Ghazenuggur--Secundra--Allyghur--The Fort--The Church--Monuments--The
Gaol--Akbarabad--Meerun-ke-Serai--Kanoge--Tombs--Ancient
Coins--Language of Kanoge--Supposed Site of
Palibothra--Population of Benares--Streets of Benares--Singers
and Musicians--Productions of Kanoge--Poorah--Cawnpore--Court
Etiquette at Lucknow--Nawab of Oude--His Regal
Rank--Military Depôt at Cawnpore--Saddlery--Sirsole--Dâk
Bungalows--Arapore--Lohunga---Allahabad.
ON the morning of the 11th of April, I bade adieu to the far-famed city
of Delhi, after a most agreeable stay of only four days, during which,
however, I had made the most of my time.
Quitting the city from my encampment at the Cashmere gate, I set out
for Ghazenuggur, a distance of fourteen and a half miles. I passed over
the river Jumna, about five miles from Delhi, by the bridge of boats
of which I have already spoken. The bed of the river being unusually
broad at this time, these boats were exceedingly numerous. Half way
_en route_ to Ghazenuggur, or perhaps rather less, I crossed the river
Hindon by an iron bridge.
On the 12th, I rode to Secundra, a distance of twenty-three miles, the
scenery being very tame and uninteresting. On the 13th, I continued my
route as far as Koorjah, seventeen miles and one-eighth; and on the
14th, to Somnagunge, fourteen and a half miles.
On the 15th I reached Allyghur, or Coel, as the town is called. On my
arrival, I immediately visited the Great Mosque, with five cupolas,
and a large pillar close by it, called the Minar. It is in a ruinous
state, and a very poor resemblance of the renowned Cootub Minar, at
Delhi. I ascended as high as was practicable by the spiral staircase
in the interior, and counted eighty-one steps. An intelligent native,
who accompanied me, told me that the founder intended that it should
rival the beautiful column at Delhi; but some accident prevented its
completion.
I next visited the Fort of Allyghur, taken by Lord Lake, in 1803. It
is built of mud, faced with kankar, or limestone, of a square form,
and surrounded by a very deep and broad fosse filled with water, and
abounding in fish. Within the gates nothing now remains of this chief
stronghold of Sindiah but a few huts, and small bomb-proof magazines;
the fortress having been stormed by the British troops under Lord Lake
in 1803, and dismantled by Lord William Bentinck.
The church, built at the expence of a liberal and pious civilian, is
very small and neat; near it is a monument erected to the memory of
seven officers of H.M. 76th Foot, who were killed in action against
the army of Sindiah. At no great distance are two low pillars, each
encircled by a wall, in memory of two French officers, in the service
of Dowlut Row Sindiah; and, close by, a faithful Mussulman Khidmutgar,
or butler, lies interred beneath a flat stone. On one side of the
church is a European burial ground, nearly covered over with tombs and
pillars.
A few minutes' walk conducts the visitor to an enormously large gaol,
in which all the culprits in the district of Allyghur, about 700 in
number, were at this time confined.
The station appeared to be an exceedingly pleasant one; the bungalows
to the north are surrounded with fine tropical trees, which give it a
very cheerful appearance. During my stay here, my tent was pitched in
an ancient Mahomedan burying ground.
On the 16th of April, I rode to Akbarabad fourteen miles and a half.
The hot winds having now set in, and travelling in the day-time being
almost insupportable, I started at eleven o'clock the same night,
and arrived at Budwas, a distance of twenty miles at half-past-four
o'clock on the morning of the 17th. On the 18th I rode to Naia Serai,
twenty miles; and on Sunday, the 19th, to Korowlee, thirteen miles and
one-eighth; on the 20th, to Bowgong, sixteen miles; on the 21st, to
Chiberamow, twenty-one miles; on the 22nd, to Goorsaigunge, fourteen
miles.
On the 23rd I rode to Meerun-ke-Serai, a distance of fourteen miles.
