the high road from Baroda to
Malwah and the northern provinces ; and caravans ofwaggons were met, loaded wi th coco -nuts, which wereto bring back mhowah and corn . At the end of ninemiles
,the road crosses the bed of the Mhy sree, and
leads,in another mi le, to Jhalloda .
This p lace had been described to the Bishop as a
city. I ts pretens ions to that rank cons ist of a bazar;a mosque, a small pagoda, and some good, solidly builtbrick houses , two stories high, wi th s loping tiled roofsand very projecting eaves. There is a large and
handsome tank,“covered wi th mul titudes of teal,
”
and shaded by some fine mango and ceiba - trees,wh ich
were full of monkeys of the lungoor spec ies . The
Bishop was surprised to see the Maha raja’s (Sindia)flag, striped red and white , hoisted in themarket-place ;but learned that Jhalloda, Godra, and three othersmall town s, wi th their dependent hamlets and dis
tricts, form a jagheer belonging to Sindia , ca lled the
Punjmaha l (five districts) . The rajah of Lunawarraalso acknowledges him as his feudal superior. A t
the end of six miles further, the winding Mhy sree iscrossed again at a good- sized vil lage cal led Leemree,or Neemree, which has a small ruined brick fort anda little bazar . The next day , the route led through a
ghaut or pass, called the pass of Doedeah i a long,
120 INDIA.
great many houses being uninhabited. Throughoutthe small and barren territory of its rajah,
‘
containingabou t 270 villages, a frightful degree of depopulationhad been occasioned by the troubles and the recen tdrought . In walking through the town , the Bishop
witnessed, for the firs t time,
’some of the horrors of
an Indian fam ine. The cattle which they weredriving in from the jungle for the night, were mereskeletons, and soweak that they could hardly get outof the path. There were few beggars, for it seemed as
if they had ei ther died off or gone to some other landbut all the people, even the banyans, who generallylook well fed
,were pictures of squal id hunger and
wretchedness ; and the beggars who happened to fallin my way ,
”adds his Lordship, a las I shal l
never forget them ; I never before coul d have con.
ceived life to linger in such skeletons The m i seryof this immediate neighbourhood has been materiallyaugmented by superstition. The calamity is want ofwater ; y et, there is a fine boalee close to the city,which even now is nearly full, but of which nouse ismade. A man fell into it and was drowned twoyearsago, and the people not only desisted from drink ingthe water themselves, but from giving it to theircattle or irrigating their ground from i t ; and fromwant of being stirred, it was now putrid and otfensive.
They would starve,and, in fact, were starving, rather
than incur this fancied pollution.
”
From Barreah , the Bishop proceeded to Damma~ka
Booles , a cistern in the jungles, constructed by Damma-jee,* by which is a small police thanna . About
The Bishop says, a person named Damma Jcc.” Damajee
Guikwar is probably referred to, the second prince of that dynas ty , and father of Futteh Singh and Govind Row. See page 115
l INDIA. 11 21
five miles further,‘ he crossed the dry and
"
rocky bed ofanother stream cal led the Mhy sree, and encamped onits bank near a scattered village of Bheels, the headman of which
,however, said, ~ that he was a Kholee
(or Coolie) . W'
ater was here easi ly obtained bydigging a few feet in the sandy bed of the river, wheni t soon rose to the surface . The banks are steep and
rocky,and the grani te is seen throughout this part of
the country,peeping out, or rising in large insulated
masses , above the scanty soil. Near the vi l lage, is thefines t banyan which the Author had ever seen
,
li teral ly a grove rising from a single primary stem,
whose massive secondary trunks, from their straight
ness,orderly arrangement
,and evident connexion
with the parent stock, gave the general effect of a vas tv egetable organ . The first impression on comingunder its shade, was, what a noble place of worshipThe route now again entered upon Sindia’s territory. Another march of eight mi les through junglebrought the party to A radiah
,a poor
,deserted village ;
and four m iles and a half more,through a more open
country, to Mullaow,a large village almost unpeopled
also by the tyranny of Sindia’s governor and the
year of famine. The country is here adapted for ricecul tivation ; but the tank which supplied
,
the means
of irrigation , was almost dry , and the fields werewas te and bare
,like a sandy turnpike road. To the
left was seen a fine insulated mass of rock,crowned
with the fortress of Powanghur, and overlooking theci ty of Champaueer. Both now belong to Sindia, or,as he is here called, Ali-Jab an Arabic and Mussul
man appellative,which it is singular enough that a
Hindoo should assume. From Mullaow,a stage of
twelve miles , chiefly through jungle, led to Kunjarree ;another stage of twelve miles, through an open country
“
122 INDIA.
with signs ofcultivation, toJerrdda andthirteenmilesmore
,over a bare and open country
,to
BARODA.
Expec ting to meet great men,
”the Lord Bishop
Sahib’s cavalcade had been, this day , arranged in
marching order, the nagari beating, and the Mahratta
standard fly ing before ; and the Resident’s chobdargave the word for marching in a shrill cry , Chi ldM ahratta ! Forward, Mahrattas ! Within about fivemiles of Baroda
,they were met by a. body of horse in
Persian dresses,under a young officer splendidly
mounted on a dapple-grey Arab, with a shield ofrhinoceros hide as transparent as horn, and ornamentedwith four si lver bosses . Further on, the Residentwith several other gentlemen were met
,attended by
an escort of regular troopers. Without the gates, hisHighness himself awaited the di stinguished visi ter,wi th a numerous body of cavalry, rocket - camels
,and
infantry,chiefly Arabs. armed wi th matchlocks and
swords. These troops made a long lane,at the end of
which were seen several elephants : on one of these ,equipped wi th more than usual splendour
,was the
Guikwar. The whole show surpassed any th ing the
Bishop had y et seen, partic ularly as being entirelyAsiatic . His Lordship
,having dismounted , advanced
up this line of troops ; upon which successive partiesof the principal persons of the city advanced to meethim
, rising through the gradations of bankers andfinancial men, military officers, (many of them Patans,)vakeels of foreign states, ministers, and the primeminister
,to the B ajah
’s fami ly ; and at length, he was
introduced to the Guikwar himself. After the usualforms of introduction andmutual inquiry had been gone
124 INDIA.
thing'
else'
is escessively dear. Provisions are twice,and wages almost three times the rate usual in the
upper provinces ; * and though fewer servants are
kept,the diminution is not enough to make up the
difference. Most of the household servants are Par
sees, the greater part of whom speak Engl ish . In
d ress, features, and countenance,they nearly resemble
the Armenians .
”
Baroda (Broderah , Brodrali , Behrodeh), the capi talof the Guikwar dominions, is si tuated in lat 22° 15
'
30 N., long. 73
°11
’E.
,forty miles N.N.W . from
Baroach . In Aurungzebe’s reign, i t was a large and
wealthy town,and i t still retains a considerable trade.
Tieflenthaler describes i t as surrounded wi th a doublewall
, the interior having existed under the Mogul
government, and the outer one having been con
structed by the Mahrattas when they took this cityin 1725 . The walls are low,
with round towers at
intervals of th irty paces . There is noditch : the lakesand marshes which surround the ci ty
,he says
,serve
instead. Without the wa lls, especially towards the
west,are gardens and wells. The water obtained
wi thin the city is not drinkable. The town is
intersected by two spacious streets, dividing i t in tofour equal parts
,which meet in the centre at a market
place containing a square pavi l ion , with three bold
Forbes says : Brodera is abundantly and cheaply suppliedwith provis ions. Deer, hares , partridges , quails , and water- fowlare extremely cheap and plentiful.
” Compared with Bombay , ~the
prices are very low ; and y et, they are extravagant in comparisonwith the cost of provis ions in the northern provinces —Forbes,vol . iii . p . 273.
1 Bemoul li, tom. i. p . 393. In the western part of the town,Tiefl
‘
enthaler says, are seen the ruins of the ancient Brodara.
Pour dire la vérzté,” he adds, on m chercheroit pas dam C88
w ares unapareillc ct si belle ville.”
INDIA. 125
arches on each side, and a flat roof, adorned with seatsand fountains . This is a Mogul building, as is everything else
,
”says Mr. Forbes, that has the smallest
claim to grandeur or elegance. The Mahratta St d
tures are mean and shabby,none more so than the
durbar erec ted by Futteh Singh . The remains ofMohammedan mosques and Splendid tombs embosomedin the Brodera groves, add a sombre beauty to thescenery near the capital . In the environs are somevery expens ive bowrees (boo/ees) or wells, with grandflights of steps descending to the water through rowsof stone pillars and pilasters . The largest of these
(Soliman’s well), is a magn ificent work . The water
is reckoned extremely pure,
and is much soughtIt was constructed by Soliman, a governor
of Brodera under the Mogul Viceroy, A.H. 807. Nearthe town is a stone bridge over the Biswamintree
,
which is remarkable only as such edifices are rari tiesin India.
The Writer last- ci ted is lavish in his praises uponthis part of the country. If I were to point outthe most beautiful part of India I ever saw,
” he says,
I should fix upon the province of Guzerat. If Iwere to dec ide upon the most delightful part of thatprovince
,I should wi thout hes itation prefer the
purgunnas of Brodera and Neriad. The crops in the
other districtsmay be equal in variety and abundance ;1~
Forbes , vol. iii. pp . 268, 272.
i The sugar- cane, tobacco, and indigo, corn, oil, and pulse,opium , hemp , flax, and cotton, are enumerated among the productions of this province. Cotton is the staple commod ity. Mul
berries of three sorts flourish in the gardens , and s ilkm ight be produced in various pergunnas. Bishop Heber say s : The fertilityof Guzerat, in favourable years, is great, particularly in sugar andtobacco but the strangely frequent droughts towhich this partof India is liable” form a serious drawback upon its productiveness. It is alsoexposed to the visitations of locusts.PART VI I I . I
126 IND IA J
but the number of trees which adorn the roads,the
richness of the mango- topes round the villages, thes ize and verdure of the tamarind- trees, clothe the
country with uncommon beauty . . I am almosttempted to say , that the lotosocovered lakes
'
and theirovershadowing ban ian - trees have a more cheerful andbrillian t appearan ce than in the surrounding districts.The sweet variety of the red, white, and blue lotos
,
gently agitated by the breeze, or moved by the spottedhalcyon alighting on the s talks
,with the rails and
water-hens lightly running over the foliage, are
altogether lovely. Here, the lakes have the
addition of that lovely species of the menianthes sometimes seen ou the margins of the lakes on Sa lsette i tis one of the most elegan t aquatic plants in Hindostan,smaller than the lotos
,with beautiful fringed petals
of the purest white, surrounded wi th a dark foliage.
When not too cold tosit under summeanas wi thoutour tents, the moonlight even ings afforded a tranqui lpleasure more eas i ly conceived .than described. The
air was perfumed from -
the mogrees and champ achs
(michelia champaca) near the Mohammedan mauso.leums
,whose white domes gave a melancholy interest
to the surro unding groves ; which, after the monkeys,peacocks
,and squirrels had retired to rest, were still
enlivened by the prolonged notes of the bulbul, con ti
nued sometimes an hour after sunset. This favourite
songster was succeeded by the p ep eeheh, which frequently serenaded
.the midnight hour.
”
This romantic description applies to Gujerat in the
Forbes , vol. iii. pp . 274, 314. The pepeeheh is said by Abulfazel tos ing most enchantingly during the night, at the commencement of the rains , when its lays cause the old wounds of loverstobleed afresh.
” I t is also called peez/oo (beloved). The species isnotmentioned : it is probab ly a thrush .
1 28 INDIA.
more during the rains, is dreadful and even my Hin:
doostanees and Bengalees were many of them affectedin a way which reminded me much of the Belt ofD eath.
’One was taken ill after another. Here, as
in the Terrai , the servants as cribed their illness tothe badness of the water. The majori ty of the wel ls
are certainly brackish ; but I am inclined to imputethe unhealthiness to the quanti ty of saltpetre in the
Soil ; a circumstance in which this district appears to
resemble LowerThe stupendous rock ‘of Powan -ghur, which forms
so conspicuous an object from Baroda, would, in any
other . but this land of droogs and strong-holds, be a
great curiosity. R ising abrupt ly out of the p lain tothe height of 600 yards, i t every where, except on the
north side,presents an almost perpendicular face.
What appears from a distance to be an artificial forti -J
fication below the upper part, is all a natural defence ,consisting of s
’
carped rock to a formidable depth .
it Heber, vol . iii. pp. 33, 39, 46. That thewater had some sharein producing this il lness, is highly probable, as the Bishop and
Archdeacon Barnes fel t nothing like ind ispos ition , and it appearsthey did not drink the same water. The chaplain at Baroda and
his fam ily had hithertoenjoyed good health. I t is remarkable, thatAbul fazel describes the air of this soubah as very temperate.
”
Forbes speaks of the deleterious effects of thewater in some parts.Vol. iii . p . 315.
1' Mr. Forbes says in oneplace, that thismountain stands entirelyunconnected, having a steep , bold, and rocky ascent on all sides
but elsewhere he tells us, that it is connected with a chain ofhillsstretching eastward until they join the mountains beyond the Ner
buddah. It seems tobe an abrupt termination of this range. It.
appeared to him considerably higher than the Table- land at the
Cape of Good Hope, but toresemble it in other respects —Forbes,vol . ii . p . 300; vol . iii. pp . 267, 475. Abulfazel says At onep lace they have excavated nearly 60 ells in length, which space iscovered with planks .
” Powanghur is about 22 miles NE . fromBaroda in a straight‘ line, and is visible from the m inaret of theJummaMesjeed atAhmedabad, distant at least
‘
70mi les.
INDIA. 129
013 the only’assailable
’
side,’
it is fortified .with .five
walls. On the summit is a famous pagoda,of great
antiquity, dedicated to the goddess Kali, to whichthere is an ascent of 240 steps. There is also themausoleum of a Mohammedan saint. These edificesare said to have been occasi onally used as storehouses;There is an inexhaustible supply of water, with
accommodations for a cons iderab le garrison . Never.
theless,such is the effec t of mortar batteries and the
Spirit of British perseverance, tha t i t was stormed . in
1803, and taken,without much loss, from Dowlat
Row Sindia!The ci ty of Champaneer is situated at the foot of
the mountain,on the northern side, in lat. 22
°
long. 73° It is supposed to have been the capi talof a Hindoo principali ty long before the Mohammedaninvas ion and remained the capital of the Patan kingdom of Gujerat, until captured by the Mogul . emperor,Humaioon, in 1534 . On the decl ine of the Mogul
empire Champaneer fell into the hands of the Mah
rattas who always kept i t strongly garrisoned. In
1812, however, the lower town contained onl y 400houses
,of which not more than half were inhabited,
principal ly by emigrants from other parts of Gujerat .The remains of the ancient city extend several miles
on each side of the mountain, but are at present
covered wi th an impenetrable jungle, which, al though
nowgthe abode only of tigers and a fewBheels , aboundswith the ruins of houses, temples , mosques, and beautiful tanks.
Most of these remains appear to be ofH indoo origin ; but in one direction, towards Hallole,
Fifteen Years in India, p . 322. See p . 255 of our second volume. According to the authorities we have followed, it surren.
1 30 INDIA.
formerly a suburb, but now four miles distant, theves tiges are mostly Mohammedan . A small area
(950 yards in length by 250in breadth) is enclosed bya s tone wall of good workmm ship , flanked with forty
two towers ; and about half of the enclosed space is atpresent inhabited by a tribe of silk-weavers . A thickjungle in mos t p laces comes up to the very walls.
‘
The ancient and ill - defined limits ofGuja ra- rashtra
appear .to have included theo
greater part of Kandeish
and Malwah, over which the Gujara dialect prevai ls .
The soubah of Gujerat extended from Jalore sou th .
ward to B aglana, having Malwah and Kandeish on
the east, and on the west, Cutch and the sea. It wasdivided into nine districts, viz . Ahmedabad Putten ;Nadowt ; B ehrodeh ; Behroatch ; Champaneer ; Su
rat Kodehra ; and Soreth. The present territorialsubd ivisions aremore complicated, butmay be arrangedas follows.
D IVISION. GOVERNMENT.
r. NORTHERN.
1. Puttunwar. Nabob of Rahdunpoor.2. Kakreze. Rajpoot and other chiefs .3. Jurwar. Jut Rajahs.4. Chotwal
5. Ederwar }The Guikwar.1 1. PENINSULAR .
1. Goelwar. British Government.2. Kattyward Ketty Chieftains.
i. p . 681.“
i The general name of Kattywarwas applied tothewhole Penin.
sula by the Mahrattas, whowere probably first Opposed there bythe Ketty tribe. Under the Mogul s, itwas almost all included inthe sircar of Soreth , which comprised nine divisions, each inhabited by a different tribe .
” I textended in length, from the portofGhogeh tothe port of Aramroy , 125 was ; and in breadth, fromSin
gehar
,to the port of Diu, 72 coss.—Ayeen Akbery , vol. ii,
p . 3.
132 INDIA.
war and Cutch, as well as in the eastern districts,though strangely intersected by those of the British,Sindia, and several independent rajahs. Those ofLunewarra and Doongurpoor, who used to hold ofSindia
,now pay him tribute also, as dothe rajahs of
Palhanpoor and Kattywar. His income,”says Bishop
Heber, amounting to not less than 80 lake (nearlyexceeds greatly any thingwhichmight have
been expected from the surface under his rule, con
sidering the wild and jungly nature of some parts ofi t ; and can be a ccounted for only by the remarkablepopulation and fertility . of those districts which are
reall y productive. Out of these revenues, he has only3000irregular horse to pay his subsidiary force beingprovided for out of the ceded territory ; and he is
,
therefore,probably
,in more flourishing circumstances,
and possesses more real power,than any (native) sove.
reign in India, except Runjeet Singh . Sindia, and
perhaps the Rajah of Mysore, might have beenexcepted ; but the former
,though wi th three times
his extent of territory, has a very imperfec t controlover the greater part of it, and indeed cannot governhis own house ; and the latter is intent on nothingbut amusing himself and wasting his income on cos tlyfollies of state coaches and gimcracks, to which the
Ga ikwar wisely prefers the manner of living usualwi th his ancestors.”
For eight m iles of the road from Baroda towardsSurat, the Bishop found the country highly cultivated,withmany round- topped trees and high green hedgesthe villages numerous, and more in the European than
~
r'f Heber, vol . iii. p . 9. This sounds almost like irony. The
Mysore Rajah shews at least as much wisdom in spending, 38 the
Other in saving his'
money . He has l ittle else to think of but hisOwn amusement, his authority beingmerely nominal.
INDIA.
‘
133
in the ~Indian style.
“
Large stacks of hay piled up and
thatched, (a custom which does not exist in EasternIndia
,) increased the resemblance . Towards the
c lose of the s tage, the route left the Open country,
and entered some extremely deep and narrow ra.~
vines, the channels of the monsoon waters in their
course to the Mbye. The summi ts of the steep;crumb l ing hanks are overgrown with brushwood ;and a more favourable place could not be found for
the spring of a tiger or the arrows of ambushed ban
d itti . The Bheels and the tigers are equally dreadedin this part , but the Bishop
’s caval cade was numerous
enough to keep al l sorts of assailants at a respectful
distance. Four Bombay troopers,the Resident’s
dewan with six si lver- sticks and spearmen, and abovefifty Guikwar horse with their standard and nagari,
were deemed a fitting and needful escort, in addition toa guard of fifty sepoys sent on wi th the baggage.
I could not help the amiable prelate,
that, since the days of Thomas aBecket or Cardinal
Wolsey, an English Bishop had seldom been so for.
midably attended. Nothing could be more picturesquethan this passage of theGranicus.’ Themoonwas sufiiciently bright to shew the wild and woodland characterOf the landscape
,and the brightness and ripp le of
the water, without overpowering the effec t of thetorches which our guides carried, and which shone ongroupes of men, horses , and camels, as wi ld and singu laras were ever assemb led in the fancy of Salvator Rosa
.the naked l imbs, p latted elf- locks, and loose mantles of the Bheels
,wi th thei r bows , arrows, and swords,
the polished helmets of our regular troopers , ,
— the
broad, brocaded , swallow- tailed banner of the Guicwar,
and the rude but gorgeous chivalry of his cavaliers onlong- tailed horses, and in long cotton caftans, their
134 I NDIA.
shields‘
behind their backs, th‘
eir battle-axes p endant
from their saddle-bows, and long spears or harquebuzeswi th lightedmatches over their shoulders.
”
The encampment was at a village three m iles on the
other s ide of the broad, bright stream ,
”wh ich,in
spite of all the recent drought, wandered in a stillwider bed of gravel and sand. E levenmiles through awell cultivated, enclosed, and prettily wooded coun try,led to another small vi llage
,called Emaad. The next
day’s march was to Nerriad,
‘a large and well -built
town containing about people . The neighbourhood is very highly cultivated, . and ful l of groves offruit- trees and tanks. Here, the Bishop received a
visit from a very singul ar and famous personage,
Pundi t Swaamee Narain,a Hindoo Reformer, who
appears to have gained an eirtraordinary ascendancyover the m inds of the wild inhabi tants of these parts.He came
,
”says the Bishop,
“ in a somewhat difl'
e
rent style from all which I expec ted , having with himnearly. 200 horsemen, mostly wel l - armed with matchlocks and swords , and several of them wi th coats ofmai l and spears. Besides them he had a large rabbleon foot
,with bows and arrows ; and when I considered
that I had myself more than fifty horse, and fiftymusketS '
and bayonets,I coul d not help smiling , though
my sensations were'in some degree painful and humi
liating; at the idea‘of tworeligious teachers meeting at
the . head of little armies,and filling the city which
Neriad, the principal town, belongs to Conda Rowe ~ I t is one
Of the prettiest in Gujerat, nearly three miles in c ircumference,fortified, in the eastern manner, with a sl ight wall flanked byround towers, and a dry d itch. In the seventeenth century, itwasa p lace of great trade, frequented by the English and Dutch mer
chants ; and now (1775) contained about families ch ieflyemp loyed in fabricating the finest bafias and othercotton manus
factures.”—Forbes,‘
vol . ii. p. 88.
1 86 _INDIA.
I’‘
saw'
that‘ both he and, sti ll more, his disciples,
were highly pleased by the invitation which I gavehim but hesaid
,in reply, that his life was one of very
little leisure that he had 5000disc ip les now attendingon his preaching in the neighbouring vil lages, and
nearly in different parts of Guzerat ; that a greatnumber of these were to as semb le together in the
course of next week, on occas ion of his brother’s son
coming of age to receive the Brahminical string but
that if I staid long enough in the neighbourhood toallow him to get this engagement over, he wouldgladl y come again to seeThe Pundit then , at the Bishop
’s request, proceeded
to deliver the substance of his doctrines , which pre
sented a strangemixture of a pure theism and Hindooism
, such as might be supposed to have been put forthby the jesui ts of the Madura school. He began.well, professing to believe in one only God, theMakerof all things in heaven and earth, whoupholds and
governs all things , and dwells in the hearts of themthat diligently seek him ; a God who is above all
and in all things,and bywhom are all things .
” Manynames there ma y be , and have been, given to Himwho is
, and is the same, butwhom we also,
” he said,
as well as the other Hindoos , ca lled Brihm. But’
there is a spirit in whom God is more especial ly, andwho cometh from God, and is wi th God, and is like.wise God, whohath made known to men the wi l l ofthe God and the Father of all
,whom we call Kr ishna,
’
Traitsof resemblance tothe history ofourLord , are, infact,”the Bishop says. tobe found in the midst of all the uncleannessand fol ly in the popular legends respecting Krishna .
” SirW.
Jones remarked long ago, indeed , that the motley story of Krishnamust induce an Op inion, that the spurious gospels which
abounded m thefirst ageofChristianity, had been brought toIndia,and thewildest parts of them ingrafted upon the old fable of the
IND I A . 1 37°
and worship as God’s image, and believe to be the
same as Surya (the sun) . Their belief was 'he
added,that there had been many avatars of God in
different lands one to the Christians, another to the
Mus sulmans,another to the Hindoos in time past ;
adding something like a hint that another avatar ofKrishna or the Sun had taken place in himself.” He
final ly displayed,as a representation of the form in
which they worshipped the D ei ty, a large picture, in
glaring c olours , of a naked man with rays proceedingfrom his face , like the sun
,and twowomen fanning
him the man white,the women On the
whole,it was plain
,
” remarks the Bishop, that hisadvances towards truth had not y et been sogreat as Ihad been told ; but i t was al so apparent, that he hadobtained a great power over a wild people
,which he
used at presen t to a good purpose . He condemnstheft and bloodshed
,rejects the yoke of caste
,and
inculcates a degree of moral purity far superior to anythat can be learned from the Shaster ; and those vil
lages and districts which have received him,from being
Apol loof Greece.
” As. Res ; , vol . i. p . 274.— See also Colonel Wilford bn Christianity in India, ib. vol . x . pp . 34, 60, 05. It is not im
probable, that Krishnawas the nameofa Christian teacher ; possiblythat of Theophilus of Diu, surnamed th e blackamoor (see ib..
p . and that this led tothe confusion. W ith regard to the uhdoubted identityof Krishna with Surya, Apollo, or the Sun, see
As . Res. vol . i. pp . 262, 3 ; vol . v iii . 63, 66, Colonel Vallanceyasserts, that Crishna, in Irish, means the sun. The astronom ica lfable has , however, been blended , in either case, with thehistory ofa real personage.
The solarm’
mbus is common to Indian, Persian, Grecian, and
Christian representations of sacred or royal personages . A curiouspaper on the subject will be found in Ouseley
’s Travels , vol . ii . p .
405. A whatoman cou ld not have been original ly intended for
either Krishna or Surya, whose respective colours are dark blueand dark red .
PART V I I I .
1 38 INDIA.
among theworst, are stated to have become among the‘
best and most orderly in theFrom Nerriad
,the Bishop proceeded by moonligh t,
in his palankeen,to Kairah a stage of eleven miles,
through a country of the same highl y cultivated,
strongly enclosed,woody
,and Engl ish character
,
”
which he had seen the whole way from the Mbye.
KAIRAH.
TH I S city, si tuated near the confluence of two smallrivers , the Wartuck and the Serry
,in lat. 22° 47
’N
long . 72° 48
’E.
,has been chosen as the head- quarters
of a distinct jurisdiction under the Bombay Presidency.Being the res idence of a judge and revenue-officer
,i t
may be considered as the capital of Bri tish Gujerat,
having succeeded to the honours of Ahmedabad, theMohammedan capital. It does not appear to boas t ofany high antiqu ity. Forbes s lightly men tions i t
,in
1780, as a considerab le fortified town belonging to the
Heber, vol . iii . pp . 34—42. The Bishop subsequently received,while at Kairah , a petition from the Reformer, which, unfortu
nately , marked but tooclearly the smal lness of his advances beyondthe usual limits of Hindooism.
” I ts purport was , torequest hisLordship to use h is influence with Government, to obtain an
endowment.for a temple which he was build ing to Lukshmee
Narain, the goddess of plenty, and alsofor a hospital and place ofreception for pilgrims and poor travel lers .
” Wh en expostulatedwith on the inconsistency of his sanctioning the worship of images,the pundit often expresses his conviction of their vanity, butpleads , that he fears tooffend too suddenly the prejudices of thepeop le, and that for ignorant and carnal minds , such outward aidsto devotion are necessary. This is the
,plea of the Romanists , as
it was that of the philosophic pagans of Greece . On most points,Swaama Narain appears to be of the same school as Nanak, thefounder of the Seik s. See As. Res . vol . xi. pp. 266
—278. He seems ,
however, to be less of the Soofi‘
ee, and is probably aman of lessgenius.
1 40 IND IA.
the whole of our stay. While I was in the temple,a good many worshippers entered, chiefly women
,
each of whom,first touching one of the bells which
hung from the roof,bent to the ground before one
or other of the idol s, depositing, in some instances,flowers, or sugar-candy before i t . There seemed no
reluctance to admi t me and Mr. Wi lliams,the judge
and magistrate, who accompanied me,to any part of
the bui lding ; but the priests drove back , withoutany ceremony, such of our attendants as wished tofol low us .
Near this temple is the Adawlut, a handsomebuilding
,with pi llars in the Grecian style
,having its
attic story raised high above the town, and containingvery convenient apartments for the judge and . his
family . Separated by a narrow street is the prison , a
large and s trong building, which was, nevertheless,nearly forced eight or ten years ago, by a mob ofCoolies
,who had determ ined to release one of their
associates , whowas in confinement .”
The cantonment of Kairah stands about a mile and
a half from the city, a river running between them .
It is extensive and well laid out, with good barracksand
'
an excel lent hospital. There is a regimentalschool , in very good order, and a station library
, com .
prising a loan l ibrary composed of the works furnishedby the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge,and a more expensive assortment provided by the
Honourable Company, among which were found the
Waverley Novels Altogether,”says his Lordship
,
I have seen no Indian station, Meerut excepted,from which I have derived so much comfort and
p leasure as from Kairah . The worst is , its extremeunheal thiness. The spot on which it stands, is peen
liarly unfortunate, since the neighbouring ci ty, and
-
'
INDIA. 1 411
.even the artillery lines, though only,separated from
the rest by a river, are reckoned much more healthy.”
From Kairah,the Bishop proceeded seven 0033 to
Dehwan , a village containing a handsome pagodawi th a 00nvent attached to i t probably
'
a Jain tem
ple. Thence,eight 0033 to Pitland, a large town with
a good stone rampart , containing about per
sons,and, wi th its fertile district, belonging to the
Guikwar . Through‘
misinformation,a route was
taken,which led
,in seventeen miles more, to a ferry
over the Mbye,near its mouth ; but the boat was
found adapted only for foot -passengers, and the rivernot fordable. It is there a 0033 and a half wide, ofwhich, when the tide is out
,about a third is covered
wi th water,and the remainder is mud and mussel
banks . NVith some delay and difficulty, at ebb- tide,the horses and camels, being unloaded, were made toswim over
,and the whole party passed in safety. At
Dopkah, a village twomiles beyond, but qu i te out ofthe usual route, the Bishop found himself in the ter
ritory of Sindia. The red sandy soil,which prevails
every where north -west of the Mbye,here changes to
a b lack soil,apparently of inferior ferti l ity, and cul
tivated chiefly with cotton . The next day he reachedSakra
,a village on the banks of the small river
(Dhandur) which flows by Baroda. At Tekaria,another stage of thirteen miles, he re- entered the
Heber, vol . iii. pp . 44—48 . I know not, says h is Lordship, from what singular fatal ity it has arisen, that almost allthe principal establishments of the English in Ind ia have beenfixed in bad situations. The fact is certain. Secrole, the cantonments atLucknow, nay , Calcutta i tself, are all abom inably situated .
I have heard the same of Madras .
” Nusserabad and Kairah maybe added tothe enumeration. The Author of Fifteen Years ofIndia.” represents the climate of Kairah as most fatal. See page330of thatwork,
142 INDIA.
Company’s terri tory ; andon the following day , reachedthe once flourishing city of Baroach
, on the northernbank of the Nerbuddah
, about twenty-five miles fromits mou th.
Baroach (Baroche, B eroatch is said (we know not
on what authori ty) to derive its name from a Hindoodevotee named Bhrigu . D r. Robertson and otherssuppose i t to occupy the si te of the ancient Bary gaza,the most famous emporium on this coast. When itsurrendered to the Emperor Akbar in 1572, i t stillcontinued a place of great trade, and its territory wasformed into a distinct sircar. The city and pergun .
nah first came into possess ion of the British by thetreaty with the Peishwa of 1782 but they weretransferred in the same year to Madhajee Sindia, fromwhose successor they were taken in At the
period of the great famine of the number ofhousesiin the district,:was that of the inhabitan ts ,
of whom i t was ascertained, that died.
In 1812,the actual popu lation was found to compriseHindoos, 9888 Mohammedans
,and 2992
Parsees total, Bishop fHeber describes i t asa poor di lapidated place, and reckoned very hot andunwholesome . He was lodged in the house of thecommercial agen t
,buil t on a terrace within the ram
parts of the old fort, commanding an extensive view of
the river. It is here about twomi les across , even at
ebb tide, but is very shallow, except at flood, and
even then admi ts no vessels, beyond the bar, larger
than.
a moderate- sized lighter. By means of theseboats, (the large
'
lateen sai ls of which give them an
Arabian,rather than an Indian appearance,) Broach
d rives on a considerable trade in cotton, which it sends
TietTenthalerwrites it Barontsh . 1 See vol . ii. p. 265.
1 44 IND IA .
the Nerbuddah , and completely covering i t,is the
famous Kuveer B ur,great bur or banian- tree, which
has been renowned ever since the first coming ofthe Portuguese to India, and is celebrated by ourearly voyagers .
* Bishop Heber was compelled todeny himself the gratification of vi siting it. Althougha considerable part has been recent ly washed awaywi th the soil by the freshes of the river, enough re.
mains to make i t one of the noblest groves in theworld.
”
The crossing of the Nerbuddah was a task of difficulty, and occupied great part of the next day . The
Bishop s lept at Oklaseer,1'
about four m i les and a
half from the southern bank . Thence he rode sixteenmiles through a wild and jungly coun try
,to Kim
chowkee (Kimcatodrah) , a large serai or choul try on
the banks of the Kim . On the third day , a stage of
fourteen mi les brought him to the Taptee ; and fourmi les more
,through gardens and a deep sandy lane
,
to the large and ugly ci ty” of Soorut (beauty) , by
the natives pronounced
SURAT.
NAnnow , winding streets, and high houses of timberframes fi lled up with bricks, the upper stories projecting over each other, describe this famous mart and
emporium. A wall with semi - circular bastions sur
rounds it, which is still in good repair, although itsdestruction has been more than once talked of. The
visi ts of no Sevajee are now to be feared ; but the
See p . 58 of our first volume. The natives say , that the treesprang from the toothp ick of a famous saint named Kuveer. The
fact is , Kuveer is the Arab ic kebir, great.t The Bishop calls it a small village.
”Oklaseer contained, in
1812, nearly 9000 inhab itants.
IND I A 143
facili ties which a wall afi'
ords for the maintenance ofa good police and the collection of the town duties
,
have been the inducements for preserving i t . The
c ircui t of the ci ty,”says Bishop Heber, is about s ix
miles, in a semicircle of which the river Taptee or
.Ta/
pee forms the chord. Near the centre of this chord,and washed by the river, stands a small castle, wi thround bas tions
, glacis , and covered way , in which a
few Sepoys and European artillerymen are stationedi t is distinguished by the singularity of two flag
staves , on one of which is displayed a union—jack,on the other a p lain red flag, the ancient ensign of theemperors of Delhi . This arrangemen t was adopted,I believe, in courtesy, at the timewhen the Eas t IndiaCompany conquered the fort from theNawab of Surat,and has never since been discontinued
,though the
Nawab,like the Emperor himself, is now on ly a pen
sioner on the bounty or justice of the Government.I n the neighbourhood of this fort are most of theEnglish houses, of a good size, and surrounded with
extensive compounds, but not well contrived to resistheat
,and arranged wi th a strange neglect both of
tatties and punkahs . Without the wal ls are, a Frenchfac tory
,containing some hands ome and convenient
buildings, but now quite deserted by their ‘ properowners , and occupied by different Engl ish officers,who
pay a rent to some country- born people, whopretend
tohave an interest in them and a Dutch factory, alsoempty
,the chief of which is only waiting the orders
of his Government to surrender this, like the otherDutch settlements, to the English . The French factory had been restored to that nation at the peace, and
a governor and several officers came to take possession .
The diseases of the climate,however
, attacked them
with unusual severity. The’
governor died,“
and hisK 5
146 INDIA.
sui te was sothinned, that the few surv ivors returnedto the Isle of Bourbon, whence nobody has been sent
to supply their place.
The trade of Surat,indeed
,is now of very trifling
consequence, consisting of l ittle but raw cotton , which
is shipped in boats for Bombay. All the manufac .
tured goods of the country are undersold by the Eng.
lish,except kincob and shawls
,for which there is very
li ttle demand. A dismal decay has consequently takenplace in the circumstances of the native merchants ;and an instance fell under my knowledge, in which an
ancient Mussulman family,formerly of great wealth
andZmagnificence, were attempting to dispose of thei rli brary
,a very valuable one, for subsistence. There
is a small congregation of Armenians in a state ofdecay and general poverty. But the most thrivingpeople are the Boras (whodrive a trade all throughthis part of India as bunyans and money- lenders) andthe Parsees. These last are proprietors of half thehouses in Surat, and seem to thrive where nobody
else but the Boras can glean even a scanty mainte.
nance. The boats which lie in Surat river,are of
thirty or forty tons, half-decked, with two mas ts and
twovery large lateen sails . Vessels of greater draughtmust lie about fifteen miles off
,below the bar at the
mou th of the Taptee ; but, except the ketches in theCompany’s service, few larger vessels ever come here.
The Engli sh society is unusually numerous and agreeable
,as
' this ci ty is the station not only of a considerable m ilitary force, but of a Collector, a Board ofCustom,
a Circuit Court, and the Sudder Adawlut forthe whole Pres idency of Bombay
,which , for the
greater conveniency of the peop le, and on accoun t ofits central situation, Mr. E lphinstone has wisely removed hither. There is a very neat and convenient
148 IND IA ;
uninteresting and unpleasant city, and,in beauty of
si tuation ,inferior even to Broach .
”
Surat stands in lat. 21°11'N .
,long. 73
°
7’E . It is
considered as one of the most ancient cities in Hindostan
,being mentioned in the Ramayuna ; but i t
contains no Hindoo ed ifice of any consequence . The
most,remarkab le is a Ban ian hospital sim i lar to the
one at Broach ,which, at the time of Mr.Forbes’
s visi t
contained horses,mu les , oxen, sheep
, goats,monkeys, pou l try, pigeons, and a variety of birds,wi th an aged tortoise whowas know n to have beenthe re for seventy-five years, together with a wardappropriated to rats
,mice, bugs, and other noxious
y ermjn .
”The English factory at Surat, founded
was the first mercantile establishment of theCompany within the Mogul dom in ions and i t con ti
hued to be the chief station till,in 1687, Bombay was
made the seat of a regency with supreme authorityover the rest of the Company’s settlements iNot far from Surat, p leasant ly situated on the banks
of the Taptee, there 18 a sacred village called Pulparra ,famous for its seminaries of Brahm ins and its baniangroves
,which are the resort of y ogies , suny assees, and
pilgrims from the most remote regions of Hindostan.
The whole district, Mr. Forbes says, is esteemed holy,and the waters of the Taptee are deemed to have . an
expiatory virtue. The cottages and arbours of thegymnosophists were wont to be crowded with visiters
whocame to wi tness the austerities of these miserable
fanatics.
Heber, VO10 iii. pp . 72 - 50
1 Forbes , vol. i . p . 256. I t is in this Writer’s account of theSurat hospital , that the assertion occurs, that the overseers hirebeggars for the vermin tofeed on.
1: See vol . ii. pp. 12, 17.
INDIA. 149
The Surat district is mentioned by Abul fazel as the
chief settlement of the expatriated followers of Zer.
dusht,when they fled from Persia ; and the Parsees
still form a considerable portion of the population.
In 1807, the city contained 1200 of the Mobid or
sacerdotal class,and about of the laity or
B ehdeen Parsees. The total population does not
appear to have been accurately ascertained ; but i t is.
supposed to exceed persons : if so, i t is still,next to Calcutta, the most populous city in India.
*
The travelling distance from Bombay is 177 m i les ;from Poonah
, 243 ; from Oojein, 309 ; from D elhi,
756 ; and from Calcutta, by Nagpoor, 1238.
At Surat, Bishop Heber embarked in a lateen- sailedboat for the mouth of the Taptee, where a vesselwai ted to transport him to Bombay. Here, for thepresent
, we must take leave of him ,while we gather
up from other sources, further information respectingthe provinces of Eastern and Central India
'
.
CAMBAY.
WE are indebted to the Oriental Memoirs of Mr.Forbes for the most full and particular description ofvarious par ts of the Gujerat province. In 1775 , he
attended the detachment of the Bombay forces sent tosupport the pretensions of Ragoba,+ which landednear Cambay. Of this celebrated port
,we have the
following account.Cambay or Cambaut (Cambay et), once
Hamilton, vol . 1. pp . 715, 722. Ay een Akbery , vol . 11. p . 72,Through the negligence of the soubahdars and their officers,”
says the m inister of Akbar, several parts of this circar are inthe possession of the Europeans (Portuguese) : among the number.are Damaun, Surjaun, Tarapoor, Mahaun, and Bassein,which arecities and emporiums.
"
1 See page 125ofour second volume.
150 INDIA.
famous in oriental history,is now entirely changed,
and its grandeur mingled with poverty and desolation.
Uninhabited streets,fal l ing mosques, and mou ldering
palaces indicate its ancient magnificence and the in
stability of human structures . Formerly,every street
was fortified and defended by gates : a few in the
principal streets remain, but the greater part haveshared the common fate of the city . The dm'bar
,or
nabob’s palace , is almost the on ly large edifice in geod'
repair. I ts exterior appearance is far from elegantwithin
,i t abounds with small rooms and porticoes
,
surrounding Open squares embel l ished wi th gardensand fountains in the
‘Mogul taste . Adjoining the
durbar is a handsome mosque called the Jumma,
M esj ed : i t was anciently a Hindoo pagoda, convertedinto a mosque when the Moguls conquered Gujerat .The idols which then adorned i t
,are buried beneath
the pavement . It forms a square of 210 feet a suc
cession of domes of different dimensions,supported by
pillars,compose a grand colonnade round the interior
area. This temple was once paved wi th whitemarblethe greater - part is now removed and replaced wi thstone. Over the south entrance was a handsome
minaret . I ts companion , having been destroyed bylightning, was never replaced.
