CO Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2007 with funding from IVIicrosoft Corporation http://www.archive.org/details/citiesofindiaOOforruoft TWO INDISPENSABLE REFERENCE BOOKS ON INDIA Constable's Hand Atlas of India A Series of Sixty Maps and Plans prepared from Ordnance and other Surveys under the Direction of J. G. BARTHOLOMEW, F.R.G.S., F.R.S.E., etc. Crown 8vo. Strongly bound in Half Morocco, 14J. This Atlas will be found of great use, not only to tourists and travellers, but also to readers of Indian History, as it contains twenty-two plans of the principal towns of our Indian Empire, based on the most recent surveys and officially revised in India. The Topographical Section Maps are an accurate reduction of the Survey of India, and contain all the places described in Sir W. W. Hunter's "Gazetteer of India," according to his spelling. The Military Railway, Telegraph, and Mission Station Maps are designed to meet the requirements of the Military and Civil Service, also missionaries and business men who at present have no means of ob- taining the information they require in a handy form. The Index contains upwards of ten thousand names, and will be found more complete than any yet attempted on a similar scale. Further to increase the utility of the work as a reference volume, an abstract of the i8qi Census has been added. UNIFORM WITH THE ABOVE Constable's Hand Gazetteer of India Compiled under the Direction of F.R.G.S., and Edited J. G. BARTHOLOMEW, with Additions by Jas. Burgess, CLE., LL.D., etc. Crown 8vo. Half Morocco, 10s. bd. The Hand Gazetteer of India is based on the Index to Constable's Hand Atlas of India, which contains nearly 12,000 place-names. To these have been added very largely from various sources, bnnging the number of entries to close upon 20,000. The populatiins of districts, towns, and villages, and the position of each place are clearly indicated, thus forming within a small compass a general reference book to the topography of India, and a companion volume to the Hand Atlas of India. CITIES OF INDIA CITIES OF INDIA By G. W. FORREST CLE Ex-Director of Records, Go-vernment of India i'?^laS WESTMINSTER ARCHIBALD CONSTABLE AND CO LTD 2 WHITEHALL GARDENS 1903 Butler & Tanner, The Selwood Printing Works, Frome, and London, Preface THE sketches which are here collected and reprinted were some of the records of many journeys at the time the writer's avocations led him to travel almost yearly across the continent of India. They were labours of love, written during the intervals of graver occupations, and the author trusts that the work may reflect some of his own keen enjoyment in these cities, and some of their serene charm and Oriental enchantment. He has endeavoured, both by con- versation and reading, to enter into the spirit of the times in which each temple or mosque or palace was produced, and into the manners and customs of those who erected it. By selections from the ancient records and old books of travels, and the great Anglo-Indian classics, he has en- deavoured to give life to old scenes, and to reproduce senti- ments unfamiliar to the present generation. After giving an account of the story of each city, he has referred to the prominent objects of interest in it, and he has borrowed freely from the inquirers of other days whatsoever he considered important, as illustrating their architecture or antiquity. He has endeavoured to acknowledge in all cases the sources of his information, but as some of the papers were written twenty years ago it has not always been easy to trace them. He has also borrowed from the Introductions to the volumes of State Papers edited by him, on the old principle that a man may once say a thing as he would have it said—he cannot say it twice. vii • viii PREFACE These papers have been selected and arranged so that the volume might adapt itself to the traveller. The visitor, if he starts from Bombay and stays a few days at the cities in the order in which they are given in this book, will see a great deal that is best worth seeing on the continent of India, within moderate compass of time. All he can never see, and there is subject enough for twenty quartos. As a large number of people who must remain at home take an interest and feel a pride in our Indian Empire, it is hoped that these papers may offer them some pleasure and some information. Of their omissions and imperfections, no one can be more conscious than the author. The papers headed Bombay, Delhi, and Calcutta appeared in the Pall Mall Magazine, and the permission to reprint and use the illustrations is hereby gratefully acknowledged. It remains to thank those from whom the writer has had the privilege of receiving advice, and who have assisted him in the dull task of proof reading and correction. The spelling of Indian words is bound to cause great difficulty ; but in a book of this kind it would be out of place to follow always too closely the somewhat pedantic official system of trans- literation, which has proved a stumbling-block to ordinary English people, and a great non-conductor of