On my arrival, I visited the ancient city of Kanoge, by diverging two
miles from the main road, to my left. An old man of ninety years of age
was my guide through the ruins, accompanied by his son apparently as
aged as himself. The father's name was Oodee Ram. Kanoge is abbreviated
from Kanyacubja.[65] It is a town of great antiquity and celebrity, in
the Province of Agra, having been the capital of a powerful kingdom, at
the time of the first invasion of the Mahomedans. It is situated on the
west of the river Ganges, in Lat. 27° 5´ north, and Long. 79° 52´ east.
The Ganges runs about two miles off, and, by means of a canal which
makes a bend towards the town, the sacred stream is brought close to
the citadel.
The town, at present, consists of only one street, but along an extent
of six miles, the fragments of small pieces of brick earth, and the
occasional vestiges of a building, point out the site of this ancient
capital of Hindoostan. I may mention a peculiarity in the Hindoo
buildings, that they are composed of very small bricks, worked in with
a great portion of cement, which is harder, and requires more force to
break it, than the bricks.
I here saw the tombs of two Mahomedan saints, who lie in state in two
Mausolea on an elevation covered with trees. From the terrace which
surrounds them I enjoyed a pleasant prospect over the plain, scattered
with the ruins of temples and tombs; little images broken into
fragments, are lying about in all directions under the trees. Ancient
coins of an irregular shape are frequently found among the ruins;
they are inscribed with Sanscrit characters, the original language of
India, and, sometimes have the figure of a Hindoo deity on one side.
We nowhere read of any one having ever collected these coins, much
less of having translated the inscriptions upon them. Surely it would
be worth the trouble to send some one to dig them up out of the heaps
of rubbish which cover them. Coins are the books of antiquity, for the
art of printing was not known even in Europe till about 400 years ago.
The coins found in the Tope at Munnikala in the Punjaub, have led to
the belief, that such structures as those at Kanoge were not raised by
the natives of the country. It is true that the search for coins in
that district has not always produced genuine ones, for the cupidity
of the natives has led them to sell modern copies of ancient coins to
Europeans not versed in the knowledge of these antique deposits; they
see that they are of Bactrian origin, but cannot distinguish the true
from the false coins. General Ventura, who opened the Tope, had the
advantage of a first discovery, for spurious ones could not have been
originally deposited there.
Kanoge, in the remotest times of Hindoo history, was a place of
great renown, and the capital of the powerful kingdom of Hindoostan,
which existed down to the period of the Mahomedan invasion, which is
about coeval with that of England by William the Conqueror. The name
Kanyacubja, has reference to a well-known story related in the Hindoo
mythological poems. The language of Kanoge appears to have formed the
ground-work of the modern Hindoostanee known also by the appellation
of Hindee or Hindivee, it is a graft on the Sanscrit; the Oordoo is a
mixture of Hindee and Persian. Oordoo means a camp, hence Oordoo is
the Camp or Court language of Delhi and Lucknow, where it is spoken
with the greatest purity. Kings formerly often lived in Camp with their
troops.
The Rajahs of Kanoge are mentioned by Ferishta as early as 1008. The
town was conquered, though not permanently retained, by Mahmood, of
Ghuznee, A.D. 1018. The late Lieutenant-Colonel W. Francklin, Bengal
army, in his "Enquiry into the Site of the Ancient Palibothra," calls
it "Kennouj, or Kanycacubja." The learned Mr. Maurice, in his Indian
Antiquities (p. 36), observes, of this city, that it was enclosed by
walls fifty coss, or one hundred miles, in circumference; and, in page
42 of the same work, states, on the authority of the Ayeen Akbaree,[66]
that, in the beginning of the sixth century, under the reign of
Maldeo, it contained 30,000 shops where betel-nut was sold, and 60,000
bands[67] of singers and musicians, who paid a tax to government. The
extent of the city might reasonably allow of a population of from two
to three millions of souls. If these positions be admissible, we surely
need not cavil at the extent of the city of Palibothra, as assigned
to it in the Hindoo records. Colonel Francklin writes of Bisnagur
(Beejanuggur), "of this city, Cæsar Frederic, a Venetian merchant,
who was there in 1567, says, 'that it had a circuit of ninety-four
miles, and that it contained within it a number of little hills and
pagodas.'" Major Rennel, the well-known Surveyor-general of India, in
his Dissertations, agrees with the Venetian, that these hills and
pagodas were within the boundaries. Of course, there were many temples
at Kanoge; and there seems to be no reason whatever for disbelieving
the fact of its having been one hundred miles in circumference, or of
there having been 4,000 souls to a square mile.
