Lot Essay
Bijaigarh is another of the hill forts in the region to the south of Benares and Chunar, occupied by Raja Chait Singh and his forces in the summer of 1781 (see the entry for lots 23, 24, 27). In the early stages of the struggle, the Governor General and his small party had had to flee from the Raja's considerable forces, but they had found sanctuary at Chunar, and by the beginning of September were rescued by large British forces assembled from Allahabad, Kanpur and Lucknow. These were commanded by the famously courageous Major Popham, who made something of a speciality of besieging supposedly impenetrable forts. The situation had decidedly changed. Hastings was able to resume his progress wtih his dignity restored. Caunter and William Daniell later retold the story:
'[The Raja] resolved upon instant flight, as the only means left of securing his personal safety. He made up his mind to proceed immedialy to Bidzee Gur [Bijaigarh]. This was his last place of refuge on account of its extraordinary strength, and of its being the depository of all his treasures... Cheit Singh, however, had become so fully sensible of the uncertain issue of all warlike enterprizes, that he resolved to put nothing further to the hazard, and therefore quitted this fortress reputed to be impregnable... so that Major Popham found it deserted upon his arrival, except for a few half-starved soldiers worse than the very worst sample that could have been selected from Falstaff's ragged troop' (The Oriental Annual, 1834, pp.179-80).
The Daniells visited Bijaigarh on 8 January 1790. This watercolour is one of four in the collection signed 'WD', which would suggest that it is the work exclusively of William (see lots 7, 37, and 48). In the foreground, he has depicted himself, with a telescope, and his uncle sketching, with some of their Indian attendants rigging up an awning. Partly because of this delightful glimpse of their working methods in India, the watercolour has frequently been reproduced.
'[The Raja] resolved upon instant flight, as the only means left of securing his personal safety. He made up his mind to proceed immedialy to Bidzee Gur [Bijaigarh]. This was his last place of refuge on account of its extraordinary strength, and of its being the depository of all his treasures... Cheit Singh, however, had become so fully sensible of the uncertain issue of all warlike enterprizes, that he resolved to put nothing further to the hazard, and therefore quitted this fortress reputed to be impregnable... so that Major Popham found it deserted upon his arrival, except for a few half-starved soldiers worse than the very worst sample that could have been selected from Falstaff's ragged troop' (The Oriental Annual, 1834, pp.179-80).
The Daniells visited Bijaigarh on 8 January 1790. This watercolour is one of four in the collection signed 'WD', which would suggest that it is the work exclusively of William (see lots 7, 37, and 48). In the foreground, he has depicted himself, with a telescope, and his uncle sketching, with some of their Indian attendants rigging up an awning. Partly because of this delightful glimpse of their working methods in India, the watercolour has frequently been reproduced.