Cambay is also celebrated for a curious Hindootemple
,which I frequently visited. I was first con
ducted into an Open court,its walls adorned wi th a
variety of small sculpture and images in separateniches. On the east side is an inner temple, thewhole length of the outer square
,but only six fee t
wide, in which are placed a number of statues, near lyof the human size ; many of white marb le
,some of
b lack basal t, and a few of yel low antique : inferior
deities, cast in si lver, bras s, and other metals, were
152 IND IA:
Twoprincipal causes for its decline are,the'
Oppi'essive
government of the Nabob,and the retreat of the sea
,
which once washed the city walls , but now flows no
nearer than a mi le and a half from the south gate.
“
In this city and its surrounding domain,are
wel ls and some very fine tanks ; but the Nabob, toprevent the Mahratta arm ies from encamping nearhis capital, drained most of the lakes and cut OE
their resources .
Indigo was always a s taple commodity at Cambay,
where a large quan ti ty is still manufac tured .
h elions , agates , and the beautifully varied stones im.
Tavem ier assigns the retiring of the sea as one of the ch iefreasons why Cambay had, in his time, lost the greater part of itstrade. Formerly, he says, littlevessels eas ily anchored by it, butthenthey could not ride within fiveor six leagues of the city. T iefl
‘
enq
thaler says : Ships could formerly approach the walls of the citybut the port is now removed half a mile (German) distant, s incethe waves which beat against it have d iminished in volume. I t
woul d be worth winle toascertain why the tide comes in nowwithless force than formerly. I t is notorious, that, only seven yearsago, the flood rushed up the gu lf with somuch violence and ta
p idity , that a horseman rid ing at full speed could scarcely escapefrom the waves. But at present (that is to say , in 1750, when Ivisited the port), the waves approach with so slow and gentle a
flow, that the vessels at anchor receive no additional shock ; andthey can reach the wallsof the city only in thevery strong tides, orperhaps in the rainy season. The cause of this s ingular tide maybe referred to the accumulation of sand which the flood has gra.
dually cast upon this shore. Formerly,when the sand was heapedat the entrance Of the gulf, and the shore of Cambay was muchlower, the waves tending from S. toN., having at h gth
' openeda passage, broke
o
with united force upon the shore as in a ditch :but, in process of time, the waves brought sand with them, and
the gulf began tobecome level and tofill . This is why the tidenow comes in more gently, although it strikes with greater tap idity against the western shore of the gu lf.
”—Bernoulli , tom. 1.
p . 382. Hamilton states, we know noton what authority , ,
that the
tides of the gulf near Cambay, rise and fall forty feet (vol. 1.p 686) The flood- tide rushes in l ike the bore at Calcutta ; bu;we suspect that the phenomena vary greatly at different seasons,
I NDIA.
“
153
properly called mocha- stones, form a valuab le part'
of
the trade. The best agates and carnelions are foundin pecu liar strata thirty feet under the surface of theearth
, in a smal l tract among the Rajepiplee hills onthe banks of the Nerbudda they are not to be met
wi th in any other part of Gujerat, and are generallycut and po l ished at Cambay. On being taken fromthei r native bed, they are expesed to the heat of thesun for twoyears : the longer they remain in thats ituation
, the brighter and deeper wi ll be the colour ofthe s tone. Fire is sometimes substituted for the solarray , but wi th less effect, as the stones frequent ly crack,and seldom acqui re a brilliant lustre. After havingundergone this process, they are boi led for twodays
,
and sent to themanufacturers at Cambay. The agates
are of different hues : those generally called . carnelions, are black , white, and red
,in shades from the
pal est yellow tothe deepest scarlet .* The variegatedstones wi th landscapes , trees , and water beautiful ly delineated, are found at Copper-wange (Cubbeer—punje),the five tombs
,a place s ixty mi les distant. 1
When the English troops landed at Cambay,
although fallen from its ancient importance, i t wasthe residence of many shah- c adets , descendants of the
Persian kings and nobles who left that unfortunatecoun try the beginn ing of the eighteenth century
,
The carnelion-mines are situated nearthe village ofNeemoodra,in a very wild jungle, and consist of numerous shafts worked downp erpendicu larly, about four feetwide ; the deepest about fifty feet.The soil is gravelly, chiefly of quartz redd ened with iron and a
l ittle clay . On the spot, the carnelions aremostlyof a blackish olivecolour, l ik e common dark flints ; others somewhat l ighter, andsome lighter still , with a slight milky
’ tinge but it is quite uncertain what appearance they will assume after they have undergonethe process of burning — Hamilton, vol. i. p. 705.
The Kuppur-panje hills are supposed to be the Sardony xmountains of Ptolemy.
.154 I NDIA.
when Shah Hussein was murdered, and the Afl’
ghans
usurped the sovereign authority these were followedby many more
,who abandoned Persia when Nadir
Shah seized the throne, and destroyed the royal lineof Sufl
'
ees. Ahmedabad,then under the Mogul go
vernment, and Cambay, were the favourite asylum ofthese unfortunate emigrants, and of many Persianswho accompanied Nadir Shah in his memorable expedition to India
,and remained there with their
plunder. Cambay has also been the retreat of otherswho have quitted Persia during subsequent distractions.The Pers ian language was spoken in great puritythere, and there was as much etiquette at the durbar,
as in the most refined courts of Europe .
”
The trees which shade the houses of Cambay, are
filled with monkeys,squirrels
,doves, and parrots .
The royal tiger and the leopard are numerous in theadjacent p ergunnas , and Mr. Forbes was shewn the
skin of a lioness which had been recent ly found wi thher whelps in a forest near the river Sabermatty , not
many mi les from Cambay.1 Hyenas,wolves , and
wild hogs, and a variety of deer,elks
,and antelopes,
abound in the uncultivated tracts of Gujerat ] . The
oxen are esteemed the finest in India they are perfectly white, with black horns , a skin delicately soft
,
and eyes rival ling those of the antelope in bri l liantlustre.
” Some of those reared in the northern part of
Forbes, vol. 11. pp. 16—26.1 An interesting account of a l ion-hunt, by Sir Charles Malet, is
given in the Oriental Memoirs. The beast that was killed , was
cal led by the natives oontia-baug , or camel - tiger, and is esteemed
the fiercest and most powerful of that race. I ts colourwas thatof a.camel , verging toyellow, but without spots or stripes ; not highin stature, but powerful ly massive, with a head and
‘
foreparts Of
admirable size and streng —Forbes, vol. iii . p. 94. See page 69
ofour first volume.
11 56 I ND IA .
Jquarters ; but only eighty- four are now in a floa rishing condi tion . In these are a thousand mosques , eachhaving two large m inarets
,and many wonderful in.
scriptions .
”On every side, nodding minarets , decay
ing palaces, and mouldering aqueducts , indicate the
former magnificence of the ci ty Much of the spaceeven within the walls , is now covered w ith ruins , orappropriated to corn -fields and frui t-gardens . Someof the streets are broad, but not planted with rows oftrees , as mentioned by Mandesloe and other travellers,n either are they paved The triumphal arches, orthree un ited gates
,in the three principal streets , wi th
the grand entrance to the durbar, sti l l remain. The
mosques and palaces of the Patans sti l l give evidenceof thei r original magnificence. The s treets werespacious and regular ; the temples , aqueducts
,foun
tains , caravanserais, and courts ofjustice,well arranged.
You (now) behold the most heterogeneous mixture ofDiogul sp lendour and Mahratta barbarism ; a noblecupola, overshadowing hove ls ofmud small windows
,
il l - fashioned doors , and dirty cel ls , introduced under asuperb portico a marble corridor, fi l led up wi thchoolas or cooking -places, composed of mud, cow- dung,and unburned bricks .Sul tan Ahmed enriched the city wi th a variety of
public structures , especially a magnificent JummaM esj ed. It stands in the centre of the
'
ci ty, adorned
wi th two lofty m inarets , elegantly proportioned and
richly decorated.
’ From the summi t, y ou command an
The most remarkab le c ircumstance attaching tothis mosque,is the vibration produced in the minarets ris ing from the centre ofthe building, by a sl ight exertion of force at the arch of the uppergallery. Many theories have been suggested toaccount for this,but they all fail of affording a satisfactory explanation of thisarchitectural phenomenon ; which is still further involved in
INDIA ; 157
extensive view of Ahmedabad and the Sabermatty ,
winding through a wide champaign. The domes are
supported by lofty columns,regularly disposed, but too
much crowded the concave of these cupolas is rich lyornamented wi th mosaic and fretwork . The portal
corresponds to the rest of this s tupendous fabric, and
the pavement is of the finest marb le. This mosque
occupies the western side of a large square, in the
centre of which is a marble bas in and fountain ; theother sides are surrounded with a corridor of
,elegan t
columns,forming a cloister, the interior walls and
cornices of which are ornamented with sentences from
the Koran,emblazoned in a beautiful manner. A n
uncommon degree of solemni ty characterises this
j umma lmesj ed. Grandeur and simplicity uni te, and
fill the mind with reverential awe. Near i t is a
grand mausoleum in memory of Sultan Ahmed and
two of his sons. Beyond i t is the cemetery of thesultanas , princesses, and favouri te offi cers of the haram .
Nodomes or temples cover their marble tombs ; theyare shaded by cypresses and pomegranates, surroundedwith flowering shrubs .
The mosque built by Sujaat Khan, though lessmagnificent
,is more elegant than Su l tan Ahmed
’s ;
the columns and arches are finely proportioned,and
the whole s tructure,of the purest white marb le, sur
rounded with the dark foliage and glowing scarletblossoms of the pomegranate, had an uncommon effect .The prec incts contain a handsome mausoleum in me.
doubt by the circumstance of one minaret partaking of themotionof the other, although there is noperceptible agitation of the partconnecting the two on the roof of the building.
”See Captain
Grind lay's Indian Scenery, Part I . Mr. Forbes makes nomentionof the phenomenon. This beautiful building has been much ih ~
jured by a recent earthquake.
158'
INDIA;
mory of the founder, and a fountainof excellentwater2near this is the falling palace of this benevolent nobleman
,once a. sumptuous edifice, now an extensive
Ivory Mosque, although built of whitemarble
,has obtained that distinction from being cu.
riously lined wi th ivory and in laid wi th a profusionof gems
,to imitate natural flowers
,bordered by a
silver foliage on mother-of-pearl. One of the princi-i
pal mosques'
was formerly a Hindoo temple The
zealous Aurungzebe converted i t into a masj ed, and
ordered a cow to be killed there,in order to prevent
the Hindoos from ever entering i t. Thevenot meni
tions the mausoleum of a cow that was buried at
Ahmedabad,coveredwi th a dome supported by six pil .
lars , which I could not find out. He also describes abanian hospi tal
, similar to that at Surat.The former consequence of Ahmedabad may be
ascertained from its being one of the four ci ties wherethe Emperor Akbar perm itted gold to be coined ; theother three allowed that distinguished privi lege, wereA gra
,Caubul
,and the capital of Bengal. Ten ci ties
were indulged wi th a royal mint for'
s ilver ; and in
twenty- eight, they coined a copper currency. .
Not far from the c i ty wall is a beau tiful lake,called Kokarca
,about a mile in circumference, lined
with hewn stone and a flight of steps all round. The
four entrances, which were, probably, formerly ap
proached through avenues of the red tamarind- tree,
are adorned with cupolas supported by pillars . In
the centre is an island wi th a summer palace and
gardens, shaded by the red tamarind ; a rare tree,equal in s ize and beauty to the common tamarind,with a fru it far more del icious
,and sent as a confec
tion to distant parts of India . The palace was inruins, and the gardens neglected. Among a variety ,
1 60 IND IA.
Gujerat, it was still in excellent repai r. The saloonwas a fine room, the wall covered wi th shel l chima/m,
a white stucco polished like the finest alabaster, andthe ciel ing painted in small compartments wi th muchtaste. The angular recesses lead to eight small octagonrooms , four below. and as many above
,with separate
s tairs to each they are finished in the same style as thesaloon, the wal ls like alabas ter
,and the ciel ing neat ly
embossed . The flat roof commands an extensive pros -r
peet the substructions form a cool retreat under thesaloon and a surrounding platform
,ornamented with‘
small canals and foun tains ; they are on a level withthe flower -garden, whi ch reached to the river. The
park and p leasure-grounds extended from the palace tothe ci ty gates : they were enclosed by a high wall
,
now in ru ins . L ittle of the gardens remains, exceptbroken fountains, aqueducts, and a few trees ; someof foreign appearance. The zenana, or Sultana
’s pa
lace,was s ituated at a l ittle distance from the royal
mansion,on the bank of the Sabermatty , w ith separate
gardens, baths, and fountains . The apartments forthe officers and attendants of the court were still further detached. It now exhibi ts a scene of so l i tude and
ru in, except the palace i tself. The princely gardensstill boas t of some noble cypresses, cedars , palmetos,sandal, and cassia- trees
,with mango, tamarind
,and
Spreading frui t - trees About amile from Shah Baugis a large reservoir constructed by a nurse to one ofthe kings of Gujerat, and still called theNurse’s Well.“
It is all of hewn stone,surrounded wi th galleries
ascended by circular steps,and a dome supported by
f'
Some accounts, 'we are told, attribute the erection toa richdancing-
girl , whoerected it with the produce of one of her ancielewels : the other, she is reported tohave thrown intothe waterto reward the search of the diver, but it has never been recovered ;
INDIA. 161
light columns over each : these galleries communicatewith the principal stairs , - leading down to the waterthrough double rows of pillars and pilasters . There is
a handsome mosque near it, where the body of the
foundress is deposi ted in a costly tomb.Notwithstanding all its splendour, Ahmedabad
was called by Shahjehan,whowas long resident there,Guerdabad, or the ci ty of dust, from the abundance ofdust in the dry season . After the prevalence of thehot winds
,before the setting in of the rainy season, i t
is still one of the warmes t and most dusty places I everexternal atmosphere, formany hours in
the day , (during the hot winds,) was insupportablethe heavens were as brass, and the earth like heatediron ; and we were obliged to confine ourselves in darkrooms, cooled by tatties or screens ofmatted grass, keptconti nual ly watered .
“
Ahmedabad continued to be the residence of theMogul governors till about the year 1732, when theprovince was conquered by the Mahrattas . The nabobfled to Cambay
,and was permitted to retain a small
territory on payment of the about or tribute. Ahmedabad remained in possession of the Mahrattas till 1779,when i t was taken by Storm by the British force underGeneral Goddard . At the peace of 1783, i t was, how.
ever, restored to the Peishwa with the reservation of
Forbes, vol . iii. pp.
'
l l 7—l 47. Sevenmiles from Ahmedabad,on the road to Dolcah , there is a sacred spot” called Peerana,where are some costly mosques and mausoleums of white marb le,gaud ily ornamented , erected to the memory of certain Mohammedan saints. The tracery of the windows is extremely neat, andfilled with stained glass from Europe .
” 1b. p . 161. At Betwah(orPuttowah ) , a suburb nowfive miles S .of the city, there are alsosome magnificent mausoleums of the Patan princes. l b. 101. NearMahmoodabad , ten miles from Ahmedabad , is the Roza, ortombof the vizir of Sultan Mahmoud a very beautiful specimen of
sepu lchral architecture.picturesquely situated ina grove ofmangotrees . See Grindlay’s V iews. Part 4.PART V I I I . L
‘
1 62 IND IA .
the Guikwar’s privi leges an arrangement productive
of an endless series of disputes and di sorders , whichterminated only wi th the des truction of the Peishwa’spower. In 1812
,Ahmedabad was visi ted by a pesti
lence, which completed its misfortunes by carrying ofi'
nearly half the population ,es tima ted by the Baroda
resident at persons . I ts distance from Bombay
is (by the dak road) 321 miles ; from- Poona, 389 ;
from Delhi , 610 from Calcutta by Oojein, 1234 .
DHUBOY.
Mn. FOR BE S, to whom we are indebted for the preceding description of the Mohammedan capital
,was
appointed collector of the pergunnah ofDhuboy,during
the short time that i t was in pos session of the Eng lish ,prior to its cession to Sindia
,in 1783. The town of
that name is s i tuated 38 miles N. E . of Broach , inlat. 22° long. 73
° A l though in a state of rapiddecay
,i t was s til l supposed, in 1780, to con tain
inhabitants , among whom were on ly 300Mohammedan
famil ies,and noParsees. The remains of fortifications
,
gates , and temples , indicated its former magnificence.The city is rather more than twom iles and a quarter
in extent, the fortifications forming nearly an exac t
square. In the rainy season, i t is comp lete ly insul atedby large lakes , so that the cattle swim in and out of
the gates everymorning and evening. The profusion
of hewn stone and remains of sculpture scattered abou t
Dhuboy,” Mr. Forbes says, is astonishing. The
walls and towers were built entirely of large square
stones. Thewest front, the only part remaining in any
degree of perfection ,presents a grand view of the an .
c ient fortifications the term -p lain, several fee tbroad,is supported by a colonnade of pillars,which form a case
164 INDIA.
image in the temple is said to have diamond eyesfrom theirmagn itude
,I doubt their reality. Whether
this portal was dignified wi th the appellation of theGate of D iamonds from those brilliant eyes of thedeity, or from its costly architecture
,I cannot say
This gate was the general morning rendezvous of theBrahmins and principal inhabi tants, shady trees pro .
teeting them from the heat Within the walls is atank lined with hewn stone, having a flight of steps allround, three quarters of a mile in circumference .
This magnificent reservoir is supplied not only by theperiodical rains , but al so from receptacles without thewal ls, by means of a stone aqueduct communicatingwith the tank, which i t enters under a small templein the hallowed groves, forming a cascade, with a pic.
turesque efi'
ect.”
The opening of this aqueduct at the commencement
of the rainy season, Mr. Forbes says, is ce lebrated bya festival of several days , and wi th rejoic ings similarto those which attend the cutting of the bank of theNile at Cairo. Dhuboy is the only fortified town inthe district, which comprises eighty-four villagessome of these had been deserted during the troubles .
The soil is generally rich and loamy,-
1 producing finecr0ps of batty (rice),which is the staple grain, bahjeree
(holcus spicatus) , juarree or ca sh-ca sh (holmw sor.
ghum) , and other species of grain, wi th a variety ofleguminous plants also, cotton, sesamum, palma
christi,mustard- seed, sugar - cane, hemp, flax, ginger,
turmeric,and plants for dyeing. I
Forbes, vol. ii . pp . 294 ; 327, 8 ; 330, l ; 346, 7.i I t appears from the banks of the Nerbuddah , as well as
from those of the Mbye, that Guzerat, in this part, is a black rié isoil, tothe depthof thirty or forty feet, resting on fine hard sand.”—Fifteen Y ears, &c. p . 332.
tWe have endeavoured to givejthe substanceof the information
INDIA; 165
KATTYWAR.
F OR some further information with'
respect to theprovince of Gujerat, more especially the western parts,we shall avail ourselves of the desultory pages of theAuthor of Fifteen Years in India,
” who,in 1815,
accompanied the British force sent to reduce the fortof Juria
, on the Gulf of Cutch . On the 1 1th of June,the regiment stationed at Baroda marched for Katty
war ; and twomarches brought them to the popul oustown of Petland. Twodays afterwards
,they crossed
the Sabramutty , just below the junction _of the Men
deri and the Serry, at the village of Pallahf; and
in another march,reached B olka
,an extensive
Moorish town , exhibiting the ruins of former splendour. I ts grand mosques and tanks are sinkingunder the mouldering hand of time, and the towndoes not contain one- third of its former inhabitants .
”
After passing the desert space between the Gulfs ofCutch and Cambay
,they reached Limree, a large
wal led town with high towers ceded to the Company,
bu t governed by its own rajah under a zeminda ree
tenure. Two marches more brought the army to
Raunpore, situated on the Bauhadre river, whichpresented a melancholy picture of former greatnessnow in ruins : its old cas t le is a military post
,then
occupied by a serjeant’s party from Kairah . Al l thetowns in this part are wal led, and the country presentsa very warlike aspect . Since leaving Powanghur, nota hill had been seen ; but, two marches north ofRaunpore, the hills of Kattywar began to diversify
the scene. The country here presented a melancholy
relative to this pergunnah, which the Author has injudiciouslydiffused over three chapters, comprising 140quarto pages.
L 3
166 IND IA.
aspect, all the villages being nearly in ruins and fine
p lains, which bore traces of former cultivation, beingreduced to a barren waste. Three days more brought
the troops to Wank ineer ; a town romantically
si tuated on an island,wi th a chain of hills rising one
above another just behind it. The interior has no
thing to engage admiration ; the streets are narrow,
and many parts of it, particularly the mosques, are
in ruins .
” The island is formed by the confluence of
the river Muchoowith the Patalia : during the rains,the latter stream inundates the streets , but, in the dryseason, i t dim inishes to a slender stream in
,
a lowbed.
“ Wankaneer is fortified, and may contain 5000houses . It stands in lat. 22° 27
’N.
,long. 70
° 58’E .
On the 17th of July, the tr00ps reached the rightbank of the Adj i
,which was forded wi th great dith
culty, owing to the rapidity of the stream and its
rocky bed . On the following day , they drew near toJuria, a place of considerable strength. The walls
,of
soft gran ite, are abou t twe lve feet high and n ine thick,surmounted by a parapet six feet high and two thickand at about thi rty paces’distance outside, is a ram .
part of earth with a fosse. The streets are narrow,
and the houses poor . Not a shot was fired, for thechief submitted immediately ; and Colonel Eas t movedhis camp shortly afterwards to the banks of the Ooude
,
a fine clear stream,and thence to Dherole, a populous
walled town,situated on another fine stream
,where
forage was plentiful . The surrounding country ishigh ly cultivated, and the fields are well inclosedwithhedges of prickly pear, while thelandscape is enlivened
Hamilton, vol . i . p’
. 650. Owing to this circumstance, it isadded , the river takes its name, in al lusion toPatala, the infernalregions. But pata l or puttut also signifies a channel. Mr.Wallacecalls the river onwhichWankaneer stands, the Mutsvee.
1 68 INDIA.
It stands .on a bed of fine gran ite,"s watered by nu
mercus streams as clear as crystal , which nouri sh a
luxuriant vegetation . The walls of the town are,
like its palaces, mouldering to decay. Along one faceof i t, there is a very extensive tank
,then covered
with weeds, and a ffording a fine retreat for shoals ofbald- coots. Al ong its banks are the tombs of manyaMos lem warrior. But the palace , the walls of whichonce resounded wi th the voices of ambitious courtiers,is tenant less ; and the durbar, supported by mas sy
p illars, is an asylum for the owl and the bat. Manyof the mausoleums in the cemetery are costly temp les ,composed of hewn stone, with statues of gods and
heroes in marble .
” There is at Halwad , a veryancient temple dedicated to Mahadeo
,near a fine
booleewhich forms a highly picturesque and interestingobject -
r
From Halwad, the regiment proceeded for Cutch .
The first march towards the river Paddar, was to thevi llage ofWantwadder
,p leasantl y s i tuated on a stream
called Bansa na. The next day , they pas sed the ruinsof a large depopulated village called Gentilly, and
encamped near the Run,which is thus described .
From this place to the coas t of Cu tch, the distance is about ten m iles. During the monsoon, whenthe wind blows violently up the Gulf
,i t presents a
body of deep water ; for the flow of the great tideswhich somuch astonished the soldiers of A lexander
,
covers the whole of i t,and
,together with the deluge
of waters down the Pudder,the bed of which is near
This rock, the Author says, appearsmoreor less on the surfacethroughout Kattywar, so that its external appearance is notunl ike that of Ireland in many parts .
”
1 See Captain Grindlay’s Indian Scenery, part I,
INDIA. 169
the middl e, renders i t quite unfordable. At present,there was not any water on its surface, and i t washard and level as a board within our observation.
.This sandy bed is almost wholly incrusted with finesalt, which , in some places, is so thick
, that i t mightbe dug up and carted ofl’. This incrustation producesa most beautiful mirage. It appears to the ey e like aplac id lake of gre at extent, studded with islands ; and
the shining surface gives to every little object of adiflerent colour, a seeming magnitude, which the ey e
converts into ten thousand familiar shapes The
tr00ps found nodifficulty in crossing the Run. In
some parts,however, the guns sank very deep in mud
and quick sands , wherefore i t became necessary oftento change the di rection, and carefully to examine the
ground. Great quantities of dead fishes,quite hard
and dry , were seen all over it. . . In the vicinity ofthe Run
, the evenings andmornings were remarkablymild and pleasant, while at a distance, both on the
approach and the departure, they proved bitterly cold.
It is probable that the heat absorbed by the sandyRunduring the day , and given out at night, may .
producethis local temperature.
”
CUTCH.
BEF ORE the force marched into the interior,it was
deemed necessary to have possession of some place of
Fifteen Years in India.PP 349—352. Hamilton states, thatthe Run orErun (i. e. morass ), which extends, during themonsoon, from the Gulf of Cutch to that of Cambay, covers a surfaceof 8000 square miles . It is inmany parts very shallow, only a fewinches deep. On the north side, the Run was crossed by the em.
bassy returning from Sinde in 1809, where its extreme breadthwasabout sixty miles ; but many parts at that time exhibited bothpasturage and scanty cultivation. The wild ass is found on the
shores of the Run, in herds of sixty or seventy.—Hamilton, vol. 1,pp. 593—5. Cutch (properly Cach
’ha) signifies amorass.
1 70 IND IA.
strength near tne sea ; and the fort of 'Anjar waspitched upon. . The tr00ps moved in a wes terly direction, keeping parallel to the Run , through an Openand pl easing country
,but presenting .few traces of
culture and population . The first halt was at Kat
taria,a ruined town ,
in which were found about a
hundred inhabited huts , surrounded with a dry stonerampart and parapet wi th small towers . The ru insextend a mile from i t in all directions. Well-builtstone houses of three stories were seen roofless and
deserted ; while,beneath their walls, the inhabit.
tants were sheltered in little thatched mud hovels.This part of Cutch had
,for a long time
,been the
theatre of contest between the Rajahs of Murvee and
Mallia and the Bow of Bhooj . In common wi thKatty war, too, i t had suffered from the desolatingeffects of famine. The climate
,at this season
,was
found agreeable and temperate. The inhabitants arerobust and heal thy
, and have a bold,commanding ap .
pearance . Their women are fine : even the commonry otees , or labourers
’wives, are described as plump
and blooming, wi th light -brown complexions and an
intel ligent physiognomy ; and their children are verypretty.
Th e troops encamped, the second day , at a largevillage cal led Omrallah. The next day , they haltedat VVhound
, a large town, fortified wi th a mud wall,
stone towers, and dry ditch, situated between two
ranges of bi lls ; the valley was c lothed with a fine
crop of bearded wheat. Pass ing the strong hill-fort ofB udzou
,and the large village of Sekra, they encamped,
the third day , near the vi llage of Punkaseer,— a beautifu l spot
,wi th a wood of baubool on one side
,and a
The gum which exudes from this tree, is used as food by thepoor inhabitants of the jungles.
172 INDIA.
bunder or wharf of Toonea, in front ofwhich is a
creek running up from the Gulffi“ The possession ofthis place has Opened a communication with Juria,Murvee
,and Bombay.
From Anjar, the British force marched for the
capi tal . The route lay at firs t in a north -west direction, through a country pretty wel l cultivated and
tolerably populous,to a village called Ratnaur. Near
the encampment were discovered some lime- pits run .
ning under ground to a vast extent,being lighted
and ventilated by shafts . Here, the poor natives had
concealed their valuable property and implemen ts ofhusbandry
,which fell into the hands of the lawless
followers of the army. Turning eastward, the troopsnow entered a mountainous range
,very wild
,and the
passes sostrong, that a brave handful of men mightmake an effective defence. The battering train washere dragged along with great difficul ty. On arrivingat a deserted village cal led Vuddar, an extensive valleypresented i tself
,bordered hy picturesque hills, inter
spersed with beautiful little villages of nicely whitewashed houses, amid green fields Ofwheat and cotton .
To the right appeared a very high mount Crownedwith pagodas ; and to the left were seen the towers ofthe ci tadel of Bhooj
,a strong and high hill- fort.
BHOOJ.
Tm: city is situated in the plain about half a mileS.W . of the fortified hill
,and forms nearly a square
,
The principal port of the Anjar pergunnah is Rohur, about 12miles E. by S . from Anjar town, and .
30miles from Wowamia,'
on
the oppos ite coast of the Gujerat peninsula. The passage is gene‘rally performed in twotides. Tahej , the cap ital of Cutch in 1582,is supposed to have been situated to the N.W . of Anjar, but itssite has not been ascertained - Hamilton, vol. i. pp. 599, 600.
IND I A . 1 7 3
three quarters of a mile in length , surrounded with a
stone wall,flanked wi th round and square towers .
The streets are narrow and dirty but the houses are
in general strong stone buildings,intermixed with
mosques and pagodas. The Row’s palace is a very
ancient, gloomy pile, within a high and strong wall
with towers.Like Anjar
,the city of Booje-boojo* is sur.
rounded with gardens, temples, and tanks,
and
numerous monuments illustrative of manners and
customs . Every where are seen memorials of the
performance of suites and infanticide ; with com
memorations of the actions of the i l lustrious dead,
whose tombs have become Objects of adoration . Someof the , temples, huge in size, present a multi tudeof elaborate decorations . Tigers
,lions, elephants,
monkeys, and an endless variety of fanciful objects,
cut out of stone, ornament these fabrics, which are
covered wi th statues of their gods. The mausoleumof Row Lacka, the grandfather iof the present King ,deserves particular notice, on account of its
'
magnifi.
cence , and the sacrifice of human life which it com.
memorates. The interior bui lding, on which rests agreat dome, is a fifteen- sided figure, twenty- four feetin diameter ; and in each angle stands a full- lengthmarble statue of a lady who performed suites withhim. They are represented in the bloom of beauty
,
richly dressed,decked out in jewels, and holding in
struments of music. In the centre of the bui lding,
where the ashes are deposited, there is a marble head.
The proper name of the city , it seems, is simpl y Bhooj , theduplication being a mere conventional corruption. Tieflenthaler
says : This place has received its name from a serpent. The
fact, indeed , is certain, that they worship there a serp ent, which isfed every day withmilk and rice. It has the name of Bhouj -bavan,
which signifies the serpentfifty - twoel ls long—Bernoull i, t. i. p . 396.
PART vn I . M
174 INDIA.
stone, wi th an inscription,and the emblematical ré
presentation of an arm,ornamented with bracelets.
The execution of the whole does great credit to the
artist ; and the building would be cons idered as a
beautiful ornament in any ci ty in Europe . Around
the inner apartment runs a grand viranda, which,supporting smaller domes, forms the structure ex
tarnally into a square, and at each angle there is a
great entrance. A large stone elephant faces the
magnificent flight of steps leading up to the grand
portico, on the platform of which are two statues ofEuropeans in fantastic dresses , p laced as guards. The
pillars by which this viranda is sustained, are coveredwith most extraordinary figures, out out of the solid
stone. The mausoleums of Futteh .Mahomed, a celebrated Moslem general, and of B adajee, a saint
,
are rich pieces of Moorish architecture,carved and
worked up with stucco,so as to resemble marble.
Their tombs are covered wi th rich embroidered stuffs.Those of Mahomed Puny and Row Rudder
,are also
very curious objects : the latter, i t is said, became a
Mussulman convert , and is buried, by his own desire,near a very grand mosque, in the south -west angle ofthe town .
”
Bhooj stands in lat. 23° long. 69° 52' i t is com.
paratively a modern town, founded by Row Bharra,about 200 years ago, and subsequently surroundedwith a wall and towers. It contained, in 1818, about
inhabitants ; but the population had decl inedunder the Oppressive governments of the precedingfifteen years. The hill -fort is too far from the townto protect i t
,although w i thin common shot. On its
summit, which is about a half a mile in height by the
road, is a temp le dedicated to the worship of the
Fifteen Years in India, pp. 365—7.
176 IND IA.
cha rons and other carriers,with Marwar and Malwah .
Mandavee is said to contain inhabi tants,of
whom upwards of are Bhattias,
Banyans,
5000 Brahmans,and the rest are Lohannas, Moham
medans,and the low castes.”
The province of Cutch (Catcha ) , lying within the
paral lels of 22° and and the meridians of 68° and
is about 160m iles in length from E . to Ws
’
, and
nearly.
65 in breadth . On t he west,i t is bounded by
the easternmost branch of the Indus and a barrenwas te of many miles
,dividing Cutch from Sindh ; on
the east,is the Gulf of Cutch and the Run ; on the
north,the Sandy D esert ; and on the south
, the sea.
During the monsoon,the whole of the northern
frontier is covered with brackish water,so that the
province is completely insulated . This collection ofwaters is formed partly by the winds blowing the sea
water -up the Lukput river, soas to overflow part ofthis tract
,
'
and partly by the rains and the flooding ofsome inferior streams in the desert . After the monsoonabates, the waters retire both by the Lukput creek,and to the eastward by the Gulf of Cutch, leaving a
marsh,which gradual ly dries up and yields a rich
pasture Through the centre of Cutch, from E . toW .
,and corresponding in some degree to the . shape
of the coast, runs a range of mountains of a moderateheight, called the ' Lunkhi Jubberl. This mass ofmountains
,which divides Cutch longitudinally nearly
into equal parts, varies from one to eight miles inbreadth. Throughout the whole extent, there is littlearab le land
, excepting in the val leys, which general lyconsist of on ly a few acres. The hi lls are covered
with a stunted brush -wood,which is greedi ly devoured
by numerous herds of goats and sheep reared amongthem. The Lunkhi is an entire mass of rock, desti
Bombay Transactions, vol. 11. p . 217.
INDIA. 1 7 7
tute of wood and soil,although trunks of decayed trees
are found in abundance,and sold for fire-wood ; in.
ducing a belief that these hills, at some former period,may have been clothed with timber of some kind.
The general colour of the mountains is a rusty brown ,which is natural to the rock, but a hill of entire whiteis often seen . The whole has a most confused and
chaotic appearance,and conveys an idea of desolation
andmisery. L i ttle or nowater is to be found throughout the Lunkhi ; for, although numerous torrentsdescend both to the north and the south during the
monsoon, y et, they entirely fail with the rains ; and
those beds which do retain water,derive i t from
Springs below the hi l ls, which are bracki sh,and often
unfit for use. Of this range,the hill called Nunow
is the most remarkable. It is in the figure of a sugarloaf
,nearly in the centre of Cutch, and is wel l known
to navigators, whodistinguish it from the sea under
the name of Chigo ; which, however, is a mistake.
Another remarkable hill is Warra,lying to the east
ward and northward of Nunow. The mountain is
qu ite flat,and the edge of the whole extent, to a
distant spectator, looks as if i t had been drawn by a
rul er,and so evenly defined as not to have a notch
observable.
To the north of the Lunkhi range is another,
running parallel, and in some places almost m ixingwith the former. The range in question, which hasnoparticular name, can be traced from Kanmeer in
Wagur on the east, as far west as Jharra, whichborders on the desert dividing Cutch from Sindh.
Here, as m the other, the remarkable hills are dis
tinguished by names allusive either to their shape orcolour, or to some god or goddess supposed to inhabi t
their summits. The range now spoken of is not so
178 INDIA.
connected as the Lunkhi chain, and breaks'
ofl'
occa
sionally into detached hills, generally cones, and of
cons iderable height . Towards the western side of thecountry
,the two ranges intermix , or are joined by a
confused mass of hilly country,wi th irregular and
small valleys every where intersecting it. In thischain
,and about six miles north of Bhooj
,is a large
sugar- loaf hill called Jundria, from which all the millstones of Cutch are made.
The arable part of the province (generally speaking) consists of a valley between the two chains ofmountains, the extens ive plain between the Lunkhi
and the sea, and inferior valleys formed by subordinatehills in the ranges . The plain running in from the
coast is the most extens ive, and is often twenty , and
even thirty miles broad, interspersed occasi onally withdetached hills. Close to the sea- beach is a high bankof sand, which extends from the Indus to the entranceof the Gulf of Cutch, and is called by the natives
,
Chigo ; which signifies, in the Cutch dialect, a look.
out place. The bank in question resembles that onthe coast of Coromandel, where, as in this instancealso, the level of the country appears to the ey e belowthat of the sea.Along the northern boundary, and skirting the
desert , is a tract of land called the Bhunni , in fewplaces less than seven miles broad, which producesmost luxuriant pasturage . Cows and buffaloes, innumerous herds, are here fed ; and the ghee madefrom their milk, forms a considerable article of ex.
port. The proprietors and tenders of these herds,whoare generally Charons, Rebarees, or Sindhi tribesof Mahomedans, reside in small societies of six oreight fam ilies, which are styled wandhs or ny acs and
their huts are built of grass, which renders them
180 IND IA .
of the Chawra, Katty ,Aheer, and Rehberi tribes, whopossessed it in common for the use of
'
their flocks . and
herds, without towns or permanent villages, or any
form of government.“ In this province, the cas te of
coombee or cu l tivator never existed . The Chawras,
who are a description of Rajpoots,were then con
sidered as the legitimate masters of the soil,but few
of them are now met w ith. The Aheer, under'his
various denominations, is a branch'
of the same Bheel
stock as the Katty , to whom he as s im ilates in dress,dialect
,and customs, al though these tribes donot in
termarry . The district of Abrassa takes its name
from a Chieftain of the Summa race, who, wi th hisclan , emigrated from Sindh about the thirteenthcentury
,to avoid the tyranny of a stronger tribe. The
Jharejas are a branch of the great Sindh Summa stock,
and derive that t itle from a celebrated chief named
Jharra .
-
1 Having succeeded in estab l ishing themselves ia Pawur and Putchum ,
districts then held bythe Katty tribe, their chief assumed the title of Jamfi
The Cutch horse, 3. dis tinct breed frrom the Kattywar, has
long been esteemed by Europeans for h is fine figure, fire , and
ac tion, but is proverb ially vicious. The blood horse is the onlyspecies in the country , and is supposed , Abulfazel says , to be ofArabian extraction. The cows and oxen of the Wangur d is trictare equal tothose of Gujerat. In other parts they are dim i nutive.
Buffaloes , goats , and sheep are numerous . Camels are bred forsale and for use the Cutch camel is better adapted for the saddle,than for burthen, being sl imly made and sp irited .
1 According toa genealogical tab le, shewn to Capt. Macmurdo
by a Jain priest, th is Jharra was a Mohammedan zemindar of some
consequence, whomarried, in his old age, the daughter of a pettyHindooChiefta in in Cutch. On his death, his young widow wasexpell ed b y the other wives, and, with her infant son, soughtrefuge in her father’s fam ily. That son, whowas educated as a
Hindoo, became the head of the Jharejas of Cutch.
1: This title is of uncertain etymology. Colonel Tod supposes ittobe a corruption of Samba, a titular appellation, the Sambus of
INDIA; 181
corresponding to that of the head of their Moham !
medan brethren in Sindh . In the reign of Akbar,this ti tle had descended in a direct line t hrough n ine
generations, when Khengar, whohad been compelledto flee from the enmity of his brothers, was raised to
the head of the Cutch government by a Mohammedanarmy sent by his brother-in- law
, the last Sultan ofGujerat. It was then that the Noanuggur familywas expelled. The title of Row (Rao) was conferred,with other honours, upon the Jbareja chief
,in return
for his,agreeing to transport all pi lgrims free of ex.
pense to Mecca. The reig ning Row,in 1818, was
the eleventh in descent from Khengar. In commonwith the Jam of Noanuggur and the Rana of Poorbunder
,he had the right of striking coin in his own
name.
“
The Cutch Jbareja is half aMussulman he believesin the Koran, worships Mohammedan saints
,and
,in
some instances, repeats the prayers prescribed by hisprofessed creed . He wears a cap and trowsers, andusually swears by Allah. To this, however, Captain
Alexander. The Mohammedans suppose it tobe a Persian word,and connect it fancifully with the name of Jum- sheed . The JhalaRajpoots are also probab ly of Sindhi origin. There is in Sindh, aJbalawan province, which apparently takes its name from them ;
also a province cal led Cutch Gundava, not less famous than CutchBhooj , for its breed of horses ; and Baloochistan in general has, inits population, productions, and general features, much in common with Cutch and Katty war. The Summas, we are told, consider themselves as of Arab ian extraction, as wel l as their breed ofhorses . It is certain that the southern coast of Persia has beenchiefly peopled with Arabs ; and the Arabn
‘
, whom A lexander met
with in his march through Gedros ia, may possibly have beenArabian settlers. —See Rooke’s Art ian, vol . ii. pp . 105—122.
The coin, which is s ilver, is called come, and is equal in valuetosomething less than one third of a rupee. On one side is thename of the Ch ieftain in Hindoo characters ; on the reverse
,the
Arabic inscription.
