Warren Hastings, who was governor-general of Bengal from 1773 to 1785. The majarajas built a fine palace in Cossimbazar, portions of which were made of carved stone taken from the palace of Chait Singh, Maharaja of Benares. Maharaja Sir Manindra Chandra Nandy (1860–1929) was a philanthropist and patron of education who figured in the Bengal Renaissance. At the beginning of the 19th century the city still flourished; as late as 1811 it was described as famous for its silks, hosiery, koras and beautiful ivory work. However, its once healthy climate gradually worsened, and, probably because of endemic malaria, the area of cultivated land round it shrank drastically. Jungle took its place, and in 1813 its ruin was completed by a sudden change in the course of the Hoogly. A new channel formed 3 miles from the old town, leaving an evil-smelling swamp around the ancient wharves. In 1829, a census recorded the population as 3,538. Of its splendid buildings the fine palace of the Maharaja of Cossimbazar alone remained, the rest being in ruins or represented only by great mounds of earth. The first wife of Warren Hastings was buried at Cossimbazar, where her tomb with its inscription still remained till the early 20th century. In 1901 its population was just 1,262. Places of interest Cossimbazar is a historic town and predates Murshidabad. It houses two Christian cemeteries, an Armenian Church and two colonial styled mansions of local landlords one of which have been converted into a heritage hotel. By the middle of the 16th century Dutch, French and British had already established their trading posts (often referred to as factories) in Cossimbazar. The trading community like the Armenians also had there presence. Dutch Cemetery: The dutch cemetery is located next to the Cossimbazar railway station. It once had 47 craves out of which only 20 stands to this day. The oldest grave is of Daniel van der Muy and dates back to 1721. Most of the graves are of obelisks style but a few are topped with domes. The white domed tomb of Tammerus Canter Visscher stands out among the other tombs. British Cemetery: This cemetery is even smaller than the Dutch cemetery. It contains the graves of British officials and their family members who died in Cossimbazar after the Battle of Plassey. The cemetery houses the grave of Warren Hastings' first wife Mary and their infant daughter Elizabeth.