Now, let us take the city of Benares. The late Mr. James Prinsep,[68]
between the years 1824 and 1827, found the population to be 183,491;
or, 34,621 to the square mile. The census was taken under peculiar
difficulties. Benares, or Kasi, is the most sacred Hindoo city in
Hindoostan. In the late census, taken in 1848-49, the population was
allowed to stand the same as when taken in 1824-27. The lapse of more
than twenty years will give a great increase of population, even
supposing that there had been an over-calculation.
Let us test the point by English statistics. In Middlesex[69] they
quote 5,590--98 souls to a square mile. Now, if we say three millions
for Kanoge, it will give about 4,800 souls to a square mile. Then it
must be recollected, that the streets of Benares are so very narrow,
that if one person enters a street at one end on an elephant, and
another comes from the opposite end similarly mounted, neither can
pass, but one must back out, which implies that the streets are not
twenty feet wide. Besides which, the native houses in Benares are
several stories high. It is a fact, that a great portion of the
sickness of that city, as of others which I have seen, arises from the
circumstance that the sun's rays never penetrate the street. Therefore,
if Kanoge were peopled to anything like the extent even of Middlesex,
we may believe the number of inhabitants to have been as great as
suggested by Maurice. If the Venetian be correct, we may assert that,
if Beejanuggur extended ninety-four miles, Kanoge, the most ancient
Hindoo city of Hindoostan, was one hundred miles in circumference. It
is to be borne in mind, that the population of the world, at the period
referred to, was greater than in times before the Christian era. Lord
Lake had his head-quarters at Kanoge before his army took the field in
1803.
The late Lieut.-Colonel Thorn, in his Memoir of the War in India,
1803-6, says: "Kanoge, which modern writers suppose, though certainly
on very problematical grounds, to be the site of the celebrated
Palibothra;" but this will be noticed again when I speak of Allahabad,
which some deem to be the identical site of Palibothra.
The 60,000 bands of singers and musicians is a more puzzling problem:
because each band has never less than four persons; two girls and two
men. Now, 2,500,000 divided by 60,000, gives a "natch" or dancing
set to about every forty-two persons. It proves at least the musical
taste of the Hindoos, and their fondness for singing and dancing in
those days. We must, however, recollect that singing enters into their
religion, and forms a necessary part of their sacred festivals. Again,
if we take a brick house to contain six people, and a mud house four,
there would be a band for every eight or nine families.
Kanoge is celebrated for its attar of roses, rose-water, and
sweetmeats; of the last I purchased fifteen seers, or thirty lbs. for
my servants, thus giving two lbs. to each man.
On the 24th of April, I rode twenty-three miles to Poorah; on the 25th,
to Kullianpore, nineteen miles and three-quarters. My next stage
was to Cawnpore, a distance of seven miles, where I put up at the
Bungalow, next to the one I occupied when I was stationed at Cawnpore
with my regiment last year. The change from my tent to a Bungalow was
exceedingly agreeable, for latterly I had found it almost intolerable,
on account of the dust and heat.
Cawnpore is a large military station, situated on the right bank of the
Ganges, between Kanoge and Allahabad. The circumstance of its becoming
a military station, was the result of a treaty with the Nawab of Oude,
by which the British East India Company agreed to keep a Brigade
at Cawnpore for the defence of the Nawab's dominions. It is about
forty-nine miles from Lucknow, the capital of the King of Oude. About
the year 1818, the Governor-General, the late Marquis of Hastings,
suggested the title of King in lieu of that of Nawab. The Company, it
seems, had borrowed money from his Highness, as he was then called, to
pay the expences of the Nepaul war; and as the Nepaul frontier bordered
on Oude, there appeared to be some tangible reason for asking for a
part of the outlay. His Highness lent two "crores," or two millions
sterling: one of which was afterwards repaid, and the other was partly
absorbed in the kingly title.
