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Kolkata
(previously called Calcutta) is a
relatively young city by Indian
standards, having a recorded history of
some 300 years although recent
archaeological evidence suggests that a
sophisticated civilisation (Chandraketugarh)
dating back 2000 years existed near
where the city that now exists.
Kolkata, largely a British creation was
the capital of British India until 1910.
In 1686 the British abandoned Hooghly,
their trading post 38km up the Hooghly
River from present-day Kolkata and moved
downriver to three small villages -
Sutanati, Govindpur and Kalikata.
Despite the post's initial lack of
success, in 1696 a fort was laid out
near present-day BBD Bagh (Dalhousie
Square) and in 1698, the Mughal ruler
Aurangzeb's grandson gave the British
official permission to occupy the
villages.
Kolkata grew steadily until 1756, when
Siraj-ud-daula, the nawab of Murshidabad,
attacked the town. Most of the British
inhabitants escaped, but those captured
were packed into an underground cellar
where, during the night, most of them
suffocated in what became known as 'the
black hole of Calcutta'.
In 1757 the British, under Clive of
India, retook the city and made peace
with the nawab. A stronger fort (Fort
William) was built in Kolkata and the
town became British India's capital.
Much of Kolkata's most enduring
development took place between 1780 and
1820. Later in the 19th century, Bengal
became an important centre in the
struggle for Indian independence, and
the resultant unrest was a major reason
behind the British decision to transfer
the capital to Delhi in 1911. Loss of
political power did not alter Kolkata's
economic control and the city prospered
until after WWII.
The partition in 1947 of India (creating
Pakistan) devastated Kolkata. Bengal and
Punjab were the two areas of India with
mixed Hindu and Muslim populations, and
the dividing line was drawn through
them. The result in Bengal was that
Kolkata became a city without a
hinterland, while across the border,
East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) was a
hinterland with nowhere to process or
export its produce. Furthermore, West
Bengal and Kolkata were inundated with
tens of thousands of refugees fleeing
from East Bengal, although fortunately
without the brutal violence and
bloodshed that Partition brought to
Punjab.
The massive influx of refugees, the
departure of the British, combined with
India's post-war population explosion
and economic hardship, led to Kolkata
becoming an international urban horror
story. The work of Mother Teresa's
Kolkata mission focused worldwide
attention on the city's festering
problems. In 1971 the India-Pakistan
conflict and the creation of Bangladesh
led to another flood of refugees, and
Kolkata's already chaotic condition
further deteriorated.
Slowly, through government public works
programs of the 1980s, the success of
the Indian technology sector in the
1990s and the continued strength of its
people, Kolkata began to find its voice
again. As though to underscore its
re-emerging identity, the city abandoned
its British imposed name of Calcutta and
in late December 2000 had its
traditional identity, Kolkata,
officially reinstated.
Today Kolkata is a thriving hub that
caters to all. Here visitors will
discover modern hotels, recreational
activities in abundance and plenty of
things to see and do. No matter what
your fancy, you’ll find it in Kolkata. |