182 INDIA.
Macmurdosays, there are a few exceptions. Of late,the religion of Vishnoo has become so prevalent inCutch , that some of the Jharojas even have adopted i twith all its peculiarities . With regard to the others,they are Hindoos, inasmuch as they preserve a lock ofhair on their heads , do not undergo circumcision,nominally adore every thing in the shape of an image,and will not eat of the flesh of oxen and other pro
scribed animal s The Jharejas, in their present
state, are a most ignorant and indolent race . Theypossess neither the activity, the spirit
,the sense of
honour,nor the jealousy of feudal rights and privileges ,
which were so remarkable in their ancestors,and
which are not y et qu ite extinguished in the Oppos itepeninsula. More than half of the Jbareja populationare addicted to liquor to excess and there is not one
man in a hundred,whodoes not drink spirits as regu
larly as a European drinks his wine. Those whoare
fond of spirituous liquors,indulge in the morning
early,at noon, and at n ight, so that they may be said
to be cons tant ly under the influence of spirits. Everytown or grasia village has a sti l l , where liquor is extracted from coarse sugar, dates, or carrots, as the
owners can afford. It is a very pure spiri t, and much
more pungent than European liquors , which are valuedby ‘
the natives,only when they can get them for
nothing. In Cutch,nodisgrace attaches to a drunkard.
Among the Jharejas, Opium-eating is not soprevalentas in Kattywar. This remark is not appl icable to theVishnooJharejas , whose prejudices prohibiting spirits
,
they go to a very great excess in opium,by far the
more destructive practice .
The Jhareja has noanimation ; he passes a life ofuniform indolence and sensuali ty. He seldom is seen
on horseback, having recourse to a covered cart, when
1 84 IND IA .
(who'
are
'
inferior descriptions of the Jhareja,) theyounger brother marries the brother’s widow.
Female infanticide is in universal prac tice amongthe common Opinion is
,that i t came
into use among them so recently as the seventhcentury of Is lam,
when a marriage of one of thei rdaughters to a Soomra chieftain of Amercote was followed wi th m isfortune and discredi t to the Jh areja
famil ies . The practice was certainly in the firstinstance sanctioned by the Rajghur Brahmans
,who
have alway s been the priests of the Jharejas ; and
that class of men encouraged i t by pretending to takeupon themselves the guilt of the action and the punishment d eclared by the sacred writings to attend it.The origin of this inhuman custom is
,however
,nu
known ; nor do the Jharejas give themselves any
trouble on that head. A very popul ar opinion is,that
i t originated in the want of means to procure becoming .
‘
marriages for their daughters . This reasonsatisfies the presen t generation , and is sufficient iaducement
.for'
them to ki l l their female offspring.
There is also a feeling of pride connec ted wi th the
practice ; for a Jbareja conceives i t a loss of character,
that h is daughter should wed any man Were theJharejas to preserve their daughters, there would beno difficu l ty in procuring them suitable marriages ;for surely noobjection ought to exist to their beingmarried into castes from which the males are happytoaccept of wives . The Jhallas
,Wagelas, and Gohils
I t is common to them, with the Jharejas of Kattywar, theRaj -Koomas of Juanpoor, and some other Rajpoot tribes . I t p re
vails also, Bishop Heber says, in some districts of Ceylon. Mohammedans whocons ider themselves derived from the same stockas the Jherejes , alsoa ssume,
”says Capt. Macmurdo, the privi
lege Of destroying their daughters.”
IND IA. 185
are all confessedly as far above the Jbareja in point ofpur i ty of Hindoo character
,as they undoubtedly sur
pass them in every other point of view. The circumstances of these castes are not inferior to those of theJharejas, and they resemble them in their independentstate of society. Nevertheless , these wretches, halfMohammedans half Hindoos, the most despicable and
abject race of Rajpoots,addicted to every vice
,assume
to themselves a superiority which admits of theirmarrying the women of a race which they donot consider as sufficiently respectable to be honoured withtheir own women ; crown ing their otherwise despicablecharac ter wi th the most atrocious of all crimes.”
Bombay Tra ns. vol. 11. pp . 224—229. Captain Macmurdocom
putes the gross number of Jharejas inhabiting Cutch, in 1818, at8000, and the annual destruction of female infants , in that prov ince, at 1000. It is certain,
” he says, that there are not sixtyfemale Jharejas alive at this moment ; and these are almost exclusivel y preserved by the influence of the precept of Vishnoo. Afewhave been preserved by such as are particularly attached toMohammedan tenets.” When the girl is born, its fate is seldomreferred to the father, and only when the mother obstinately opposes its destruction, which is very rare. Colonel Walker, whenresident at Baroda, succeeded in inducing the greater partof theRajpoot chiefs of Gujerat ostensibly toabolish the practice. The
Raja of Pertaubghur abol ished female infanticide within h is territories about thirty-eight years ago (from and the Hawul
of Banswarra, about the same period , prohibited the practicewithin his own territories .
”
(Malcolm’s C. I . vol. ii. p .
“
Through the influence of MajorWalker,” says B iShOP Heber,it is certain that many chi ldren were spared ; and previous ly to
his departure from Gujerat, he received the most afl'
ecting compl iment which a good man could receive, in being welcomed, at thegate of th e pa lace, on some public occasion, by a procession of girlsof high rank, who owed their l ives toh im, and whocame tokisshis clothes and throwwreaths of flowers over him as their delivererand second father. S ince that time, however, things have goneon very much in the old train ; and the answermade by the chiefstoany remonstrancesof the Britishofficers, is , Pay our daughters’
marriage portions, and they shall live ! ’ The fact is certain,” adds
186 INDIA.
The dark portrait which Captain Macmurdodraws
of the Jharejas , presents but too close a likeness tothat which is given, by other authorities , of the Rajpoots generally. Their character and their govern
ment were represented to Bishop Heber by the
Political Agent at Neemuch , Captain M‘Donald, in
very unfavourable terms . The people, who are
grievously oppressed,and have been , till very late ly,
engaged in incessant war, have the vices of slavesadded to those of robbers
,with nomore regard to truth
than the natives of our own provinces ; exceedingthem in drunkenness, fondness for Opium,
and sen.
suality ; while they have a b lood - thirstiness from whichthe great mass of Hindoos are very farSir John Malcolm
,speaking of the m ilitary Rajpoots
of Central India,remarks
,that they have fallen from
those high sentiments and that proud honour by
his Lordship. that though the high-born Rajpoots have manysons , very few daughters are ever found in their palaces .
” —Heber,vol . ii. p . 519. Governor Duncan succeeded in d issuading the
Raj -Koomars , also, from the practice ; but it is supposed to havebeen revived among them to its full extent. Sir John Malcolmthinks the usage is on the dec line, but remarks, that various causescombine toexcite or introduce this usage intoa particular fam ily.This may account for the various confl icting traditions respectingits origin . It is generally admitted ,” says Captain Macmurdo,that infanticide was at one period practised in Arabia and the
Jharejas claim an Arabian origin. I t certaml y appears foreignfrom the Hindoo customs ; and one of the Puranas is said to
’de
nounce some centuries of torment against its perpetrators. Pride,poverty, and avarice have led to its adoption ; but there is reasontofear that its revival is attributable to the tac it acquiescence ofthe British Government in this barbarous usage, on the same
grounds that have led to the licens ing and consequent indirect encouragement of entrees . Sir John Malcolm refused to see thosewhopractised it ; and it would have been wel l had his examp lebeen followed—See for furth er details , Moor’s Hindoo Infanticide,4to. 1811 .
Heber, vol. 11 . p . 494.
188 IND IA.
women also are in the habi t Of taking Opium, and givei t to new- born children. The heavy leaden ey e
- browsOf the men proclaim a usage which, so far from denying, they speak of as consti t uting the chief pleasureof existence. It would appear as if, feeling themselvesfallen and insign ificant in the soc iety Of which they
were long the head, they sought relief in the dreams
afforded by this seducing stimulant, from the vacuityof mind, if not degradation, which
- belongs to their
actual condition . There are exceptions to this cha .
meter of the Rajpoots, and there are still among themmen Of great tal ent but such is the general characterOf this race, who continue to consider themselvesabove industrious occupations , and still cling to theshadow Of that power and eminence which they onceenjoyed.
”
The government Of Cutch is that of a pure aristocracy, the power being vested in the various chiefs onthei r respective territories
,which bear a s trong re
semblance to the feudal baronies . These chiefs oweto the Rao(or Row) the duty of military service
Malcolm, C . I ., vol. i i. pp. 144 Of the Rajpoot cu ltivators ,many of whom are of the same tribes as thehigher cultivators ,a better character is given. Like the military Rajpoots, they indulge in the use of opium, but are much more moderate. The irwomen are neither veiled nor secluded , but aid their husbands inthe labours of the field and the v illage work, and are hardy and
industrious. They are not distinguished from the other peasantryin their dress or habits, but preserve, through the exc itement oftheir bards, and cherished recollections of their ancestors, amartialsp irit. O ther Rajpoots pursue trade, as citizens, or are employedas servants, and many are brmj arries or grain-carriers. - I b. 150—2.
1' A striking resemblance, Colonel Tod remarks, exists between
the Rajpoot and the rude nob le of the dark ages of Europe . The
feudal lawwhich guided both, may still be traced ; and several ofits chief incidents, except such as disagree with their notions ofdel icacy, may y et be found . Their charm s and bhdts are the
troubadours and jongleurs of India. Many of the Rajpoot princes
IND IA . 189
When their services are required, an order is writtenout
,and the seal attached, demanding their attendance
with their armed followers on the day and at the placespecified. Men mounted on camels are despatchedin every direction ; and
,as these animals travel from
the centre to the boundaries of Cutch in one day , thewhole are at the rendezvous on the third day afterthe summons has been issued. In times
‘
when the
feudal spiri t was high , and the country rich and populous, cavalry have thus been collected ; but, atthe present day , if the whole body Of Jharejas wereunanimous and sincere in their Object, about half thatnumber could with difiiculty be brought together, andperhaps only about half the number ofmounted men .
“
It is a pleasing and wild sight, to perceive parties Ofhorse of from five to fiftyflocking to the try sting -p lace
from every quarter, while the whole country is ani
mated and in a bustle. This gathering is cal led thechapp er, from an express camel
,which goes by that
name in this country. The Rajpoots are almost ex
clusively armed with the sword and short spear .Fire -arms are generally confined to the attendants Ofother castes and to mercenaries. The greater portionof the levies are horsemen ; the infantry being sup
posed to be left in defence of the respective forts ofthe chiefs . The head Jbareja has a small and shabbytent, which, with all the necessaries of the party, is
have been poets themselves. See Trans. of Royal Asiatic Soc iety,vol. i. p . 144, et seq. The learned Writer is understood to be preparing a work illustrative of the history, institutions, and literature of the Rajpoots , whichwill be a highly interesting and valuableaccess ion to Indian l iterature. Some of the old Rajpootmusic(whichhe plays from memory) is said tobe very pleas ing.
A list of twenty- s ix chiefs is given by Hamilton (vol . i. p .
with the numbers of fol lowers they could respectively bring intothe field in 1809 ; amounting altogether to9300 men, exclusive ofthe forces of the Jemaudur, and the Mcanny mercenaries.
190 INDIA.
carried on a camel or two that accompany the partyat a trot. The tent is Open to all the followers . NO
beds tead is admi tted in a Cutch camp, and even the
Rao himself sleeps on the ground. The custom is
very ancient, and arises from rel igious scruples con
nected with the goddess A ssapoora , Of whose favouritecolour
,the orange, the royal tent is made.” The
allowance to these levies is about the third of a rupee
per day for every horseman , and something less forinfantry. Some Opium is also served out by the
durbar to the chiefs,whodefray all ’
the expenses Of
travelling during their absence from home.
In other respects,the Rao or the chiefs of dif
ferent bhy auds or brotherhoods, have no power overtheir grasia relations, nor can they legally interferein their vi llage concerns. There is
,however
,a
general respect entertained for the teelat (or head ofthe clan) , which frequen tly induces the bhy aud tosubmi t their differences to his decision . In Kattywar,
the bhy aud pays a c em (tribute) to the teelat, toenable him to discharge the foreign tribute. In
Cutch, as there is no foreign power, so there is no
pecuniary acknowledgement from the one to the
other. The Jharejas of Cutch pride themselves onnever having been conquered . Mussu lman armieshave frequent ly traversed the province , where theynever made a settlement ; a circumstance doubtless tobe attributed to the poverty of the country and the
peculiar state Of soc iety. Lands, the family proprietors Of which have become extinct, revert to the chiefs
0 Assapoora is properly, according to Colonel Tod, Asapuma ,
the fulfill er of desire.
” She is the immed iate patroness of theRajpoots . Capta in Macmurdosupposes her tobe a variationof themore common deity Bhowany (Bhavani ), the consort of Vishnoo,and states that she is also called in Cutch, Chachara.
1 92 INDIA.
force under Colonel East marched eastward, for thepurpose of reducing the fort of Kund- cote (or Kant
’hcote), in possession of the .I V
agelas , or people OfWau
gur. In five marches through a country covered wi thru ined vi llages, and in many p laces presenting fine
fields of wheat, they came in sight of the fort, theposition Of which , on the top of a high hill , surroundedwi th thick jungle, appeared very form idable. Havingmade the necessary preparations , a strong party, with
some of the battering train, took up a properposition
during the night, for the purp ose of destroying'
the
defences , preparatory to the escalade. TheWaugurs
kept up a constant blaze upon the working party during the night but were terrified to such a degree
,
that they deserted the fort, carrying off every thingthat could be removed . Next morning
,the party did
not find more than thirty inhabitants in the placechiefly Brahmins
,who remained in some ancient
temples, under the protection Of their idols . Thewallsextend round the brow of a curious table- land on thesummit Of the b ill , which is large enough for a town ofconsiderab le si ze . The houses are nearly all in ruins.It is evident ly a place of
'
great antiqu ity, containing
several curiously carved stone pagodas,now in a ske
leton state,having, through the effec ts of the atmos
phere, mouldered away, lik e iron gradually consumedby rust. In one of these is the god Soora-jee or theso lar deity
,represented with rays issuing from his
head, the moon in one hand and the sun in the other,
ever,” says Hamilton, seems tohave decreed , that the connexionof the British Government with Cutch shall be as intimate as withany other province of Hindostan.
”In l819, the insane or v iolent
conduct of the new Row rendered it necessary tosend a detachmenttodepose him, and place a legitimate successor on the throne,under the protection of twosubsidiary battalions—Hami lton, vol .it p. 593. 0
with four small figures behind him,and four-handed
demons wi th tigers’ heads guarding the entrance.
Among the other idols are Hoonymaun and Gunniput.
They are rudely executed statues of marble. Nume
rous monuments, some commemorating suttees and
infanticide,and others representingwarriors on horses,
camels,&c .,
are set up around these pagodas. The
fort has two gates ; one easy of access, through a
natural inden tation in the side of the hill ; the otherdifficult
,being on the top , wi th a very r ugged ascent
for the whole hill is nearly perpendicu lar up to thetable- land
,as if the slope had been cut away by art.
Yet, the place is not strong, for there is another unfortified height near it, from which , according to thereports of the natives, i t was once breached and takenby Futteh Mahomed (the SindhiDirectly north of WVaugur extends a desert run forthirty mi les
,beyond which is situated an insu lated
sandy plain,forty miles in length, called Parkur
(Parighur It is surrounded on al l sides either bythe Run or by the Thull or Great D esert, which sepa.
rates i t from Sindh and Marwar. Near the easternborder
,there is a range of rocky hil ls, running N.
and S ., called Kalinjur, which is covered with jungle,
has abundance of tank water, and some arable land.
Kalinjur is not more than a mile and a half inheight by the pathway, for there is only one by whichaccess is to be had to the mountain. It is thereforecons idered as a place of great natural strength, and is
the asylum of all the natives on approaching danger.The soil ofP arkur is sand upon a light clay
,and
produces baj eree and the poorer sorts of grain in
scanty crops. Water is found in wells at the depth
Fifteen Years in India, pp. 380- 2.
194 INDIA.
of forty cubits, but in ge neral becomes brackish in thehot months . There are a few tanks
,but the soil does
not admi t of water being retained throughout theyear. In Parkur, there are about twenty-five vil .
lages , not more than half of which are inhabited .
The capital is Parinuggur, containing about 500
wretched hovels. It is affirmed,that the remains of
an ancient city are here to be traced, which lying onthe di rect route from Sindh to Guzerat, and fromMarwar to the sea- coast, was a kind of emporium forthe trade of these countries
,similar to what Rahdun
poor was until within these few years . It is universally all owed, that Parinuggurwas a rich and populousplace : at present
,the whole district does not contain
inhabitants. Parkur is subject to the govern .
ment of Sindh,which receives a tax upon p loughs and
half of the collection of road taxes,which used to be
considerable . The inhabi tants of Parkurhave at all
times been marauders , at least the Rajpoot part ofthem. In this respect, they differ from those of theDM ! (a pas ture district among the hills) and the Thull
(desert) , who, till of late years , were a peaceable raceof shepherds. The latter country harbours
,however
,
a race of Sindhi robbers , cal led Khosahs,whofled fromSindh about thirty (forty) years ago, and have sincesubsisted by plunder.
The D esert, properly speaking,lies between
Parkur" and the Fooran river (the Indus). It com.
mences on the N.W . border of Cutch, in a flat sandyrun
,and soon assumes the Thull or hilly appearance,
which it retains as high as Amerkote,a nd perhaps
much higher. Throughout this tract, there are wel ls
From Parkur, there are routes to Amerkote, N.N.WHyderabad.W. byN. ; Jaloux,N.N.E Bhooj , S.S.W andRah.
denpoor, E,
1 96 IND IA.
about: 200 of his bhy aud, generally mounted menand in cases when plunder is in view,
is followed by
7 or 800Khosah horse, and 4 or 500 Codee infantrythe former inhabit the Thul l
,the latter, the district of
Parkur. The Sodhas reside in wretched huts,having
the whole family under one roof. They possess noneof the comforts of life, and their dress , which resem.
bles that of other Rajpoots, ismade of the coarsest kindof cloth . Throughout the whole of the Thull, Sodhasare found l iving m ixed with the various tribes of Mohammedan Sindhis, fromwhich they are distinguishedneither by dress, language, nor manners. They are
,
however,still considered as Hindoos
,though posses sing
less purity,perhaps, even than the Jbareja . The popu
lation is involved,as might be supposed
,in the most
profound ignorance . None of them can read or write,i f we except a few lohannas and bany ans , who, beingnatives
,are hardy enough to venture to trade among
them. Their time appears to be passed in wanderingabout with herds of camels
,oxen, and goats , the m i lk
of which afi'
ords them a plentiful and nutri tious food,
varied wi th the flesh of the last on particular occas ions.The jungles afi
'
ord them wild vegetables of a tolerableflavour ; and with these the inhabitants seem conten ted
The Sodhas will not intermarry, but seek wivesfrom the Dy a , Khawri , Solinkee, Chawan, B athore,and Wagela Rajpoots
,who dwell in their neighbour.
hood . The caste of Sodha has become remarkable forthe marriage of their daughters to Mohammedans
,
every man of high rank of that faith in the surrounding country
,having a Sodhi wife.
"i They are reckoned
Lieut. Pottinger speaks of the Sindhi women in general , asproverbial ly beautiful and as far as he had Opportunitiesof judg~
IND IA. 197
an extremely handsome race of women, and are pre.
ferred by the Rajpoots to any of the other castes withwhom they in termarry. The Sodhees are gifted withgreat natural abili ties and personal beauty, but theyare ambitious and intriguing. Their personal attrae.
ti ons generally secure in their favour the prepossess ionof their hus bands ; and this they are sure to improveand confirm by their arts and cunning ; and as theymake nosecret of marrying for the gras, and not forthe husband
,they often dispose of the latter, to get
their son into power. The Sodhees are so much valued
,that a father reckons his riches by the number
of his daughters , and rejoices in the birth of a femalechild, as other Asiatics do for a son. The Sodhadrives a hard bargain for his girls ; and for those thatare handsome
,from one to ten thousand rupees are
paid, bes ides an establishment for the gi rl, and forhalf a hundred needy Sodhi relations. It is surprising
to see rajas, nawabs, and chieftains sending theirmer.
c uries in the character of charons and other religiouscas tes, to search the wandhs and hovels of the Desertfor beauty destined to shine and rule in different ranksof society. And i t is still
'
more astonishing to meetwi th twocountries joining each other, in one of whichthe daughter is sedulously put to death, and, in the
other, preserved as the credit and support of the
ing, they excel both in symmetry of form and in features. Pot
tinger.p 377.0 Bombay Transactions, vol . li. pp . 235- 240. Although plunder
is the grand delight and support of the Sodhas , the chief, we aretold , has another source of revenue not less singularthan lucrative.During the flourishing period of the Pareenugger government, twofamous Jain idols were worshipped there, one of which, on the
min of that c ity , was carried ofi'
by the Sodha em igrants to Mooliin Kattywar. The other was seized by a chief, andwa sted in thesand hil ls, whence he is occasionally disinterred to receive the hoPART V I I I . N
193 1 1mm.
Besides the various classes of Rajpoot and Moham.
medan Grasias, the population of Cutch compri sesBhattias , Banyans , Lowannas, Brahmans of every de
scription, A heers, Rehbarees , and other pas toral and
cultivating classes, with various mongrel tribes , halfH indoo, half Mohammedan . The Mohammedan
Grasias are the descendants of Sindhis, many of whom,
having qui tted thei r original pastoral habi ts, are em
ployed in mi l itary service. The M ey annee, a hilly
country on the eastern border of Cutch, takes its name
from the Mey annas, an infamous tribe from the Deltaof the Indus, whoare robbers and a ssassins by profes
sion.*
. The Bhattias are of Sindh origin : they are
the most numerous and weal thy merchan ts in the
coun try,and are found in all the ports oiLArabia and
Western India. Captain Macmurdo describes themas a remarkab ly fair and handsome race, differing in
appearance from any Indians he had seen, very industrions, but loose and l icentious . Within this last century only
,they have become votaries of Vishnoo
, and
pay to their priests (gossengjee maharajee) ~ a veneration bordering on rel igious homage. Thei r women are
very expert at needle cwork , and flower_on s ilk in an
ingenious and tasteful manner. The Khojas,a class
of Mohammedan cultivators,consider themselves as of
Persian origin, and frequently make a pi lgrimage to
mage of from fifty to a hundred thousand pilgrims , but under astrict guard of Sodhas. The offerings made are immense, besideswh ich a bonus of many thousand rupees must be paid in advancetothe Sodha chief, before he will produce Goreecha (the name of
the idol ) . The ceremony las ts only a few days, when his godship iscarried off, and again consigned tohis sandy grave, in a spot knownonly to the proprietor.They are said tohave received a general licence toplunder
with impunity, from Khengar, aRaoof Cutch inthe fifteenth cen.
tury, in return fo their services.
200 INDIA.
bably Jain. About eighteen mi les E. of Lukput, the
most westerly town of Cutch , there is a small hill nearthe village ofMhur, on which is a temple dedicated tothe goddess A ssapoora,. In the vicinity is another hill
,
which, according to tradi tion , is an extinguished vol .
cano i t is held sacred by the natives of every caste .
In the side of this hill is found a bituminous earth,
which is used as the most acceptable incense to thegoddess. Alum of a tolerably good quali ty is obtainedfrom the water of a small spring which issues from
another hill in the same vicini ty. Though barren to
the naturalist, as well as to the antiquary, this provinceoffers a rich field to the geologist. Iron ore is abun
dant,and is worked to a cons iderab le extent ; and
what is more remarkable, a species of wood -coal isfound near Bhooj
,which burns extremely well.
Pyrites of iron and sulphate of iron are also met with.Almost the whole face of the country near the hills iscoveredwith volcanic matter ; the rocks of the mountains appear tohave been rent and split by the Opera.
tion of fire, and their vicini ty furnishes abundant andfine specimens ofmetallic scoria.The state of society in the western part of the
Gujerat peninsula, is much the same as in the Opposite side of the Gulf. Jahrejas and other Rajpoots ,Juts
,Katties
,Koolies, Aheers, and other tribes , cul ti
vators or predatory, compose the bulk of the p0pula.
tion . The Juts,whogive name 'tothe north-eastern
quarter of the peninsula, are of Sindhian extraction
they profess the Mohammedan rel igion, and resemblein their manners the Balooche tribes , with whom theyare found intermixed throughout the south -westerndistricts of Baloochistan .
“ Their women,though p lain
1"
The Balooches, according toLieut. Pottinger, are a Toorkuman race theJuts, or Jeths, certainly of Hindoo lineage. They
IND IA; 201
in their persons, are said to enjoy a singular degree ofliberty and influence. The Katties’“are, according to.
thei r own traditions, cattle- stealers by vocation ; some .
of them profess"to be horse-breeders. They seem to
be a Bheel race. They worship the sun, inscribingthe figure of that luminary on every deed and document which they execute . They are an athletic race
and their women,whohave great influence, are pro
verbially handsome. Their dress does not differ from '
the Rajpoots and other Grasias , except that theywear a peaked turban . The Koolies (or Kholees)seem to be a degenerate and mixed race, whohavesprung from the union of Rajpoots with Bheels . Theyform , it is supposed
, two thirds of the popu lation ofGujerat , and are considered as the original inhabitants
of the country ? Their chief employment is agricul
form the bulk of the population in Kutch Gundava. Pottinger,pp. 269, 310. Col. Tod supposes them tobe a colony of Getce.
Supposed tobe the descendants of the ancient Ca thcei.
1” Heber, vol . iii. p . 25. I suspect,” says the Bishop, thatthe Cool ies are only c ivil ized Bheels, who have laid asidesomeof the wild habits of their ancestors, and whohave learned ,more particularly, to conform , in certain resp ects, such as abstinence from beef, &c. totheir Hindoo neighbours. They themselves pretend to be descended from the Rajpoots , but th isis a claim continually made by wild and warl ike tribes all overInd ia. That the Coolies themselves do not believe their claim,
is apparent from the fact, that they neither wear the S i lver
badge nor the red turban . Be this as it may , they are acknowledged by the Hindoos as their kindred , which the Bheels neverare. Intermarriages have taken place between Mahrattas of
high rank and the fam ilies of some of theirmost powerful chieftains .
”The s ilver badge referred to, is an embossed figure of a
horse and the sun, which every Rajpootwears round his neck , andwhich receives h is daily adoration. This mythological emblemand a turban of extraord inary size, are the chief pride and the dis
tinctive marks of these children of the sun. See Malcolm’s C . 1.
vol. ii. p . 144. The connexion between the horse and theworshipof the sun is ofhigh antiquity. Thus we read in 2 Kings, xxiii.
N 3
202 INDIA.
ture, and,‘
nndertheBritish Government, they are oftenindustrious farmers and labourers . They are a hardy,stout race, naturally daring and turbulent, and nei therthe Guikwar nor the Rao of Cutch was able to keepthem in subordination . Their usual dress is a petticoat round the waist, like that of the Bheels, and a
cotton cloth wrapped round their heads and shoulders,which they occasionally gather up into the form of a
turban . In cold weather, or as a full dress , they adda quil ted cotton kirtle ( lebada), over which is worn a
shirt of mai l with vant -braces and gauntlets. The
predatory Koolies, though they afl'
ect a martial dirtipness in their persons
,take pride in their weapons.
Their shields are often very handsome, composed ofrhinoceros - hide wi th silver bosses their battle-axes
are richly inla id, and the ir spears adorned with manyrings of silver. Their arrows are carried in a qu iverof embroidered red leather .The most considerable chieftain in the Peninsula is
the Jam of Noanuggur, a Jahreja, who, like his kinsman of Bhooj; was reduced to subm iss ion by the forceunder Colonel East in 1808, and has since maintaineda good unders tanding with the Bombay Government.The populous and thriving sea- port of Jooria, twenty.
four miles N.W of Noanuggur, belongs to his domi .
nions . The other chief places are, Kumbalia (or
Surya), a populous place, where, as well as at Noa
nuggur, the Jains are numerous, and have grand
temp les ; Sery ah (Surya,) and Sutchana.
The savage district of Okamundel, which forms theLand’s End of the peninsula, has always been infamous,as well as the coast of Cutch, for its daring pirates .
The numerous creeks, bays, and inlets by which thei r
11 And he (Josiah ) book away the horses that the Kings of
Judah had given totlhe Sun.”
204 INDIA.
pebbles ; and in the water,which is clear as crystal,
are seen numerous sacred fishes, sporting about qu itetame
,being accustomed to the crowds of devotees who
feed them . For 400yards along this charming sheetof water, are small temp les with stone steps down tothe margin , on which the Brahm ins pray, make godsof clay or flour paste for thosewho come to wash awaytheir sins, and sell li ttle rings and amulets to the su
perstitious crowd . A ll the followers and sepoys gavetheir plunder for the trink ets of this place, as i t is considered as a great honour, in other parts of India, tohave them , or to bear a mark on ‘
some part of the bodypricked in by the Brahm ins . The devotees goon toanother sacred place
,ca lled Aramra
,for the purpose of
being branded with a hot iron .
* The whole of thisprodigious pile of pagodas is of carved stone and therearefgorgeously decorated images of Sura-jee, Ramchor
jee, Tricon -jee, Mahadeo,and Cul lan -jee. But i t is
said that the ancien t idol of the pagoda has twice
escaped from Dwaraka,and cannot be persuaded to
remain in the Okamundel .” 1
On the iron are engraved the shel l , the ring, and the lotus,which are the insignia of the gods. The stamp is frequently impressed on young infants . The custom is of high antiquity, andmarks the votary as the servant and property of the god . To thisthere are repeated al lus ions in the Sacred Scriptures. See Rev.
v ii. 3. iii. 12. Eph . iv . 30. Gal . vi. 17. John, vi. 27. The ave
rage number of pilgrims resorting annual ly toDwaraca, has beenestimated at more than and the revenue derived to thetemple at about a lak of rupees.T Fifteen Years ,” &c. pp . 386, 7. About 600years ago. the
valued image of their god B unobor, an incarnation of Krishna, bya manoeuvre of the Brahmins , was conveyed toDaccoor inGujerat,where it stil l remains. After much troub le, the Brahm ins at
Dwaraca substituted another, which alsotook its flight about 135years ago, across a narrow arm of the sea, tothe island of Bate orShunkodwar ; on which another newone was placed in the templehere.
”—Hami1ton, vol . 1. p . 062. Who the deities are which Mr.Wallace mentions, it is not very easy to ascertain. Sura-jee is
INDIA. 205
Dwaraka, with the rest of Okamundel, submittedtothe British forces in 1816, and the terri tory washeld for a short time ; but, in the following year
,it
was transferred to the Baroda Government, to whomits “
sanctity rendered i t a highly acceptable ac
quisition. It was originally included in the districtof Soreth , which is celebrated in the Hindoo puranasas containing five inestimable blessings ; the riverGoomty , beautiful women, good horses, Somnauth ,and Dwaraka. Puttun Somnauth is a town near thesouthern extrem ity of the peninsula
,twenty- nine
miles N.W . from Din -head. The great fame of itstemple attracted the cupidi ty of Sultan Mahmoud ofGhizni
,
* whodespoiled i t of its treasures ; but i t recovered both fame and wealth sufficient to make i t anobject of attack to other Mohammedan princes and a
Gujerat Sultan of the same name,in A.H . 877, razed
the temple to the ground, and bui l t a mosque on ornear the site. The mosque, in its turn, has fal len to
ru in ; and Abel y a Bhy e, the Mahratta princess,erected a temple to Siva on the original Spot, which isstill visited by pi lgrims from every quarter, whopay a
trifling duty to the Mohammedan Nabob of Junaghur.
The surrounding territory is consecrated by the pcpular legends. On the adjacent plains, the renownedconflict of the Jadoos took p lace some thousand yearsago, in which s ixty mi l lions of combatants wereengaged, of whom all were slain except a dozen !One mile from Somnauth , at a place ca l led Bhalka
,
the Hindoo pi lgrim is shewn a solitary peepul - tree on
evidently the sun, the chief object of the most ancient idolatry inthis part ; Ramchor or Runchor is said to be an incarnation ofKrishna, who is also, mythologically, the sun. Dwaraca is alsonamed Juggeth. It stands in lat. 22° long. 60°
See page 173 ofour first volume.
206 INDIA.
the banks of the Saraswati,which , he is assured,
stands on the exact spot where Krishna received the
mortal wound from a Bheel archer which term inatedhis incarnation. It is all holy ground to the Hindoo;nor is there,
” remarks Colonel Tod,
a more fertileor less explored domain for the antiquary, or for theexercise of the pencil , both in architectural and natu ralscenery
,than within the shores of peninsular Sau
rashtra .
”
FROM AGRA TO OOJEIN.
To complete, sofar as
'
our materials at present'
enable
us, the topographical description of Central India, i tonly remains to trace the route from Agra to Oojein,whi ch leads through the heart of Sindia
’s dominions .
The Maharajah (Madhajee Sindia) had been for fourteen years absent from the capi tal of h is j agheer,when
,in 1792, he formed a resolution to vi sit i t on
his way to Poona, where i t was his main'
object tohave an interview wi th the Peishwa . On this occas ion
,Major Palmer, the English Resident
,was
d irected to join him ; and to the narrative of a gen
tleman (Mr . Hunter) whoaccompanied him ,we are
indebted for an account of the route . The Residentdeterm ined to proceed by way of Gwalior, through acircuito us road
,because i t lay through countries where
Sindia’s passes would be respected.
Trans. of R . As iat. Soc. vol. 1. pp . 334, 342. See page 115 of
our first volume. Saurashtra is the classical ” name of the
Peninsula . The sea~coast frwn S inde towards Guzerat, saysthe Author of the Perip lus, is called Surastrene.
” It is the
Indian Syria , and its inhab itants were, like those of Tadmor,Balbec , and Tyre, worshippers of the Sun. There is a Syriam on
the coas tof Birma, which probably refers tothe same deity.
1' He d ied at Poona, AD . 1794. See page 192 of our firstvolume.
208 INDIA.
of the Nerbuddah,‘ but pursues a contrary course,
flowing N.E. through a rocky channel,much oh
structed by shal lows,till
,after entering Harrowtee,
by an Opening in the Mokundra range,i t becomes a
fine and deep stream. It passes the city of Kotah ,and receiving the tribute ofmany subordinate streams
,
falls into the Jumna twenty miles below Etaweh. On
crossing the river at the ferry of Key teree, y ou enterthe terri tory of Sindia.
A short stage leads to Noorabad, a town which hasbeen hands ome
,on the southern bank of the Sank (or
Para) river, over which there is a ruined bridge ofseven arches, well buil t of stone. Adjoining the vi llageis a pretty large garden, enclosed by a stone wall,which an inscription over the gate ascribes to thegreat Allumghire. Within the garden is a monumentto the memory of the accomplished Goonna Begum,
the wife of Ghazi -ud- deen-Khan,whose lyric oom
pos i tions in the Hindoostanee are still sung and
admired -
r In this day’s stage, besides the Sank, twoother streams were crossed, the Kohaury and the
Absin,both fordable. The face of the country is bare
,
destitute of trees, and almost of cultivation. FromNoorabad
,the hil l and fort of Gwalior are seen bear
ing 8 . 32 E distant about fourteen miles .
GWALIOR.
TH I S celebrated fortress, long the state prison of theMogul emperors, (si tuated in latitude 26
° longi
SirJohnMalcolm says : The nominal source of the Chumba lis in a part of the Vindhya range, nine miles S.W. of the cantonment of Mhow ; but this part of the river is dry in the hot season,during which it owes its waters to other tn
’
butary streams .
”-C . 1.
vol. 1. p. 4.
1‘ She died in 1775. One of her compositions, trans lated by Sir
W Jones , is given in As. R es. vol. i. p . 55. Mr. Gilchrist, however, ascribes it to another author.
,
INDIA. 209
tude 78° seventy miles south of Agra,) stands on
a precipi tous, isolated hill, close round the: brow ofwhich its defences of stone are carried. It is rathermore than a mile and a.half in length
,but its greatest
breadth does'
not exceed 300 yards. The height at itsnorthern end, is 342 feet . At this end is a palace
,
and about the m iddle of the fort are two remarkablepyram idal bu i ldings of red stone. They are in the
most ancient style of Hindoo architecture,and are
said to have been built for the res idence of the motherin - law and sis ter- in- law of a Rajah who reigned at a
very remote period, when this fortress was the capitalof an extensive empire. A stone parapet runs all
round, close to the brow of the hill , which is so steep ,
that i t was judged perfectly secure from assault,till
Major Popham took i t by escalade, on the 3d August,The only gate is towards the northern ex
tremity of the east s ide, from which, by several flightsof steps , you ascend to the t0p of the rock . Withinare several large natural cavities in the rock, which
contain a perpetual supply of excellent water. On the
ou tside,about half way up, are many cells, which con.
tain the figures of men and animals, carved in the
same manner as those excavations themselves,out of
the solid rock. Along the eas t side, near the summi t,
runs a line of blue enamel , very fresh and brill iant;a proof that this manufacture attained considerableperfec tion in Hindos tan at an early period.
The town, which runs al ong the eas t side of thehill
,is large, welLinh abited, and contains many good
houses of stone, which is furnished in abundance by
the neighbouring h ill s . These form a kind of amphitheatre surrounding the fort and town, at the distance
See page 130ofour second volume.
PART V I I I .
210 INDIA.
of from one tofour miles. They are principally composed of a reddish schis tus , which seems tocontaina large proportion of iron. Their surface is rugged,and they are desti tute of vegetable produc tions. Tothe eastward of the town , runs the small river Soon .
rica, which, at this season ,is nearly dry . At the
distance of 700 yards from the northern extremity ofthe fort, is a conical hill
,having on the t0p a re
markable stone building . It consists of two highpillars, j oined by an arch. It seems to be of ancient
workmanship ; but I could not learn for what purposei t had been erected . Beyond the river Scouries , is a
handsome stone building,wi th a c upola. covered wi th
blue enamel, the tomb of Mahommed Ghous , a man
celebrated for learning and sanctity,in the time of the
Emperor Akbar .‘ Within the enclosure which sur
rounds this monument,is a smal l tomb to the memory
of Tan- Sein, a musician of incomparable ski ll, who
flourished at the court of the same monarch .
”
1'
The most perfect building, Mr. Forbes says, is an
elegant mosque, with two lofty minarets, erected by
Ahmed Khan in the reign of Aurungzebe. The gateleading to it from the bazar is very grand. Near thesouth gate are the remains of a magnificent reservoir,constructed by the same person, from which pipes con .
vey ed water to various parts of the city. The Author
of “ Sketches of India,”confesses that he was not
much str uck wi th ei ther the strength or the beauty of
Forbes speaks of this as a magnificent and stupendous structure, call ing it the Rosa shrine.
” The mausoleum, which wasraised by the Emperor’s order, contains the bodies of three ofAkbar
’s sons and the tutor of the eldest—Or. Mem . vol . iv . p. 31.
1~ As . Res. vol . vi. p. 17—19. The bomb of this Hindoo Orpheusis (orwas) shaded by a tamarind - tree, respecting which a superstitious notion prevails, that the chewing of its leaves will give anextraordinary melody to the voice—See Forbes, vol. iv. p. 32.
212 . mnu .
chunamed buildings,’
shapeless, coarse,without any
air of ornament ; and here and there, many smalltrees and hedges of themilk - plant
,all'of quick growth
and late planting, but y et giving the whole a fixedand se ttled aspect . At the second gaze
,however, y ou
see interspersed, many tents and pails, flags and pennons ; in some parts ,
‘
hutted lines and piles of arms ;in one range, a large regular park of artillery in all
the Open spaces , horses i rregularly picketed, strings ofcamels
,and a few stately elephants . On the skirts of
this large mass,are a few smaller and more regular
encampmen ts belong ing to part icular chiefs,wi th theirfollowers better armed and mounted . The
‘
sounds tooof neigh ings, of drums
,of horns
, and fire arms, and
occas ionally the piercing trump of the'
elephant,mingled in confusion with ' the hum of a populationloud
,busy
, and tumultuous , tell y ou, convincingly, the! trade here is war— the manufac tures are of arms.
Many years,however, has the Mahratta camp
happily been stationary. Nor is there‘
treasure in the
coffers , or energy in theo
councils of Sindia,who now
stands a power, isolated, helpless, and without how,
ever again effec tually to set i t in motion. From a
prodigious hos t, i t hasdwindled in numbers greatly ;in efliciency and readiness of equipment, stil l more .
Perhaps, notmore than 7000mounted men are in his
camp, with about three brigades of infantry ; his artillery alone is fine, and disprOportionately so his storesmiserably low Our object was to see their artillery . I had no idea of any thing so soldier-likeamong them as the encampment of i t. The guns ,upwards of 150, were regularly parked in line ; the
guns beautifully bright, and a chaplet of flowers hungon most of them ; the parade- ground clear, and the
butting of the soldiers attached tothemvery orderly .
INDIA.’ 2 13
The golundauze are preverbially fai thful and brave ;will die at their guns ; and may be said ,
to,ha1f-worship
the cannon they are attached to. They '
are almos tinvariably sacrificed when brought into action . Anative prince likes to form a long line ; and we, allowing for the loss by their fire in getting to them,
invariably and easily possess ourselves of as many guns as
may be ranged against us. But if these g uns.
wered isposed on the field as well as they are served, ourbattles would not be such easy victories.
