OF THE CITY OF BENARES. 477 



Where there were no Choudris, as with the Kaeths, or Bhuihdrs, 

 &c, I was obliged to have recourse to actual investigation throughout 

 the mehalas in which they were known chiefly to reside. With the 

 Juldhas, or weavers, I took advantage of one or two large feasts given by 

 principal weavers on the marriage of their children. The number entered 

 for these and a few other classes, must be held only as approximations ; 

 while on the contrary many of the items in the catalogue, where the autho- 

 rity is given, are precise and accurate enumerations. I have, on this 

 account, inserted the names of my informants, or the authority whereon 

 each return is quoted. 



The population of Benares, according to this mode of reckoning, 

 falls considerably short of the number given by the regular Census. By 

 increasing each item about one-sixth, to cover omissions of children in the 

 Choudris estimates, and unavoidable oversights in the list itself, it might have 

 been easily made to coincide in amount, but it is more satisfactory in its 

 present form, as pointing out the limits of error. The descriptive nomen- 

 clature of the principal persons, Muselman, Hindu, MeMjan, Pandit, and 

 Fakir, which accompanied the map of Benares presented to the Society 

 in 1822, will be found of use in explanation of the present list. In the 

 catalogue of Hindus, it may be remarked, there is no separate entry for 

 " Gentlemen" as with the Muselmans. The reason of this is that every 

 Hindu, of whatever rank he be, belongs to a particular caste. Thus the 

 Rajah of Benares is included in the Bhuihdr caste, and the tables of 

 Brahmans, Kshetris, Vaisyas and Sanyasi Fakirs (or Gosains) comprise 

 persons of all trades and professions. 



The Muselmans apparently form but one-fifth of the population, 

 and are not more numerous than the Brahmans alone ; very few of 

 them reside within the City, properly so called, which is almost exclusively 

 Hindu. 



b 4 