The Nawab, as Vizier, had been the servant of the Emperor of Delhi;
and at the time of which I am treating two of the Emperor's sons were
living at Lucknow, and used to be supplied with money by the Nawab.
Now the court etiquette was such, that whenever his highness met their
royal highnesses, the princes of the blood of Delhi, his highness
was constrained to make his elephants kneel down, if so mounted;
which deportment was considered degrading in the presence of his
liege subjects at Lucknow, and called for a remedy. It was therefore,
intimated to the Nawab, that he and the Honourable Company might make
an amicable agreement, by the government of India conferring upon him
the title of Majesty.[70] The Nawab jumped at the proposal, and was
dubbed "King and mighty Sovereign." Besides these advantages, he was
not only raised in rank above the princes of the blood royal; but he
was also king as well as the great Mogul, whose style was "Shahun
Shah," or "King of Kings." The Emperor, however, was greatly incensed;
what now was to be done? He complained that his income of ten lakhs, or
£100,000, was not meet and sufficient to keep up his royal dignity;[71]
whereupon the Company, in order to conciliate his majesty, at once
raised his pension to £120,000 per annum. Money carries everything in
the East, as it does for the most part in the West--it can do anything
short of a miracle.
The investiture of the Nawab of Oude with regal dignity is, however,
by no means incongruous. Mooltan, for instance, we find from old
historians, covered an area of 3,273,932 beegahs, or 1,636,966 acres
of measured lands; and again those of Oude were 2,796,206 beegahs, or
1,398,103 acres. Now, as there was formerly a king of Mooltan, the size
of which is only 238,863 acres larger than Oude, there seems to be no
reason why its ruler should not bear the style and title of King of
Oude. Oude is estimated to be 250 miles in length, and 100 in breadth,
from which it appears that it is as large as Scotland and much larger
than Hanover.
His Majesty has disbanded his disorderly troops, and maintains two
corps of Infantry, disciplined and appointed by British officers,
stationed at Sultanpore and Seetapore. At Lucknow itself there is
a Horse Field-battery and three battalions of East India Company's
Sepoys. Visitors to Lucknow should go to the late General Martin's
palace and the Dil-Khoosha. The Residency is situated two-and-a-half
miles from the cantonments. There is a bridge over the Goomtee river,
and an iron bridge near Dil-Khoosha. In the neighbourhood of Lucknow
are many fine palaces, which well deserve two or three days' inspection.
At Cawnpore there are two companies of Artillery, a corps of Native
Cavalry, a European regiment of Infantry, three corps of Native
Infantry, and an Infantry recruiting depôt; whereas formerly, there
used to be a troop of Horse Artillery, a regiment of British Dragoons,
a corps of Queen's Foot, two companies of Artillery, a corps of
Golundaz, a regiment of Native Cavalry, and three regiments of Native
Infantry. The cantonments are of great length and very straggling; the
distance from the magazine to the end of the Native Artillery lines
being seven miles. Looking from the river, the regiments used to stand
thus:--The European Infantry on the left; next to which come the
European Foot Artillery, then the Native Infantry; next the Dragoons
and Native Cavalry, and, lastly, the Native Artillery. The civilians
live chiefly at Nawabgunge, about two or three miles to the left of
the cantonments. In the midst of the cantonments are the Church, the
Theatre, and the Assembly Rooms, the latter consisting of two rooms
parallel to each other and about 100 feet in length, where public
meetings are held. Besides the church here spoken of, a neat little
chapel was built close to their lines, for the use of the Dragoons,
when they were stationed here.
There is an hotel at Cawnpore, kept by a Mr. Duhan, pleasantly situated
on the banks of the river. It is a great convenience to travellers,
but, owing to the want of sufficient patronage, it will, probably,
be soon broken up. Not far from the hotel is the European burial
ground, crowded as usual with pillars and slabs, marking out the last
resting-place of beloved relatives and friends.
