Furdunji (q.v.) in advocating social and political reforms: they were joint Honorary Secretaries to the Parsi Law Association from 1855, which obtained certain legislative measures for the Parsis: in 1871 he was consulted by the Governor of Bombay on the new Municipal Act, became a Member of the Bombay Corporation, and, in 1876, a Member of the Bombay Legislative Council; was a Fellow of the Bombay University: owing to his exertions, the Indian Factory Act of 1881 became law: in 1881 he was made C.I.E. and Sheriff of Bombay: in 1885, was a member of the Abkari Commission: died April 4, 1893.
BENTINCK, LORD WILLIAM CAVENDISH (1774–1839)
Governor-General: son of the 3rd Duke of Portland, born Sep. 14, 1774: entered the Army 1791, saw service in the Netherlands, in Italy, with the Austrian forces: Governor of Madras, from Aug., 1803, to Sep., 1807, when on account of the mutiny of sepoys against their officers at Vellore, for which he was held responsible, the Court of Directors recalled him: changes affecting the sepoys had been introduced by the C. in C., with the support of the Governor. He was employed in Portugal and commanded a Brigade at Corunna: as Lt-General he was C. in C. in Sicily, 1811, served in Spain, and led an expedition against Genoa, 1814. After 13 years without employment, he was Governor of Bengal from July, 1828, was C. in C. from May, 1833, and the first Governor-General of India from Nov., 1834, to March, 1835: it devolved on him to insist on economies to restore financial equilibrium, to reform the land revenue settlement in the N.W.P., to establish a Board of Revenue in the N.W.P. and reorganize the judicial courts, to devote funds to education through the medium of English, and to increase the employment of educated natives in higher offices. He also by Regulation abolished the practice of suttee, and suppressed the Thags. He took over the administration of Mysore. He met Ranjit Singh, ruler of the Panjab, on the Satlaj. In general he reformed the administration in a liberal spirit, and established the principle that, in the Government of India,the interests of the people should have the first claim. His memory is still cherished by the natives. The eloquent inscription on his statue in Calcutta was written by Macaulay (q.v.) (Legal Member of Council from Nov., 1834.) Bentinckwas greatly regretted on his retirement. He became M.P. for Glasgow in 1837: refused a peerage, and died June 17, 1839.
BENTLEY, JOHN ( ? - ? )
Member of the Asiatic Society of Bengal: wrote Historical View of Hindu Astronomy, 1823: his earlier treatise, on the Antiquity of the Suryasiddhanta, 1799, threw doubts on the antiquity of Indian astronomy, and called forth a severe critique in the Edinburgh Review, to which Bentley replied in the Asiatic Researches: one of the greatest mathematicians of his time in India: he also wrote, on the Principal Eras and Dates of the Ancient Hindus.
BENWELL, JOSEPH AUSTIN ( ? - ? )
Artist: resided for some time, prior to 1856, in India: conspicuous for original and pleasing delineations of native life, landscape and buildings in India, evidently drawn on the spot: chiefly known as a draughtsman on wood of Eastern subjects, principally Indian and Chinese: exhibited at the Royal Academy up to 1883: illustrated Capt. M. Rafter's Our Indian Army, and Capper's Three Presidencies of India: nearly all his drawings on wood are in the periodicals and journals of the 'sixties, such as the illustrated London News, and, to about 1876, the publications of the Religious Tract Society: he illustrated also The Indian Nabob of 100 years ago, by G. E. Sargent in The Leisure Hour for 1858, a story of considerable merit of the British conquest and settlement of Bengal: he painted a series of dissolving views of Indian life, exhibited in London before 1862: his signature on drawings is usually J.B. but occasionally J.A.B.
BERAR, RAGHOJI BHONSLA II, RAJA OF ( ? –1816)
Raja of Nagpur, or Berar: succeeded his father, Madhoji Bhonsla, as Raja in 1788, took part in the victory of the Mahrattas over Nizam Ali of Hyderabad at Kurdla in March, 1795. After the treaty of Bassein (Dec. 1802), he joined
