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Emergence of the city of Calcutta :
The city of Kolkata that emerged into a modern cosmopolitan city can be traced to its 300 year old allegiance to the British Raj. Though the emergence of the city of Calcutta has its roots in the British imperialism it has evoloved into a city with myriads of colors blending the past with the present and effusing warmth that touches

you the moment you step into it. Its strong cultural identity bestows it an individuality that is different from the other cities. The History of Calcutta offers you an interesting study of the emergence of the city of Calcutta.

The capital of West Bengal, Calcutta, renamed as Kolkata, lies on the Hoogly distributary of the Ganges. Its close proximity to the river and sea developed it into a major commercial center. Calcutta does not have a history that stretches back to the distant past like the cities of Benaras, Jaipur and Delhi, as the city

grew with the British Raj in Bengal.Calcutta finds mention in 'Ain-I-Akbari', written by Akbar's Prime Minister Abul Fazal from where you can trace a substantial part of the History of Calcutta. It was an imperial Jagir and its zamindari rights were conferred upon the family of Savarna Roy Choudhuri of Barisha by Jahangir. Job Charnock, as the agent of the East India Company, in the year 1690, chose this place for a British trade settlement. Following a local dispute with the representative of the Mughal Emperor in Bengal, Charnock was forced to retreat downriver. Soon by the initiative of English East India Company the zamindari rights of the three villages, Sutanuti, Gobindapur and Kalikata

were transfered to the Co. from Savarna Roy Choudhury on 8th Nov.1698 for Rs.1300/-. These three villages became the core of the city of Calcutta. Calcutta just before the British came was nothing but a village while the capital of Bengal was Murshidabad, around 60 miles north of Calcutta.

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