Cawnpore, although very hot and dusty, is, in my opinion, not an
unhealthy station; for, during my stay there, from the 28th of April,
1844, to the 17th of October, 1845, I found that, with common
prudence, a person might enjoy very tolerable health. There is a fine
race-course, which used to afford an exciting amusement during the
cold months. The officers' bungalows, pleasantly situated in large
compounds,[72] surrounded by walls, are very comfortable. The one which
I occupied, while stationed here, and for which I paid only £96 per
annum rent, was, perhaps, rather adapted for a general officer than
for a captain of Dragoons. The saddlery made at Cawnpore is celebrated
throughout India, as particularly good; and the Native Cavalry are
chiefly supplied with it. The extension of our frontier has, however,
done no small injury to Cawnpore, for it will never again enjoy the
large and important commerce which it used to possess. To continue my
route:--
On the 30th of April, 1846, I rode to Sirsole, fourteen miles, and put
up at the Dâk, or Stage Bungalow. These Dâk Bungalows are stationed
along all the principal roads in India, at a distance of about fifteen
or twenty miles apart, are a great comfort to the weary traveller; for,
as there are few hotels on the route, he thankfully avails himself
of such fare as these afford. Here he enjoys the luxury of a bath,
accommodation, and attendance, for the trifling sum of 2s. per diem.
The traveller must bring his own provisions, which the Dâk Khidmutgar
will prepare _à son goût_. These establishments are under the control
of the government post-masters. The word Dâk signifies post; and the
Inland Mail is transferred from one part of India to another not by
railway and mail coaches, but by such conveyances as are best adapted
for speed in different localities. Thus, in some districts camels are
used; in others, horses; and, in others again, mail-carts; while the
most ordinary method of transmission is by a runner, who carries the
letter-bags, generally at the end of a bamboo pole poised over his
shoulder, and shifts it upon those of another runner, who stands,
waiting in readiness, at a distance of ten or twelve miles, and who, in
his turn, transmits it to another, and so on, till the whole distance
is accomplished. These Dâk post runners keep on at a regular speed of
four or five miles an hour.
On the 1st of May I rode to Kullianpore, a distance of seventeen miles,
and the next day to Futtehpore, sixteen miles. I was on the point
of taking my customary ablution this morning, when my Bihishti, or
water-carrier, discovered a deadly cobra de capella, partly concealed
and asleep, under one of the earthen jars which I was just going to
use. I felt very thankful for my escape.
Futtehpore is an extensive Mahomedan city; it is in a lamentable state,
and the ruins of tombs, mosques, houses, and walls lie spread over a
very large space. It has been a civil station since 1826; and it also
contains a very large gaol.
On the third of May, I started for Arapore, a distance of sixteen
miles, and proceeded the next morning to Lohunga seventeen miles off.
I arrived at Kusseah on the 5th, after a ride of sixteen miles, and
having rested till five o'clock in the afternoon, I commenced a long
march, but halted for about half-an-hour at the Travellers' Bungalow
at Koela, fifteen miles, to allay a burning thirst with some tea, and
finally reached Berrill's Hotel at Allahabad at a quarter to one the
next morning, being a distance of twenty-nine miles.
Thus I rode the whole way from Lahore to Allahabad, a distance of at
least 704 miles in fifty-four days, including the nine days I halted.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 65: Kanya, a damsel, and cubja, a spinal curve.]
[Footnote 66: A work written by the command of Akbar. It contained a
statement of the revenues of all the districts and towns, the amount of
the troops, and the number under each commander.]
[Footnote 67: Tyfeeah, "a band," or set of Natch girls.]
[Footnote 68: Statistical Survey of Berar, p. 155, table xxx.
Statistics, North-west Provinces. By A. Shakespear, Assistant
Surveyor-General.]
[Footnote 69: Shakespear's Statistics, North-west Provinces of India,
table ii. p. 172.]
[Footnote 70: Vide Oude, Parliamentary Papers.]
[Footnote 71: See Appendix XX.]
[Footnote 72: From _Campaô_, a Portuguese word, signifying an enclosure
round a house, or bungalow.]