Books on Banaras (2)

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Glimpses from the past ~  

Sarai Mohana. 

1940.

Some of the young people began asking for a library. Ethel applied for a grant and pressed the College Trust into donating a piece of land. The young men themselves decided to build the Reading Room in their off time and found used bricks for the purpose. While the men built, Ethel planted oleanders and made paths, making the front yard into a playground. In the end, she says, they had a very charming library. They got books and magazines, daily and weekly papers from various offices. The Reading Room became a popular feature of the village, until the day-school teacher, who Ethel was discovering was quite a faction-maker with his own ambitions, tried to take it over for a night school for children to make extra money for himself. 

In the census of 1872, the occupation of all males above 15 years of age are noted. I give some of the items. 
Alms-takers: 184
Beggars: 3,490
Barbers: 979
Pundits: 96
Priests (temple or ghat): 2,809
Purohits (family priests): 1,273
Servants: 14,309
The census informs us that there are in Benares 16,023 masonary houses, and 21,551 mud houses - that is, houses many of which are of mud moistened and dried as the walls rise - and others of sun-dried bricks. 

A few pages along is a stark quote, by who else by Macaulay, "Commerce had as many pilgrims as religion. All along the shores of the venerable stream lay great fleets of vessels laden with rich mechandise." 

Talking about the Queen's College of Banaras the author states: 

I have seen a certificate of 1854 in which it is stated that the student has studied: General literature, History, Elements of physics, Practical mechanics, Logic, Rhetoric, Political economy and Chemistry; and Urdu, Hindi, Persian and also in Mathematics: Geometry, Arithmetic, Algebra, Plain trignometry, Analytical geometry, Mensuration and Calculus. 

Also, further down, he mentions, 

At the initial stage it was related to the Calcutta University and here the students got education upto post-graduate degree (MA). Later when the Allahabad University came into being it was affiliated to it.