Pen and ink drawings by Sir Charles D’Oyly (1781-1845), of Patna City in Bihar, from an Album of 80 drawings of views in Bengal and Bihar taken between January 1823 and May 1825. Patna, the ancient Pataliputra, was the centre of the opium trade in northern India. The Dutch, French, Danish and British East India Companies all had ‘factories’ there.
D’Oyly arrived in India in 1797 and spent his first few years in Calcutta as Assistant to the Registrar of the Court of Appeal. He was Collector of Dacca from 1808-18 and was made Opium Agent at Patna in 1821. Whilst at Dacca he met the artist George Chinnery and became his pupil from 1808-12. D’Oyly was a prolific amateur artist who was greatly admired by the European community. He set up and ran a lithographic press, the ‘Behar Lithography’, and also formed an amateur art society, the ‘United Patna and Gaya Society’ or ‘Behar School of Athens’: ‘for the promotion of Arts and Sciences and for the circulation of fun and merriment of all descriptions.’
Eastern gateway of Patna City (Bihar). 26 October 1824; a drawing by Sir Charles D’Oyly
Western gateway of Patna City (Bihar). 23 October 1824
Mosque of Fakr al-Daula, Patna City (Bihar). 26 October 1824
The Gossain Katra near the Chawk, Patna City (Bihar). 23 October 1824
View from the terrace of the Patna Custom House looking along the Ganges towards Gulzarbagh and Bankipur (Bihar). 24 October 1824
Another view from the Patna Customs House (Bihar) with steps leading down to the river and country boats moored by the bank. 24 October 1824
View of a stone mosque in the Western suburbs of Patna City (Bihar) looking west. 29 October 1824
View of a temple erected by Maharaja Mitrajit Singh in the W. suburbs of Patna City (Bihar), taken from the terrace of the Raja’s house. 25 October 1824
View of Raja Shitab Rai’s ghat in the W. suburbs of Patna City (Bihar) taken from the river. 19 November 1824
View of road and houses near Patri Ghat in the Western suburbs of Patna City (Bihar). 31 October 1824
View of the bazaar in Patna City near the gateway of the Fort. 28 October 1824
View of the French Factory, Patna City (Bihar) seen from the river. 19 November 1824
View of the opium bungalow and encampment at Gulzarbagh, near Patna City (Bihar); a road coming down to the river. 19 November 1824
View of the ruins of the Dutch Factory in the W. suburbs of Patna City (Bihar) showing the great revetments on the River Ganges. 17 November 1824
