Benares in Bengalen die heilige Stadt der Hindus

Title

Benares in Bengalen die heilige Stadt der Hindus

Description

General view of Benares, now Varabasi, is a city in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

ca. 1845

Artist

Anonymus

Historical Description

Varanasi is believed to have been founded around 1,200 BC by Kashya, the son of Suhottra. He made himself independent of the Ghurids and founded the Delhi Sultanate. For the next 500 years, Varanasi was under Muslim rule. During this time, many Hindus converted to Islam. During the reign of Akbar I at the turn of the 17th century, the city was ruled by a Hindu governor who built several temples and an observatory. Shah Jahan installed his son Dara Shukoh as governor of Varanasi. He maintained close relations with Hindu scholars and studied their teachings. Aurangzeb, who pursued a policy of re-Islamization in the late 17th century, closed the schools in the city of Muslim scholars who were concerned with Hindu doctrines, had a Hindu temple destroyed to build a mosque in its place, and renamed the city Muhammadābād. However, this name did not catch on. After his death, Balwant Singh, the son of a Hindu zamindar was elevated to Raja of Varanasi in 1739. He cooperated with the British East India Company and became more and more dependent on them. In 1775, his territory came under British administration, but Balwant Singh's family retained the Raja title. In 1950, the territory became part of the state of Uttar Pradesh. However, the royal house continues to exist to this day.