Massacre of Benares

Cherry excelled as a spy-master and was inevitably associated with, or interested in, the intrigues of the Nawab's court and state, to the extent that he was withdrawn to Benares in 1796 for his own safety having made sufficient enemies locally.

Notably, he demoted and isolated Zehseen Ali Khan, a minister who under Asaf-ud-Daula was identified as being sympathetic to the British; and he acted in a threatening fashion when Shore visited Lucknow.

With little support from the court, which looked largely to the begum, and the antipathy of the British, it was clear to Wazir Ali that he lacked the means to resist, and so entered into an agreement to take a pension of a lac and a half, and retire to Benares, a town on the southern border of Oudh.

The young Ali was far from satisfied with his lot, and indications before 1799, and evidence of later enquiries suggests he was plotting against the British and with a view to regaining his lost position.

[2][6] Ali appears to have been informed of his fate in the early part of January 1799, and his all of remonstrances fell on the deaf ears of the British, in the form of Cherry.

[7] Wazir Ali and entourage next sought to attack the Magistrate of Lucknow, Samuel Davis; on their way they came across a civilian, the unfortunate Mr. Robert Graham, and cut him to pieces.

He had not time to gather weapons beyond a pike, but over the course of 90 minutes managed to fend off attempts by Ali's followers to gain access to the roof by judicious jabbing of anyone getting within a pike's-length.

Wazir Ali appears within this timescale to have decided to move on to the centre of Benares, and Davis's house was eventually cleared by members of his Indian police force together with sepoys.