In traversing this rude, irregular encampment,the sort of groupes we met, the horses picketed in
ci rcles, with the rider’s spear planted in the ground at
each head-rope ; men lying on ,their horse-furni ture
,
p illowed on their shields,or busy cooking, or cleaning
their horses and arms ; their women making fires,fetching water
,and bringing in grass ; , their children
of all sizes at play in the dust, naked —all thesewere ' features to the
.
ey e' of the European oflicer,
strange and hiteresting. A s we passed back roundthe fort, we were fortunate enough to meet Sindia.returning from the chase, surrounded by all his chiefs,and preceded or followed by about 700horse. D is.
charges of cannon announced his approach ; and a few
l ight, scattered parties of spearmen were marchingbefore the main body, We stopped our elephantsjust on one side of a narrow part of the road, wherethe Rajah and chiefs, with his immediate escort, mustpass . First came loose, l ight-armed horse, either inthe road or scrambling and leaping on the rude banksand ravines near ; then some better clad, with the
quilted poshauk and one in a complete sui t of cha in
armour; then a few elephants ,— among them the
hunting elephant of Sindia, from which he had dismounted. Onone small elephant, guiding itself, rode
214 INDIA.
a fine boy , a foundling protegé of Sindiaf called thejungle Rajah ; then came, slowly prancing, a host offierce , haughty chieftains, on fine horses, showily caparisoned . They darted forward
, and all took their proudstand behind and round us, planting their long lanceson the earth, and reining up their eager steeds to see,I suppose, our salaam . Next, in a common native
p alkee, its canopy crimson and not adorned,came
Sindia himself. He was plainly dressed,wi th a reddishturban and a shawl over his vest, and lay reclined,smoking a small gilt or golden ca lean. We stood upin our howdah
,and bowed ; he half rose in his p alkee,
and salaamed rather in a courteous manner. At this,
there was a loud cry of all his followers near,who
sung out his titles, and the honour he had done us, &c.
And all salaamed themselves profoundly. I lookeddown on the chiefs below us, and saw that they eyedus mos t haughtily
,which very much increased the
effect they would otherwise have produced. Theywere armed wi th lance, scimitar, and shield
, creeseand pistol ; wore, some shawls, some tissues
, someplain muslin or cotton ; were all much wrapped inc lothing
,and wore, almost all, a large fold of muslin,
tied over the turban - top,which they fas ten under the
chin, and which,strange as i t may sound to those
who have never seen i t, looks warlike, and is a veryimportant defence to the sides of the neck .
”
From Gwali or,the direct road to Oojein leads
through Nerwar and Seronje ; but Major Palmertook the route of J’hansi , the other road being at thattime infes ted by bandi tti in the pay of the NerwarRajah. His first stage was to Antery , a pretty largewalled town with a fort, si tuated at the foot of the
1» Sketches of India, pp. 211- 218.
upon the district of Chanderi (Chenderee), whichformed an extensive and fertile circar fof Malwah)under the Mogul Government, extending ninety milesfrom E. to W .,
and seventy from ‘N. to S. The
capi tal, from'
which i t takes its name, is seated on
the B etwah, in lati tude 24° longi tude 78
°
forty- eight miles N.N.E. from Seronje. ,I t has a
strong hill - fort with an extensive p ettah, and is
described by Abulfazel as containing stonehouses, but is undergoing a rapid decay. The routefollowed by Major Palmer lay through the walled .
towns of Kh emlassa, Koorwey (on the B etwah), andBhilsah ,
‘and again crossing the B etwah
,entered,
‘
at Goolgaung, the territory of Bhopaul. Abouttwenty- four miles further, i t led to the capi tal of thatprincipali ty, s ituated near a tc
’
il or lake extendingfour miles and a half E. and W ., and a mile and a
half in breadth i t is formed by an embankment,at
the confluence of five streams issuing from the hills,which rise in the form of an amphitheatre round thelake. From this tlil or lake issues the river Bess ; and,on the eas t of the city, there is a smaller tank
, abouttwo m iles in length, the source of the small riverPatara.
- Bhopaul , we are told, derives its name from its
Rajpoot founder,the minister of the celebrated Rajah
Bhoj, and was built by him at the same time that his
mas ter formed the present district of Tal into a lake,
and founded the ci ty of Bhojpoor. The lake has dis
1 , Bhilsah is said to have been builtby the Hindoo demi-god ,Ramchunder. I t contained , in 1820, 5000 houses , and manyhandsome pagodas . The approach from Seronje
'
is very p icturesque. I t stands on the east bank of the Betwah , near itsjunction with the Bess, thirty- twomiles N.E. of BhOpaul. The
d istrict is fertile, and. produces the best tobacco in India. It
belongs to Sindia.
INDIA.
appeared,and
'Bhojpoor is only a large village,near the ruins of the immense mound which arrestedthe rivers but i t still bears its ancient name, and the
ruins of many temples and other edifices attest itsformer greatness. BhOpaul is s ituated exactly on theconfines of the old Hindoo province of Malwah
, one
gate being wi thin its boundaries,and the other in
Gondwarra . It is surrounded wi th a stone wall, but
presents a ruinous appearance, notwiths tanding that
i t is the res idence of the Nabob. On the outside is alarge gunge, or suburb, equally decayed ; and on the
S.W .,a ghwrry , or fort, buil t on the solid rock ,wi th a
stone wall and square towers , all much dilapidated,
though not forty years old. The surrounding countryis an uneven
,jungly tract ; but the soil is, in general,
fertile and well -watered, and the principal ity is in a
state of rapid improvement . It has been the policy ofthe Bengal Government, to raise this little Patanstate into a degree of consideration and power equalto what its mos t prosperous rulers ever enjoy ed.
‘r
Bhopaul stands in latitude 23° longitude 77°
The remainder of the route we are tracing, lay firstsouth -westward to Sehore, a considerable town wherea large manufacture of striped and checkered muslinsis carried on ; then, in a N.W . direction, crossing theParbutty , toShujawalpoor, the head-town of a large
p ergunnah, si tuated on the east bank of the Jaumneer,and having its fort and a good bazar ; thence toShah .
jehanpoor, on the banks of the Sagurmuttee, - a
considerable town belonging, with its pergunnah, to
0 Malcolm, C. 1. vol . 1. p . 12 ; vol. ii. pp . 242, 483. This favoured ally nowmaintains 2000horse, 4000 infantry of all classes,and about 180guns ; and possesses the forts of Ambapaunee, Rais~seen, Gunnoorghur, Chokey ghur, and Islamghur. See page 348of our second volume.
218 INDIA.
Sindia in another march, to Turana, the head- town.
of a p ergunnah belonging at that time to Ahaly a Bhy e ;and
, two short stages further, to Oojein.
The Seronje road meets that which we have beentracing, at Shahjehanpoor. About seven coss fromGwal ior
,is the large walled town of Beereih (or
Bery e) , in the environs of which are extensive iron.
works.1 Nerwar, situated forty miles S . by W. fromGwal ior
,is a lofty fortified hill with a small town
below. The road thence winds among wooded and
rocky hills, afi'
ording many picturesque views of theriver Sind
, the stony channel of which is twicecrossed in the stage leading to the village of Dungree.
The next stage is to Sepree (or Siparry ), a wal led
town . Eight miles further, is Sasy e- serai, whichtak es its name from a roy al serai
,near which is a
mosque with the remains of a tank, and a well ofexcellent water. The town is populous
,surrounded
with a wall of loose stones . At a short distance are
ruins of several Hindoo temp les wi th some well executed sculpture. The road then lies through an Open,cultivated plain, in which stands the fortified town ofKal larus (or Colarees), surrounded with a fine grove,with remains of tanks and a fine boolee. A dreary
respective fmmders ; Shujah Khan, one of the most distinguishedgovernors of Malwah , and the emperor Shahjehan. About half amile tothe westward of the latter town is a very lofty conical hill ,crowned with a single tree and a pagoda, which is conspicuous ata great distance on all sides.1' This town,which is notmentioned by either SirJohn Malcolm
or Hamilton, (and Hunter only speaks of it as a village, ) is repre
sented by Forbes as having been a cons iderable place. He visitedthe iron m ines , distant about three miles. Seven were then beingworked ; and sopowerful was the effect of the iron in the environs , that the compass varied nearly three points .
”—Forbes, vol.iv. pp. 24—29 ,
220 INDIA.
fort and town on the banks of the Nuaje, possessing
some trade and a good bazar. Two stages furtherlead to Sarungpoor, a town of some importance under
the Mogul emperors, situated on the east bank of theKal i - Sind. It now contains about 2000 houses
,and
is the head of a p ergunnah of 55 .villages belonging to
the Rajah of Dawess. Mr. Forbes describes it as sur.
rounded wi th remains of elegant Mohammedan mau
soleums ; amongwhich is a very handsome .one erected
to the memory of Baz Bahaudur, the last independentking of Malwah , who was killed near this placeduring the wars of Akbar . In the centre of the townis a noble mosque, which was then turned into a Government hay - loft and granary for horses. Muslins
and cottons are manufactured here. A stage of seven
teen miles further leads to Shahjehanpoor.
OOJEIN.
O OJE IN, the UJJay ini and Avanti of the HindooPuranas
,and the Ozene of Ptolemy and the Periplus
,
deservedly occupies a high rank among the sacredcities of Hindostan. More than eighteen centuriesago, i t was the seat of empire, of arts, and of learning,under the sway of the illustrious Vikramadity a (orVikramajeet) whose accession forms the Hindoo eraand i t is considered. as the first meridian by the native
geographers and astronomers. It stands on the eas tbank of the Seeprah river ; in lat. 23
° l l’
, long. 75°
at an elevation of 1698 feet above the level of the sea.
The modern town is situated a m ile to the southwardof the ancient ci ty, which has been overwhelmed bysome physical catastrophe : the Hindoo lagends say , ashower of earth
,which buried the city and its in.
habitants. On the spot where the ancient city is
said to have stood,”says Mr. Hunter, by digging
to the dep th of from fifteen to eighteen feet, theyfind brick walls entire, pillars of stone, and pieces ofwood of an extraordinary hardness. The bricks
,thus
dug up, are used for building some of.them are of a
much larger size than are now made. Utensils ofvarious kinds are sometimes dug up in the same
places and ancient coins are found, either by digging,or in the channels cut by the periodical rains . During
our stay at Oojein, a large quanti ty of wheat wasfound by a man in digging for bricks i t was almos t
entirely consumed, and in a state resembling charcoal .The earth of which the mound is composed, being
soft, is cut into ravines by the rains. In one of these,
from which several stone pillars had been dug, I sawa space from twelve t o fifteen feet long
, and seven or
eight high, composed of earthen vessels, broken and
c losely compacted together i t was conjectured to be apotter’s kiln. Between this place and the new town
,
is a hollow, in which , tradi tion say s, the river Sipa.
rah formerly ran. It changed its course at the timethat the ci ty was buried, and now runs to the west .
ward..Adjoining to these subterraneous ruins, on the
present bank of the Siparah, is the cave of the Rajah
Bhirtery . Before the gate of the court are tworowsof stone pillars, one running from E. to W ., the otherfrom S. to N. You enter the court from the southward. Within i t are the entrances of twocaves ordi visions of the palace. The outermost enters fromthe south
, and is sunk about three feet underground.
From this entrance (which is on the side), i t runsstraight east, being a long gallery, supported on stonepillars
,which are curiously carved with figures of
men in alto-relievo: these figures a re now much
222 INDIA.
defaced. The inner apartment al so enters from thesouth . This is a pretty wide chamber
,nearly on the
level of the ground, the roof supported on stone pi llars;over which are laid long stones , in the manner ofbeams. On the north side
,oppos ite to the entrance
,
is a small window,which throws a faint light into the
apar tmen t. It looks down upon the low ground,beneath the bank on which the building is s ituated.
On the left hand or west side of the apartment, is asmall triangula r opening in the s tone pavement .Through this you descend, about the height of a man
,
into an apartment truly subterraneous and perfectlydark . This is also supported on stone pillars
,in the
same manner as the uppe r one. I t -first runs eas tward, and then turns sou th . On the left side are twochambers , about seven feet by eight . At the southernex tremi ty is a door
,which probably led into some
fu rther apartment,but i t is shut up with earth and
rubbish. The fakeers who res ide here, say , a tradi .
tion exists, that one subterraneous passage went fromhence to Benares and to Ha rdwar and they tell us,that this door was shu t up about twelve or fourteenyears ago, by the Governmen t, becaus e people some
times lost themselves in the labyrinth. This is saidto be the place in which the Rajah Bhirtery , thebrother of Vikramadity a, shut himself up after havingrelinqu ished the world ; but there are various and
discordant accounts of its construction and date. Bysome, i t is said to have been constructed in its presen tform by Bhirtery hims elf. By others, these innerapartments are said to have been the mai d or privatechambers of Gundrufsein
,and the colonnade before
the gate to have been his public hall of audience : ( i tis added
,) that this escaped the general .wreck of old
‘
224 INDIA.
blowing up loose earth or sand sufiicient tobury the
city,wi ll not be thought very probable.
The modern city is ‘
of an oblong form, about six
miles in circumference, fortified wi th a stone wall andtowers. Within this ‘
space there is some wasteground
,but the greater part is thickly covered with
buildings, and very populous . The streets are broad,
airy, paved, and clean ; the hous es generally good, ofbrick or wood, tiled, or terraced. The mos t remark.
able buildings are,four mosques , erected by private
individuals ; a pag oda, built by Rannojee Sindia ; amausoleum erected to the memory , of that chief, thefather of Madhajee ; another mausoleum,
which wasbeing erected in 1785 , in memory of a celebrated
gossannee Sindia’s p alace, an extens ive and suf.
ficiently commodious house,"but without any claim tomagnificence ; a
‘
gate,near .the palace, the only re.
mains of a fort said to have been built soon after thetime of Vikramadity a, and presenting a good spec imenof the ancient Hindoo architec ture besides numeroustemples. . The mos t - considerable of these is a littleway outside the walls, atUnkpat, a place held in ,high
veneration, as that at which Krishna and his brother
are fabled to have received the rudiments of their education . Here is a tank, said to be of high antiqui ty
,
enclosed wi th a stone wall ; and two square templeswith pyramidal roofs were erected within the enclo
sure about . sixty years ago, by the Puar Rajah.
Within the ci ty,-
near the - eastern wall , is -a hill ofconsiderable height, on the top of which is a Hindootemple erected to Mahadeo, and adjoining i t, the tombof a Mussulman saint . The hil l is seen from a greatdistance, and commands an extens ive prospec t onevery side. To the north is seem-
at the distance of
INDIA. 225
four miles, the rude and massy structure of Kaly deh
(or Kallea—deh), an ancient and,very
‘
curious palace,buil t on an island in the Seeprah by Sul tan Nazir-ud.
deen Khilj i,who ascended the throne of Malwah
,~
A.H. 905. To the westward, is traced the windingcourse of the Seeprah, through a
' fertile valley diversified with com -fields and clumps of frui t- trees.Close on the top of the opposite bank is the fort ofBeiroungurh , about a ouarter of a mile in length , surrounded with a rampart of earth, and containing anancient temple dedicated to the tutelary divinity of theplace,whose name it bears. Still further up the stream,
and nearly oppod te the middle of the town,are the
gardens of Abha-Chitnavees and Rana Khan : on the
latter, nodecoration of art has been spared. Exactlyover these, at the distance of half a mile from the
river, on a ris ing ground,is a grove containing the
tomb of another saint,Shah Dawul . The prospect
is bounded on this side by a ridge of hills, at the dis
tance of three mi les, running seven miles N.N.E. and
they are‘
chiefly of granite, and from themthe stone employed in building is supplied ; but they
are covered with vegetable mould to a sufficient depthto admit of cul tivation. To the S . W. is seen a wideavenue of trees, which terminates a course of twomilesat a temple of Ganesa, surnamed Chintamun : i t isvis ited by numerous processions at stated periods. The
south wall of the town is washed by the Seeprah , .
which makes a sudden turn at this place. This extre.
m i ty of thetcity , called Jy e-s ingh-poorah , contains an
observatory built by the Rajah Jy e-Singh , who held
the ci ty and terri tory of the Emperor Mohammed, in
quality of soubahdar.
* Eastward, as far as the ey e can
See page 70oilthis volume.
226 INDIA.
reach, is a level plain, interrupted only by a conicalhillock at the distance of three miles, beyond whichis an extensive lake
,close on the left of the Bhopaul
road .
‘
Of the palace at Kallea-deh , Mr. Forbes gives the
following description . The Septa running on the
east in its natural bed, has been conducted by a channel to the wes tern side of the structure, where thes tream rushes through the arches of a bridge into twolarge reservoirs, and is thence led to numerous smallones with fountains and other ornaments . On the
right is a range of buildings divided by arches, eachleading to a square apartmen t, wi th a roof partly pro
jecting inward, to form a colonnade round a fountainand small tank borderedwith chunam. This was Opento the sky , while the company sat beneath the piazza .
Under the roof, throughout the apartments, are ironrings from which the tattees of scented: grass weresuspended. This range of apartments, the bridge, anda large central building, form three s ides of a square
on the fourth, the river, divided into five streams,rushes down as many artificial cascades, into a generalreceptacle . The central building consists of a square
apartment covered wi th four domes , and seems to have
been the duan- konna , or eating- room . The excellentmaterials
, especially the fine chunam, have hithertores isted the effects of time and the elements. In frontof thewhole are remains of a wall , enclos ing about three
miles of ground,which was formerly a park belonging
to the royal villa.
”
1
t Asiat Res voLv p . 39
Forbes, ‘ vol. iv. p . 6. This description was written in 1785,when these water-works and subaqueous edificeswere 300years old ,and still in high preservation. The same tyr ant (such was his character) caused similarplaces to be constructed in other parts of his
228 ' IND IA.
ree and Sehore ; fromBoorhanpoor, turbans and stained
goods ; .from Surat
, ‘
EurOpean and Chinese imports,and pearls ; from Marwar, the asa-foetida of Sindh ;and the diamonds of Bundelcund
,go by this way to
Surat . The experts are cotton,coarse cloths
,aal (the
root of the morinda citrifolia) , and Opium”A black
vegetable mould covers the greater part of the district,which , in the rainy season, becomes sosoft, that travelling is hardly practicable. On drying
,i t cracks in
all directions , and the fissures are sowide and deep inmany parts -by ,
the road s ide,that i t is dangerous for
,
a horseman to go off the beaten track. The quanti ty,
of rain that falls in ordinary seasons is so great, and
the‘
soil is so retentive of moisture,that wells are ,
scarcely needed for,
irigation, and they are conse
quently little used . It is s ingular, that the vine hereproduces a second crop in the rainy season ; the grape, ,
however,is acidul ous and of an inferior qual ity ; nor
is the firs t cr0p equal in s ize and flavour to the ear
lier grape of Boorhanpoor. The other frui ts are, the
mango, guava, plantain, melon, and water-melon ;two species of annona ; several varieties of the orangeand lime thefalsah (grewia as iatica), from which ismade a refreshing sherbet ; and in a few gardens, thecarica papay a . The sugar- cane was formerly culti
vated. The climate would seem to be far from salubrions . The heats are excessive, espec ially during thehot winds of April and May ; and intermi ttent feversprevail from towards the end of the rains till
'
the mid
dle of November.* During the rains , the ,nights are
.
e As. Res. vol . vi. pp . 45, 52—7. During the hot winds ,"
the
thermometer, when exposed to them, stood at from 93° to109° at4 P. M . and theheat at 9 P-M . varied from80° to From the
middle of June, when the rains set in, to the middle of Jul y , theafternoonheat varied from 107° to 86°5and afterwards, till the ter-L
INDIA. 229
cold. Noone of our modern authorities throws any
light . on the statement of Abulfazel, that the riversometimes .flows with milk. This prodigy had hap
pened, he tells . us,only a week before he .visited the
c i ty, about eight in the evening ; and p eOple of allranks, both Mussulmans and Hindoos, took up some ofthe milk “ The mos t obvious explanati on is, tha t i tmust have become impregnated wi th chalk from the
sudden falling in of some part of its banks .
Next in rank to Oojein, among the c ities of CentralIndia
,is Dhar or Dhara-nuggur, the capital of a
petty principali ty, and the residence of the RajahRamchunder Puar. It appears at one period to havecovered a great extent of ground, and is . said to havecontained houses in 1820, the number did not
amount to 5000, but the population was rapidly increas ing. I t derives its rank and importance fromhaving been made the seat of government by RajahBhoj which honour i t enjoyed till i t was t ransferred
in the fifteenth century to Mandoo,by the Mohamme
dan conquerors of Malwah .1The early hi story of Malwah is involved in l ob
scurity and fable. In , Indian manuscripts, Sir JohnMalcolm says
,i t is noticed as a separate prov mce 850
mination of the rains , from 89° to I tthen increased , the marimum being and till the middle of November, be ing seldomunder In February, it varied from 73° to falling in themorning as lowasAysen Akbery ,
"
vol . ii. p . 44.
1 It stands in lat. 22° long. 75° 1908 feet above the levelof the sea . The district contains about 400 square miles , comprehending 179 v illages , 25 of which are situated in the wild and hillytracts , and inhabited by Bheels. In 1820, the number of inhabitedhouses was 7573, and its population about souls, in theproportion of one Mohammedan to . sixteen Hindoos . Malcolm,
vol. 1. p . 11 ; vol. ii. p. 489.
230 INDIA.
years before the Christian era ; when Dunjee, a sove.reign of the Bheel rac e
,restored the power of the
Brahmins, which had been des troyed by the Buddhists .
One of his successors (about B .C. 730) is said to haveshaken off his dependence on the Hindoo sovereignof Delhi . On the failure of his line (about B .C .
Adot Puar, a Rajpoot prince, commenced the
Puar dynasty, which con tinued to rule Malwah upwards of 1058 years . Of this line was the famousVikramadity a, whoestablished the era still in generaluse.
’ In the year 541 of this era (A.D . RajahBhooj succeeded to the throne
,and removed the seat
of government from Oojein to Dhar . On the deathof his successor, the Puar dy nasty gave way to that ofthe Towur Rajpoots , which lasted 142 years . Thiswas succeeded by that of the Chohans , which ex.
tended through 167 years . In the reign of Maldeo,
the last of this dynasty,Malwah fell under the Mo.
hammedan dominion . Th e country was , however,only partially subdued. We find Hindoo princesand chiefs in almos t every district
,opposing the pro
gress of the invaders , and often wi th such success as
to establish dynasties of three or four generations,who ruled over a considerable part of the count ry.These revolutions continued to be frequent till themore complete conquest of Bahaudur Shah , whichtook place during the reign of Shahab -md-deen, who
put that leader to death, and appointed (A .D . 1387)to the government of Malwah, Dilawur Khan Ghoree .
This governor,taking advan tage of the flight of
Mahommed Toghluk , and of the confusion into whichIndia was thrown by the invasion of Timour,1 as
See, respecting th is: prince, (towhom, in Hindoo annals, isassigned a reign of 100years, ) pp . 138—140ofourfirst volume.TSee vol. i. pp.
_222, 235.
232 . INDIA.
Ghizni Khan, a weak and dissolute sovereign. Thisprince was dethroned by ,
his minister,Mahomed Khil
jee, whose conduct, after he attained power, redeemedthe c rime of usurpation. It was to this prince thatMandoc owed its fame and splendour ; and the mag
nificent tomb over Hoshung Shah , and the collegesand palaces that he buil t
, give testimony of his respectfor the memory of his benefactor
,a nd of a regard and
consideration for his subjects, that entitle him to thathigh reputation which he has attained . Though living almost always in the camp
,his taste andmagnifi
cence adorned and enriched every part of his terri tories. Bes ides the monument s of his splendour already
.noticed, there are ruins of many palaces buil t by himat Nalcha
, a town beautifully situated six miles N. oflMandoo
,on the verge of the rich, open coun try which
there approaches the mountains and great ravines.There can be li ttle doubt from concurring testimonies,that it
_was under the government of Mahomed Khil
jee , that Malwah reached its highest prosperi ty as a
kingdom.
” His reign lasted thirty- four years .
Ghias-ud-deen Khiljee, his son and successor, wasan indolen t andsvoluptuous prince ; and i t is a proofof the energy of his father’s government, or of the
abili ty of his own uministers, that, during a reign of
thirty- three years, a kingdom l ike Malwah, surroundedwi th turbulent neighbours, suffered no diminution ofterri tory . His son, Noor-ud-deen, though active and
bray e, was the slave of his passions, and fel l a victim
to his debaucheries. He left, however, the wealth
This prince experienced, nevertheless, during a life ofcons tantaction, some very serious reverses . He had at one time lost h isthrone through a conspiracy of h is nobles, butwas re- seated uponit by the aid of SultanMuzufi
‘
er of Gujerat. On another occas ion,
he was taken prisoner by the Ranah of Chittore, who generouslyrestored him to liberty and dominion.
INDIA. 233
find Splendourof his kingdom unimpaired tohis sonMahmoud
,at whose coronation, seven hundred ele
phants in velvet housings formed part of the pageant.In the reign of this prince, great part of Malwah wasconquered by the Ranah of Chittore ; and Mahmoud,having drawn upon himself the vengeance of Bahau.
dur Shah , Sultan of Gujerat, by giving protection tothe fugitive brother of that monarch, lost his throneand his life. Bahaudur Shah was expelled by theEmperor Humaioon, and the province shared in the
subsequent revolutions of the empire. Shajah Khan,
the governor under the Emperor Sheer, has left,among other monuments of his magnificence, the ci tyof Shujah alpoor, of which he was the founder. His
son,Baz B ahaudur, established for a short period an
independent power ; but after a brave struggle, hewas compelled to flee before the armies of Akbar ;and in 1567, Malwah was finally reduced to a province, in which condi tion i t remained till i t was con.
quered by the Mahrattas.“
The ruins of Mandoc are only fifteenmiles S .E . of
Dhar. The s ite chosen by the Mohammedan sultanfor his capital, is an area of thirty-seven miles, ex
tending along‘
the crest of the Vindhyan range forabout eight miles, and parted from the table dand ofMalwah by an abrupt and rugged valley of unequaldepth, but nowhere less than 200 feet, and from 3 to
400 yards in breadth. On the] brink of this valley,(which, after rounding the city, descends, in the formof wide and rugged ravines, to the lower country both
tothe E . and and on the summit of the ridgewhich forms the southern face of Mandoc , a wall of
considerable height was built, which, added to the
MMCOlm, C. I” V010 i. pp ! 22- 4001
PART V I I I .
934 IND IA t
natural strength of the ground, made i t unassailableby any but regular attack and this advantage
,
'
whichgave security to property, combined wi th the salubrityof 7the air
,abundance of water
,and the rich nature
of the ground, caused i t early to attain a state ofgreat prosperity. The magnificent ruins of the Jumma M esjed, the mausoleum of Hoshung Shah , .the
palaces of Baz Bahaudur, and,other fine buildings ,
now surrounded wi th jungle and crumbling todust,still attest the splendour of its short- lived dynasty ;whi le the numerous remains of towns and
’
villages on
spots now desolate, prove that . this province must,
under their sway, have attained to great prosperity f‘,
Indore, though a small city and ofmodern date,de
mands notice as the capital and residence of the head of
theB oikar family. The former head- town of the districtwas Kumpail , eighteen miles S .E . of . Indore
,which is
now dwind led to insignificance . O ld Indore was a
small village, the site of which so much pleased
Ah aly a Bhy e, (on encamping there after the death ofMulbar Row,) that she bui lt a new c ity on the Oppo
site bank of the Kutkee stream,and directed the
a umildar of Kumpail to remove thither. Her par.
tial ity for this spot soon,
raised i t to a considerabledegree of prosperity, though she continued herself to
,reside . at . the more sacred
.city
”. of Mhy sir, the
capital of the Nemaur district, on the right bank of
the Nerbuddah h' l ndore stands in lat. 22°
long. '75°
1998 feet above the sea,and about
thirtymiles due S . of Oojein. I t is now_inconsiderable
both in size and population, and being but weakly fortified
,is a place of small importance. 1
Malcolm, C. L, vol . i. pp. 29, 40; voL ii. p . 502.
1 l b. vol. i. p . l l '; .vol. ii. p . 496. In 1790, Indore enjoyed a
larger portionof the transit trade thanOojein ; the duties exacted
236 INDIA.
is represented by Sir John Malcolm as generally mild
and, on the whole, salubrious compared at least wi th
the burning plains of Eas tern and Wes tern India.
The nights are invariably cool and refreshing . Feversand agues , towards the close of the year, are, among
the natives, the prevailing complaints ; and the cholera
morbus, the epidemic scourge of India, always exis ts
as a disease in this provin ce.
”
Taken in its more enlarged sense, the soubak of ;
Malwah, or , toadopt Sir John Mal colm’s designation
of the province, Central India, comprises several dis
tricts of a very distinct geographical character. Unda ‘
Akbar, i t was divided into twelve circars, which comprised a portion of Harowtee on the N.W . ,
and ex
tended south of the Nerbuddah into Gondwarra and
Kandeish -I I ts poli tical boundaries have fluctuated,while its political distribution has become intricateand strangely checkered . The following table is anattempt to exhibi t the principal subdivisions as cor.
rectly as they can at present be defined.
It appears toconstitute the northern termination of a very
tremity of the Deccan, and probably even Mysore, forming all the
country above the Ghauts, and part of the plains below on the
western side of the Peninsula, and including the is lands of Bombay , Salsette, Elephanta, &c. In this formation are contained thegreat store of carnelions , agates, &c. of the Raj peeply h ills , andall those interesting antiquities, the great cave-temples, both Brahminissl 'and Buddhist.”—See a valuable geological survey of Mal
wah , by Captain Dangerfield, in Malcolm’s Central India, vol. ii.
app , No. 2 .
f The twelve circars enumerated by Abulfazel , are, l . Oojein.
2. Roy sain . 3. Gurrah (in Gondwarra) . 4. Chendary . 5. Sarang
poor. 6. Beejaghur (Nemaur). 7. Mandoo. 8. Hindia . 9. Nu
Zerbst (or Nadarbar, in Kandeish).l (10. Menisoor (Mundissor).l l . Gagroon (or Kakrone, in Harrowtee). 12. Kowtree Beraneh ,
or Kounri -Parana (Soandwarra). See Hamilton, vol. 1. p . 726.
Bernoulli, tom. ifpp. 343—5.
INDIA. 237
D rvrsrons . GOVERNMENT.
l . Chendaree.it
2. Ky cheewarra (orZCachwarra).
3. Omutwarra.1
5. Oojein.
7. Indore. §8. Dhar."9. Bhopaul.“10. -Raisein.
“
11. Saugur.
12. B indla.
Malwah
0 The hill y beltwhich forms the eastern boundaryof the levelpla ins of Malwa, and which appears to divide that province fromBundelcund, in the same way as Rath and Bagur separate it fromGujerat, contains the small provinces of Chanderry , Keechewarra,and Aheerwarra.
”—Malcolm, vol . i. p . 20. The latter name doesnot occur in Sir John Malcolm’
s map : it appears to be includedin Sangur and Bundelcund.
t This tract, which lies d irectly E. of Soandwarra, takes itsname from the Omut Rajpoots, who, during the dec line of theMogul empire, emigrated from Oodey poor, and pomessed themselves , under twobrothers, of 1500small towns and villages. _ Thechief towns are Rajghur and Nursinghur. The allegiance of thechiefs is divided between the S india and Holker families.—Mal~
colm, vol. i. p . 514.
1 80 named from the Scauds or Sondies, a mixed race of plunderers. This large district, which assumes Holkar
’
s colour in themap, and is, for themost part, nominal ly subject to him, includesthe circar of Mundissor. Gungraur and some other d istricts wereceded toHolkar by the treaty of Mundissor.
This is a pol itical , rather than a geographical subdivision,which we adopt as designating the Bolkar territory south ofOojein, in Malwah Proper, including part of the circar of Mandon.
[1 Dhar was formerly included in the Mandoo dis trict. The
state of Dhar now comprises the greater part of Mandoc .
11 The BhOpaul territory lies only in part within Malwah Proper, including part of Saurungpoor.
4“ Raisein (or Roy sain) was a distinct circar, containing thetowns of Bhilsah and Khemlassa. The latter is stated by Hamiltonto be in the Saugut district, which was for the most part includedinRaisein, butnowclaims to be distinguished as British territory.
r 3
S india.
}Sindia.S india. Holkar.
’
Holkar. Kotah Rajah.S india.S india. Dewass Rajah.Holkar.
The Puar Rajah .
Nabob of Bhopaul. [ deney.S india. Bhopaul . Bengal Pres iBengal Presidency.
238 IND IA.
13. NeemauL } Bolkar.
14. Rath. Petty chiefs.Banswarra and Doongurpoor15. Baugut .Rajahs.
Pertaubghur Rajah.
The town of Saugur, situated in latitude 23° 48'N.
,
longitude 78° 46’ E.
,ninety-two miles N. E . from
Bh0paul , and twenty- four miles E . S. E . of Seronje,was , with its district, obtained by cession from the
Peishwa in 1818, and has been made the head- quarters of a strong force required to over-awe this portionof Central India -
l Although situated in ' the heart of
the Pindarry country, i t exhibi ted, when tak en possession of by the British troops, every appearance of
an Opulent and flourishing ci ty, and may now be con.
sidered as the capi tal of Bri tish Malwah. Yet,although so near the frontier of Bundelcund, itwasbut li ttle known, and is hardly now to be found onourzmaps nor have we at present any description ofa place which has been mentioned, with Agra and
Meerut, among the ci ties that might wi th proprietycontend for the honour of being made the seat of a.fourth presidency for Central India.
Bundelcund, under the Mohammedan government,formed part of the three soubahs of Agra, Allahabad,and Malwah but it is now reckoned as a district ofAllahabad. I ts boundaries are, the Jumna on the
north ; on the west, the Chendaree district of Malwahon the east, Bhaugulcund ; and on the south
,Sangur
and Gondwan a. Extending from longitude 77° 48
' to81° 33
'E.
, and from lati tude”
24° 3’
t 26° 26’N.,
it comprises an area of 232 miles by 165, containing
The greater part of southern Neemaur consists of the ancientcircar of Beejaghur. The Dhar territory extends into it.. i See pagQW Of QuI seeoud volumefi nd voh iiL P J.
240 INDIA.
These statistical details, though compressed to the
utmost, and requisite to complete our survey of Hin
dostan, have probab ly been extended to a length unwelcome ' to the general reader. Partly forhis sake,and partly for our own, warned by our contractinglimits, as well as in ‘
some measure impelled by the
deficiency of materials equally precise and authentic,to change our plan, we shall confine our description of
the Deccan and the Peninsula to those places which
are of prominent interest and celebrity.’ ‘Much of its
topography has already been illustrated in the his
torical portion of our work and to pursue afresh the
routes of our armies,would
'
lead to much unnecessaryrepeti tion.
They are now, however, somuch exhausted, that fewadventurersare induced to incur the expense of digging for them ; but CaptainFranklin thinks , that a small capital might be well emp loyed inwork ing themines . One fourth of the produce goes tothe Pannarajah. Panna is also celebrated as containing the shrine of JySaheb, an impostor of the last century, who gave himse lf out as
the promised Imaum Mehedi. His followers, called Dhamians,are still tobe found in Punjaub , Gujerat, and other parts, but dQnotexceed l 5oo.—Trans. of Asiatic Society, vol. i. pp . 277, 280
242 INDIA.
pretty, the latter being well-wooded ; but that ofBombay appears very barren
,and has no timber upon
i t,except some cocoa-nut groves,which look extremely
awkward and disagreeablewhen seen in any numbers,and when not in termixed with other kinds of treesI entered Bombay wi th the impression that it was theseat of wealth, Splendour, fash ion, and extravagance ;but a stroll upon its esplanade removed the delusion.
I believe there are few English watering -places of thethird class, that could not produce a better eveningturn-out than this Scotch factory. Every thing hadan air of dinginess
,age, and economy, that seemed
miserably out of place beneath the ardent clime and
radian t skies of Asia. In traversing the town ofBombay, one sees nothing indicative of eastern magnificence . I ts streets are narrow and unpaved, andthe bu ildings are more like merchants’ ware- roomsthan dwelling-houses. The European parts of Caloutta consist of a succession of palaces , and Madrasabounds wi th elegan t structures but the best streetsin Bombay, I should suppose, scarcely
’
equal the
suburbs of its sister presidencies"E Bombay is
,upon
the whole, a very disappointing place . A man, on
arriving there, will find fewer of his Asiatic anti .
cipations real ized, than in either of the other capi talsand the simple fact of its being an island, and a very
The scene
'
in the annexed plate, is that part of the town of
Bombay called the Green ; an irregular area surrounded withthe church and various public buildings : those in front are theoffice of the Secretary to Government and the Supreme Courtor Sudder Adawlut. This v iewwas taken in 1811, atwhich periodthe area was always occupied during the dry season with balesof merchandise and stores. This , it seems, is no longer the
practice ; and a handsome monument to the Marquis Cornwallisnow occupies the centreofBombay Green, See Grindlay
’s Scenery .
partn.
INDIA. 243
'
small one, excites disagreeable . ideas of narrowness,confinement
,and want of scope, which depress the
energies of a stranger, uncertain about his fortunes,
and newly exiled to‘a foreign land.
”
This description may have received a tinge from
personal feeling. Bishop Heber, who had visited
Calcutta,thus speaks of Bombay. The island, as
well as most of those in its neighbourhood, is apparently li ttle more . than a cluster of small detached
rocks,which have been joined together by the gradual
progress of coral reefs,aided by sand , thrown up by
the sea,and covered .with the vegetable mould occa
sioned by the falling leaves of the sea- loving coco .The interior consists of a long but narrow tract oflow ground, which has e vidently been, in the firstinstance
,a salt lagoon
,gradually
.
filled up by theprogress which I have mentioned, and from whichthe high tides are still excluded, only by artificial em
Howison’s Foreign Scenes, vol . 11. pp . 5, 15, Mr. Forbesdoes not draw a much more favourable p icture. At his first residence in 1765, comfort, hospitality, ' and urbanity charac terizedthe settlement ; but some of the younger classes thought therewas rather too much subordination and economy. There was no
alternative between living with the greatest economy and con
tracting debts.”—Or. Mem . vol. i. p . 162. About twenty yearsafter, etiquette, ostentation, and formal ity had too general lysupplanted the urbanity, friendship , and conviviality of formertimes .
”15. vol. 111 p . 433. He found the population very much
increased , partly by emigrants and fugitives from other quarters ;the prices of provis ions almost doubled among thenatives, a greatincrease of crimes and punishments ; and complains that, to thec ivil ians, the Presidency offered neitherpleasure, profit, norusefulness.” I b. pp . 435—7. With regard to theEuropeans in Bombay ,
”says Mrs . Graham, the manners of the inhabitants of a.
foreign colony are, in general , sowell represented by those of acountry town at home, that it is hopeless toattempt making adescription of them very interesting . -The parties in Bombay arethe most dul l and uncomfortable meetings one can imagine.”Journal, pp . 27, 29.
J
‘244 INDIA.
bankments. This tract is a perfect marsh during therainy season, and in a state of high
’ rice c ultivation .
The higher ground ismere rock and sand,but covered
with coco and teddy-palms where they can grow.
There is scarcely any open or grass -land in the island,
except the esplanade before the fort, and the exercising
ground at Matoonga, which las t is the head4 pm1‘ters
of the artillery. The fort, or rather the fortifiedtown
, has many large and handsome houses, but few
European residen ts,being hot, close -built,wi th narrow
streets, projecting upper stories and rows, in the style
which is common all over this side of India, and of
which the old houses in Chester give a sufficientlymast idea.
‘
The Bombay houses are, externally, less beau tifulthan those of Cal cutta
,having no pillared verandahs,
and being disfigured by huge and high pitched roofsof red tiles. They are, generally speaking, however
,larger
,and on the whole better adapted tothe
climate . There are three governmen t residences inthe island of Bombay. The one within the walls ofthe fort
,though large and convenient
,is little used,
except for holding councils, public durbars, and;the
despatch of business. It is a spacious, d ismal - lookingbuilding, like many of the other large houses in Bomu
bay , looking like a stadthaus in a German free city.A tMalabar point
,about eight miles from this town, is
The houses within the fort are of a singular construction,and quite unlike any in th e East of India, being generally of threeor four stories high, with wooden verandahs , supported by woodenpil lars, projecting one above another : these pillars, as well as thefronts of the verandahs , are often very beautifully carved, but thestreets are sonarrow that it is imposs ib le tohave a cornp lete Viewof them .
” Mrs. Heber’s Journal . Lord Vaflentia says, that thisstyle has been adopted from the Portuguese, who commencedbuilding the town within the wal ls.
246 INDIA.
three miles~
to the town and ferry of Mahim. Thiswood is thickly inhabited by people of all religionsbut the Portuguese Christians , whoperfec tly resemblethe natives in dress and appearance, seem to be themos t numerous ; and the circums tance of there beinghere the ru ins of a college
,as well as a churchwith the
priests’ house attached to it, would prove i t to havebeen the principal settlement on the island . Thereare also several mosques and pagodas . The wood is so
intersec ted by roads and paths,wi th but few objects to
serve as landmarks, that a stranger would have much
difiiculty in finding his way out of the labyrinth oftrees and huts . The town of Mahim is ill -bui l t
,but
i t has a fort,a Roman Catholic church, and other mo
numents of former prosperity. The priests are for themost part educated at
The road from Malabar Point to the Fort,lies
along the beach of Back- bay , a dangerous bay formed by
the Point on one side,and by O ld Woman
’s Island, or
Coulaba, on which is the light- house , on the other .The shore is the general burial -place of all c lasses ofinhabitants . That of the Engl ish is walled in and
well kept : it is filledwi th pretty monuments, mos tlyof chunam
,and contains many an unread inscription .
