Benares State

Benares ( Banaras, Varanasi ) was one of the princely states of British India in what is now the state of Uttar Pradesh.

The medieval Kingdom of Kashi was in 1194 part of Oudh. In the mid-18th century, the Nawab of Oudh enfeoffed the Bhumiyar Brahmins Mansa Ram and his successor Balwant Singh ( 1740-70 ) with Benares and other districts of the former kingdom. 1775 the Nawab the sovereignty over the territory to the British from. This recognized it - without the city of Benares - a family estate of Gautam - Bhumiyar Dynasty and it spun at the same time as part of the district of Mirzapur in British India. Raja Prasad Narayan Singh Ishwari ( 1835-89 ) was raised in 1859 for Maharaja.

1911 received the lands of the Maharajas the status of a formally independent principality. The state consisted of two enclaves west and southeast of the city of Benares: A to Bhadohi ( congruent with today's District Sant Ravidas Nagar ) and one to Chakia in today's Chandauli district. Residence was Ramnagar near Benares. 1941, the princely state of Benares a surface area of ​​2266 km ² and 533,000 inhabitants.

After India and the princely states became independent in 1947 (see History of India) took the last Maharaja Dr. Vibhuti Narayan Singh, on 15 October 1948, after India, and the principality was the state of Uttar Pradesh is divided. The Maharaja was Chancellor of the Banaras Hindu University.