interest. —— Contents \J^ BOMBAY Appearance from the sea—Occupied by Humphrey Cook, 1663 Described by J. Fryer, 1673 —Fort described by Captain A. Hamilton—Sir Gerald Aungier's Presidentship—His death Bombay Green—Admiral Watson visits Bombay, 1774—Society at Bombay in 1786 described by J. Forbes—Church at Bombay Green—Religious disputes : Chaplain Cobbe and Mr. Braddyll Statue of Marquis Cornwallis—Statue of Marquis of Wellesley : his relations with the East India Company—The Town Hall Literary Society of Bombay founded—Public Library—Sir Bartle Frere—Statue of the Queen-Empress—Statue of Edward VII Wellington Fountain—Policy of General Wellesley—Sailors' Home — Royal Bombay Yacht Club—Secretariat—University Hindu Burning-ground—Wilson College, and its founder Malabar Point : described by Lady Caldecott and by Moore Walkeshwar—The Ladies' Gymkhana—Tulsi Reservoirs—The Towers of Silence : Grose's account—Breach Candy—Mahalux- mee—Parell : Sir James Mackintosh and Mountstuart Elphin- ston : Lady Falkland—The Victoria Gardens—BycuUa Club Scenes in the Native City—Elephanta and its sculptures. Jlr SURAT Historical interest of Surat—Its antiquity—Barbosa's description Portuguese inroads—Seized by Akbar—First English Trading Company—Captain Hawkins—Sir H. Middleton—Captain Best : engages the Portuguese—The Firman—Nicholas Dounton de- feats the Portuguese—Sir Thomas Roe makes a treaty with the Emperor's son—Naval engagements, 1630—Growth of the Com- pany—Sir George Oxinden : defends the factory against Shivaji Fryer's description of the settlement, 1674—Ostentation of the early factors : disapproval of the Home Authorities—Lieutenant- Governor appointed—Decline of Surat—Brigg's description of the old factory, 1847—Chapel of the Capuchins—The Cemetery : tomb of the Oxinden brothers : tomb of Van Rheede . 40 vJ;h. ahmedabad Architectural and historical interest—Vama Raja—Anahelavada Mula Raja—Invasion of Gujarat by Mahmud of Ghazni—Sidh Raja—Muhammadan dynasty established—Ahmed Shah founds Ahmedabad, 141 1 —Barbosa's description—Annexation by Ak- ix — CONTENTS PAGE bar—Jainism and Buddhism : Mahavira—Muhammadan influ- ence on Hindu Architecture—The Jumma Musjid—Mosque of Rani Sipri—The Queen's Mosque—Shah Alum's Tomb—The Teen Durwaza—Mandelslo's visit, 1638 : his interview with the Viceroy, Azam Khan : the Viceroy's cruelties—Mandelslo's de- scription of the English factory—Thomas Aldworth—Kerridge imprisoned : released by Sir T. Roe's firmness, 1616—Ahme- dabad in the seventeenth century—Skill of Ahmedaban artificers —Scene at the Subarmati River—Ganj Baksh—Tomb of K'tub- ud-din—Mahmud Begada : his palace and tomb . .62 IV. MOUNT ABU AND AJMER Physical Geography of the district—The Rajpoots : their pride of — " birth—Jain shrines " Patience is the highest good —The Arhai-din-ka-jhompra : described by Tod and Fergusson—The Aja-mer—The Ana Sangur—The Doulat Bagh—Jehangir's Diary —Rana Umra Sing : abdicates in favour of his son—Aurangzeb Fate of the Emperor Farukshir—The Barha Seiads—Ajit Sing seizes Tarragurh—Murder of Ajit : devotion of his wives Battle of Mairta—Murder of Raja Bukht—Assassination of Ram Sing—Surrender of Ajmer to the Mahrattas—Mistaken policy of Wellesley's successors—Energy of Lord Hastings—The Mayo College : Lord Mayo's speech—Sir T. Roe's account of Jehangir's Court—Ajmer to-day—The Dargah : Mueyyin-ud-din—Mosque of Shah Jehan ......... 87 V. JEYPORE Position and importance of the city—Early chiefs of Jeypore State Raja Bagwandas : his daughter's marriage—Maun Sing—Jey Sing : his tragic death—Jey Sing the Second : his scientific attain- ments—The Kantra—Vedyadhar designs the city of Jeypore—Its theatrical appearance—The Temple of the Winds—The Chandra Mahal—Reception of Bishop Heber, 1817 : the Rani's gifts Jota Ram's conspiracy—Council of Regency—Ram Sing Siwai Madhao—The Albert Hall—School of Art—Description of Amber—The Diwan-i-Khas—Its hidden sculptures—The Jey Mandir—The Sukh Nawas—Rajpoot's treatment of women The devotion of Sunjogta—The Queen of Ganore : her heroic resistance, and tragic death . .114 VI. DELHI Antiquity and importance—Indrapastha—Iron pillar of Raja Dhava Kutb-ud-Din : his great Mosque—The Kutub Minar—Baber vic- torious—Humayun driven out by Shir Khan—Humayun's re- storation, and death—Tomb of Humayun—The Chansat Kham- bah—The Mausoleum of Safdar Jung—Shah Jehan makes Delhi the seat of Government : his magnificence—The Jumma Musjid Palace of Shah Jehan—Bernier's description of the Am-kas The Diwan-i-Khas—The Peacock Throne—The Moti Musjid, or Pearl Mosque—Sack of Delhi by Nadir Shah—Capture of the city by the Mahrattas—Inroad of the Rohillas—Shah Alum — CONTENTS xi PAGE blinded and captured : released by Lord Lake—Massacre of Christians in 1857—Visit to the scene of the siege operations John Nicholson : his heroic death—The Cashmere Gate Gallantry of Salkeld and Burgess : loyal sepoys—Ludlow Castle : Lord Robert's account of the attack—Quintin Battye—Attack on Hindu Rao's house—Scene from the Memorial—Grave of Nicholson : Lord Roberts' tribute—The Arsenal : heroes of the Arsenal Gate ........