Next to the British cemetery is that of the Portuguese ;after which follow those of the Armenians
,the Jews
,
and the Mohammedans,wi th that of the few Hindoos
who bury their dead. They are all overshadowed bya thick coco-nut wood and the ride among themonu
ments,p laced between the grove and the sea, would be
far from unpleasing, were it not that the tide con tinu
ally washes hi the 8011113 and bones of the Hindoos who
are bu rned on the beach at low water.
The Port of Bombay is said to be too large to be
INDIA. 247
defended, if ever a European enemy should effect a
landing on the island and no part of i t is bombproof. Besides which; the native houses wi thin the
walls are closely crowded together, very high , and
mostly built of wood .
“ The fort is dirty, hot, and dis .
agreeable, particularly the quarter near the bazar-gate,owing to the ru ins of houses which were burned downsome years ago, and have never been removed ; butnew buildings are
,in many places, rising on the ruins
of the old,
'
sothat the streets are become souneven as
to render i t disagreeable,if not dangerous
,to pass
through them. The most interesting object in the
fort is the dock -yard. Near the docks is the cast le,now used as an arsenal. The harbour is filled withvessels from al l
-
nations,andof all shapes the largest
and fines t of the foreigners are the Arabs The onlyEngl ish church is in the fort i t is large, but neitherwe ll served nor;well attended.1
' The Portuguese and
Armenian churches are numerous both wi thin and
wi thou t the walls ; and there are three or four syna
gogues, and mosques and temples innumerable. The
larges t pagoda in Bombay is in the Black Town,about amile and a half from the Fort i t is dedicatedto M amba D ecae or the Bombay goddess, who, by her
Towards the sea,” Lord Valentia says, Bombay is ex
tremely strong, and battery above battery coinpletely commandsthe harbour. To the land side, it b y nomeans offers the same re
sis tence but this is of little consequenc e, as, were an enemy oncelanded and capable of making regu lar approaches , the town mustsurrender. A bombardment wou ld lay the whole town in ashes ina few hours .
— Valentia, vol. ii . p . 160.
1 This writer v is ited Bombay in 1809. Mrs. Heber describes thechurch as handsome, and adds There is also a small temporarychapel at Matoonga and a church, which the Bishop consecrated,has recently been built in the island of Golabab, where there areconsiderable cantonments. There is l ikewise a Presby terian placeofworship within thejFort. - Heber, vol. iii. p. 128.
Q 2
248 IND IA.
image andattributes, seems to be Parvati, the wife ofSiva .
’”1“
W ithin a century, the population of Bombay hasincreased tenfold. In 1716, i t was estimated atsouls . In 1816
, the resul t of a census made by orderof Government, shewed the number of houses toamount to with about eight persons to each ;and the numbers of the resident population were as
followsBritish, notmilitaryD itto, military and marinePortuguese and ArmeniansJewsMohammedansHindoosParsees
Besides these, i t has been calculated, tha t the tem
porary sojourners and floating population of Bombay,amoun t toupwards ofThe Parsee inhabi tants, the descendan ts of the Per
s ian Guebres who fled from the persecution of ShahAbbas
,form a very rich , active, and loyal class of the
communi ty,contributing greatly to the prosperity of
the settlement. There is not a European house of
0 Graham’s (Mrs ) Residence in India, pp . 11—14. Lord Valch o
tia infers from the name of this local divinity, that Bomba wasthe origina l name of the is land, and not, as generall y supposed,formed from the Portuguese bom bah ia. It is muchmore likely.that the Hindoos have named their goddess from the island.
1 Hamilton, vol . ii . p . 159. Mrs . Graham estimates the Jews at
between 3 and 4000, and says, that they long passed in Bombay fOl’
a sect of Mohammedans. The Parsees she sets down at from 6 to
8000; while Lord Valentia, falling into an oppos ite error, representsc th em as forming the greater proportion of the inhabitants. Theyare, however, the chief proprietors . Hardly a houseor a foot ofland in the island belongs to any other class.
250 INDIA.
intelligent; far surpassing, as servants, eith
‘
er Mussulmauns or Hindoos. They mostly speak English withpropriety. In their persons, they are a handsome
race, fairer than the natives , though not possessing thec lear skin of the Europeans. In their manners
,they
are uniformly conciliatory and m ild. I confess,
”adds
his Lordship,that I infini tely prefer them to any
race of people in the East, subject to Bri tish control.They have numerous temples to Fire but theirpriests have no authori ty in temporal concerns
,nor
much spiri tual control . The beauty of the esplanade,
every morning and evening, is greatly heightened bythese votar ies of the sun
,who crowd there in their
whi te,flowing garments and coloured turbans, to hail
his ris ing, or to pay respect, by their humble prostrations
,to his parting rays. On this occasion, the
females donot appear, but they still go to the wells forwater, as did the wives of the ancient patriarchs .
“
The Guebre women,”sa
’
ys M rs . Graham, enjoymore freedom than other Oriental females
,but they
have not y et- thought of cultivating their minds.
Perhaps , this is owing, in great measure, to the early
marriages which they contract. By becoming the
property of their husbands in their infancy, they never
Valentia. 7 01. ii. p . 174. Mr. Howison describes the effect ofthe crowds of Parsees standing by the edge of the sea, and prayingaloud with uplifted hands , as very striking. The murmur oftheir voices is powerful and constant, and has a singular efi
'
ect
when heard amid the dashingof the waves. The devotees are mostnumerous during sunrise, when they line nearly the whole of th ebeach that skirts the explanade, and from the ir dress , attitudes, andoccupation , form an impressive spectacle. They stand with theirfaces directed towards the sun, and never foramoment turn from ittill they have ,
finished their religious duties, the performance of
which usually occup ies about a quarter of anhour.” Theirprayersare not repeated dis tinctly, but are muttered through the teethwith a kind of inarticulate noise, without Opening the UPS'
INDIA» 251
think of acquiring a further share of the ir affections.
This practice of marrying while children, may justly
be regarded as the greatest obstacle to both the mental
and moral improvement of the Parsees. The women
have a better character for chas ti ty, than for cleanli.
ness. The young girls are delicate and pleasing in
their persons , but, before twenty, they grow coarse and
masculine in a far greater degree than either the Hin
doos or the Mohammedans.With regard to the moral effect of their ancient and
singular superstition, a very competent and impartial
wi tness bears the following testimony ; which , thoughit exhibits them in a somewhat less pleas ing light
than they appeared to Lord Valentia, has the adv
tage of being drawn from longer observation.
It is not saying too much to aflirm, that,whetherfrom the ignorance of the priests and the little respectin which they are held, or from whatever other cause,their religion seems to have very little influence of anykind
, except of a social and political nature, arisingfrom the connexion of cas te . If we may judge from
their prac tice,it has but l ittle connexion wi th morals
at all. It is a rel igion of ceremonies and of prayersf;a nd the prayers, being in an unknown language, andthei r meaning unknown to those who repeat them,
cannot be supposed to have much influence on the
conduct of life. Their priests are generally not onlydisliked, but despised : they are for the most partpoor, except a few whoengage in trade
,which all of
them may do . .The Parsees may have some respectfor the Opinion in which they are held by one anotherthey have li ttle regard for the opinions of any out oftheir caste, and appear totally insensible to any of theremoter sanctions of religion . They are bold
,active
,
enterprising, intelligent, persevering in the pursuit of
252 INDIA.
wealth , and successful in i t. On the other hand,when they have power, they are tyrannical and re
gardless of the feelings and rights of others . They
put novalue on truth, and among themselves are not
the ‘ less valued for lying or falsehood, which , they
regard as very good worldly wisdom. Hence they
exhibi t noshame when detected in fraud or deceit :it is onl y the fate of war. They are
, however, no
n iggards of thei r wealth, which they habitually spend
lavishl y"
in ministering to their fancies, their vices,and especially their voluptuousness ; and sometimesgenerously in assisting each other. Their great ex
penses are at the marriages of their children, when,in imi tation of the Hindoos , they frequent ly throwaway large sums in idl e show. Thei r dwelling-housesare
.
ill laid out, in small,confined apartments, wretch
edly furnished, and very dirty. They generally ex
b ibi t men,women, and children , master, mistress, and
'
servant, lying about, stretched on the ' floor in all
quarters ; some as leep,others lounging . In them
,
they seem never to make any attempts at elegance,or even neatness . Their merry-making houses are
generally a litt le way in the country, at a distancefrom the dwelling-houses ; and are often handsomelyfurnished with lamps and lustres, in imi tation of
English houses . To these, the men resort to dineand to indulge in wme . On such occasions, unlike
’
theother natives of India, they generally im itate the
Europeans in the disposition of their table, and in
their whole arrangements . They are apt, however,to drink more deeply than our manners perm i t .“
The richer Parsees are fond of having many, ratherthan fine equipages ; and used to delight in having
Niebuhr, speaking of the Parsees) says : I ls n’osent boire m
‘
0373; m: l iqueurs firms ! ”
2521 INDIA;
The territorial possessions under the jurisdictionof the Bombay Pres idency, are small
,compared with
those of Bengal and Madras ; they consis ted , till lately,of the districts of Kairah
, Surat, and Baroach,and
the other Bri tish terri tories in Gujerat, Cutch, and
the Concan . But to these may be added the wholeof the Poonah dominions , wh ich are now under thesupremacy and control of the Bombay Government .In 1811 , the number of civil servants on the establish .
men t was 74 ; which had increased , in 1818, to 106 .
TheBombay regular army of all descriptions amountedto about men, chiefly Mahrattas ,
; the officers‘to 660. Bombay is situated in lat. 18° 56’N.
,long .
72°57
' E. The travel ling distance fromCalcu tta is1300miles, or, as the messengers now travel, between
1100 and 1200, which they perform in twenty days :from D elhi, 965 ; from Surat, 177 from Poonah, 98from Hyderabad, 460; from Seringapatam 620; and
from Madras,
SALSETTE.
SEPARATED from the island of Bombay by a narrow
strai t, across which a narrow causey has been made,
is the larger one of Salsette, by the natives calledJbalta or Shaster. I ts extent is about eighteen milesby thirteen . I ts soil iswell adapted for the cul tivationof indigo
,sugar, cotton, flax, and hemp ; but by far
the greater part of it remains in a desolate,.
unculti.
y ated state,and almos t wholly covered with jungle,
though in the vicinity of sodear a market as Bombay.Yet the numerous ruins of handsome churches and
houses remaining from the old Portuguese settlements,
Hamilton, vol. 11. pp. 165-49.
INDIA. 255
prove that the accounts of its once”
flourishing aspect,given by Fryer andDella Valle, are not exaggerations.The original r uin of the island ensued on its conques tfrom the Portuguese by the Mahrattas, about 1750.
But i t has now been in our possession upwards of
thirty years , and its neglected state reflects great disgrace on the Company’s government . The presentpopulation of the island
,who are chiefly employed in
fishing,amounts to The onl y two towns are,
Tannah , a neat and flourishing place with a smallfort, several Portuguese churches, and a considerableBri tish cantonment ; and Gorabunder, which is notmuch better than a poor village. The cottages of thepeasantry in Salsette, display a degree of poverty andrudeness which Bishop Heber had seen equalled only
among the Bheels . Notwi thstanding its vicini tyto the seat of government,
” he says,
no small proportion of its inhabitants are at this day in a state aswild as the wildest Bheels, and their customs and
manners are as little known as those of the Goondsin Central India. These are the burners of charcoal
,
an occupation exercised by a peculiar caste, whodwell
entirely in the woods, have neither intermarriage norintercourse wi th the Hindoo inhabitants of the p lain,and bring down their loads of charcoal to particular
spots,whence i t is carried away by these latter
,who
depos i t in its place a payment, settled by custom,of
rice, clothing, and iron tools .”
Salsette seems a spot,” remarks Bishop Heber, where, aboveall others , European colonization would be most harmless {andbeneficial . It has , however, been attempted in two instances only,and , to be successful , seems to require a more advantageous andpermanent tenure than the Company have y et been induced to
grant of their lands, and perhaps , a freer trade in sugar than the
present colonial systemofEngland al lows to her eastern empire.Heber, vol. iii. p. 89.
256 IND IA.
About fifteen miles from Gorabunder,
”continues
this p leas ing writer, on the main land,is the city
of Bassein , once a celebrated colony of the Portu
guese, taken from them by the Mahrattas, and lost
by them to the English .. It is of cons iderable size
,
and surrounded wi th a regular rampart and bas tions,but without a glacis, which, from the marshy natureof the country, was , perhaps, thought needl ess. Thereis a small guard stationed in one of the gates , underan English conductor of ordnance, and the place is
kept locked up , but is wi thin, perfec tly uninhabi ted,containing nothing but a single small pagoda in goodrepai r
,and a melancholy display of r uined houses and
churches . Of the latter, there are nofewer than seven,
some of considerable size,but all of mean architecture
,
though they are strik ing from the lofty proportionsusual in Roman Catho lic places of worship
, and fromthe s ingulari ty of Christian and European ruins inIndia. In this place and in Salsette, the Portuguesechurches are in a pa l try style enough, of Grecianmixed with Gothic. In Bassein, they have tower
steeples wi thout spires ; in Salsette, the small archedpediment to hang the bell , which is usual in Wales .
Their roofs, when they remain, are very steep and
covered wi th tiles ; and one of those in Bassein,which
appears to have belonged to a house of Jesuits, has theremains of a handsome coved ceiling of teak, carved and
gilded. They are melancholy objects to look at,but
they are monuments, nevertheless, of departed great
ness,and of a zeal for God, which , i f not according to
knowledge, was a zeal still,
and sincere. It waspainful to me to think , how few relics, if the English
were now expelled from India, wou ld be left behind,of their rel igion, their power, or their civil and mi li
tary magnificence. Yet, on this side of India, there is
2 58 INDIA.
r aised in the atti tude of benediction ; and the screen
which separates the vestibule from the temple, is
covered, immediately above the dodo, with a row ofmale and female figures , carved wi th considerable spi.
rit,and apparently represen ting dancers . In the cen
tre is a large door, and, above i t, three windows con
tained in a semicircular arch ; solike those which are
seen over the entrance of Ital ian churches, that I fullysupposed them to be an addi tion to the original plan.by the Portuguese, (whoare said, I know not on what
81'
011nd,to have used this cave as a church,) till I
found a similar and still more s trik ing window of thesame kind in the great cave of Carlee. Within, theapartment is
,I should conceive , fifty feet long by
.twenty an oblong square terminated by a semic ircle, and surrounded
,on every side but that of the
entrance, with a colonnade of Octagonal pillars. Ofthese, the twelveon each side neares t the entrance, are
ornamented with carved bases and capi tals in the styleusual in Indian temples the rest areunfini shed . In the
centre of the semicircle,and with a free walk all round,
is a mass of rock left solid, but carved externally likea dome, soas to bear a strong general likeness to ourSaviour’s sepul chre as it is now chiseled away and en .
c losed in St. Helens’s church at Jerusalemcr On the
'
top of the dome is a spreadingornament like the capi!tal of a column
, apparently intended to support some
The following are given by Mr. Forbes as the exactdimens ionsof the principal cave at Salsette,wh ich the Bishop appears to havegreatly under-rated length of the interior, ninety-one feet sixinches ; breadth, thirty-e ight feet. Depth of the portico, twelvefeet. Length of the whole temple, portico, and area leading toit,142 feet, 2 inches — Forbes, vol . i. p . 426.
i Compared by Dr. E. D. Clarke to a huge pepper -box.
”
Thepretended sepu lchre is norock, but a structure of marble, havmgnopretensions to its sacred character.
mom.’259
thing ; and I was afterwards told at Carlee, wheresuch an ornamen t, but of greater size, is also found,that a large gi l t umbrella used to spring from it . Thissolid dome appears to be the usual symbol of Buddhistadoration, and, with its umbrel la ornament
,may be
t raced in the Shoo-madoc of Pegu, and other moreremote structures of the same fai th)“ Theceiling of
th is cave is arched (coved) semicircularly, and orna
mented, in a very singular manner,with s lender ribs of
teak wood, of the same curve with the roof, and dis.
posed as if supporting it which , however, i t does not
require. Their use may have been, to hang lamps orflowers from in solemn rejoicings . They cannot bevery old On one of the pi llars of the portico is aninscripti on -in a character different both from the
Nagree and the popularwrunn ing hand which prevails
with the Mahrattas .
”
1The innumerable caves formed in every part of thehill , are square and flat- roofed . The whole appear.
ance of this excavated mountain,”
says Mr. Forbes,3“indicates i t to have had a c ity hewn in its rocky
s ides, capable of containing many thou sand inhabita
ants the largest templewas doubtless their principalplace of worship
”
: It is not only the numerouscaves
,
”says Lord Valentia, that give an idea of
what the population of this barren rock must once
This cupolaf covered monument, which is found in al l the
Boodhic temples, is called the da-geb or da-
gop , i e. bone-container,and is supposed to contain some hallowed
, partic le of the bones ofBoodh ,
'
or other sacred relic. See As. Res , vol . vii. p . 423 . Born.
bay Trans , vol. iii . p . 508. The Bishop has fallen into a commonmistake, in fancying that it has any connexion with the infamousemblem of Mahadeo.Heber, vol. iii. pp . 92—95.
1 Forbes, vol. 1. p. 426. Fryer calls it the anciently famed, butnow ruined city of Canorein.
”
260 INDIA.
have been,but the tanks , the terraces, and the flightsof steps which lead from one part to another. Yet
now,not a human footstep is to be heard
, exceptwhen the curios ity of a traveller leads him to pay a
hasty visit to the ruined habitations of those whosevery name has passed away, and whose cultivatedfields are become an almost impassable jungle, the
haunt of tigers and the seat of pestilence and desola
Cave- temples of the same kind as those ofKennery ,but smaller and less interesting, are found at Mom
pezier (Mont Pesier) and Ambowlee (Ambola), twovillages on the road to Bombay. The latter is an ex
tens ive excavation, consisting of a number . of square,flat- roofed chambers, running N. and S . through a
small hill : they are dark, damp, and in a state ofdecay , but appeared, when visited by Lord Valentia,to have been recently appropriated to Brahminical
ri tes -
r At Mont Pesier are ru ins of a very handsomechurch and Jesu i t monas tery.At the north-western extremity of the island of
Salsette, near the small fort of ’Dharavee, there havelately been discovered some basaltic columns. The
side of the hill on which they are found, faces the
little bay to the eastward of the fort : its height isabout 400 feet. There are five or six distinct c lustersof these columns, all of them near the sea. The height
5 Valentia, vol . ii. p . 184. A curious tradition is mentioned byM . Anquétil du Perron, as having been recorded by a PortugueseJesuit in his History of the Ind ies ; that the whole of th esecaves were the work of a GentooKing, some thousand years ago,tosecure his only son from the attempts of another nation togainh im over totheir religion.
”
1 Valentia, vol . ii . p . Anquétil du Perron has describedthis excavation, in his Introduction to the Zend Avesta, under thename of Djegueseri.
262 INDIA.
sacred caves. It is‘
composed, like that of Bombay,of twolong hills , with a narrow valley between them,
and is between three and four miles in circumference.
The stone elephant from which the Portug uese name
of the island is derived, stands in a field about a quarter of a mile to the right of the usual landing -place,towards the south : i t is about three times as big aslife, rudely sculptured out of an insulated black rock
,
and very much dilapidated . The animal on its back,Supposed to be a tiger
,has nolonger any distinguish
able shape .*
From the landing-place,a steep and . narrow path
winds up the hill , through woods, and on the brink.of precipices. About half a mile up is the first cave,a sort of portico supported by two pillars and two
pilas ters,and seemingly intended for the entrance to
a rock temple which has not been proweded wi th . Aquarter of a mile further, and two- thirds of the ascentup the higher of the twohills, is the great cave , in a
magnificent s i tuation ,and deserving, Bishop Heber
adds, all the praise which has been lavished on i t .Together with the adjoining chambers, the grand
temple is 220 feet long by 150 broad, exceeding in
these dimensions the largest work at Salsette, but ofvery inferior height . Notwi thstanding its numerous
and richer decorations,”says Mr . Forbes, the spec
tator is continually reminded of being in a cave. AtSalsette, the lofty .concave roof and noble co lumns
have a majestic appearance ; y et, the observer feels
more surprise and admiration at the E lephanta. He
beholds four rows of massive columns , cut out of the
solid rock, soas to form three magnificent avenues to
i ‘ In Sep t. 1814, the head and neck of the elephant droppedoff, and the body has since sunk in such amanner as tothreaten
its fall.” -Hamilton, vol. ii. p . 174.
INDIA.
“
263
’the grand idol,which term inates themiddle vista'
; the
general effect being heightened by the blueness of thelight, or rather gloom pecu liar to the situation. The
central image is composed of three colossal heads,reaching nearly from the floor to the roof
,a height of
fifteen feet .” Mr. Forbes proceeds to describe the
tri - fronted deity, according to the prevailing idea, thati t is a representation of the Trimurti, or what hasbeen mos t improperly called the Hindoo trinity
,
Brahma,Vishnoo, and Seeva.
’ But more recent dis.
coveries have ascertained,”says Bishop Heber
,that
Siva himself,to whose worship and adventures most
of the other ornaments of the cave refer, is sometimesrepresented with three faces ; so that the temple isevidently one to the popular deity of the modernHindoos alone. Nor could I help remarking, that thesty le of ornament and proportions of the pillars , thedres s of the figures
,and al l the other circumstances of
the place,are such as may be seen at this day in every
temple of Central India, and among all those Indiannati ons where the fashions of the Mussulmans have
This idea seems tohave been first suggested by Niebuhr, whosays, that the figure devra rep résenter Brama, Vistnu, etMadeo,
bu quelque autre d iv inité a l’honneur de laquelle on ait bati cetemple » -Deux de ces grandes physionom ies ont une m ine fortserieuse ; la troisieme paroit sourire aun serpent ceque le bustetient dans les deux mains gauches , c
’est cc qu’il n’y a plus moyen
dejconnoitre .
”—Mr. Goldingham improves upon this conjecture,by representing the bust as a personification of the three grandHindoo attributes ” of the Supreme Being —As. Res . vol. iv . p . 431.
Lord Valentia goes still further, and fancies that Brahma’scountenance admirably expresses the undisturbed composure of
the creator of the world ,” while Vishnoo’s has every feature of
benevolence, and Seva’s has a ghastly and dire scowl.” The
fact is, that Seva is usually represented with five faces and fourarms. Three faces only could , obviously, be presedted to the worshipper. From the fol lowing description, itwil l be seen that Brah.ma and Vishnoooccupy the back-
ground in the sculptures.
.INDIA.
made‘
but little progress . Those travellers'
who
fancied the contrary, had seen little of India butBombay.Of the three faces, the middle one (about four
feet in bread th) is presented ful l , and expresses a dignified -composure ; the head and neck are sp lendidlycovered wi th ornaments. The face on the left is inprofile, and the head-dress rich ; in one of the handsis a flower ( lotus) , in the other a frui t resembling
'
a
pomegranate ; a ring like that worn by the Hindoosat present, is 011 one of the wrists the express ion of
the countenance is by nomeans unpleasant . D ifi'
erent
is the head on the right, which is also in profile the
forehead projec ts ; the ey e stares ; snakes supply the
place of hair,and the
'
representation of a human
scull is conspicuous on the covering of the head ;one hand grasps a monstrous hooded snake, the othera smaller and the whole is calculated to strike terrorin to the beholder. Each side of the niche is supportedby a gigantic figure leaning on a dwarf.A n iche of considerable size and crowded with
figures, 18 seen on each side the former. In themiddleof the n iche on the right, stands a gigan tic femalefigu re with but one breast . This figure has four arms
the foremost right-hand is lean ing on the head of a
bull ; the other grasps a cobra- di- cap ello while a cir
onlar shield is in the inner left-hand. The head is
richly ornamented. On the right, stands a male figurebearing a pronged instrument resembling a trident ;on the left, is a female holding a sceptre ; near theprincipal, is a youth on an elephan t ; above this, is a
figure wi th four head s, supported by swans and geese ;and oppos ite, is a male figurewith four arms
,moun ted
on the shoulders of another, having a sceptre in one
of the hands . At the top of the niche, small figures
266 IND IA .
"
ward. Several smaller figures compose this groupe.Opposite to it is another niche
,inclos ing a figure that
forcibly arrests the attention. It is a gigantic halflength of a male with eight arms ; round one of theleft arms is a belt composed of human heads ; a righthand grasps a sword uplifted to sever a figure seem
ingly kneel ing on a block held in the correspondingleft hand ; a cobra -di- cap ello rises under one arm ;
among the singular decorations of the head, is observeda human scull ; above are several small figures reprosented in distress and pain. Many of the figures are
mutilated,as is the principal
,whose aspect exhibi ts a
great degree of unrelenting fiercenessfi“
Crossing to the other side of the cave,near one of
the small rooms,are other figures sitting A niche
filled wi th figures greatly defaced, is observed on eachside of the entrance. On the left side, and half-wayup the cave, is an apartment about thirty fee t square,enclosing Siva
’s emblem . There is an entrance on
the four s ides, and each s ide of every one of the
entrances is supported by a figure seventeen feet inheight, ornamented in a different style . There are
compartments on both sides, separated from the greatcave by large fragmen ts of rock and loose earth, heretofore
,probably
,a part of the roof. That on the right
is spacious, and contains several pieces of sculpture :
the mos t remarkable is a large figure, the body human,the head that of an elephant .1 The compartment on
This terrific figure, Niebuhr tells us, has been sagac iously interpreted by the older travellers, as representing the Judgement ofSolomon ! He was told by a native, that it is intended for the
tyrant Kauns (Cansa ) whokilled an infinite number of ch ildren,which is represented by the chain ofheads. Mr. Goldinn sup
poses it tobe Siva.
TNoone can mistake this figure for any other than Ganesa , theHindoo god ptwisdom.
IND IA. 267
the~
other side contains, among other sculptures, a
similar figure. A deep cavi ty in the rock here con
tains excellent water, which is always cool.”
We shall close thi s description (waving any comman‘
s
of our own in this place) with Bishop Heber’s sensible
remarks on the probable date of the excavation.
The rock out of which the temple is carved, is by
nomeans calculated to resist, for any great length oftime, the ravages of the weather. It evident ly sufi
’
ers
much from the annual rains ; a great number of thepi llars (nearly one- third of the whole) have beenunderm ined by the accumul ation of water in the
cavern ; and the capi tals of some, and part of the shaftsof others , remain suspended from the top like hugestalactites , the bases having completely moulderedaway. .These ravages are said to have greatly increasedin the memory of persons now resident in Bombay
,
t hough , for many years back,the cave has been pro
tected from wan ton depredation,and though the
sculptures, rather than the pillars, would probab lyhave suffered from that vu lgar love of knick -knacksand specimens which prevails among the English,more than most nations of the world.
A s imilar rapidity of decompos ition has occurredin the elephant already spoken of, which, whenNiebuhr saw i t
,was
,by his account, far more perfec t
than i t now is . But if thirty or forty y ears can have
As. Res. vol . iv. pp . 424—433. Niebuhr’s description, whichLord Valentia praises for its accuracy, is not intelligible withoutp lates. See also Forbes, vol . i. pp . 421—434. The latterwriterstates , that in one of the side chambers of the great temple, are twobaths, one of them elegantly finished . The front of this chamberis Open, and
“ the roof and cornice are painted inmosaic patterns.”
Some of the colours were still bright. The principal cave, accord ing toBishop Heber, is in the form of a cross, and resemblesthe planof an ancient basilica.
268 INDIA .
produced such changes in this celebrated temple, i t ishardly reasonable to suppose that any part of i t is so
old as is sometimes apprehended . It has been urged,as a ground for this opinion , that the Hindoos ofthe present day pay no reverence to thi s temple or itsimages . This is not altogether true, since I myselfnoticed very recent marks of red paint on one of the
lingams , and flowers are notoriously offered up hereby the people of the island. It is
,however
,certainly
not a famous place among the Hindoos . Nopilgrimscome hither from a distance
,nor are there any Brah
mins stationary at the shrine. But this proves nothing as to its antiquity
,inasmuch as the celebri ty of
a p lace of worship,wi th them
,depends on many cir
cumstances qui te distinct from the s ize and majesty ofthe building. I ts founder may have died before hehad comp leted his work, in which case nobody would
goon wi th i t. He may have fai led in conciliating theBrahmins '
or, supposing i t once to have been a place
of eminence, (which is a mere gratis assumption, sincewe have neither inscription, history, or legend to
guide us,) i t is imposs ible to say , when or how i t may .
have been desecrated,whether by the first Mus sul a
'
man invaders,or by the Portuguese in the sixteenth
century.,From the supposed neglect of the natives
,
therefore, nothing can be concluded, inasmuch as ,
from the exact similarity of mythology between thesesculptures and the idols of the present day , it is plainthat this neglect does not arise from any change of
customs . It has been urged, that the s izeand majestyof the excavation compel us to suppose that i t musthave been made by some powerfu l Hindoo sovereign,and
,consequently, before the first Mussulman in .
vasion . This would be no very appall ing antiquitybut even for this, there is no certain ground. The
270 INDIA .
intended, like those at Kennery , for the lodging ofmonks or hermits. The temple itself is on the same
general plan as that of Kennery , but half as largeagain, and far finer and richer. It is approached by
a steep and narrow path winding up the side of thehi ll
, among trees and brushwood, and fragments ofrock . This brought us to a mean and ruinous temp leof Siva, which serves as a sort of gateway to the cave ;a similar small building stands on the right hand of
its portico. We,were immediately surrounded by
some naked and idle Brahmin boys,who
,wi th an old
woman of the same caste, called themselves the keepersof the sanctuary, and offered their services to shew itswonders and tell its history . I asked them,
whowas
its founder,and they answered, King Pandoo who
is, indeed, as Mr . Elphinstone afterwards told me, the
reputed architect of all these cave- temples,and in
general,like our Arthur, of all ancient monuments
whose real history is unknown. King Pandoo and
his four brethren are the principal heroes of the cele.
brated Hindoo romance of the Mahabharat ; and the
apparent identity of his name wi th that of thePandion’ of whose territories in India the Greeksheard so much, is . too remarkable to be passed nu.
'
noticed.
The approach to the temple is, like that at
Kennery , under a noble arch,filled up with a sort ofportico screen
,in two stories of three intercolumnia
t ions below,and five above . In the front
,but a little
to the left,is the same kind of pillar as is seen at
Kennery , though of larger dimens ions, surmountedby three lions back to back . Within the portico, to
the right and left, are three colossal figures, in altorelievo
,of elephants
,their faces looking towards the
person who arrives in the portico, and their heads,
INDIA. 27 1
tasks, and trunks very boldly projecting fromthe
wall. On each of them is a mohout very well carved,
and a howdah with’
twopersons seated in'
it. The
in ternal screen,‘
on each side of the door,is covered,as at Kennery , wi th alto- relievos
,very bold
,and
somewhat larger than life, of naked male and femalefigures. I asked our young gu ides,
what deities theserepresented, and was surprised to hear from them
'
1n
answer . These are not Gods ; one God 1s sufiicientf;these are vimgees
’
(religious enthusiasts or attendantson the deity) . On asking, however, if their god wasthe same whom they worshipped in the little templebefore the steps
,and if he were Maha D eo
,they an
swered in the affirmative ; sothat their deism merelyextended to paying worship
'
to a single“ idol only.
There is, certainly, however, no image either of
Buddh or any other mythological personage aboutthis cavern, nor any visible object of devotion, exceptthe mystic ohattah or umbrella, already menti oned at
Kennery .
The details of the cave'
within, having beenalready more than once published, and as
,in its
general arrangement, i t closely answers toKennery ,I wil l onl y observe
,that both in dimensions and exe
cution, i t is much nobler and more elaborate ; and
that the capitals of the columns (all of them at leastwhich are not hidden by the cha ttah at the east end)are very singular and beautiful. Each consists
'
of a
large cap, l ike a bell , finely carved, and surmountedby two elephants wi th their trunk s entwined
, and
each carrying twomal e and one female figure,which
our guides again told us were viragees . The timberribs which decorate the roof, whatever their use mayhave been
,are very perfect
,and have a good effect
in the perspective of the interior, which is al l ex
272 IND IA.
tremely clean and in good repair, and would be, infact
,a very noble temp le for any religion . On one
side, an old and faded dhoolie,with tattered and dirty
curtains , fringes , and other marks of ancient splendour
,was suspended. Our guides said, i t was the
god’s palanquin, and was carried out on solemn occasions . I saw nothing {in i t now, and there was no
image which could be put into it, so that I supposei t performs its procession empty. On asking where
their deo’was
,they pointed tosome red paint on the
front of theThe line 05 caves extends about 150 yards to the
north of the great one. They are all fiat-roofed and
square. In the las t is a figu re of Boodh, and in
another is an inscription. They ev idently , Lord
POONAH.
POONAH, which the Bishop reached the next day ,contains nothing remarkable, being a modern city
,
and far from hands ome. It stands in the centre of avery extensive and bare plain, about 2000 feet above
7 Heber, vol. iii. pp. 110—113. The length of the whole excavation, Lord Valentia says, is 126 feet ; the breadth, 46 feet. Thereare tWenty -one pillars on each side. The inscriptions are h umrous in different parts , all in the same {unknown characterwhich is found at the Seven Pagodas. Opposite to the pillar inthe vestibule, therewas formerly another, whichhad beenremovedabout forty years before, tomake room forthe ins ignificant templeof Bowannie (Bhavani ),which nowoccupies its p lace. The Peishwahad settled a revenue on this pagoda, wh ich was served by a regular estab lishment of Brahmins , while the splendid abode of
Boodh was completely neglected.
”—Valentia, vol . ii. pp . 148—150.
See also Graham’s Journal , pp . 64, 5, where a plate is given, tepra~
senting the interior of the temple. What Bishop Heber calls thechatta h, is the
'
dagop surmounted by aM ath : it is the formerwh ich is the object ofworship.
274 INDIA.
with high thick wal ls, and
'
four large towers, and
hav ing only -one entrance through a high'
pointed arch.
The British cantonment is on an elevated si tuation , a.
l ittle to the west of the ci ty, and reminded the Bishop,in its general appearance, ofNusseerabad. The streets
are wide, and the whole encampment handsome. The
church is spacious and convenien t, but in bad taste ,and is rendered still uglier by being externally coveredwith a dingy b lue wash picked out with whi te . Thereis a good:station - library for the soldiers , and another,supported by subscription, for the officers and regimen tal schools . i“ The Bishop was assured, thatPoonah, though of no great apparent size, still con.
tains people. It stands in lat. 18° 30’ Nlong. 74° 2
'
E .
At the village of Chinchore, about ten miles N.N.W.
of Poonah (on the road from the coas t), Mrs . Grahamsaw (in 1809) what, on that side of Thibet, she says
,
she little expec ted to meet with ; a live god, the deoof
Chinchore, whowas believed to be nothing less thanGanesa or Gunputty himself, incarnate in the personof a boy of twelve years old, the eighth of his familythat had been honoured as the vehicle of the deity.
The legitinmcy of this eighth avatar was , however,very questionable. The last deohad died childless
,in
fulfilment of a cursewhich his godship had drawn uponhimself by disturbing the grave of his ancestor. The
imposture shouldg
have ended here,” remarks Captain
Sykes , (to whomwe are indebted for a history of the“
s Near the Sungum (as the Residency is called from being nearthe j unctwn of the Moc lla and Mootha) are some small excavations , which Mrs . Graham says, she should have admired, had she
not seen those of Carlee and Elephants. They are belowthe pdain,and are entered through a natural cleft in a 1OW rock : they appearnever to have been finished - Graham, p. 78.
INDIA : 27 5
whole worthless dynasty,) but the Brahmins, with
a laudable determination to preserve the valuable bea
quests tothe temple, and not wi thout further hopes ofprofiting by the credulity of the pious, have en
deavoured to persuade the public, that the god is
satisfied to continue the incarnation for some time
longer ; and they have set up a boy of the.
name of
Suckharee, a distant relative of Dhurmedhur (the last
deo) . The god will wan t neither votaries nor cham
pions,as long as his friends will admit of his continu
ing the practice of giving a dinner toa limited numberof Brahmins once amonth
,and annual entertainments
(on twodifferent days) tolunl imited numbers.”
The deo’s palace, or bard , is an enormous pile ofbui lding, without any kind of elegance, near the
river Mootha, on which the town stands . A s we
entered the court,
” proceeds Mrs. Graham,we
saw a number of persons engaged in the honourable
and holy office'
of mixing the sacred cow-dung to be
spread on the floors of the (mm . The whole palace
looked dirty, and every window was crowded withsleek, well-fed Brahmins, who, doubtless, take greatcare of the deo’s revenues . We found his li ttle godship 1 seated in a mean vi randa, on a lowwooden seat,not any way distinguished from other children , butby an anxious wildness of the eyes, said to be occasioned by thequantity of Op ium which he is daily
Bombay Trans. vol . iii. pp . 71, 2. See also Valentia’s Travels,vol . ii. pp . 138—143.
1 Lord Valentia was introduced, in 1805, to his godship’s predea
cessor, whoapplied toa med ical gentleman of the English party,for his profess ional aid, being afflicted with very weak eyes ; infact, a film had grown over them. The Brahmins told h is Lordship , that they worshipped the den, but that he worshipped Gun
putty ,—his other self. This Brahminical imposture was supposedtohave been of some use in saving the country from being plundered during Holkar
’
s invasion.—Valentia, vol. ii. pp. 144—6.
276 INDIA.
made toswallow. He,is '
not allowed to play wi thother boys, nor is he permitted to speak any languagebut Sanscrit, that he may not , converse wi th anybut the Brahmins. He received us very politely ;said,he was always pleased to see English people and
after some conversation,which a Brahmin interpreted
,
we took leave,and were presented by his divine hand
with almonds and sugar-candy perfumed wi th asa
foetida ; and he received, in return, a handful ofrupees.From the bara, we went to the tombs of the
former deos , which are somany small temples enclosed .
in a well-paved court plan ted round with trees , and
communicating with the river by a handsome flight ofsteps . Here was going on all the business of worship.In one place were women pouring oil, water, and
milk over the figures of the gods in another, childrendecking themselves with flowers ; here, devotees and
pi lgrims performing their ab lutions ; and there, pries ts .
chanting porti ons of the vedas ; y et, all going on in a
manner thatmight beseem the inhabitants of the Castleof Indolence .
”
This lamentable instance of degrading superstitionand irnposture, is of a harmless and venial character,compared with the atrocious practices Lwhich formerlyattended the celebration of the great festival of , the '
dussemh at Poonah, by a tribe of Brahm ins called
Kuradee. Towards the close of the feast, i t was their
custom to sacrifice to the infernal goddesses (sactis ),whoare supposed to delight in human blood, a youngBrahmin ; and not unfrequently, the victimwas nearlyconnected wi th the person by whom he was sacrificed.
At other times, he was a stranger whom the, mas ter
Graham’s Journal, pp. 70—72.
278 IND IA.
of India, -the Caves of Ellora. The road fromPoonah lies to Seroor, formerly the head-quartersof the . subsidiary force and thence , through an
Poonah 83 miles .
Thi s city, in the sixteenth century the capital of theN izam Shakes sovereignty, is s ituated in an extensiveplain covered with plan tations offrui t- trees , andwateredby the river Soona, the waters of which are distributedover it bymeans of aqueducts composed of hard cement .Many of these are now choked up, but they serve toshew the once flourishing state of this immense
garden.
” The fort, one of the few in India that hasno natural advantages, is a mi le in circumference,bui l t of stone
,with a ditch forty yards broad and
sixteen feet deep. It contains several interestingruins of Moorish architecture, but they are crumblingto dust. The breach made by Sir Arthur Wel
lesley is still partly open, but not practicable, as theplace surrendered to him after the storming of the
Ten years have scarcely elapsed,” Mr. Howison writes in1825, since the cantonment at Seroor contained 9000 troops and
natives. A hundred of the former, and a twelfth part of thelatter, are all that now remain ; and the innumerable buildings cccup ied by its former population, have already become a mass of
ruins, among which the benighted traveller would seek in vain fora roof toprotect him from the storm, or a shed toshelterhis horse.The local features of Seroot mark it out as an admirable stationfor a large force. It abounds in strong pos itions, is well suppliedwith water, and enjoys a del ightful and heal thy c l imate. The
country, however, is miserably barren.
”—Howison, vol . ii. p. 152.
At Seroor is the tomb of Colonel Wal lace, who d ied in command
of the cantonment, and was somuch beloved by the natives , thatthey honoured him with an apotheos is , and dailyperform religiousrites at his mausoleum, where an officiating pries t attends , and
sometimes keeps a lamp burning during great part of the night.His apparition is believed towalk round the lines at midnight:and the SGPOYsentries present arms .
at the,
time it un expected to
paSSO- ‘ I boP0 1769
IND I A . 279
p ettah. The interior has become nearly a
'
heap of
7
From Ahmednuggur, the route lies up the Nim
bedura Ghaut to Wamporah , and thence to Toka, —a
neat, clean little town on the left bank of the Godavery ,
and a m ilitary post, forming part of the chain of
communication extending from Bombay, by Ahmed
nuggur, to Jaulnah and Nagpoor . It is twenty- sevenmiles S .W . of Aurungabad, which will claim a moredetailed description.
