. The Indian empire: history, topography, geology, climate, population, chief cities and provinces; tributary and protected states; military power and resources; religion, education, crime; land tenures; staple products; government, finance, and commerce . y. The reputation for sanctity which this city possesses in the estimation of all Hindoos,renders it an especial point of attraction to pilgrims from most parts of Lidia. A greatnumber of these devotees being exceedingly poor, subsist wholly upon charity, and are,consequently, often reduced to a state of the most abject misery. Many of the n
. The Indian empire: history, topography, geology, climate, population, chief cities and provinces; tributary and protected states; military power and resources; religion, education, crime; land tenures; staple products; government, finance, and commerce . y. The reputation for sanctity which this city possesses in the estimation of all Hindoos,renders it an especial point of attraction to pilgrims from most parts of Lidia. A greatnumber of these devotees being exceedingly poor, subsist wholly upon charity, and are,consequently, often reduced to a state of the most abject misery. Many of the nativeresidents of Benares are men of extraordinary Avealth, and, as diamond merchants andbankers, have occasionally rendered great service to the state by facilitating the monetaiytransactions of the East India Company. Benares is also celebrated as having been, in ancient times, a principal seat of Brah-minical learning, and its educational status has not been deteriorated by the rule of itsEnglish masters. At the time of the establishment of the British empire in India, theschools of Benares weic found to be in a declining condition ; but an impulse was shortlyafterwards given to the progress of native intelligence, by the establishment of tha mp. Hindoo Sanscrit college, in 1791, to which an English class was added in 1827. Anunfortunate notion that prevails among the native teachers (many of whom are eminentscholars), that were they to accept any remuneration for their labours, all the religiousmerit of teaching the Vedas would be lost, restrains them from receiving any benefitlromthe professorships attached to the institution; and as they will not accept payment fromtheir scholars, they are chiefly dependent upon the donations and pensions of the rajahsand wealthy pilgrims who visit the sacred city. For the above reason, the Hindoo collegehas never flourished to the extent anticipated by its founders. During the present century many schools have been established in Benares
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