Journal of a Cavalry Officer; Including the Memorable Sikh Campaign of 1845-1846Humbley, W. W. W. (William Wellington Waterloo)
History
Journal of a Cavalry Officer; Including the Memorable Sikh Campaign of 1845-1846
Humbley, W. W. W. (William Wellington Waterloo)
India -- Description and travel; Sikh War, 1845-1846
The most conspicuous and handsome building in the city, is the
palace of the Nawab. It is quite a magnificent place, and is called
"Eina Mahal." It was planned and built under the superintendence of
Lieutenant-General Duncan M'Leod, of the Bengal Engineers. It is a most
chaste and elegant structure, built in the European style, of pure
white marble of dazzling brightness. It almost rivals the Government
House, at Calcutta. The General took a correct model of it to England
for the inspection of the public, who must have admired it greatly, and
commended the taste and ingenuity of the architect.
There are also some fine remains of the old palace, built by Aliverdi
Khan, about 1750, constructed in the Hindoo style, with the rich black
marbles and pillars that once graced the city of Gour.
Cossimbazar, a little town about one mile south of the city, and which,
properly speaking, is the port of Moorshedabad, is a place of immense
traffic, and great inland trade. Until the days of free trade, there
was a silk factory at Cossimbazar, and the late Hon. Andrew Ramsay,
uncle of the Marquis of Dalhousie, was the commercial Resident for many
years.
Moorshedabad is still the residence of the Nawab of Bengal, who
inhabits the Palace which I have described above. The present Nawab,
Cowar Krishnath Roy, has been instructed in the English language.
He is about thirty years of age; an English education has greatly
improved him, and though he has not altogether divested himself of
his Mahomedan habits, still those who are personally acquainted with
him, inform me, that his manners are those of a well-bred European,
and that he is intelligent, and very fond of reading. He sometimes
goes to Calcutta, and may be seen there on the course, in his barouche
and four, driven by an English coachman. My gentle readers must not be
surprised to learn that the young prince has more than one wife; but
they may be forgiven for being astonished at being told that European
ladies have married Nawabs.
The Prince has many boats, built on the Burmese model, of great length,
with short paddles. They are called "snake boats," and shoot along with
the rapidity of an arrow. I have seen one of them keep pace with a
steamer for several miles. They are generally rowed by twenty men. The
Nawab's state barge is very handsome, it is richly painted and gilded,
and draped with canopies and carpets of the richest combination of
colours, which produce a gorgeous and pleasing effect. It is only used
on grand occasions, and is attended by a band of music which follows in
another boat.
Moorshedabad is now the residence of the British Civil Establishment,
and the head-quarters of a Circuit Court, comprising six of the
neighbouring districts. The mint is now under the control of the
British.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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