AURUNGABAD.
a s capital, the favourite residence of Aurungzebe,
whose name i t bears, is still an extensive c i ty, though
greatly fallen off from its former grandeur. It iswithin the territories of the Nizam, the sovereign ofHyderabad
, (in lat. 19° long. 75°33
’186 miles
from Poonah,and 295 from Hyderabad,) and is the
station of a British political agent, being the head.
quarters of a battalion of the Nizam’s army under
European officers and British control . At a dis .
tance,
”says Captain Seely
, (whogives the most distinct description of the place,) the view of Aurungabad has an imposing effect - lofty minarets peepingout from among groves of trees , the large white domesof mosques with their gi lded points shining in the
sun ; a number of large terraced houses rising abovethe walls of the c ity, and the whole covering a greatextent of ground . But, as we approach
,a different
scene presents i tself. After passing a large gateway,we at once enter the city, nearly half of which is in a
state of decay and ruin,wi th a scanty population. It
FifteenYears in India, p. 433. See also p . 246 of our secondvolume.
280 INDIA.
has the signs in every street of fal len greatness,and
shews that its prosperity perished with its founder,Aurungzebe. The wall which surrounds the city, isnot at all calculated to sustain a regular attack i t islower than such walls usually are
,wi th round towers
at intervals, but is sufficient for resisting the onset ofa predatory body either of horse or foot The
streets are broad,and some few are paved. There are
many large and good houses in different parts. The
public buildings,mosques
,and caravanserais are of a
superior construction to those which we generally findin native c ities. Gardens and groves, court- yards andfountains diversify the scene. The shops present toview many costly articles of Indian produce . But
there is an air of dejection about the whole,tha t tells
y ou, the glory of the regal city has fled. Afew groupesof grave and fine- looking Mussulmans, unoccupied byany thing but idle talk, are seen lounging at differentquarters ; or,here and there, one ofthe better order, clad
in his flowing robe,passes y ouwith stately andmeasured
step. These and a few sol itary fakeers are the principalpersons metwith , except in the immediate neighbour
hood of the markets,where some little bustle prevails .
Otherwise,there is nothing to remind us of an Indian
city,—nopomp
,nocrowded streets, nohorsemen or ca
valcades ; none of the bus tlingmotions or noisy soundsthat fproclaim industry, occupation, or prosperity.Partly deserted and partly in ruins, Aurungabadpresents a cheerless view to a stranger?“
The only twoobjects that claim specific notice are,
the royal palace, and the mausoleum of Rabea Doo
rannee, the favouri te wife of Aurungzebe. In the
ruins of the former,Colonel Fitzclarence was greatly
Seely’sWondersofElora, pp. 367—70.
282 INDIA.
The inclosure surrounding the tomb is very extensive,con sisting, thisWriter supposes, of thirty acres laid outin gardens.The remains of Aurungz ebe himself are interred at
Rowsah or B ozah (the place of tombs), a town on an
elevated table- land, eight miles from Dowlutabad,and
within two m iles of Ellora. Mohammedan tombsextend along this table- land all the way from Dow
lutabad to the town of Rozah . The place became thusattractive as a cemetery
,owing to several Moham.
medan saints be ing interred there, in consequenceof which all devout moslems whodied at Aurungabad,were desirous that their bones should repose in the
holy ground. The town is surrounded wi th a stonewall
,and reminded Colonel Fitzclarence of a Portu.
guese town of the second class. The mausoleum ofAurungzebe is a plain Mohammedan tomb, coveredwith a green cloth
,within a wooden screen of trellised
laths, not even painted. His Majesty’s executorshave acted up to his Near i t is the far
more handsome tomb of Boorhanoud-deen, an artful
fakeer, the reputed founder of Boorhanpoor.
Dowlutabad (the Hindoo D eoghur) , the original
capital of this terri tory, is one of the greatest curios ities in the D eccan. It is situated abou t seven milesN.W . of Aurungabad, and cons ists of a citadel and
p ettah. The fortress stands upon an insulated mass
of grani te, distant about 3000 yards from the rangeof hi ll s to the northward and westward, and rising to
the height of about 500 feet above the plain . Fornearly one third of the height , the rock has been
scarped like a wal l , and presents all round a perpen
dicular cliff. Above this i t assumes a py ramidal form,
See page!335 of ourfirstvolume.
INDIA. 283
or that of a 5‘ compressed bee-hive.
” An outer wall
of nostrength surrounds the p ettah but four lines ofwalls and gates must be passed before reaching the
di tch , over which'
is a very narrow causey, that willnot admi t more than two persons abreast . The
scarped rock, appearing to cut off all communicationwith those below,
and the towers,bu ildings
,and trees
above,impressed me most forcibly ,
”says Colonel Fitz.
clarence,with the idea. of the flying i sland ofLaputa
in Gulliver’s Travels . .Had I not been informedhow I was to ascend the summit of the perpendicularclifl
'
, I should have despaired of ever reaching it, as novisible means presents itself, and all is alike steep and
forbidding ; though one may , with an attentive ey e,discover a small window
,about half way up, in the
face of the rock . The governor led the way throughan excavation into the heart of the rock, so low thatI was obliged to stoop nearly double. But after a fewpaces
,a number of torches shewed me I was in a high
vault,and we began to ascend on a winding passage,
cut through the interior of the body of the hill.
This is described by Dow as a staircase ; instead ofwhich, i t is only a gradual slope. This passage wasabout twelve feet high and the same broad, and the
rise regular. At certain distances from this dismal
gal lery are trap. doors ,wi th flights of small, steep steps,leading to the ditch below, only wide enough to admi ta man to pass
,also cut through the solid rock , to the
water’s edge, and unexposed to the fire of the assai lants, unless they were on the very crest of the glacis.I suppose we were four or five minutes in reachingthe window I had seen from below and after resting
,
we continued to climb . A s I observed a passageleading off from the one in which we were
,I followed
it, and, tomy surprise, found that it led back, forming
s 2
284 INDIA.
a retrogressive semicirc le, to our road ; and on the
sides of i t were many recesses wi th shelves for depo.
siting stores . We m ight have been in all ten minutesmounting by torch - light, and came out in a sort ofhol low in the rock
,about twenty fee t square . On
one s ide,leaning against the cl iff, was a large i ron
plate, nearly of the same size as the bottom of thehollow
,with an immense iron poker. On the be
siegers having gained the subterraneous passage , thisi ron is intended to be laid down over the out let, anda fire placed upon i t. I observed a hole about threefeet in diameter perforating the rock . This is meant
to act as a bellows to the fire ; and the current of airwhich came through i t, was so strong tha t I couldhardly stand against i t. From its strength and thesevarious precautions, this fortress is deemed impregnab le. There are some small houses, towers, and
gates on the road to the summ it, which is very steep,and in some p laces covered wi th brush - wood. But
the house of the governor is a most excellent habitation
, surrounded wi th a large veranda, wi th twelvearches hence called the doasdo- da rwas ch, or twelvedoors . The road (and the only one) to the top passesthrough this house. Above this
,the ridge is very
narrow ; and on the peak, on which flies his Highness the Nizam'
s flag , on a s tone bed, not many feetbroad
,stands a large brass twenty- four pounder.
From the flag-staff, the view is most extensive and
beautiful . .About 100 yards from the summi t,we
saw a tank cut out of the rock, containing, I should
think,forty hogsheads of water.
”
It is remarkab le that Deoghur, notwithstanding its
apparent strength, was one of the first fortresses in
0 Fitzclarence, pp . 217- 19.
286, INDIA;
of the Christian era, Shalivahanfa personof aninferior caste, succeeded in es tablishing himself in the
sovereignty of the Deccan ; and he is said to havemade Puttun his capital . His access ion forms the
Mahratta era, which still continues tobe used south
of the Nerbuddah, as that of Vikramadity a is in Mal
wah . From this Shalivahan,the native manuscripts
deduce a success ion of rajahs to Jadow Ramdeo Rajah,
‘
the reigning prince at Deoghur at the time of the firstMohammedan invas ion of the D eccan .
’ It is probable
,that Tagara continued to be governed by its
own rajahs , long after it ceased to be the metropolis .+Nothing is of more transi tory duration than the ho
h ours of an Indian capital . Captain Grant Dufl’
remarks, that Tagara, Paithana (Puttun), and
D eoghur seems each to have been, at difl'
erent periods,
the metropolis of the same tract of coun try.” To theirnames may be added those of Ahmednuggur and
Aurungabad and the honours of this last have longbeen merged in those of Hyderabad.
GmntM voLLpu 25—29. Bombay'l‘mnsactiona vol. iii.
1 By a grant of land found at Tannah in Salsette, it appears thatthere was a rajah reigning in or near that island, A .D. 1018, who
c laimed descent from Jimuta Vahana, lord of Tagara. And a
similargrant found at Satarah , proves , that, towards the closeof thesame century, there was a rajah at Panalla in the heart of theMahratta country, whoalso claimed a descent from the illustriousJimuta Vahana, lord of an extensive principality and chief of thenobles of the city of Tagara, born of them of Shilahara. To
th is rajah is ascribed the erection of fifteen of the forts (among therest that of Sataran), the number and strength of which forms sostriking a feature of the Mahratta country. He was doomed tosee his country reduced b y a Rajpoot invader ; and, after his death ,the territory fell into the hands of Mahratta poly gars .
— BombayTrans , vol. iii. p. 395. Asiatic Researches, vol. 1. p. 3615
INDIA. 287
ELLORA.
THAT Deoghur was in remote times the seat of apowerful monarchy
,may be considered as certain, from
the splendid monuments of Boodhic superstition foundin its immediate vicini ty. The excavations are in a
crescent- shaped hill , of moderate height, about a milefrom the li ttle rural village of E llora (or Verroul) ;the horns rising to an elevation considerably above thelevel of the intermediate ridge. The slope of the hi ll,which fronts the west (or N. is in general easy,but is occas ionally interrupted by a dispos i tion tostratification in the rock
,which in such places presents
a perpendicular face of from 20 to 60 and even 100
feet. The extreme sculptures are the Parisnauth and
the D ehr War m. The former is situated about 200
y ards up the hill , forming the northern horn of thecrescent and the latter is a l i ttle more than a mi le S.of the Parisnauth . The remaining caves occupy the faceof the hill between the two, bu t at irregular distances ,and seldom on the same level, the workmen havingavai led themselves of a mural disposi tion in the rockto facilitate their labours . The rock varies considerably in its nature . Basalt
,black and grey, is mos t
abundant ; a hard ves icular rock is common ; also, a
rock of gritty, loose texture, which rapidly absorbsmoisture, and crumbles away on being long exposed tothe weather . Narrow veins of quartz frequent ly ihtersect the sculpture, and fragments of siliceous s toneand blood- stone are strewed on the hill.
The firs t view of this desolate religious city,
”
remarks Mr. Erskine,“ is grand and striking, but
melancholy. The number and magnificence of thesubterraneous temples, the extent and loftiness of
some, the endless diversity of sculpture in others, the
288 IND IA.
variety of c urious foliage, of minute tracery, highly
wrought pillars , rich“
mythological designs, sacred
shrines, and colos sal statues,astonish but distract the
m ind. From their number and diversi ty, it is impos
sible to form any idea'
of the whole ; and the first impress ions only give way to a wonder not less natural
,
that such prodigious efforts of labour and skill shouldremain
,from times certainly not barbarous, without a
trace to tell us the hand by which they were des igned,
or the populous and powerful nation by which theywere completed. The empire
,whose pride they must
have been, has passed away,and left not a memorial
behind i t. The religion to which we owe one part ofthem, indeed, continues to exist but that whichcal led into existence the other
,like the beings by
whose toil i t was wrought, has been swept from the
land .
”
The excavations are divided by Mr. Erskine, withevident propriety
,in to three c lasses ; the northern
,
which are Boodhist, or rather Jain the central,
which are Brahm inica l ; and the southern,which are
certain ly Boodhist. The names given to the caves,
are modern,and have been invented by the Brahm in
guides wi th a total ignorance of the mythology of thesculptures. All the Brahminical caves are evidently
,
l ike those of E lephan ta , sacred to Siva,under one
form or other ; whereas the names they now bear, as
well as those given to the Boodhist caves , are borrowedfrom the legends relating to the avatars of Vishnoo,which are more fam iliar ly known to
.
the great mass ofthe people, notwithstanding that Siva has almost everywhere obtained the ascendancy .
The northern caves are four in number,and are
general ly but improperly called, the Adnauth- subha,
the Juggernauth-subha, the Paras -ram- subha , and the
290 I NDIA .
representations of the same deity, is the object of work
ship wi th the Goojur Buneeas and the Jains generally,and there is a yearly pi lgrimage to i t on the 14thof the mon th B edwa . The p ooja is, however, tooexpensive for the vulgar, as the ofi
'
ering mus t never
be imder the value of a maund of ghee.
”
The I ndra -subha (court of Indra) consists of three
caves communicating wi th each other. The entranceis by a handsome gateway, cut from the rock, onwhich are two lions couchan t . In the centre of thearea into which i t leads , stands a pagoda elaboratelysculptured ; on the left hand, is a very handsomeobelisk , fluted and surmounted wi th a groupe of human
figures , sitting ; and on the right hand, an elephantwi thout either rider or howdah, The name given to
this excavation is taken from twofigures at the extre
mities of the front veranda, called Indra and Inderanee ; the former seated on a couchant elephan t, thelatter on a tiger. They have each a tree apparent lygrowing from thei r heads, but wh ich Mr . Erskinethinks designed for the sacred tree” of the Bood.
his ts,rising from behind them : one is apparently
mean t for a mango- tree ; on the other, pea- fowl areroosting.
These excavations areof two stories but the lowercaves are destroyed by damp, and partially filled up
with the earth washed into them. The most westernof theLupper caves is that called Juggm aumm mthe ascent to which is by a flight of steps . It is 61feet long by 48 broad ;' the cieling is flat, supportedby sixteen pillars and twelve pilasters, and varies inheight from 13 feet 8 inches to 14 feet 6 inches . In
According to Captain Sykes. Sir & Malet gives the dimen
INDIA. 291
a recess from the grand room is a figure of Boodh, or
Parisnauth , in the same atti tude as that on the hillabove
, but with the head shaded by a triple chattah,
ins tead of the hooded snake. Two attendants inconical caps , stand behindfi
“ All rormd the walls ofthe grand room
,in compartments, are figures of
Boodh,either sitting or standing, in different atti
tudes,but closely resembling each other in othe r
respects. On the right of the sanctuary, in a largecompartment, is a singular groupe, cal led by the
B rahmins , Shaish-sha i B agwan, and supposed torepresent the first incarnation of the Supreme Being .
It is difficul t to decipher its import. The supposedJuggernauth is standing surrounded with attendan tsand an imals. A female figure is holding the chatteh
,
and another figure is riding upon a griffin. On the
left of the sanctuary is a figure called by the BrahminsB hagisree B owanee a female, nearly naked , butadorned wi th armlets . and anklets
,seated on a tiger
,
(like the supposed Inderanee,) and wi th a tree orbranch growing from the head- dress. In the centreof the hall , three simple c ircles are cut in the floor atequal distances . The cieling , Sir Charles Malet says
,
has been handsomely painted in c ircles, with a borderof male and female figures, apparently dancers but
i t seems an argument against the antiqui ty of thepainting, that much of the fine sculpture and fluting
of the pillars are covered by it, which , i t may be
supposed, would not have been done by the originalartist.” 1
0 This image is called Juggernauth -Boodh ; and some servantsof Madras officers , who came into the cave wh ile Captain Sykeswas in it, made theirofi’erings to the idol, andon being questioned,identified the image with that which they worshipped at Jugger.
nauth.
T Captain Sykes expresses hisopinion, that the caves have been
292 IND IA .
The second cave, P arus - ram- subha,is entered by a
'
narrow passage from the first,which it res embles
general ly wi th respect to the sculptures,but i t is of
smal ler dimensions .
'
The principal figure in the re
cess , called P a rus - ram,is precisely simi lar to the
Parisnauth on the hil l . Half the diameter of a wheelprojects from the ruth . In this cave, we see the sup
posed B owanee again ,in twocompartments , in sitting
postures : in one, she is ho lding a looking-
glass,flowers
,&c.
,and has the chattah over her head ; in
the other, she has a tiger by her side.
The third cave, which is entered from the second,
is feet by and about 15 feet high .
’ The
root is supported by sixteen pi l lars and twenty pi lasters :The principal ido l in the sanctuary or recess , is a
cross - legged, sitting figure of Boodh , exactly l ike the
one in the first cave : but the Brahm ins have chosento give i t the name of Bunobor
,the god worshipped
at Dwaraka,in Gujerat. Al l the compartments round
this cave exhibit Boodh in different attitudes,sur.
rounded wi th attendants, riding on elephants, tigers,and bu l ls. The door-way to the sanctuary is highlydecorated with m inute figures of mal e and female at
tendants . In the centre of the cave is a basementwhich seems to have supported the emb lem of Siva
,
as there is a groove for the passage of ~water, with a
spout resemb l ing the mouth of an animal . This isthe upper story of the ' I ndm - subha, in the antechamber or veranda of which
.
occur the figures ofIndra and Inderanee above-mentioned. A stair- case
painted and chunamed at a period subsequent to their originalformation ; and h e d iscovered a nose- ring of chunam , attached as
an ornament to Inderanee, which gave way before his stick, andsatisfied h im that it was a modern addition .
The measurements again d iffer from those of Sir C. Malet ;78 feet by 66 feet 9 inches, and 14 feet high.
294 INDIA.
nating with anuncouth animal, intended, probably,foreither a lion or a tiger.
T. he Doomar Lay ne (Nuptial Palace) is the next
cave, and the first of the middle range, nine in num
ber, which are dec idedly Brahminical. It is dist
about 200 yards from the one last described. This is
the most extensive chamber of all the excavations,being feet lOng by 150broad, the cieling varying in.
heightThere are twenty-eight pillars andt wenty pilasters.
The entrance to this stupendous excavation is through.apassage cut in the solid rock, 100 feet in length andeight broad. On the left -hand side of this lane is a cavenearly choked up with earth . It terminates at a doorway , leading into an area, at the further end of whichis another small cave. The
'
grand excavation is onthe right- hand of the area, having at its entrance twol ions couchant ; one of these has lost its head. You
first pass into a vestibule or veranda, on the left hands ide of which is a gigantic si tting figure of B urmaRajah (or Jum Dhurm), the god of jus tice, wi th a
club 1n his hand, and a j inoee over his right shoulderon the right hand I SVisweswara Mahdeo
,m a dancing
atti tude, with a groupe of figures round him, amongwhich is the bull Nandae.
’ After passing this veranda,the cave widens very considerably, ti ll we come to thefourth range of pillars, when, on the left, 18 seen the
central doorof a very fine square temple, which 18 com.
pletely occupied with the altar and emblemof Mahdeo
Onthe right , at the wes ternend, opposite to the tem
ple, 1s another grandentrance tothe excavation. On
one side of this are sculptured Mahdeoand Parvuttee
with their su ite,supported on an arch upborne by
Rawun ; and on the other,Siva in the character of
296 INDIA.
left face, Captain Sykes represents'as decidedly femi
nine . Both arms on this side are ornamented withbangles, resembling those sti ll worn by the women ofGujerat , and fixing beyond question the sex of thefigure. The right hand holds a looking glass , and theleft a pencil or antimony -needle Mr . Erskine sup
poses the figure to be Parvati in conjunction wi th herhusband. The other two heads have the third ey e :
the central one has a p lacid countenance ; the righthand face is forbidding and malignant . These singular
chapels ,” Mr. Erskine remarks, prove bey ond all
manner of doubt,that the grand three headed figure
at E lephanta does not represent what has been denominated the Hindoo Trini ty .
”
Returning down the nullah, and cross ing the
stream,two caves called
'
the Janwasee, are met
wi th ; they are separated only by the chasm fromDacmar Ley na , and the stream forms a pretty cascadeover the entrance to the more northern of the two.
Janwas (or Junwassa) means the bridegroom’s res i
dence. These caves are small and low,and almost
destitute of sculptures : neither of them has beenfinished.
“ A short distance to the south of these , isthe Koondra -warra , or the Pot-makers. There is
nothing whatever in the cave or its sculptures, to whichthe origin of the name can be traced . Tailee ka Gana
(the Oi l - shop), the next excavation, has received itsname in consequence of a hole sunk in the floor
,resem
bling the mill used by an oil -man i t is probably thep lace of sa crifice. All these caves are dedicated toSiva. Ascending the hill a little, there are three smallcaves called N eel-kant (blue- throat), a name ofMah
In the Asiat. Researches (vol. vi. p . a plate is'
given ofthe door of the temple at Junwassa,” which is highly elegant and
unlike any thing Indian. We suspect the fidelity of the artist.
INDIA. s'
e?f
deo;'
bnt the appellation is derived from'
the bluish
stone of which the emblem is made. Captain Sykessaw no sculptures in these, but Sir Charles Malet
mentions the bull Nundi,Ganesa, Lakshmi , and some
other figures as occurring in the principal one, whichcontains fifteen pillars and pilasters.
A short distance southward. but considerably lower,
is the small but highly finished cave of R ameswur,
which derives its name from a groupe supposed torepresent the marriage of Rama and Seeta but Capt.Sykes remarks
,that the marriage of Siva and Parvut.
tee is doubtless intended ; as Siva, disting uished byhis third ey e, is the hero of all the numerous sculptures . The roof is supported by pillars very highlyfinished, and of great elegance. The excavation con
s ists of a hall 90fee t by 26‘
and a half,and a sanctuary
31 feet square : the height, 15 feet.‘Ve now come to the temp le which has excited thehighest admiration,— Key las or Paradise but i t may
firs t be mentioned, that immediately above this, are
three small caves,rarely shewn to visi ters, each con
taining Siva’s emblem . Over the door to the first ofthese
,is scu lptured Lukshmee
,wi th elephants pouring
water over her. The other two have each a bust ofthe trifrons deity.
O f Kylas i tself,i t is impossible, wi thout the help of
engravings, to give an adequate description ; and a
minute notice of its scu lptures would fi ll a volume.
It consists of a pagoda hewn out of the so l id rock, of a
sugar - loaf form, 100 feet in height, and upwards of
500 feet in circumference, richly sculptured, detachedfrom the neighbouring mountain by a spacious area
247 feet in length and 150 in breadth, and surrounded
wi th excavated colonnades supporting other chambers.
The gateway which forms the entranced
is very spa.
298 INDIA.
ci ons and fine, containing three apartments in depthwith twolarger side chambers . Over i t is a balcony,seemingly intended for the nagara -khanna or musicgallery. On entering the area, the lower part of thepagoda is cut off from View by a wall which runsacross . In this wall are niches wi th gigantic figures,and on either side of the door is a female door-keeper,with a chattels over her head. The temple i tse lf is
connected wi th'
the gateway by a bridge of rock ,beneath which , at the end opposite the entrance, there
is a figure of Bhavan i si tting on a lotus, with two
elephants joining their trunks over her head.
‘ On
each side of this passage is an elephant, now mutilated
,a nd partly covered up with earth ; and behind
them are ranges of apartments, decorated wi th sculptures. Beyond the elephants , on advancing into thearea, are seen two square obel isks, which have lostthei r capi tals. The bridge connec ts the gateway wi tha square room wi th two windows, in which is the
image of the bull N andae and this is connec ted, by
a second bridge, wi th a handsome Open portico, sup
ported by two pillars surmounted wi th lions, and
leading in to the grand temple through a door wayadorned with gigantic figures . Twoflights of stepslead up to this portico from the area below. I ts
balustrade exhibits the device of urns between pillars ,supported on elephants , as seen in front of the I ndrasub/ta . From the portico , we pass into a saloon 66 feet
4 inches by 55 feet 8 inches , and varying in heightfrom 16 feet and a half to nearly 18 feet . The roof,which is flat, is supported by sixteen pillars and
Capt. Sykes says, they are pouring water over herhead, whiletwo others are replenishing the empty vessels . The goddess is
Luximee or Lakshmee, the Hindoo Isis or Magma Mater. Overher head is the chattah ; and she resembles in other respects theBoodhic sculptures .
300 INDIA.
Ori the'
righthand Of the gateway in’
the southernscarp, there is an extremely singular excavation , of aBoodhic character, the roof arched and ribbed, and
without sculptures ; but the prevai l ing emblem is
observed in the corner Of a very smal l cave whichOpens into it. In the Opposite scarp are outlines Of asimilar cave, which has been excavated only a few
inches. Below this unfinished work are some cells .
Before the entrance to Kylas is a Mussulman building, consisting . of a square room,
surmounted with a
dome and near i t,on a large chubootm , elevated five
or six feet, grows a large peepul - tree . The ancient
gate at Kylas,which was of very considerable size
,
has been buil t up into a common - sized modern door .These modern addi tions, the Brahm ins ascribe , wi thlittle probability
,to A urungzebe pretending that his
motive was , a wish to propitiate the offended deities,whose wrath he had provoked by sacr ilegiously defacing these caves, by filling them wi th combustiblesand firing them .
The first view of Kylas from the outs ide, will disappoint the visiter whose expectations have beenhigh ly raised. I ts appearance is that Of a gateway,connected wi th the sides of the hill by twowalls withcoarse battlements, bui l t across an Old stone- quarry
,
with a confused crowd Of pagodas and obelisks aboveand behind it . It is only on entering the area
,that
the discovery is made of its extraordinary and stu
pendous character . That which at first m ight betaken for a grand building, is discovered to be a
rock,'
excavated both wi thin and without, and coveredwi th sculptures from the summi t to its base ; all
,
together with the sdrrounding piazzas and caves , theobelisks and elephants, and the sculptured decorations,the work of the chisel and the hammer. The design
INDIA. 301
and magnitude of the ’
work ,” Capt. Sykes remarks,
indicate a fert ili ty of invention, and an ability,energy
,and perseverance in the execution, incom
patible wi th the apathy and indolence of the presentHindoos.
’
Kylas must be seen,to be appreciated.
”
A few paces south of Kylas, ascending the hill , is thecave improperly called D us Awtar (the ten avatars ).It is of two stories . An area in front
,cut out of the
rock, has a square room standing in the m iddle for theN undee, which has had a handsome portico. Thereare no sculptures in the lower cave
,and the square
pi l lars are devoid of ornament. The upper one is102 feet by 98, and the height is between 11 and 12
feet . The roof is supported by eight rows of squarepillars, six in a row,
and twenty-two pilas ters, whichare also p lain
,except the front row ; but the lateral
wal l s, as wel l as each side of the sanctuary at the end
,
are adorned wi th mythological figures in very highrelief
,soas to be near ly statues
,
”and in very good
preservation. Some of V ishnoo’s avatars are amongthem, but others relate to Siva, to whom the templeis dedicated . The cave, although Brahm inical, hassome ce lls in the scarp of the area in front, opening,like those found attached to Boodhic temples, into akind of ball.At
I
a short distance,considerably below
‘
the level ofthe preceding, is a small but highly finished cave
,
called Rawan ke Khaie (Rawan’s p lace of sacrifice) .
It is of one story,and has sculptures simi lar to those
in the other caves,but is destitute of Siva’s emblem.
This is the las t of the Brahminical caves.The four southern excavations are purely Boodhic.
The first is ca l led the Teen Tala (Three Stories ) , orTeen Lokh (Three Worlds), being, in fact, three
302 INDIA“
.
caves , one above another,which havereceived, re.
spectively , the names of Patta l Lokh, M oort Lokh,and Swerga Lokh ; metaphorical ly
, the infernal , ter.
restrial , and celestial regions . A l though the order of
the pillars in these caves is of the simplest kind, y et,
the three rows, rising one above the other,of eight
square pilasters and twopilasters in front, have a very
striking effect. The principal figure in the sanctuary
bf each cave is a Boodh, similar to that in the Jugger
nauth - subha,surrounded wi th attendants
,elephants
,
griffins , &c . ; and almost every compartment exhibitsa Boodh in one of his four attitudes .
“ The onlyfigure on horseback in the many thousand sculpturesat Ellora, Capt. Sykes says, is found in the stair.
case at Teen Lokh, but man and horse are on a
minute scale.
” The dimensions of these caves,as
given by this Writer,are
, Swerga Lokh, 1125 feet by
72 ; height rising from 11 feet 7 inches to 13 feet 7inches ; fifty pi l lars
,and fourteen pi lasters . M oort
Lokh,142 feet ; (Sir C . Malet - says 1 14; feet, a nd
the depth,including the recess, the rear
ranges of pillars are cut off into eighteen cells. Pattal
Lokh is feet by 415 feet in depth .
The next cave is Dooky a Ghur (house of pain) , so
named from an absurd legend : it is called by Sir C .
Malet,B hurt Chuttergun . It consists of twostories,
and is dedicated to Boodh, the sculptures correspondingto those in Teen Lokh. The front colonnade is
The Brahm ins tel l us, that BismaKurm (or Viswakarma), thefabled architect of all these caves ,having finished Teen Lokh , commenced the next cave, i ntend ing that it should rival thepreceding ;but when he had finished the second story , he cut his finger, andwas obliged by pain todesist. Mr. Erskine calls this cave DoTala(Twostqries). Bhurt and Chuttergun were the brothers of Ram.
304 I ND IA.
avoid taking the visiter to see them,owing toan idea
of polluti on which they have associated wi th them. In
fac t, the principal cave is frequently occupied by cattleand goats , and swarms with myriads of fleas . Yet
,
these caves have been very high ly finished. The prin.
cipal one has twobenches of stone r unn ing up its wholelength, and corresponds, apparently
,to the school
room of Boodhist temples. There are also a numberof cells for monks
,hewn out of the s ides of the exca .
vation. This cave commands a beau tiful view of thetown
,tank
,and valley of Ellorafi“
The whole of these caves, whether Brahminical orBoodh ic, have been painted and chunamed at someperiod subsequent to their original formati on ; and in
many cases,the delicacy of the workmanship has been
destroyed or concealed by the clumsy coatinO'. The
most remarkab le circumstance connected with thesestupendous works, is the unques tionable combinationwhich they exhibit of the rival and irreconcileable
superstitions ; for, al though Boodh has been adOpted
into the Brahmin ical pantheon as an avatar of Vishnoo
,the heresiarch is the objec t of execration wi th all
orthodox Brahminists and Indian history exhibits thetwo great sec ts as at perpetual variance. Into
’
the
various interesting questions connected with thistopic
,our lim i ts donot permit us to enter. The most
p robable explanation seems to be, that the Boodhic
caves are of higher antiqu ity ; that the obscene wor
ship to which the Brahminical caves are dedicated,
0 Our authorities for the preced ing description are, BombayTransactions, Arts. ix. and xv. As iat. Res . vol . vi. pp . 389—423.
Daniel l’s Twenty- four Views of the Ellora Excavations. Also,F itzclarence
’s Journa l , pp . 193—213. Nor must we omit to men
tion, though we have not had much occasion to avail ourselves Of
the Author's aid, Captain Seely’sWonders of Ellora.,
iNDIA. 305
was introduced at a much later period, and was final ly
established, not till after a long and sanguinary struggle
wi th the Boodhists, on the ruin of that sect but that
the Jains, by a more temporizing policy, and by ad.
mi tting a mixture of Hindooism into their rites , have
maintained themselves in cons iderable numbers and
wealth to the present day .‘ There can be no doubt
that the Boodhic faith was , at a remote period, verywidely prevalent in India. Monuments of this super.
stition are found as far west as Balkh i t is known tohave prevailed at one time, in Cashmere to have beenthe established faith of Bahar, probably of Gujeratand Malwah
,and certainly of Ceylon .
Near Bang in Malwah,there have been discovered
some very extraordinary caves, a brief description ofwh ich we have reserved for this placed!
The Jain and V ishnu sects,” SirJ. Malcolm states, thoughthey practise different rites, and are of different persuasions,being al ike of the Vaisya caste or mercantile Hindus, intermarry.I t is a distinction of sect, not of caste.
”—C. 1. vol . ii. p . 162. In
this important respect, the Jains d iffer from the Boodhists, whohave no castes ; but, unl ike the Brahmins , the Jain priests are
selected from d ifferent castes, and donot marry. W ith regard tothe comparative antiquity of the three grand sects, their subdivisions and d istinguishing doctrines, the reader must be referred tothe papers by Captain Sykes and Mr.Erskine, already cited ; also,Asiat. Res. vol . ix. art. 4 and 5 ; and Trans. of R. Asiat. Society,arts. 2, 7, 23, 24, 28, 29, and 33.
1 The caves at Bamian near Balkh, of which Abulfazel gives amarvellous account, appear from his description to be Boodhic.They are h ighly deserv ing of investigation ; but nomodern travel.ler has y et penetrate d to them. In the Punjaub , the Tape of
Manik yala described by Mr. Elphinstone (Elphinstone’s Caubul,
vol. i . p . is supposed by Mr. Erskine to be a magnificentdagop . A similar structure near Benares.has already been referredto, atp . 262 of our third volume.
PART V I I I .
306 'INDIA .
B A U G.
THE town of Bang, the head of a p ergunnah suboro
dinate to Sindia,is situated in a wi ld
,hilly tract of
wooded country, peopled chiefly by Bheels . It standsat the confluence of the Giona and ‘Vaugrey , on the
road to Gujerat, in lat. 22° long. 74°
aboute ighty mi les S .W . from Oojein .
‘ The town i tself isof no antiquity
, and is famous chiefly for its ironworks
,cons isting of three smelting - furnaces and three
forges . Both the hills and the valleys abound withiron ore.
The caves are found three miles and a quarter S .S .E.
of the town, in a range of hills composed of sandstoneand claystone in al ternate horizon tal layers . The sand
stone, which has an argillaceous cement,is coloured
with oxide of iron,varying from the deep red to perfec t
white. The slope of the hill rises immediately from
the river Waugrey . A flight of seventy rudelyformed stone steps leads up to a small landing -place
,
for the most part overhung by the hill , which bears
the marks of having once been formed into a regularveranda, supported by columns
,the roof plas tered and
ornamen ted, as is shewn by the fallen fragments .The front of the cave still retains this plaster. Ateach end of this veranda is a smal l room
,containing
small ill-carved figures, evidently of modern work
manship that on the left is a female one much mutilated ; that on the right , a bad represen tation ofGanesa. The cave derives its sole light from the two
doorways,which are unornamented , about five feet.
and a half wide ; and torches are necessary. On
entering, y ou are impressed with its gloomy gran .
Malcolm, C . I . vol. ii. p . 481. Captain Dangerfieldmakes thelatitude 22° 22’
. l
308 INDIA.
are m nfing, and a kind of terrace has been raisedwith their ruins . The left-hand c ircular column
, on
entering, has ev idently been at some period rebuiltwi th rude fragments, and plastered to resemble theothers ; but the plas ter has almost entirely givenway .
Proceeding from this cave southward twenty or
thirty paces, by a narrow ledge round a projecting partof the bill , y ou enter a second cave, which has neverbeen completed. The columns are left in a rude statewith deepmarks of the chisel s till remaining. The caveis of nearly the same length as the first, by about halfthe depth ; i t is partial ly choked up wi th large fragments of fallen rock , and contains little worthy of
To reach the third cave, i t is necessary to return tothe foot of the hill
, and proceed southward for a hundred yards, when a rugged, steep footpath presentsitself. This cave
,which measures 80 feet by 60,
has none of the gloominess of the first , and h as oncebeen finished and decorated in a very superior sty le.The whole of the walls, roof, and columns have beencoveredwith a. fine stucco, and ornamen ted with paintings in distemper of considerable elegance . Few
colours have been used, the greater part being merely
in chiaro oscuro the figures alone and the Etruscan
border (for such it may be termed) being coloured wi thIndian red. In a few parts of the roof, more perfect
than the rest, there is the appeara nce of peaches and
peach - leaves grouped and beneath some brill ianttraces of the Etruscan border surrounding the tops of
the columns, are rep resented two dragons fighting,which have been finished underneath with festoons ofsmall flowers . On the lower parts of the wal l and
columns have been paintedmale and female figures of
INDIA’
. 309
a red er Copper colour, the heads of which have beenintentional ly erased. What remains shews them to
have been executed in a style of painting far surpassing any modern specimens of native art. The wholecave is now in a ru inous s tate
,from the givingway of
great part of the roof, which has borne down in its fallseveral beautiful columns. In an inner apartment isan octagonal dagop .
Proceeding a few paces further along the hill to theright of this cave
, y ou enter a fourth cave, nearlysimilar in dimensions and arrangement to the second.
It has been finished, but is falling fast to decay. At “
its extremity, appears the rude commencement (or
perhaps the ruins) of a fifth ; i t is not, however, sufficiently accessible
,on account of the large fragments
of fallen rock, to admi t of any correct judgement ofits former state. From the natives no informationcan be derived respecting their design or origin.
They are called the P aunch (Punj ) Pandoo, beingascribed
,l ike other remains
,to those favourite heroes
of Hindoo mythology, King Pandoo and his fourbrothers. Their di lapidated state might be receivedas eu evidence of their high antiquity, did not the softargil laceous nature of the stratum of rock above thecaves
,owing to which the roof has given way , render
this evidence very equivocal .A tWoch e
, a decayed town belonging to Holkar, InSouthern Nemaur
,ten m iles from Kurgoon, there are
found some splendid remains of pyramidical temples,supposed tobeJain
,the exam ination ofwhichm ight serve
to throw further light upon these ancient monuments .They consist of eight large pagodas and four smallones
,wi th vestiges of as many more. These pagodas
are of singular construction,of exquisite workman
Ship, and extreme superfluity of fine carving and ornaT 3.0
310 INDIA.
ments of all kinds. They are of hewn'
granite,without
cement, but clamped with iron every three or fourinches . Some of the blocks supporting the upper
parts of the doorways and entablatures,are from
14 to 15 feet long, and proportionably broad and
thick . . There is in one of thei
largest pagodas, animmense s tatue, in bold relief, 13 feet high, of a
single block of granite, with similar ones of 8 feet
2,
inches high on each side. All these smal ler oneshave inscriptions on the pedestals . The figures are in
general ill -proportioned ; have curly hair, thick lips ,very l ong ears ; and are entirely naked
,wi thout
string, bracelets, armlets, or any ornament, with the
exception of one female figure with a species ofsash . There are abundance of small figures, in relief,in the entablatures, columns, &c., well carved ; and
female figures, also well executed, in graceful attitudes, support brackets, the capitals of the columns
,
and other parts of the building .
” The inscriptionsal ready deciphered
,bear a date about the middle of
the second century. The specimens of sculpturebrought from Woone, are superior, Sir John Malco lmsays, to any of modern workmanship in India.
These temples are said formerly to have amounted toninety-nine, but they have been defaced and partiallydestroyed by the Mohammedans ; and most of thehouses in the town are built wi th part of the
materials.’
it For this brief deeoription and that of the Pauneh Pandoo, thepublic are indebted toCaptain Dangerfield. See Bombay Trans "vol. ii. pp . 194 - 204. Also, Malcolm’
s C . I ., vol . ii. p. 516. Extensive Boodhist excavations, which remain undescribed , are foundnear Nasik , the very seat of Brahm inism in the Deccan. Theyare vu lgarly cal led Dherm- roJ- lma. They are said tohave everycharacteristic of Boodhic excavations, without any mixture of
Hmdooism3 the long vaulted cave and dagap , the huge figures of
312 INDIA;
ruined°
mosques , '
and decaying“
palaces —the far
famed fortress of Golcondah , frowning on its rockyconical hill - and Hyderabad, the capital of the
N izam’
s dom inions, which is said to contain morewealthy Mohammedans than any p lace in either the
D eccan or Central India. The tombs, however, are
said to be inferior to those of Beeder ; and the onlybu ilding worth naming, is the Mecca mosque,
“ bui ltof stone
,in a fine free style of architecture, with
proud towering minars.” There is also a magnificentpalace, built by the Nizam for the British Resident .
The noblest remains of Mohammedan art and
splendour in the South of India, are those of Bejapoor,s tyled by Sir James Mackintosh , the Palmyra of the
D eccan . To trace the limi ts of the ci ty,we are told,
would be a day’s work,so immense is the mass of
m ins ; but, from the innumerable tombs,mosques,
caravanserais , and edifices of every description whichi t exhibi ts
,i t must have been one of the greatest cities
in India. As the travel ler approaches the c ity fromthe north, the great dome of Mahomed Shah’s tomb isdiscerned from the village of Kunnoor, fourteen miles
The tomb of the amb itious and successful Bereed, the founderof one of the Beeder dynasties (in is described by the Authorof Sketches in India, as oneof themost beautifu l in its proportionsand decorations that he had seen in India . The walls of the cityare sixmiles in circumference.
1“ Sketches of Ind ia, pp . 271—3. See also Grindlay’s Views,Parts 3 and 4, where will be found Views of the tombs of the k ingsof Golcondah and of the Residency at Hyderabad . Of the six
prov inces held by his grandfather, the present N izam still retainsthe capitals of four ; viz. Hyderabad , Aurungabad , Beeder, andEllichpoor. Ahmednuggur and Bejapoor fel l into the hand s ofthe Mahrattas about 1750. His present dominions , extendingfrom the Gawilgurh hil ls on the north
_tothe Toongbuddra below
Bachote, and from Purainda westward tothe Godavery near Budrachellum on the east,may be estimated at, 380miless in “Id
320in breadth.
