than three days’ journey from Nuddea had hitherto depended
very much upon this grant from government which gave them
from twelve annas to one rupee a month, and nearly sufficed to
procure them food. The amount of the grant that reached the
students was in fact but 90 rupees, 10 being set apart for some
ceremony. The number of foreign students was generally
between 100 to 150, and there were about the latter number at
that time at Nuddea awaiting the result of their petition. If not
complied with, they would have found it necessary to quit the
place. Mr Wilson made particular enquiry of the students with
respect to the distribution of the allowance and entire
satisfaction was uniformly expressed on this subject. A petty
suraf or podar accompanied by one of their number is deputed
to receive the allowance at the Collector’s Treasury. On his
return he divides it among the foreign students whose presence
in the town is perfectly well known. The podar, whom Mr Wilson
saw, keeps a shop for the sale of grain, and supplies the
students with food, advancing them occasional maintenance on
the credit of their monthly allowance. They are commonly in his
debt, but he is too unimportant a personage, and the students
are too numerous, and as Brahmans too influential, for him to
practice any fraud upon them. The allowance, he has, no doubt,
is fairly distributed; and although the value of the learning
acquired at Nuddea may not be very highly estimated by
Europeans, yet it is in great repute with the natives, and its
encouragement even by the trifling sum awarded is a gracious
and popular measure. There can be no doubt of its being a very
essential benefit to those students who have no other fixed
means of support. On Mr Wilson’s report it was determined to
continue the allowance of rupees 100 per month to the
petitioners.
Little is said by any of the authorities to which I have
referred of the schools of learning in this district beyond the
town of Nuddea; but there can be no doubt that such exist at
Santipore, Kishnaghur, and other places within the district. Mr
Ward mentions transiently that, at Koomaru Hutta and
Bhatpara, villages in this district, there are perhaps seven or
eight such schools. At Santipore there was formerly a small
Government endowment which appears to be at present in
abeyance. In 1824, an application was made through the
Collector of Nuddea to the Board of Revenue by Devi Prasad
Nyayu Vachaspati Bhattacharyya, as the brother of Kali Prasad
Tarkasiddhanta Bhattacharyya, who had died in the preceding
year, for an annual allowance or pension of sicca rupees 156-11-
10, in consideration to his keeping a seminary in the town of
Santipore.