ABSTRACT
The contemporary image of Banaras is larger than life. British travel writings, the Daniells’ watercolors, and photographs, old and new, have represented Banaras as one of the most sacred cities in Hindu cosmology, unique amongst the urban spaces of the subcontinent. Increasingly, historians have pointed to the significant role played by the patronage of local and visiting elites in the shaping of city’s fortunes, its urban geography, public spaces, and popular culture. In particular, the hegemonic role played by merchants, princes, and Brahmans in city during the colonial period has been highlighted. Elite political pensioners brought new dimensions to Banarsi public life, connecting Banaras directly to the disillusion of empires, state formation, and expansion of Company power. They comprised political rulers forced to retire to the city by the East India Company after their defeat, individuals seeking the Company’s protection from their detractors, or, alternatively, troublesome souls, sent by princely rulers with handsome pensions to live far from their borders.