INDIA. 313
distant. A nearer view gives the idea of a splendidand populous metropolis, from the innumerable domes,and spires , and buildings which meet the ey e ; and
though the road up to the wall leads through ruins,the illus ion of a tolerably swell - inhabited capital is stillpreserved by the state of the walls , the gunsmounted onthe works
,and the guards stationed at the gates. On
entering, the illusion vanishes , and the mos t melan .
choly contras t is exhibited between the number andadmirable state of repai r of the buildings to the
memory of the dead,and the total destruction of those
formerly inhabited by a swarming population. Junglehas shot up and partly obliterated streets which wereonce thronged with a busy people in pursui t of thei rvarious avocations and the visi ter may now losehimself in the solitude of m ins, where crowds wereformerly the onl y M pediments to a free passage.
”
The foundation of the Adil'
Shah dynas ty datesfrom the first year of the sixteenth century ; and theh st of the Bejapoor soverei gns was s ubjugated byAurungzebe, A. D . 1685 . Within these 200 years
,
therefore,were finished the costly and stupendous
structures which cover many miles of country. The
ci ty wal ls extend between six and seven miles, and,
though decayed in many places, there does not appeara complete breach in any part. The most conspicuousobject wi thin the fort
,is the M akou mor mausole um
of Sultan Mahommed Shah , which was forty- twoyears in building. It is a large quadrangular structureof brick and chunam,
150 feet square,and, including
the dome, 150 feet high. The dome i tself is only tenfee t less in diameter than the cupola of St. Peter’s,and its perpendicular height is 65 feet. A circular
Bombay Trm vol. iii. p._56.
314 INDIA :
le'
dge projects fromf the bottom of the inner circumé
ference, which is so ingeniously laid upon supports ihclining inwards to the side wal ls in graceful curves
,
that i t does n0t apparently diminish the width of theroom, but is rather an ornament to it . It cannotbe called a cornice, but affords the same relief andeffect .” The echo here, as in the whispering- gal leryat St . Paul’s, is soperfect, that the visiter is ready tofancy i t the voice of another person mimicking him.
At the four corners of the tomb are oc tagonal mina.
rets , about 140 feet in height. The general style ofthe tomb is grandeur and simplicity, and its construotion does equal credit to the taste
.
of the archi tect and
the munificence of its projector. The style of theadjoining mosque corresponds to that of the mauso .
leum. The JummaM esjeed consists of a large but light‘
dome, rising to the height of 140 feet, resting uponparallel rows of lofty arches. The unfinished mausoleum of Ali Adil Shah is also a grand object, resem
bling, at a dis tance, a Splendid Gothic str ucture inruins . All the buildings wi thin ,
the citadel are in
ru ins,except a beautiful little mosque, the interior of
which is of finely polished black granite . Outside of
the fort, the M akba/ra of Sul tan Ibrahim II. is the
most conspicuous bui lding. On the outside of thebody of the mausoleum
,the walls are carved into
Arabic ins criptions, sculptured wi th great skill , anddisposed in every variety of ornament. The gildingand enamel are
,however
,entirely defaced, excepting
in a smal l part ofone of the sides,where its remains
give a faint idea of its former lustre. A person look
ing at the i lluminated page of a beautiful orien talmanuscript
,magnifying this, and fancying it to be re
presented by sculpture, painting, and gilding on the
face of a wall of black granite,will have some concep
316 INDIA.
is decm'ated with paintings of Italian masters. St.
Francis Xavier lies enshrined in a monument of ex
quisite art ; and his coffin is enchased with silver and
preci ous stones. The cathedral is worthy of one ofthe principal cities of Europe ; and the church and
convent of the Augustinians is a noble pile of bu ild.
ing, s ituated on an eminence, and has a magnificentappearance from afar .”
I went down to the cathedral ,”says the Author
of Sketches of India therewere ten canons in their
stalls ; the dean ofliciated the sacristans, the vergers,and the choristers, all in their appointed places . A s
for congregation,there was only one person present,
an elderly Portuguese gentleman,besides four stout
African slaves, the bearers of the dean’s mancheela
(li tter) You may enter seven large churches wi thina twomiles’walk. The black robe, the white robe,the brown the cowl and the scull - cap ; the silk cas
sock, the laced surplice, the red scarf, the glitteringvestments ; you may see them al l. Pastors abound
but where are the flocks I found in one, about fiftyIndian -born Portuguese ; in another
, a few commonblack Christians
,with beads and crosses . Goa the
golden exists nomore . Goa,where the aged De Gama
closed his glorious life where the immortal Camoenssung and suffered. It is now but a vast and grassytomb . And i t seems as if its thin and gloomy pOpu
lation of priests and friars were Spared only to chaunt
requiems for its departed souls .
” ’l’
Buchanan’s Christian Researches, p . 245 . In 1822, none ofthe convents had their complement of brethren ; but none , savethat of the Jesuits , was empty. Generally, the superior and one ortwomore were Europeans ; the rest natives . The Inquisition wasopen tothe curiosity and contempt of the passer by , and abam
donad to decay.”—Sketches of India, p.294.1_Sketches of India, pp. 295- 7.
SOUTH OF INDIA .
M AD R A S .
THE whole of the Indian Peninsul a south of theToongbuddra and the Krishna
, (together wi th sometracts formerly belonging to the Peishwa, north of thelatter river
,and the Northern Circars,) is now com .
prehended Wi thin the Madras Presidency. This ter.
ritory comprises the dominions of three princes, theRajahs of
'
Mysore, Travancore, and Cochin,who
collect their own revenues , and exercise a certaindegree of sovereign power in the internal managementof their respective states ; but, wi th reference to ex.
ternal pol itics,they are whol ly subordinate to British
power,are protected by a subsidiary force, and furn ish
large annual con tributions. The rest of this extensiveregion is under the immediate jurisdiction of the
Governor and Counci l at Madras ; comprehending,
according to Hamilton, a. surface of squaremi les , with a population (excluding the subjects ofthe three tributary sta tes) of at leastFor the administration of justice and the co l lection ofthe revenue, the territory has been subdivided intothe following districts .
In this calculation, the Northern Circars appear to be in
cluded . According toan estimate taken from the same work, givenat page 7 of our firs t volume, the population of the Madras Pres idency is fifteen mill ions, besides that of the tributary states,amounting tofourmillions ; total, nineteenmill ions.
PART V I I I . U
318 INDIA.
Ganjam.
Vizagapatam.
Rajamundry .
Masulipatam.
Guntoor.
Nellore and Ongole.
Northern Arcot.Chingleput.Southern Arcot.Trichinopoly.
Tanjore.
Madras , now the capital of Southern India, is situated in lat. 13° 5'N.
,long. 80
°21
' E . 68miles N.N .E.
of Arcot, the Mohammedan capital of the Carnaticprovince . The travelling distance from Bombay is
770mi les ; from Calcutta, 1030. The viewof Madrasfrom the roads is sufficiently imposing. The low
,
flat, sandy shore extending for mi les to the north andsouth, (for the few hills there are
,appear far inland,)
seems to prom ise nothing but barren nakedness , when ,on arriving in the roads, the town and fort are l ikea vision of enchantment . The beach is crowded withpeople of all colours, whose busy motions, at thatdistance, make the earth itself seem alive. The
pub lic-offices and store-houses which line the beach,are fine buildings , with colonnades to the upper
stories, supported by rustic bases, arched,all of the
fine Madras chunam,smooth
,hard
,and polished as
marble. At a short distance,Fort George with its
lines and bas tions, the government -house and gardens,backed by St. Thomas
’s Mount
,form an interesting
part of the picture ; whi le here and there,in the
distance, minarets and pagodas are seen rising from
among the gardens .
” The foreground is composed of
a low,sandy beach wi th a foaming surf
,and a road
Graham, p. 123.
Dindigul.Tinnevelly.Bellary .
Cuddapah.Seringapatam.
Sal em and Barramahal .Coimbatoor.
Canara .
Malabar.Madras .
320 IND IA.
against it even in the m ildest weather)“ The site of
Pondicherry is in every respec t superior,lying to
windward, and in a rich and fertile country .
Madras differs from Calcutta in having no,Euro
pean town , except a.few houses in . the fort. The
European inhabitants reside . entirely in their gardenhouses
,repairing to the Fort in the morning for the
transaction of business . Fort George, though not so
large or of so reg ular a des ign. as Fort William at
Cal cutta, is handsome and strong, and has'
the advan .
tage of requiring but a moderate garrison z,it stands
on commanding ground, and is easily. relieved by sea.
In the middl e s tands the original fortress , now con
verted into Government offices . Here,also
,are the
church,the governor
’
s house, and the exchange, on
which a light-house is erected : the lan tern is n inetyfeet above the level of the sea
,and may be seen from
ships’ decks at a distance of seventeen miles .
The principa l church in Madras,
”says Bishop
Heber,St . George
’s, is very beautiful, and the
chunam, particularly of the inside, has an efl
'
ect littleless striking than the finest marble . The small oldchurch in the Fort
,St . Mary’s,has some good monu
ments particularly one erected to the memory of the
Missionary Schwartz,by the East India Company.
The Scottish church,though of a singular and injudi
cious form for the purpose of hearing, is a very largeand stately bui lding, fitted upwith much elegance. The
other buildings ofMadras ofl'
er nothingvery remarkable.
s When Bishop Heber landed, however, in January, with a con
trary wind , the surf was less than he had seen :it on the shore ofCeylon, notmerely at Galle, but at Barbereen, and on the beachnear Columbo. Still , it would have staved the strongest ship
’s
boat although, in boats adapted tothe serv ice, which are flexibleand give to the water like leather, it had (then) nothing formid able.
”
INDIA. 321.
The houses all stand in large compounds'
, scatteredover a very great extent of ground, though notquiteso widely separated as at Bombay. There are not
many upperlroomed houses among them,nor have I
seen any of three stories. The soil is, happily, sodry ,that people may safely live and sleep on the groundfloor. I donot think that
,in size of rooms, they quite
equal those ei ther of Calcutta or Bombay ; but theyare more elegant, and, to my mind, pleasanter thanthe
'
majority of either . The compounds are all shadedwith trees and divided by hedges of bamboo , or pricklypear. Against these .
hedges, several objections havelately been made, on the ground that they interceptthe breeze, and contribute to fevers . I know not
whether this charge has any foundation ; but, if re.
moved , they would greatly disfigure the place ; and,
in this arid climate,where no grass can be preserved
more than a'few weeks after the rains, would increase
to an almost intolerable degree, a glare from the sandyd rocky soil, which I already found very oppressive
and painfu l .The Government-house is handsome, but falls short
of Parei l in convenience, and in theZsplendour of theprincipal apartments . There is, indeed, one enormousbanqueting -house, detached from the rest, and buil t ata great expense, but in vile taste ; and which can be
neither filled nor lighted to any advantage. It con .
tains some bad paintings of Coote, Cornwallis, Mea.
dows, and other mil itary heroes,’
and one,of consider
able merit,of Sir Robert Strange ; all fast going to
decay in the moist sea- breeze, and none of them,
except the last, deserving of a longer life.
There are some noble charities here. The mili tary
school for male and 'female orphans, where Dr.Bell
322 IND IA.
first introduced his system,is superior to any thing
in Calcutta,except the upper schools at Kidderpoor.
The orphan asylums in the B lack Town,though much
smaller, put the management of the Calcut ta free
school to shame ; and at Vepery is the finest Gothicchurch, and the best establishment of native schools,both male and female
,which I have y et seen in India.
The native Christians are numerous and increasing, butare, unfortunately, a good deal di vided about cas tesThe Armenians in Madras are numerous
,and some
of them wealthy. The Madras servants I had heardhighly praised, but, I think, beyond their meritsthey are not by any means so cleanly as those ofBengal , nor do I think them so intelligent . The
English which they Speak , is so imperfect, that i t issometimes worse than nothing ; and few of them knowany thing of Hindoostanee. In hones ty
,both seem
pretty much on a par. The expenses of Madras veryfar exceed those of Cal cutta, except house - rent, whichis much lower .”
The Black (or native) Town is rather less than halfa mile north from Fort St. George
,from which it is
separated by the Esplanade, a long which ~ runs the
China bazar. The town is very extensive,but
,in
general , meanly built, noisy, and dirty. There are,
however,many large, fine houses belonging to mer
chants and shopkeepers, and many streets of smallneat houses occupied by Portuguese, Armenians, andhalf- castes
,or by such bf the native merchants and
clerks as are become hal f European in their habits of
Heber, vol. ii i. pp . 206, 7 ; 211. The language spoken at
Madras by the natives, is the Telinga, here called Malabar. The
man servants are all Hindoos ; but the women are mostly Portuguese.
”- Graham, p . 128;
324 INDIA.
indolent nor efi'
eminate,and have so little dandyism
among them, that they often neglect their dress , and
look rather unmi litary. In elegance of manners, theyare thought to be inferior to the Bengal and Bombayofficers and they patronise some unp leasant customsthat are unknown in the other Presidencies. Theyare said to love money more than other Anglo- Indiansdo; but this assertion seems to be i ll - founded, mostof them being very poor and very much in debt . .Theycombine cleverness
,bravery
,and activity in their
mi l i tary character, and are supposed,when in the field,to be the most efficient part of the IndianA grand road, certainly the finest piece of road inIndia, and not exceeded by many in EurOpe,
” leadsfrom Fort St. George to St. Thomas
’s Mount
,a mili
tary s tation eight m iles from Madras . A fine avenueof trees runs the whole length of it and on the left,at the distance of seven mi les from the Fort gates , is arace- course
,with a handsome stand and assembly
rooms. The races are supported by the English residents, and take place in the coo l season. The road fromMadras crosses the river Meliapoor by a narrow bridgeof twenty - nine arches
,ca lled the Armenian or Mar.
malong Bridge near which, on a small rocky knoll,called the L ittleMount, stands a Roman Cathol ic con
vent, which is held in high estimation as the spot
Howison, vol . 11. pp . 97, 98. Madras has been unfortunatelydistingu ished by being peculiarly subject to jealousies and dis
pu tes between the c ivil government and the army, which haveOperated unfavourably on the soc iety. The late governor, SirThomasMunro, was , however, deservedly held inhigh estimationand his character and measures during a service of forty - sevenyears , during the last seven of which he had been atthe head of itsafiairs, procured for him universally the high appellation of Fatherof the Peop le.
” Missionary R egister, February, 1828, p . 112. See
alsoBishop Heber’s testimony to the character of this fine, dig
-i
nified, old soldier,”vol. iii. p. 211.
INDIA; 325
marked out by tradition, where the Apostle St. Tho.mas was martyred. The larger Mount of St . Thomas
is a much more striking spot,being an insulated d iff
of gran ite,with an Old church on the summi t
, the
property of those Armenians whoare uni ted to theChurch at Rome. It is a picturesque little building,and commands a fine View. At its foot is the prin.
cipal cantonment for arti llery belonging to the
Madras army,beautifully situated, with a noble parade
ground plantedwith fine trees being considerably elevated above the sea, i t is reckoned one of the mosthealthy spots in the South of India . A handsomechurch has recently been erected here by the Govern
ment.The territory in which Madras is si tuated, compris.
ing the original jagheer obtained by the Company fromthe Nabob of Arcot, in 1750 and 1763, in return for
services rendered to him and his father, new forms
the collectorship of Chingleputd“ It contains severalplaces deserving of mention. Three miles S . ofMadras, prettily situated on the beach, is the li ttletown of San Thome, by the natives called Mailapoo
ram, the ci ty of peacocks. It contains a small cathe.
dral and two neat chapels , under the charge of a
Portuguese bishop and a few priests from Goa,with a
mixed population of Hindoos, Mohammedans, and
Portuguese. Thirty -five miles S . of Madras,on the
coast , at Mahabalipooram (Mavalipooram) , are the
celebrated scu lptured rocks, known under the name of
The Seven Pagodas for what reason, remarks
Chingleput (Singhalapetta) , the capital, is situated 38 milesS.S .W. of Madras. Though much reduced in extent, it has still afort in a respectable state of defence. Conjeveram (Canch ipura,the golden city) 48 miles S.W .from Madras , onthe Mysore route, isa considerable town, and has a pagoda resembling thatofTanjore.
v 5
3 26 INDIA.
Lord Valentia,“ it would be difficult to say , as no
such number exists there.
”
MAVALIPOORAM.
THE first object which'
presents itself, and which isone of the principal landmarks to mariners on this
coast, is a
i
mere rock, very near the beach , risingabruptly out of a level plain of great extent, and
having at a distance the appearance of some antiquelofty edifice: On coming near to the foot of the rockfrom the north, sculptured images crowd so thick uponthe ey e, as almost to sugges t the idea of a petrifiedtown, like those which we read of in the fables ofcredulous travellers . Proceeding by the foot of thehil l
, on the side facing the sea, there 18 seen a pagodacovered with sculptures , about 26 feet in height
,by
nearly'
the same length, and about half as broad,
“
hewn from a s ingle mass of rock. The t0p is archedlike a roof
,
"in a style of architectu re difi‘
erent fromany thing now to be seen in these parts. Near thistemple
,the surface of the rock, abou t 90 feet in extent
and 30 in height, is covered wi th figures in has - relief,
among which a gigantic figure of Kri shna,with his
favourite A rjoon, is the mos t conspicuous . Here are
seenrepresentations of several animal s one of whichis cal led by theBrahmins a lion, although i t wantsthe characteristic mane : the elephant and the monkeyare much better represented 1n the groupe. Oppositeto this
,and surrounded with a wall of stone
, are
pagodas of brick, said to be of great antiqui ty . Ad
joining is an excavated chamber in the rock, the roof
e We give the dimensions according to Mr. Goldingham. Mr.Chambers speaks of it as about oe eethigh.
INDIA. 327
seemingly supported by pillars , not unlike those at
E lephanta ; but i t has been left unfinished. A few
paces onward is another more Spacious excavation,
now used as a choultry . Fronting the entrance is a
sculptured groupe, said to represent Krishna attending
the herds of Ananda, but, together wi th the pillars, i tis much corroded and defaced. Near to this is the
almost deserted village which still retains the name ofMavalipooram,
where reside a few remaining Brahmins
,whoact as guides to the visiter, and conduct him
over theThe ascent of the rock , on the north, is at firs t,from its natural shape
, gradual and easy, and is, inother parts, rendered more so by excellent steps. In
the way up, a prod igious circular stone is passed under,27 feet in diameter, so placed by nature on a smoothand s loping surface
,that y ou are in dread of its crush
ing you before y ou clear i t. The t0p of the rock isstrewed with fragmen ts of bricks ; the remains
, as you
are informed, of an ancien t palace. A rectangularpolished s lab
,about 10 feet in length by 3 or 4 wide
,
with twoor three steps up to it, and a lion couchant,
very well executed, at the upper end, is shewn as the
couch of Dherma Rajah or Yudishthir . A short wayfurther is a reservoir, excavated from the rock, withsteps inside
,which is called the bath of his queen
Draputty . Descending thence, over immense beds ofstone, you arrive at a spac ious excavated temple. A t
The real city of Mahabalipoor, whose’ ruins stand among
the clifi'
s at the distance of a short half-mile inland, has really beena place of considerable importance as a metropolis of the anc ientkings of the race of Pandion ; and its rocks , which in themse lvesare pretty and picturesque, are carved out into porticoes , temp les,has- rel iefs, &c., on a much smaller scale, indeed , than Elephantaor Kennery , but some of them very beautifully executed. —Heber,VOL iii. p. 217.
328’
INDIA.
one end is a gigantic figure ofVishnoo, sleeping on an .
enormous hooded snake with several heads , whichform a canopy over the deity. At the Opposite end is
an eight- armed goddess , mounted on a lion,rescuing
a figure, who is suspended wi th the head downward,
from a buffalo-headed demon . The figure and actionof the goddess are executed in a very spirited style.
“l
Over this temple, at a considerable elevation, is a
smaller, wrought from a s ingle mass of stone : here isseen another slab s imilar to the supposed couch below.
Adjoining is a temp le in the rough , and a large massof rock, the upper part of which is roughly fashioned
for a pagoda . The stone of which these sculpturesare formed, is a species of grani te, extremely hard.
East of the village, and washed by the sea, (whichwou ld probably have demolished i t
,but for a defence
of large stones in front,) is a very old pagoda of stone.
Within i t, among other figures, is one of giganticstature, stretched on the ground,which , the Brahm instell y ou, is designed for a rajah of the country, whomVishnoo. subdued. Here, the surf
,according to the
local tradition , rolls and roars over the submerged cityof the Great Bali . There are real ly
,
”says Bishop
Heber, some small remains of architecture, (amongwhich a tall pil lar
,supposed by some to be a l ingam,
is conspicuous,) which rise from amid the waves
,
and give a proof that, in this particular spot,as
at,Madras, the sea has encroached on the land ;
though, in most other parts of the Coromandel
coast, i t seems receding, rather than advancing.
Mr. Goldingham represents this temple as dedicated to Siva.Bi shop Heber says, all these temp les are in honour of Vishnoo,whose avatars are repeated over and over in the sculptures. Mrs.
Graham speaks of a Jam figure near th e Bath ; and the supposedg igant ic figure of Vishnooseems of this character.
330 INDIA.
have been thought to be Roman, but the legends were
illegible. Several copper- plates also, Mrs . Graham
states, have been dug up , containing grants of landfor the maintenance of the temples , dated above a
thousand years ago, and which refer‘
to these sculptured rocks as of unknown origin .
“
'
About a mile beyond Mavalipooram,is Sadras, a
large but poor - looking town , once a Dutch sett lemen t,and still con taining many families of decayed burghers ,like those of Ceylon , the melancholy relics of a ruin
ed factory.” At Sadras,Bishop Heber
’s journal
abrupt ly term inates. From his correspondence, we
are enabled to trace his j ourney by way of A lumbura,Chillumbrum,
and Trichinopoly,to Travancore . On
leaving Chingleput, the traveller enters the district ofSouthern Arcot, containing the ports and towns ofPondicherry
,Cudalore
,Porto-nova, Trinomalee, and
Fort St. David . This district is,for the most part, in
a very desolate and - neglec ted state , con taining im
mense trac ts of waste y et cul tivable land : it hasnever recovered from the effects of the Carnatic warsand the misgovernment of the Nabob .1
' Pondicherryis no longer a place of any consideration. The Chi llambaram Pagodas, situated on the coast
,three miles
See Asiatic Resea rches, vol . i. pp . 145—153. I b., vol . v . pp.
69—75. Graham , pp . 155—168. Notwith standing the supposedconnexion of these ruins with the Great Bal i ,” remarks BishopHeber, I sawonlyone has-relief which has reference toh is story,and wh ich has considerable merit. I t represents Bal i seated on histhrone, and apparently shrinking in terror at the moment whenVishnoo, d ismissing his d isguise of a Brahmin dwarf, appears inhis celestial form, striding from earth toheaven .
”—Heber, iii . 2181 From Bishop Heber’s account, however, the country musthave improved of late. In a letter dated from Chillumbrum, he
says : The country as far as I have advanced , though not gene
rally fertile, and almost universally flat, is as beautiful as palms,and spreading trees, and dil igent cultivation canmake it.”
INDIA. 331
S.of Porto between Cuddalore and
Tanjore,) are apparently deserving“
of attention.
They are held in high veneration from their supposed
antiqui ty, and are visited bynumerous pilgrims . They‘
are encircled by a high wall of blue stone . The chiefof the four pagodas is on the same plan with that ofJuggernaut, though on a smal ler scale, and is esteemed
a master-piece of architecture. Each of the threegates is surmounted with a pyramid 120 feet high ,built with large stones about 40 feet long and morethan 5 broad
,all covered with plates of copper adorned
with figures . The whole structure extends 1332 feetin one direction
,and 936 in another . In the area of
the temple,there is a large tank , skirted on three sides
wi th a beautiful gallery supported by columns . On
the fourth , is a magn ificent hal l ornamented with 999columns of blue granite, covered withDuring the Mysore war, Tippoogot possession of thispagoda at one time, and much annoyed the Bri tish
troops.TANJORE.
To the south of this district is the prmmpality of
Tanjore, the ancient Chola -desa or Chola manda la,from
which , by corruption, the name Coromandel is derived.
In point of fertility, i t ranks next to that of Burdwanin Bengal . Never having been permanently occupied
‘
by the Mohammedans, i t retains its ancient estab l ish .
ments in considerable splendour . Almost every vi] .lage has its pagoda, with a lofty gateway of massivearchitecture
,where a great many Brahmins are main.
tained ; and in all the great roads to the sacred placesare choultries for the accommodation of pilgrims .
The Brahmins are the chief landholders and cultivators. They have the reputation of being extremely
Malte Brun, vol. iii. p . 184.
332 INDIA.
loyal” to the British Government,which not only
indulges and protects their ' worship, discouraging tothe utmost the propagation of Christian ity,
‘ butmakesan annual gran t of pagodas for the support ofthe poorer temples .
. Tanjore, the capital of the principality, is situatedin lat. 109 42
'
N long. 79°
205 m iles (travellingdistance) from Madras . It contains two
fortresses, which have been given up to the Rajah .
In the . larger oua is his residence. The small onecontains the celebrated pagoda which , according toLord Valentia, is reckoned the finest specimen of thepyramidal temp le in India. He was not permitted toenter its sacred precincts
,but, from the door
, saw the
Bull of black granite, 16 feet 2 inches in length by125 feet in height, which is deemed one of the bestworks of Indian art ; and as the stone is not to bemet wi th in the neighbourhood, the
.
manner in whichi t was brought there IS a mystery . It IS enclosed in an
open temp le. The great pagoda, now appropriatedto the worship of Siva, is about 200 feet high , and is
certainly, adds his Lordship, a very beautiful piece ofarchitecturerf
" The‘ present Rajah
'
is described byBishop Heber
,whovisited h im
,as an extraordinary
man. He quotes Fourcroy , Lavoisier, Linnaeus, and
Bufi’
on fluently,understands Shak speare, and has
emitted Engl ish poetry very superior'
to Rousseau’sep itaph on Shenstone. He is indebted for these ao
o Wil l,
it be be lieved , that, while the Rajah kept his dominions, Christians were eligible toall the offices of state ; wh ile now,
there is on order of Government aga inst their being admitted toany
emp loy ment. Surely, we are, in matters of religion, the most luk ewarm and cowardly people on the face of the earth” Nor is
this the worst. Many peasants have been beaten, by authority ofthe Engl ish mag istrates , for refus ing, on a religious account, toassist in drawing the chariots of the idolsonfestival days.”—Hebcbvol . iii. pp . 463, 461.
t Valentia, vol . 1. pp . 308, 9.
INDIA.
’
333
complishments tothe instruction which he received inearly life from the venerable Schwartz. He has
put up a colossal marble statue of himself by Flaxman,
in one of his halls of audience ; and his figure is intro
duced on the monument, also by Flaxman,which hehas raised in the Miss ion Church to the memory ofhis tutor
,as grasping the hand of the dying saint, and
receiving his b lessing.
” His Highness is representedas a liberal benefactor to the native Christians
,who
are numerous in his dominions, and increasing.There are now in the South of India, says BishopHeber, about 200 Protestant congregations, the
numbers of which have been vaguely stated at
I doubt whether they reach but even this, allthings considered, is a great number. The Roman
Cathol ics are considerably more numerous, but belongto a lower cas te.
”
Here, where the Bishop’s correspondence closes
,we
must break off our description. From Tanjore, hisLordship proceeded to Travancore, to visit the Syrianchurches and the m issions in that province. Withregard, however, to that part of Southern India, as
well as Mysore,Cochin, and Malabar
,our information
is not sufficiently precise and recent to enable us toprosecute satisfactorily our topographical description.
With regard to Mysore, the historical portion of ourwork has embraced
,to a considerable extent
,an ao
count of the country and little more is to be gleanedfrom Lord Valentia’s hasty narrative of his tourin those parts. Dr. Buchanan Hamilton’s cumbrouswork is still a useful authority, but his journey wasperformed eight - and- twenty years ago. Scattered ihformation of a more recent character may exist wi thregard to particular districts butour exhausted limi ts
Heber, vol. iii. p . 458. 1 vol. iii.
334 INDIA.
must be an apology for not attempting the task of colleeting and d igesting i t. To the artist and to theantiquary, to the lover of nature and to the Christianphi lanthropist, the South of India presents num eroussi tes and scenes of nocommon interest . The remainsof ancient grandeur at Madura are interesting
, as exhi
biting a combination of the Indian and Moorish stylesof architecture
,very uncommon in this part of the
country and there is a It goda of great beauty. The
sacred i sland ” of Ramisseram,lying between the
coast of Madura and Cey lon, contains a temple dedicated to Siva
,which attracts numberless pilgrims from
all parts of the Peninsula. The massive workmanshipreminded Lord Valentia of Egyptian architecture.
The whole is land is dedicated to the obscene idolatry .
But our readers have probably had enough of archi
tectural descriptions,which the pencil and the graver
can alone render interesting, —enough of the pagodas ,and mis- shapen scu lptures , and bestia l supersti tion ofthis un ique and wonderfu l country . India is an inex.
haustible subject . We have left untouched many topics of interesting inqu iry wi th regard to its anti
quities, li terature, and popu lation,upon which it wouldhave been gratifying to enter ; but they wou ld have
led us out too far from the immediate object of our
Work,being of a nature more curious than popu lar .
The ancient history of India, like its geographicalsurface
,has hitherto been very imperfect ly exp lored.
We shall have accomp l ished our task, if we have
succeeded in exhibiting in a correct and condensed
form,the present state of our knowledge wi th regard
to a country so intimately al l ied, by its political con
nexion and moral claims, to our own.
END OF INDIA.
336 INDIA:
bordered with groves of the cocoa-nut, and surroundedwi th rocks and shoals . The interior is fi lled wi thmountains, which are seen from the ocean ,
rising insuccessive ranges. The highest and most conspicuoussummi t is that which is so well known under thename of Adam’
s Peak.
The in terior of the i sland,comprehended in the old
kingdom of Kandy, and now cal led the Kandyanprovinces, consists of three distinct natural divisionsthe flat country
,the hills
,and the mountains. The
centre of the mountainous region is abou t lati tudeand long. 80
°and its greatest extent is s ixty- seven
m i les in length by fifty - three in width . The averageheight of the elevated tab le- land is between 1000 and
2000 feet above the sea ; in some few districts ris ingto 4 or 5000. Many of the summits
,however, attain
a still higher elevation. Adam’s Peak (the Samen
nella of the Cingalese) is about 6152 feet above the
sea ; and Namany Kooli Kandy, the next loftiest, is
about feet. The hilly country which skirts themountains
,is generally about ten or twenty m iles in
extent,varying in elevation from 100 to 500 feet,
wi th summ i ts rising to perhaps twice that height,of rounded out l ine and tame appearance. The leveldivision consists of extensive plains , ei ther flat orgently undulating, and, in some districts, dotted wi thsolitary hills and masses of rock. I ts greatest extentis to the N. and N . E. of the mountains : in the former direction, i t reaches at leas t sixty miles. The
whole is belted round wi th a maritime district, irregu
larly'
vary ing in width from eight to thirty miles, and
extending, at the northern extremity, to nearly eighty.
There are no lakes in the interior, every valley. havingits outlet
,wi th a gradual descent towards the p lain.
With very few exceptions, thewhole island is 0mm
INDIA. 337
posed of primitive rock, grani te or gneiss, with some
largeJve ins of quartz, horneblende and do lomite.
L imestone is confined to the district of Jafi'
napatam,
and is of the shell kind, mixed with coral rock . Grey
and blackish sands tone occurs al ong the shores. The
only metal lic ores hitherto found, are iron, which is
pretty generally diffused, and manganese but Ceylon
is remarkable for its richness in‘
gems and the
rarer minerals , —rock crystal, amethyst, the finest
cats’- eyes in the world,” topaz , schorl, garnet, cin
namon- stone,z ircon, sapphire, and various species of
the ruby. The emerald is, perhaps, the only one notfound in the is land. Nitre caves are numerous.
The vegetable productions of Ceylon are not lessvaluable but most of these have been already referredto in the description of India.
“ The most°
precious
and celebrated is the laurus cinnamomum,cal led by
the natives coorundoo, on which the weal th of theisland chiefly depends , c innamon forming the only
considerable export. It flourishes , however, only inone small district
,being confined to the south -wes t
angle,from Negumbo to Maturacf There is none on
the western side beyond Chilau, nor on the eastern
The bread-fruit tree grows here to an immense size, withgigantic leaves l ike those of the fig- tree. The wild pine-applegrows in abundance ; but its fru it is said to be poisonous. O f
flowers , the gloriosa euperba and the amaryll is are the most beautiful , and grow in profusion ; and the jamba or rose -apple strews theground with its beautiful scarlet flowers —Heber, vol. iii . p . 143 .
The whole vegetation is infinitely more luxuriant than in Bengal , and forms the richest field for a botanist I ever beheld, exceptthe Cape of Good HOpe.
”-Valentia, vol . i. p . 224.
1 The c innamon-
gardens cover upwards of acres on the
coast : the largest .are near Columbo. The plant thrives best in a
poor, sandy soil, in a damp atmosphere . It grows wild in the
wood s tothe size of a large apple- tree ; but, when cu ltivated , isnever allowed to exceed ten or twelve feet in height.
”—Heber,vol. iii. p
'
. 145.
338 IND IA‘
.
s ide beyond Tengalle. The pearl -fishery was at onetime very productive, but has of late ceaseiato beattended with success.
The .whole island is but thinly inhabited,especially
the Kandyan provinces. In 1814,when a census was
taken of the old English possessions, their populationdid not amount to more than souls and the
population of thewhole island is supposed by Dr. Davynot to exceed or about thirty- eight to the
square mile The inhabitants consist of the abori
ginal Kandians or Singalese of the interior ; those ofthe coas t the Veddahs
,who inhabit the jungles ;
the Malabars,whoare confined chiefly to the northern
and eastern parts ; Moors, scattered over all the
This is , doubtless, toolow an estimate. TheRev. Mr. Cordinmloosely calculates the Singalese (of the coast), the Kandy ans , andthe Malabars , at about persons each, mak ing the wholepopulation a mil lion and a half .
— Description of Ceylon , vol. 1. p .
90. Lord Valentia says : The Protestant natives (Dutch converts ) have been estimated at above while the Catholicsare supposed tobe still more numerous. Many of these, indeed ,are only nominal Christians, whoretain a great reverence for therites of paganism and th e doctrines of Boodh.
”—Valentia, vol . i.p . 261. I haveheard it said ,” says Bishop Heber’s lady, thatthe number of Christians on the coast and among our settlements ,do not fall far short of half a m ill ion .
-Heber, vol. iii. p . 194.
One circumstance which tends to keep down the numbers of thenative popul ation, is the horrible practice of female infantic ide,stil l prevalent in some districts. In the las t census of the
number of males exceeded by that of fema les. In one
district, there were toevery hundred men but fifty-five women ;
and in those parts where the numbers were equal , the populationwas almost exclusively Mussulman. The strange custom of one
woman having two, or even more husbands, and the consequa htdifficulty of marrying their daughters, in a country where to livesingle is disgraceful, seem to be the causes of this unnaturalcustom.
”—Heber, vol . i ii . p . 178. Poverty is, perhaps, the cause
of both practices. It is singular to find the latter gross and revol ting custom prevailing alike in the Khasy a country, among thesnowy mountains, and in Ceylon.
340 INDIA.
The Kandians are a much handsomer and finerrace than the Singalese : the latter are short and
slightly made,wi th countenances a good deal resem
bling the images of Buddh. On the coas t, there is agreat m ixture of inhabitants
,descendants of the Dutch
and Portuguese, as well as Malays,and many othersfrom the continent . There are Mussulmans and
Hindoos in all parts,but no great proportion of the
The Singalese recognize, in common with the
Hindoos,four castes (wansés) the Ekshas tria wansé,
or roy al caste, the B rahmina, the Wiessia , including
merchants and cultivators ,
’
and the Kshoodm ,which
last is subdivided into sixty low castes . The firsttwo castes have
,however
,scarcely an existence in
Ceylon and the consequence is, that the distinctionsof caste are an affair of vani ty, rather than of reli
gion,
”and present a much less formidable obstacle to
social improvement and religious instruction than inIndia. The cultivators (Goe-wansé,t or, as named
Heber, vol . iii. p . 196.
1 Some of the fiercest contentions among the S inghalese,says Mr. Harvard, arise from the encroachments of inferiors onthe style of dress belonging totheir superiors. The latter usual lypunish them by forcibly depriving them of the assumed garment,as well as by the infliction of a severe chastisement. When a num
ber ofoffenders are in commny , this is not submitted to withoutresistance, and a serious afi
'
ray is frequently the consequence. The
following instance fell under my own observation. A Singhalesebarberwas leading his bride tothe hymeneal altar, bothof them, of
course, dressed as handsomely as their circumstances allowed ; whena by
- standerdiscovered that the comb in hishead was of a quality toogood for the barber caste. The officious discoverer communicatedthis to others ; and an immediate uproar took place, which aisorganized the procession, and compelled the asp iring barber toflee tothe church with his trembl ing bride ; where he was under the necessity of removing the obnoxious comb, in order to the peaceful
INDIA. 341
in the low countries, Wellales) form by far the largestcas te in the Interior. They are a privileged people
,
and monopolize all the honours and all the hereditaryrank in the country . The common dress of thesepeople, and which may be considered as the nationaldress
,is extremely simple and not unbecoming, The
dress of the men consists of a handkerchief about thehead
,wrapped like a turban, leaving the top of the
head exposed ; and‘
of a long cloth of two breadths,cal led topetty , wrapped about the loins, and reaching
as low as the ancles . The material of the women’s
dress is very similar they leave the head uncovered,
and wear a long cloth of a single breadth , called hula,
wrapped round their loins,and thrown over their
left shoulder. On occasions of ceremony, when fulldressed, the men cover the body wi th a short jacketand those whohave the privilege, lay aside the handkerchief for a cap , and decorate themselves with goldchains and girdles . The women
,when full dressed
,
use a jacket with a kind of red?hanging from the
neck over the shou lders. The ornaments they wear,besides rings,
'
are silver or crystal bangles and ear.
rings. L ike the men, the favoured few only are
entitled to decorate their persons with gold,—those
only who have been honoured with presents of thekind from the hands of royal ty, to whom, according
to thei r sumptuary laws, this preci ous metal is pecu.
liarly confined.
”
In c ivili zation, the Singalese appear to be nearly ,
performance of the marriage service. This prohibition does notextend beyond the orig inal dress of the S in galese it does not prevent the poorer natives from assum i ng theEuropean dress.”—Harvard, pp . xl . xl i.xAnswering , apparently, to the Gaels ofGujerat. The SingaleseChristians rank with the Goewamé; the Moorswith them adm.
*,Davy , pp . 113, 114.
PART V I I I .
342 INDIA.
i f not quite, on a par wi th the Hindoos. In courtesyand po l ish of manners, they are little inferior to the
most refined people of the present day . In .intel
lectual acquirements, and proficiency in arts and
sciences, they are not advanced beyond the darkestperiod of the middle ages . Their character
,on the
whole, is low,tame, and undecided : with few strong
lights or shades in it, wi th few prominent virtues orvices, i t may be considered as a compound of weak
moral feelings , of strong natural affections,and of
moderate passions) ” The Cingalese,”
says Mr.Cordiner, are indigent, harmless, indolent, and unwarl ike ; remarkab le for equanimi ty
,m ildness
,bash
fulness, and timidity. They are extremely civil anduncommonly hospitab le to strangers . The greaterpart of them who inhabit the inland provinces
,live
apparently in a prM eval state . Their habi tationsare huts made of mud or of the leaves of trees
,desti
tute of every species of furniture possessor of
a garden which contains twelve cocoa- nut and two
jack - trees, finds nocall for any exertion. He reclinesall day in the open air
, l iteral ly doing nothing ; feelsnowish for active employment and never complainsof the languor of .The ideas of the com
mon peop le seem not to extend beyond the incidentsof the passing hour. A l ike unm indful of the pas t
and careless of the future, their life runs on in an
easy apathy, but little e levated above mere animal
existence. 1 Mr. Marshal l’s representation of their
at Davy , pp . 291, 2.
1 Cord iner, vol . i. pp . 92 ; 105, 6. LI heard a gentleman say ,"
Mrs. Heberwrites, with reference tothe indolenceof the natives,Give a man a cocoa- tree, and hewill donothing for his livel ihood.
”
Heber, vol . iii . p . 147. An attempt was made some years ago.”
Mr. Cordiner states, to train a body of Cingalese as soldiers ;but, after great perseverance, it completely failed of success. A
344 INDIA.
tude to face danger ; and have been supposed bettercalculated for martyrs , than for soldiers. Indolence
,
hypocrisy, and revenge may be considered'
as the na
tional vices. But,when brought u nder the influence of
education and piety,they are capable of noble senti .
ments,and of strong, generous, and honourable afi
’
ec.
tions.” m
In this portrai t of the Singalese character, many
trai ts wi ll be recognised as common to the natives wi ththe Bengalese ; but they are still more closely al lied,both in physical and moral charac teristics , as well asby their language, religion, and tradi tions
,to the
Indo- Chinese nations, espec ially the Burmese . Uponthe whole, their moral condition would seem to bevery deplorable. Perlidy and barbarity have certainlydistinguished the policy of the Kandians towardsforeigners and the cruel modes of capi tal punishment,and the frequent use of torture, must be regarded as
indicating the barbarism,at least, of those who have
possessed the supreme power. That state of societymust also be both very corrupt and degraded, in whichfemale infanticide-
r and a p lural ity of husbands are
tolerated practices, and women are the dr udges and
0 Harvard, p . xliii.1' Dr. Davy denies the prevalence of infanticide. The result
of my inquiries is , that they hold the crime in abhorrence, and
that it is never committed , excep ting in some of the wildest partsof the country ; and never from choice, but necessity, -whenthe parents are on the brink of starving, ” &c. That want and indigence may be the inducement, Mr. Marshal l admits ; and the act
is done , he says, with some degree of privacy. But the fact, that,under the native government, the exposure of infants was probibited , proveszthat the practice did exist ; and the mandate, Mr.Marshall adds, had little influence in restraining it. Davy, p . 289.
