Grand moving diorama of Hindostan

by Fanny Parkes Parlby

MOORSHEDABAD—THE PALACE.

Moorshedabad became the seat of the Bengal Government A.D. 1704. It was transferred to this place from Dacca, by the Nawāb Jaffier Khan, who was appointed Soubadar of Bengal by Aurungzebe. The City of Moorshedabad continued to be the seat of the British Government until A.D. 1771, when it was transferred to Calcutta. During the reign of Aliverdi Khan, a palace was erected at Moorshedabad, which was ornamented with pillars of black marble, brought from the ruins of Gour; this building is still in existence. The new palace of the Nawāb erected by the government, is a magnificent edifice, and reflects the highest honour on the architect, General Macleod, C.B.: it was commenced in the time of Humaioon Jah, the late nizām, who died in 1838, and was succeeded by his son, the present Nawāb. This splendid building, which is in the European style, and of dazzling whiteness, is a beautiful object from the river, of which it commands a fine prospect, rendered peculiarly interesting by the variety and elegance of the native vessels, so numerous at this station.

The Mor-pankhī, as the Nawāb’s state-barge is called, is used during certain festivals at Moorshedabad: boats of this description are numerous, and of different forms, some towering very high, displaying all the colours of the peacock, and all are brilliantly painted and highly gilt. A band of native musicians follow the state-barge in another tastefully-decorated boat, and the scene on the river during the festival is highly picturesque.

Here also are seen the snake-boats: they shoot past you with great swiftness when rowed by twenty men, from their amazing length and extreme narrowness.

Through the influence of Mr. Hamilton, surgeon to the Embassy sent by the local government to the Emperor Furrookhseer, in the year 1713, the use of the Mint at Moorshedabad was placed at the disposal of the Government of India.

The great object of dread to the Nawāb Sooraj-oo-Dowlah, in 1757, was the fire of the English vessels of war, of the effects of whose broadsides he had received exaggerated accounts; and, in the excess of his timidity, he conceived it possible that they might proceed up the great branch of the Ganges, and then come down the Kossimbazar river to Moorshedabad; to guard against which, he caused large piles to be sunk across that stream, opposite to Sooty, about twenty miles above the city. A toll is now levied at Jungipūr for keeping open the entrance of the Bhagirathī, as this branch of the Ganges is called.

THE WRECK.

The scene now opens on the right bank of the Ganges. We quitted the Bhagruttī (a branch of the sacred river) at Sooty, and have now entered upon the main stream, at a point where it is of amazing breadth, the view of it only terminating with the horizon: the waves roar, and roll, and foam like those at sea; whilst a tūfān (one of the heavy storms of India) is blowing fiercely, accompanied by thunder, lightning, heavy rain, and utter darkness. The impetuous stream, rushing with the force of a torrent, undermines the banks of the river, and tears up forest trees by their roots. A voyage at this time is particularly dangerous; native vessels are swept along with amazing velocity, and when a tūfān is encountered, like the one now blowing, they are frequently wrecked.

Three dāndīs (native boatmen) have been swept by the violence of the waves from the mast of their sinking vessel; they are striving to regain their hold: the rest of the crew have sunk to rise no more. These men are admirable swimmers; they may possibly be carried along by the current and rescued on some turn of the river, unless from the violence of the storm they are carried out into the middle of the stream, and swept onwards, until, overcome by exhaustion, they sink beneath the waves.

During some periods of the year, a voyage on the Ganges is attended with great risk. The natives quote the Persian saying as a consolation under misfortune, “‘What is the use of taking precautions, since what has been ordained must happen.’ Truly saith the proverb, ‘If the diver were to think of the jaws of the crocodile, he would never gather precious pearls.’”