INSURRECTION AT BENARES. 
145 
was therefore to all intents and purposes pledged to 
contribute towards the support of that government to 
which he was indebted for the enjoyment and security 
of his possessions. These were forfeited by the re- 
bellion of 1781, when Cheit Singh was obliged to re- 
linquish them, and he died at Gualior, in the province 
of Agra, in 1810. Upon his expulsion from Benares, 
the lands were transferred to a collateral branch of 
the family 
The causes which influenced the insurrection were 
these : In 1 7 7 8 intelligence arrived at Calcutta of a 
war with France, when it was resolved in council, 
that, in order to maintain the exigencies of the war 
which would no doubt involve our Indian govern- 
ment, the fulfilment of stipulations entered into with 
Cheit Singh, when the Zemeendary of Benares was con- 
firmed to him in 1770, should be exacted. He was 
in consequence called upon to contribute five lacs of 
rupees, about sixty thousand pounds sterling, towards 
meeting the expenses of that year. For eight years 
no application of the kind had been made to him, so 
that no opposition was contemplated by the govern- 
ment to this moderate and equitable demand. He 
made no objection to fulfil the conditions of his feu- 
dality, but nevertheless evaded their fulfilment by 
the most plausible delay's. After exhausting every 
artifice so common to the astute mind of a Hindoo, 
and finding all fail, he at length, in the most servile 
manner, pleaded his utter inability to pay the sum 
demanded, on account of the failure of his resources. 
This was known to be a mere subterfuge, as he was 
notoriously the richest Zemeendar in the country : 