Marshall , p . 32. O ften the fate of the female child is regulated bythe fortune- teller ; and the mother is rarely consulted.
IND IA. 345
slaves of their lordsfi The continued preval ence of
the Kappooa supersti tion, (a species of fetishism whichappears to have been the primitive religion of the
Singalese,) .must be added to these evidences of a
low state of civi l i zation and morals . Yet,the native
character of the Singal ese may be, at the bottom,
better than their social and religious institutions.Many of thei r vices may be ascribed to thei r depressedpolitical condition . Seldom ,
however, are a peoplefound soen tirely depraved , as to be unsusceptib le of thenatural affections , or incapable of exhibiting indivi
dual instances of generosity and virtue.
The Singalese believe, D r. Davy tells us, that thei risland was colonized from the eas tward about
y ears ago that the first settlers,wi th the exception of
their leader,of royal descent, were of the Goe -wansé
and that the great reinforcement of popu lation thatflowed into the island in the reign of the fifteenthking, was also from the eastward, from a countrywhere the Brahmins were not tolerated, and com
posed of eighteen difi'
erent subordinate castes of theK shoodra -wanse.
” It is remarkable, that the firstdate above-mentioned corresponds to the grea t Singalese era of the death of Gaudama Boodh ; and the
Women are kept in a dreadful state of degradation. Theyseem tobe considered as mere household property. They are notpermitted to eat in the company of the men. Marshall , p . 20.
Mr. Cordiner states, that all the drudgery of life falls on thewomen .
”
1 Davy, p . 132. The Ceylonese Proper, Mr. Bertolacci says,derive their origin from S iam this is the opinionwhich general lyprevails among them , and the fact is related in their histories .
Their language and religion are the same as the Siamese .
” Ber
tolacci, p . 40. The vernacular Singalese is not, however, the same,although th eir sacred language, the Pal i , is that of all the Indo
Chinese nations. By th is, as wel l as b y their retaining in some
degree the institutionof caste, they seem tobe allied to the Indian
346 IND IA .
tradition may be supposed to refer to the first arrival
of his followers . Boodh is be l ieved to have visi tedCeylon, in person, three different times ; and on one
of these occas ions, he left his foot -print on the top ofAdam’
s Peak . The object of his visi t was, we are
told,to rescue the natives from the power of the
demons who at that time covered the whole island,and exercised the mos t cruel tyranny over the in.habitants. So numerous were these malignan t
spirits, that, on the arrival of Boodh, there was not
sufficien t space for him to set his foot. Boodh directedh is discourse to a par t of the vast mass before him ,
which immediately yielded to its force , and became
pan ic - struck by the superior power opposed to them.
Avai l ing himself of the confusion into which the
demons were thrown,and perceiving a vacant space,
Boodh descended and occupied the spor. A s he con
tinned to preach, the demons gradually retired fromhis presence
,until they were all at length driven into
the sea.
”D ivested of its absurdities, this tradi tion
represents the great Reformer of Bahar,+as finding theaboriginal Singalese devoted to the Kappooa superstie
tion, ( l iterally the worship of devils ,) and as at lengthsucceeding in es tablishing his doctrines throughou tthe island. It is not improbable that the Veddahs
were the demons whom the Boodhist prince subduedand that the Goewansé
,or cul tivators, were an Indian
colony of singhs or Rajpoots, 1 who obtained the
0 Harvard , p . liv. See alsoDavy, p . 215.
T See, respecting the parentage and country of Gaudama, Mod.
Tram, Birmah , pp . 99—102. t aré, the name of a Boodhist
temple in Ceylon, is the same word as Vfl mr or Baha r, the modernname of the province in which Gandama was born, and which isderived from a Boodhic monastery.r The Goels of Gujerat are Rajpoots, whoclaim a descent from
Salivahan, the famous Rajah of Puttun. The Birmans are alSQ
348 INDIA.
It was not till 236 years after this, in the reign of
the fifteenth sovereign, that the jaw-bone of Boodh
was brought to Ceylon, and deposited in a dagobah
120 cubits high , and that, temples being multipl ied,Ceylon became a sacred island. Letters were intro
duced at the same This new influx of emi
grants, whether of priests or of colonists , may havebeen from Ava or Siam but i t is more probable, thatthey were fugitives from India, who were driven
from their country on the overthrow of the Boodhist
dynasty and the persecution raised by the Brahm ins
against all the votaries of that faith which is sup .
posed to have taken place about 300B .C. The tra
di tion proves, that the previous conquest of the island
by Wijey a, was a political , not'
an ecclesiastical revo.
lution .
In the reign of the twenty- third king, theMalabar-s
succeeded in conquering the northern parts of theisland ; and the subsequent annals exhibit a series of
sanguinary contests with these ru th less invaders, who,for eighty years, maintained themselves in the so
vereignty of the whole island. Owing to the reli
gions persecutions of the invaders , whowere of theBrahminical persuasion ,
hardly a priest was to be met
with, and not one well acquainted with the doctrinesof Boodh . When
,at length
,the natives succeeded
in throwing off the hated yoke, it was necessary toprocure priests from the Carnatic . Again and again,however, these invaders returned to plunder and
devastate the country ; and to these wars and repeated
the island agreed to confer on him the sovereignty . By Chinese,S iames e is perhaps meant ; but this descendant of the sun wasdoubtless an Ind ian Sdry a vansi .
Davy , p . 296. The tooth of Boodh, the palladium of thecountry, was amuch later acquis ition.
IND IA. 349
inroads, the depopulation of the island iswith apparent
justice ascribed.
In the beginning of the sixteenth century,the
Portuguese first obtained a footing in Ceylon ; and
taking advantage of dissensions in the royal fami ly,they soon acquired a political ascendancy. To expelthese treacherous intruders, the Singalese princesformed an all iance with the Dutch ; and by theiraid
, the Portuguese power was at length total lyannihilated in 1658. Once
'
more, the religion ofBoodh had been brought to solow an ebb by the longwars wi th these new enemies
,that the temples were
wi thout m inisters ; and the sovereign of Kandy sen tan embas sy to Siam
,to procure some learned priests
to ins truct his subjects, - a measure to which i t provednecessary again to have recourse in the subsequentcentury. The Dutch
,in thei r turn ,
became involvedin hosti l ities with the Kandians
,wi th various fortune,
till, in 1796, possession was taken of the mari timeprovinces by the British troops . For a short time,this important acquisition remained under the administration of the Madras Presidency ; but in 1798, i twas formal ly transferred to the British crown .
We must pass over the disastrous war of 1803,and the desultory warfare which term inated in a ten
years’ armistice . In 1815 , the odious tyranny and
cruelty of the Kandian monarch, a Malabar by birth,provoked his own subjects to revolt
,and the Engl ish
were hailed as deliverers. Our troops took possessionof Kandy almost without opposition ; themonarch wastaken prisoner and formal ly deposed ; and the King ofGreat Britain was acknowledged sovereign of thewholei s land of Ceylon . Two years afterwards (October
a rebel l ion broke out, headed by a native pre
tender to the throne, which appears to have been pro
350’
INDIA.
voked by the impolitic disregard'
of all the—
national pre.
judices by their newmasters,and the little respect paid
to ei ther the chiefs or the priests . A partisan warfareensued, which was severe and sanguinary, while i tlasted.
‘ In a fewmonths,however, the revolt was sup
pressed. Kandy was taken, and wi th it,the sacred
tooth of Boodh,the possession of which conferred
,in
the estimation of the natives,a legitimate right to the
sovereignty. Simpler and less oppressive arrangements were now formed for conducting the government and collecting the revenue ; and the change ofsystem which has taken place, promises to make someamends to the people for the evils that had previouslybeen entailed upon them by the es tablishment of theBritish sovereignty. While the chiefs were the
rulers of the coun try,we
.
had little power to dogood .
The chain of c ustom,fixed for centuries, preventing all
progress, and keeping the people stationary, is now
happily broken . The Interior is now in the same
poli tical state as the maritime provinces and we
shall have much to answer for,”adds Dr. Davy, both
politically and moral ly, if we do not exert ourselves ,and
,availing ourselves of the capacity, mel iorate the
condition of the people, and improve the state of the
country.”1~
In proceeding to give a brief topographical description of the principal p laces in Ceylon, we shall availourselves of the Journal of Bishop Heber
’s lady, as
comprising the most recent view of the state of the
i sland.
Our loss from disease alone,” Dr. Davy states , amounted
nearly toone-fifth of the whole force emp loyed . The loss of thenatives , killed in the field or executed , or that died of disease andfam ine, can hardly be calculated : it was probably ten tirnes
greater than ours, and may have amounted, perhaps, toten thousand.
”t Davy, chap. x
352 INDIA.
About'
twentymiles S .E . from Galle, at Bellegem,
there is a celebrated Boodhist temp le,which was
visited by Mrs. Graham . The present temp le is lowand mean
,but near i t
,are the ru ins of an o lder and
handsomer structure. Opposite to i t is a large conicaldagoba (or dagop ) . Within the temp le is a recumbent fig ure of Boodh
,twenty -eight feet long
, and ano
ther seated beneath the snake- canopy . There is alsoa gigantic four-handed statue of Vishnoo, of a darkblue colour
,which appears to be porcelain . The
wall s,both within and without, are covered wi th
painted mythological fig ures, of which the priests wereeither unab le or unwilling to afford any explanation .
About two miles from the temp le,there is a large
fragment of rock, on which is sculptured an armed
figure, twelve feet high , called by the natives the
Cotta Rajah. An annual festival was formerly celes
brated in honour of this figure,which is bel ieved to
represent a conqueror from India and some ho les in
a small rock before i t are shewn , in which the peoplewere wont, on that occasion, to plant their spears . At
B addagame, a village about thirteen m i les from Galle,the Church Missionary Soc iety have a station .
From Galle,Bishop Heber proceeded to Columbo,
the present seat of government,—preceded by an escort
of spearmen and lascarines, and a band of native
music, most noisy and inharmonious , which is a con
stant attendant on all processions . Instead of chattahs ,the lascarines (or peons) carried large fans made of the
talipot- palm,from six to n ine feet in length, to shield
the heads of the Europeans from the sun . The road
was decorated the whole way , as for a festival, withlong strips of palm -branches hung upon strings on
either s ide and wherever the cavalcade stopped, they
found the ground spreadWi th white cloth, and awnings
IND IA. 353
erected, beautifully decorated wi th flowers and frui ts,
and festooned wi th palm-branches .
* The road (whichis a good one for a banda or gig) runs near the shore,winding al ong the bays, and ascending and descendingthrough an almost continued wood of coco-nut treesthe uniform ity of which would be tedious
,but for the
Splendid flowering shrubs and creepers which carpetthe ground and load the underwood. The populationhere consists exclusively of fishermen. On approachingCaltura
,a small fort on a hi ll overhanging the Kaloo
gunga, the bread- fruit- tree, the banian, the cotton- tree,
and the wi ld pine-apple,are blended wi th the palm .
The country here is very beau tiful . Twenty- fourmi les further, crossing a fourth river
,the traveller
reaches Colombo, distant from Point de Gal le, seventytwomiles. Of this capital , Mrs. Heber gives the following description.
COLOMBO.
THE fort of Colombo is on a peninsula,project
ing into the sea,and is very extensive
,surrounded
with a broad,deep ditch . Near the glacis is the end of
a large lake,which extends some m iles into the inte
rior,and which might, in case of necessity
, be easily
connected with the sea, so as completely to insu latethe fort. In the middle of this lake is an is land
,
These remnants of the ancient custom mentioned in theBible, of strewing the road with palm-branches and garments,”
Mrs . Heber remarks, are curious and interesting.
” This dressing of the road for persons of consequence, Mrs. Graham says, is
a tribute from the fishermen of this coast, and sois the providingof lights. The dressing the road and rest-houses, as it is seldomrequired , and is performed chiefly by the women and children, isnoheavy burden it is exacted merely as amark of respect to theoflicers of Govemment.”—Graham, p . 95.
PART V I I I . Y
354 INDIA‘
.
called by the Dutch Slave Island there are severalpretty houses on i t, and a regiment of sepoys is now
stationed there . The town is handsome and nearlyd ivided into four parts by twobroad streets . There are
many Dutch houses,which may be distinguished from
those of the English by their glass windows , instead ofvenetians ; for the Dutch seem to shut up their housesat all seasons they have large verandahs to the south.
The Pettah is very extensive and populous ; the inha~
bitants,it is said
, amount to between 50 and
of a very mixed race . We passed the Dutch and Por
tuguese churches,both pretty bu ildings , especially the
former ; the latter is dedicated to Mater D olorosa.
The houses of the Europeans without the town are verybeautifully situated
,especially those near the sea ; they
are all,with one or two exceptions, lower - roomed
houses, and built on the same plan as those of Bombay,having the same disadvantage ofprojecting, low- roofedverandahs
,which keep out the air. The floors are
almos t universal ly of brick, very unsightly, and dis
agreeable from the dust which they occasion ; but thisis unavoidable in an island where nochunam is made
but by a most expensive process, from shell s, and
where the white ants immediately des troy timber.There appears to be li ttle traflic carried on, except incinnamon and pepper the coir rope is made in greatquantities ; indeed, the coco -nut tree, in its various
p roductions of arrack,oil
, &c. &c ., seems to be the
principal support of the natives. Nomuslins are manufactured
,and only the common strong coarse cloth
,
worn by the natives,is woven in the island.
”
The Dutch church,in which the Church service is
performed in Singalese, is very handsome. The
35 6 INDIA.
twodays, and the harbour is to be made at any sea
son. The shores are so bo ld, and the water sodeep,
that i t is almos t possible to step from the rocks intothe vessels moored alongs ide ; but the rise of the tideis not sufficient for wet-docks. Mrs. Graham speaksof the scenery of Trincolamee as the most beautifulshe ever beheld
,and compares i t to Loch Katrine on
a gigantic scale. The harbour is so land- locked,that
i t appears like a lake . The outer bay is formed by abold projecting rock, at the extremity of which are
the remains of a pagoda. Six pil lars beautifullycarved
,and supporting a cornice and roof
,now form
the portico of a British artil lery-hospital,and a seventh
pi llar is placed on the summi t of an opposite rock.
Trincomalee was formerly considered as very nu
healthy : owing in part to which,
as well as on
account of the barrenness of the soil,i t was neglected
by the.
Dutch. The town is small and mean,with
few,
European inhabitants,and
,what is remarkable
,
few Singalese ; the lower peop le being chiefly Malabars of the Roman Catholic persuas ion. The fortifications
,the work chiefly of the Portuguese and the
French,form a sweep about a mile in length ; they
might be rendered almost impregnable. A s this placeis now made a grand naval arsenal
,after having long
been comparatively neglected, it may be expected thatits population will soon increase. Mr. Cordiner represents the harbour of Trincomalee as giving to Ceylonits chief poli tical importance. The naval powertha t commands this harbour
,
” he remarks,
may
keep all Asia in awe,and easily intercept the trade of
other nations to and from every corner of Hindos tan .
”
'That of Jafi'
napatam,though less valuable, is also of
importance. Ceylon seems,indeed
,wonderful ly
IND IA. 357
adapted to the purposes of commerce : i t is the Maltaof the Indian Ocean.
KANDY.
A NOBLE road , executed with immense labour, underthe administration of Sir Edward Barnes, leads from
Colombo to Kandy,the native capital. Before the
road was Opened, i t was a journey of 85 miles, occu
py ing six or seven days i t may now be accomplishedwi th ease
,by means of relays of horses, in one. The
latter part of the route is through mountain sceneryof great magnificence. Of the ci ty i tself, Dr. Davy
gives the following description .
Kandy, the M aha -neural (great ci ty), the capital
of the Interior,is at the head and widest part of a
pretty extensive valley, about 1400 feet above the
level of the sea. Standing on the border of an artificial lake made by the late king, and surrounded wi thwooded hills and mountains, varying in height from
200 to 2000 feet, its s ituation is beautiful and roman .
tic, but, in a m il itary poin t of v iew,very i l l chosen
and insecure,and hardly admitting of defence. The
houses are all of clay,of one story, standing on a low
terrace of clay, and are all thatched, wi th the excep
tion of the dwel l ings of the chiefs,which are tiled.
The principal objects worthy of any notice are the
palace and the different temples Nocensus has beenmade of the popu lation . Perhaps , when fu llest, justbefore the rebel l ion broke out, the total populationdid not exceed 3000 souls . .We have pul led downmuch , and built up little. Hitherto
,on ly three per
manent edifices have been bui l t by us'
; two houses,one for the governor and the other for the command
ant,both good of their kind
,particularly the latter
and a jail, which, to the surprise of the natives, is the
358 INDIA.
finest- looking building in the country. It was in con.
templation to construct barracks and a place of wor,ship, both ofwhich by this time, probably, have beencommenced) "
Mrs. Heber, five or six years later,thus describes
the appearance of the capital . ‘
The town is larger thanI expected, the streets
broad and handsome, though at present only formedbynative houses. On this occasion, they were linedwith plan tain - trees, bearing frui t, and decorated withflags and flowers, which gave the town a very gayappearance . We were met
‘
at its entrance by theprincipal European inhabi tants, and drove up to a
small cluster of bungalows, dignified by the name of
the Pavilion ,’ be ing the res idence of the Governor.
The principal of these buildings is a remarkablypretty room of a circular form, connected with theothers by covered walks, now beautiqy decoratedwith flowers of various sorts, especially that of the
areka. a sweet - scented palm.
The town of Candy is reckoned healthy,as
well as the country for about a mile round,beyond
which the Europeans seldom extend their drives ;the river . Malavigonga almost surrounds i t ; and
the malaria is peculiarly felt on the shores of rivers.I should think, however, that the great changesin the temperature must be unfriendly to many
cons ti tutions and,indeed, I have since been told,
that pulmonary complain ts are frequent . After an
extremely hot.
day , the night was so cold as to mak ea good blanket and sleeping wi th closed windowsvery desirable ; and even then I awoke ch i lly. The
house we were in, a lower- roamed one, stands at
Davy , pp. 364, 5 ; 371.
isms . 359
the footof a hill covered with jungle, inwhich I heardparrots, monkey s, and jungle-fowl ; i t al so aboundswith the smal ler beasts of prey, and Mr. Sawers toldme
,that the night before our arrival
,he was awoke
by some animal scratching at his door, which he sup.posed was a dog, but the track through his garden inthe morning, proved i t to have been a cheta, or
small leopard. The royal tiger is not found in the
island, but bears, leopards, hyenas, jackalls, and
tyger-cats,are numerous, besides elks, wild hogs,
bufl'
aloes, deer, &c. and near Jafl'
na,at the northern
extremity, a large baboon is very common and
fearless.The king’s palace is a very long, low building, at
the extremi ty of the town, painted whi te, with stonegateways ; its front extending nearly 200 yards : a
hexagonal building of two stories term inates i t at oneend, in which we were received . The rooms we saw
,
are small and low, with curious, grotesque figurescarved on the walls. Here the monarch used to shewhimself in state to his m ph ,
with a wife on eitherhand ; for, though the Candian females of rank haveseldom been seen by Europeans
,they were not before
the conquest kept}in seclusion. At the other end of
the palace are the women’s apartments .
We visited this morning some of the Bhuddhisttemfles . The principal one
,which contains the re
cumbent figure of Bhuddh, is a square building,with
s ixteen pillars of masonry supporting the roof. The
figure is of a colossal size, about thirty feet long, cutout of the rock, and there are several small figuresplaced round i t, some in the common atti tude of sitting with the legs crossed, others standing ; many ofthem are painted a bright yellow, and the cieling andw alls are also
,of the most glaring colours. Strong
350 IND IA.
smell ing flowers were, as usual, ranged as an offeringbefore the image ; and in the same row with thesmaller ones, were placed twobells, the sacred symbol
,
covered up with great care. Although the'
prieststouched them wi th reverence, they shewed no reluc
tance to uncover them for ~our gratification .
Adj oin ing this is a ‘
smaller temple, enclosing an .
other image’
of Bhuddh, in the s itting posture, ofhuman proportions
,and carvedwi th considerable skill
thetcountenance is pleasing, w ith some resemblanceto the Cingalese. Many images surround him in re
lief ; one is of Siva, wi th four arms,and his usual
attributes of the lotus and the cobra de capello . Somecrocodi les surrounding the figure of Bhuddh wouldseem to prove a connection between his worship andthe Egyptian idolatry. The Cingalese colour the
s tatues of their gods , and give a pupil to the ey e ;
which last ceremony is supposed to confer a superiordegree of holiness , and is done wi th much mysteryand solemn ity. Some smaller figures of Bhuddh are
very neat ly executed in brass and copper : indeed, thenatives seem to have a remarkable talent for carving,considering how very few their opportunities for im
'
.
provement can be. In another temple wewere shewn ,wi th extraordinary reverence, some relics of bonetaken out of Raja Singh
’s tomb at the time of our
occupation of Candy,when all the royal tombs were
broken open,
and gold and jewels of considerablevalue found . The cemetery immediately adjoins thistemple the tombs are of stone, meanly enoughscu lptured
, and much injured by the - violence used
in forcing them open . The Kings’ and Queens’stand
on opposi te s ides,and there is li t tle to recommend the
spot, except some noble peepul- trees overhanging the
tombs, which prove the Royal family to have been
362 INDIA.
progress. It was, indeed , an interesting'
sight { thechildren looked happy, anxious to say their lessons,and very proud when they received commendation.
There are two other schools, al together containingfrom eighty-five to n inety children In the evening,we accompanied the Governor to the tunnel which he .
has recently had cut through a hi ll of considerableheight, over which the road was formerly carried fromthe ferry to Candy. I ts leng th is nearly 500 feet,with sufficient height and width to admi t carriages.From thence we descended tothe river, through mostbeautiful scenery. It really is melancholy to see so
lovely a country rendered almost un inhabitab le during
the greatest part of the year, in some places eventothe natives
,by the pestilential malaria.
”
In passing through a thick jungle on the declivityof a hill
,theWriter experienced sensations of sickness
and sufl'
ocation , which gave her, she says,a very good
notion of what the country must be during the unhealthy season . D escribing another evening ride, at
a quarter of an hour from the town, she came in sight
of one of the most magn ificent views she had everbeheld . An immense amphitheatre lay before us
,
of which the boundarieswere loftymounta ins of everyform
,covered more than half way to their summ i ts
with foliage. Doomberra Peak, (its native name is
Hoonisgirikandy ,) abou t 6000 feet high, lay partlyburied in clouds ; the plain beneath us
,was like the
most cul tivated park scenery, with the Lriver runningO ver rocks through its centre ; the only thing wantedt ocomplete the picture, and which the ey e sought invain
,- was a vestige of human life ; nothing but an
occas ional Hindoo temple was to be seen in places
Heber, VO] . ill.:ppo 172, 3 ; 177
.INDIA. 363
where noblemen’s seats might well have stood. Nativehuts there doubtless were for, besides that theCandian district is populous, the coco-palm
,of which
a few clumps were seen, pointed them out. Villagesare universally marked by these trees, which are not,
elsewhere, common in the province ; but, till one i sclose upon them
,the huts are not to be distinguished
from the surrounding jungle, sothat thewhole countrylooked like a glorious desert. The banks of the river
,
along which we rode some distance, are here, as else .
where, the most productive of fever : i t is cal led the
Candian fever,’and appears to be an interm i ttent
,
which arrives at its height on the eleventh day , and,like all others of the sort in a tropical c l imate , is liableto return at any period. Beyond the mountains
, the
country is even said to be more baneful and dangerouste travel through ; but, from the want of roads
,li ttle
intercourse is kept up further in the interior. We
returned home long after the sun had set,which here
is speedily followed by oarkness, -our road il luminatedby myriads of fire-flies
,larger and more brilliant than
any which I have before seen in India . Accustomedas I have now been for twoyears to these insects, I
could not avoid amomentary start as they lit upon me,
soperfectly do they resemble sparks of fire'
. The air,
after very great heat, had cooled so rapidly, as to makeme glad to button up my habit ; but i t was very delightful.”
With all this luxuriance of vegeta tion, the Kandian
market is miserably supplied. Poultry is nearly all
imported from Goa and Cochin ; sheep soon rot anddie ofl’ in the luxuriant pas ture ; and beef, though in
mos t places reckoned fine, is not always good here.
it Heber, vol. iii . pp. 176, 7.
364 IND IA.
The woods supply venison and game of all sorts ;but the former is seldom fat. In the Governor’s
garden , a few English vegetab les are brought to someperfection but
,general ly speaking, even here, they
succeed i l l No indigenous ones appear to be v cul
tivated. A few talipot- palms were seen,but not in
blossom .
”
It is not, at first sight, easy to reconcile the favourable accounts given of the cl imate of Cey lon wi th theextreme insalubrity of the greater part of the island.
On the south and south-west coast, the climate,we
are told,is particularly fine for a tropical country . At
Co lombo, the thermometer ranges from 75
° toseldom exceeding the latter, although sonear the l ine.
This is part ly attributable to the sea-breezes, and
partly to its sharing in the winds and rains of bothmonsoons ; that of the Malabar as well as of theCoromandel coast. The western coas t enjoys a moreequab le temperature than almost any part of the
world. Winter is unknown the mean height of thetemperature is about 7 and the atmosphere is exceedingly moist. -The eastern coas t, about Trincomalee
,
is, on the contrary
,subject to intense heats, the mean
temperature of the hot months being Amongthe mountains
,the climate is cooler than might be
expected,and the vicissi tudes greater. The mean
annual temperature of Kandy is abou tThe provinces which lie to the eastward of the
Interior, are remarkab le for insalubrity sonotorious ly
so, that the late tyrant of Kandy sometimes took
advantage of the pestilential atmosphere of those dis .
The blossom “ resembles that of the palm tribe in general,and is curious merely from the c ircumstance of th e tree neverflowering till it is fifty years old, and dying immediately after.”
TMarshall’s Notes, pp. 8r
—13.
366 INDIA.
which openings for letting out the waters are knownby the appellation ofIn various parts of the Island
, Znow almos t depo
pulated, w ins are met wi th , exhibiting proofs of a farhigher state of civil ization and wealth , at some remoteperiod, than has been known in Ceylon in moderntimes . It is, we think, ev ident, that the salubrity ofthe climate must greatly have deteriorated, as the
effect, not the cause of the depopulation produced byintestine war and foreign invas ion. It would seem
that tracts of country that have once been broken up
and brought under cultivation,become more fatal ly
insalubrious, if suffered to relapse into a state of na
ture, than those which have never been inhabited.
In Ceylon, as in Central India and other countries,we meet with an aboriginal
.race of wild foresters,whose animal constitutions seem spec ial ly adapted toresist the subtile poison of an atmosphere chargedwith vegetable exhalations. . They are the pioneersof civilization, destined to retire before its progress ,but never too rudely encroached upon with impuni ty.The c ultivator succeeds to the hunter ; and the do.
main of animal life is gradual ly extended wi th the
means of subsistence . At length, ci ties rise on the
s i te of anc ient forests ; marshes are changed intofertile pastures, and sandy deserts into cultivatedp lains . A n indigenous race in the mean time rise
up, suited, in their constitution and physical habits,to the improved climate. But now comes the invader,and ! the slow work of ages is undone by the efi
'
ects of
a victorious campaign. The earth i tself takes part in
the punishment of a guilty race and those whom the
pBertolacci, pp. 13, 14.
‘r See, on th is subject, Bishop Heber
’s remarks at page 334 of
our third volume.
INDIA. 367
sword spares, are doomed to suffer from the physical
evils which follow in the train of war. A moral de.
terioration is the natural resul t of these poli tical
calamities ; and thus i t is found, that, in countrieswhich have undergone such physical changes, civiliq
zation has also retrograded ; and,among the monu
ments of anc ient art, the tombs and temples of amightier ancestry, a degenerate race Springs up ,
verging upon barbarism. Such is an epitome of
the history of ma ny of“the finest countries in the
Eastern world.
Before Bishop Heber left Kandy, he held a confir
mation,at which seven native candidates and twenty
Europeans attended ; and he afterwards preached.
There is nochurch,“
but the hall of audience wherethe kings of Kandy held their courts, is used as such .
It is a long room, of which the wooden pil lars, having
the lotus carved on their capi tals, are the only ornamental parts remaining . It was a most interesting
and afi'
ecting sight, to see Christianworship performed,
and a Christian bishop blessing his congregation, a.part of which was native, in the very spot where the
most horrid cruelties were exercised not more than
ten years ago. How little could such an event at thattime have been contemplated?“ Glorious as thisis land is by nature,
”adds theWriter, i t has y et had
very few of the advantages of c ivili zation remark
which recalls the language of the exquisite m issionaryhymn which the Bishop has bequeathed to the Chris.
tian world for i t was of this island that he sang,
What though the spicy breezesBlow soft from Ceylon’s is leThough every prospect pleases,And onl y man is vile.
This glorious island” is now given to Great Britain,Heber, vol. iii, p. 184.
J
368 IND IA.
to deliver from error’s chain,
and tomake it indeed,to the nations of Eas tern Asia; whostill look to i t asthe cradle and fountain head of their religion and
sacred literature, what its name imports,
“
the lanka
dwip a, the Holy Isle. Geographical ly as well as histo~
rically , i t forms the l ink between the Brahm inical andthe Boodhic countries ; and as i t has been in all agesthe magnet of commerce, so
,i t is a natural focus
from which Christian civi lization seems most likely toSpread in all directions . If the conceit"may be par
doned,we wi l l rejoice that the L ion I sland has be“
come, as if by right, the possession of the British
L ion, and that soon the proclamation will go forth inthe sacred language, that the fifth Boodh
,the true and
only Lord of theWorld,has appeared.
THE END .
370 AUTHORITIES CONSULTED .
Harvard’s Narrative of theWesleyan Mission to Ceylon, 8y o. 1823.
Heber’s, Bp ., Narrative of a Journey from Calcutta to Bombay,Tom , 2 vols . 4to. 1828 ; 2d ed ition, 3 vols . 8vo. 1828.
Hende’s Voyage up the Persian Gulf, 4to. 1819.Howison’s Foreign Scenes, 2 vols. 12mo.
Kirkpatrick’s Account of the Kingdom of Nepaul , 4to.
Leyden’s Memoirs of Zehir-ed-din Baber, edited by Erskine, M1826 .
Malcolm’s, Sir John, Memoir of Central India, 2 vols. 8y o.
Pol itical History of lndia, from 1782 t0 1823.2 vols . 8vc . 1826.
Marshall’s Medical Topography of Ceylon, 8vo.
‘
1821.
Maurice’s History of Hindostan, 4 vols . 4to. 1820. (2d edition ofvol . I . 8: I I .) 1802—10.
Mill’s History of British India, 3d edition, 6 vols . 8vo. 1826.
Murray’s Historical Account of D iscoveries in Asia, 3 vols. 8vo.1820.
Niebuhr. Voyage en Arabie, &c . 4 tom . 4to. Ams terdam, 1776.
Orme’s Historical Fragments of the Mogul Empire, 4to. 1805 .
Pennant’s Viewof Hindoostan, 2 vols. 4to. 1798.
Pottinger’s Travels in Beloochistan and Sinde, 4to. 1816.
Price’s, Major Dav ., Chronological Retrospect of MohammedanHistory, 3 vols . 4to. 1811 .
Prinsep’s History of Transactions in India, 1813—1828. 2 vols.
8vc . 1825.
Rennell’s Memoir of a Map of Hindostan, 3d edition, 1798.
Robertson’s. Dr Historical D isquis ition concerning India, 8vo.
1821.
Sketches of India, by an Officer, 4th ed ition, 1826.See ly’s, Capt. J . B ., Wonders ofEllora, 2d edition, 8vo. 1825
Tavernier’s Six Voyages , &c ., folio. London, 1678.
Tennant’s Indian Recreations, 3vols. 8vo. 1803—1808.
Transactions of the Royal Asiatic Soc iety, vol . I . 4to. 1827 .
Bombay Literary Society, vol . I . to 111 . 4to.1819—23.
Madras Literary Society, part I . 4to. 1827.
Ty tler’s Considerations on the Political Stateof India, 2vols. 8 m.
1815.
Valentia’s, Lord, Travels, 4 vols . 8vo.&c . 1811.
Vincent’s Periplus of the Erythrean Sea, 4to. 1800.Wallace’s Memoirs of India, 8vo. 1824.
Wilks’s, CoL, Historical Sketches of the South of India, 3vols.4to. 1810—1817.
GLO S SARY.
~
AFTABJEER—A screen from the sun ; amark of royal state.
AM B ER , MEER , EM I Rr—A Mohammedannoble.
A UMEEN—A commissioner or supervisor.Aumm—A collectorshipof revenue ; used in the senseof Aumildar.AUM ILDAR—An intendant or collector of revenue ; an agent.
BALA Gna u'r—Above the Ghauts, in contradistinction to Pay eenGhaut, belowthe Ghauts ; the high table- land of SouthernInd ia.
Bany an, BUNYAN, BANIAN, Wanna—A H indoo merchant orshop-keeper ; in Bengal, amoney-broker.
BEGAH, B I GGAH—A land -measure equal to about the third partofan acre, but varying in difi
’
erent provinces.BEGUM—A princess or lady of high rank .
Ba y s , Baa s—A lady ; a_tit1e of rank .
Boomers—A reservoir or tank.
BUNGALOW—In Bengal , a summer dwel ling, composed of wood,bamboos , mats, and thatch ; applied to the ofiicers’housesnear a cantonment.
CANDY—A weight equal to 560lb .
CARCOON—Ah accountant or agent.Gauzv , Cawzv , KAZY— A Mohammedan judge ; the same as
Kad i .—Cauzy -u1-Cauzaut, ch ief justice.
CAWK , KHAN—Lord .
CHANDALA—One of the most degraded Hindoo castes.CHA'
I‘
TAH—Ah umbrella of state.CHOBDAH—A staff-bearer.CHOKEE—A seat , station, or tol l .Cnouc -
rav , Cna uvanr—A caravanserai ; called also Dunno) ;
SALLA.
CHOUT, Cnoo'rH—A fourth : the Mahratta chouth is a fourth ofthe revenue exacted as tribute.
CnowaY—A whisk to keep on“
flies.
37 2 GLO SSARY.
Cnun an—A county ; a subd ivis ion of a circar.Oraoan, S IRKA R—A province or government. In Bengal , applied
by Europeans to a native chief accountant.COOLY, KHOLEE—A mixed race, forming two- thirds of the pcpu
lation of Gujerat : the name is given to any porter orlabourer.
Coss, Kos s s , Kaossan- A road -measure equal to a m ile and a
half, but varying in some parts to about twomiles.CaonE—Ten millions.Csnarnrva , Esnn
'
r'
rnv, KHETRY—A Hindoo of the military
caste.
CUTCHERRY—A court of justice or exchequer.Gu'
rwa n—A'
police magistrate.
DANDY—A boatman on the Ganges .
DA ROGA— A superintendant or overseer.D awn, DA R—A post or post-oth ee.
De ccan—The south ; app l ied tothe country lying between theNerbudda and the Krishna .
Dncorr—A bandit or burglar.D nsnmooxn—A Mahratta zemindar or land-holder.D awns , DUAN , D I VAN—A place of assembly. In Hindostan,
applied tothe receiver-general of a province, or chiefminister of the revenue.
D EWANNEE—Jurlsdlcfion of a Dewan.
ADAWLU'r—Court of Exchequeror Chancery.
DOAB, Doowae—A tract of country lying between two rivers ;generally understood as denoting the country between theJumna and theGanges.
D nooo—A fortified h ill or rock .
Dus a sn—One whocan speak twolanguages ; the name given to abanyan in Madras.
D uaean—A court, hal l of audience, or levee ; a palace.
Dunnan—A Mahratta camp.DURWAN—A gate-keeper.
Faxaan, FAQUI R—A religious mendicant ; properly applied onlyto Mohammedans.
Fouman, Pnousna a—A military governor of a district.ADAWLUT—Court of criminal law.
GEN'
roo—From the Portuguese word gentio, a gentile or heathen.
Applied , at Madras, toa Telinga .
GnAu'r—A gate or pass ; applied toa pass through mountains, aford , and a watering-place ; and hence, to a chain of hillsrising one above the other, in parallelj anges, as steps.
374 .GLOSSARY.
MusnuD —A cushion or chair of state. A throne.MUTSEDDY, Mura sannnn—Minister or inspector.
NAB OB , NAWAUB , NAI B— (Properly Naib in the singular, makingNawaub in the plural .) -A deputy or lord lieutenant ; av iceroy.
NABOB -VIZIER—Thehereditary titleborn by theviceroys of Oude,previously to their assuming that of Padshah or King.
NAGUR , NAGORE, NUGGUR—A town.
Nam—Master answering to the Mohammedan Aga, in the senseof a petty military officer ; a corporal of sepoys.
NAm—A chief ; a m ilitary caste in Malabar.Na zm , Nru sh—Administration, or an administrator ; the chief
mag istrate of a province.
NIZAM UL MULK—The adm inistrator or regulator of the empirethe hered itary title of the viceroy of the Deccan, byEuropeans styled the Nizam, or the Nabob of Hyderabad.
NIZAMUT ADAW LUT—The court of criminal justice.NULLAH—A streamlet or water- course.
OmanH—Amogul noble or grandee.
PAGODA—A name improperly given by Europeans to a.Hindoo
temp le also, a gold coin equal to 8a , the same as the
vara ha and boon.
PARIAR , PAR IAH—An outcast ; a lowcaste.PAYEEN GHAUT—The country below the Ghauts.
’
PEON—A footman ; a foot soldier.PERGUNNAH—A d istrict : with this word, Desk , Kuwat,fMahaZ,
Praunt, Summut, and Talooka , are nearly synonymous.PEsncvsn—A present, tribute, or quit-rent.PESHWA, PEI SHWA—A leader ; the title of theprime-m inisters of
the Mahratta Rajahs, who at length assumed sovereignauthority at Poona-h.
PETTAH—The suburbs of a fortified town.
PINDARREE—A word of uncertain etymology, applied to the banditti of Central India.
Pomona—The head of a pol lam or village.
Poon a—A procession of the doorga, or idol ; a Hindoo festival.POTAI L , FATELL—The head man of a Mahratta village.PUHA RREE—A mountaineer.PUND IT, PUNr—A learned Brahmin.
PURA , POOR , Pong—A town.
PYKE—A footmessenger ; a night-watch.
Rama—A king,military chieftain, or prince.
GLO SSARY. 375‘
RAJPOOT, RAJAPUTnA—Son of a rajah thetitle assumed by them ilitary caste of Hindoos.
Rams—Sovereign Prince : the Maha Rana is the supreme head ofthe Ra jpoots .
BANNER—The queen of a Rana orRajah.R ao, Row—A chief or lord.
Roir, ROYAN—The chief treasurer of the Khalsa or exchequer.R UPEE—A silver coin equal to 28. or 23. 3d.
R y or—l-A peasant ; a tenant.
SAHI B—Sir ormaster, a term of respect lord.
SANGHA—A plank bridge.
SA YER—Variable imposts or duties.SEPOY, SEPAHEE—A native soldier.SHA STREE—A person learned in the Shasters a title.SHROF F—A banker.SHUNKERJATEE—The mixed castes.S INGH—A lion ; a distinctive appellation of some of the Rajpoot
chiefs .
Smna a—A chief officer or captain.
S IBKA a- See Cracan.
SOUBAH—A viceroyalty or grand d ivision, answering to dutchy.SOUBAHDA R—A v iceroy or governor of a soubah .
Sovca a—A merchant, banker, or money- lender.Sana—A honorary title answering tosacred .
Sum ma DawnNNY ADAWLu'r—The chief civil court of justice
under the Company’s Government.Sum ma e amur ADAWLU
'r—The supreme criminal court.
Senna , Saunas , Snoop a a , Soomra—A Hindoo of the fourthcaste, that of cultivators in the Mahratta country calledKoonbee.
Snannsamooa an—A Mahratta impost of ten per cent. on the collection of the revenue.
TALOOK—A small portion of land. See PERGUNNAH.
TATTY—A frame thatched withgrass, upon which water is thrownto cool the air passing through it.
THAKooa—A baron or lord.
T HUREE—The dale or strath in the neighbourhood of a river.Top s—A grove or plantation.
Varsva , Wav sn, a cn—The third Hindoo caste, that ofwriters.
VAKEEL , WUR EEL—AD ambassador, delegate, or attorney.Vin a—Prime minister of the Mogul Emperors ; the title of the
soubahdars of Oude.
376 GLO SSARY;
Wanna—A tract of country, or district ; as Banswarra, Ky cheeJwarra, &c.
Yoorns, Jcoins—Hindoo devotees .
ZEM INDAR , ZUMEENDAR—A land~holder ; answering to the
Mahratta deshmookh.
ZENANA—The haram or female apartments ; the ladies of a
household .
ZrLLAn—A circu it the district comprised withinof amagistrate .
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