English
In 1689, it beoame the head¬ quarters of the servants of the East India Company employed in Benga. factories. In 1696, the original Fort William was built, being replaced by s 31 Kata" means “master” or “lord,” therefore this village was named Kalikata, meaning that its owner was Kali. Gradually, by a process of the modulation of the tonguo, the alif and the ea being dropped it was called .Talfcata. The following is the account of the foundation of this city and the establishment of the English factory there. In the period of the Nizamat of Nawab Jafar IChan, the factory of the English Company, which existed in the port of Hughli, close to Lakhoghat and Mughulpurah, suddenly after sun¬ set when the English Chiefs were at dinner commenced crumbliug down; the English Chiefs harum-scarum ran out, and saved them¬ selves from this whirlpool of destruction. But all their chattels and properties were washed away by the tide. Many cattle and some human beings also perished. Mr. Charnock, the English Chief, purchasing the garden of Benares, the Company’s Gu- mashta, which was situate in Lakhoghat, adjoining to tho town, cut down its trees, and laid the foundation of a factory, and com¬ menced erecting two-storeyed and three-storeyed buildings. When the boundary walls were completed and they were about to roof them with the main beams, the nobility and the gentry of the Sayy id and Mugful tribes, who consisted of rich merchants, represented to Mir Nasir, Faujdar of fiughli. that when the strangers would get upon the terraces of their high buildings, it would interfere with the sanctity and privacy of their ladies and families. The Faujdar communicated the gist of this state of things to Nawab Jafar Khan, and subsequently deputed there all the Mughals and the whole of the nobility and the gentry. These, in the presence of the Nawab, set forth their grievances. Nawab Jafar Ehan despatched an order to the Faujdar prohibiting absolutely the English from placing a brick over a brick and from laying a timber over a timber. The Faujdar, directly on tl^e receipt of the order of prohibition, directed that none of the masons and new one in 1742, the above three villagee being purchased in 1700 from Prince Aram, son of Emperor Aurangzeb. In 1766, the town was sacked and Fort William captured by Nawab Siraju-d-daulah, who changed its name to magar. In Jannary 1757 it was re-taken by the English under Admirals , tsonandChve. Anew fort, the present Fort William, was commenced by Olive, but ,t was finished in 1773, when the maidan was also opened out kLrin ’’r” 6 !! r;-? ^ add6d * that the anth0r 0f the “ Seirul Muta-' kberm^ though hostile to Sirsju-d-daulah.aod though a contemporary historian, aoes not say word about the „ Blaok HoIa „ , 32 carpenters should do work in connection with the buildings, and in consequence the buildings remained incomplete. Mr. Charnock, gettiug enraged, prepared to fight. Bat as he had a small force and except one ship, no other ships were then there, and besides the authority of Nawab Jafar Khan was overawing, and the Mnghals were numerous, and the powerful Faujdar was on their side, seeing no good in shaking hands and feet, of necessity, raised the anchor of the ship. And directing from the top of the deck of the ship a lense-borner towards the populous part of the town alongside the bank of the river including Chandanagore, he set it ou fire and started. The Faujdar, in order to enquire into this matter, wrote to the officer in charge of the garrison of Makhwa to the effect that the ship shonld not be allowed to pass on. The above officer placed across the river an iron chain, every link whereof was ten seers in weight, and which had been kept ready alongside the wall of the fort for the purpose of blocking the passage of the boats of the Arracanese and Magb enemies, by being drawn from one bank of the river to the other. The ship on arriving at the chain got blocked, and could not move down further. Mr. Charnock cut up the chain with an English sword and effected his passage through, and sailed down with the ship to the sea, and started for the country of tbe-Dakhin. In that, the Emperor Anrangzeb at that time was in the Dakbin, and the Mahratta free-booters bad cut off supplies of food-grains from all sides, a great famine occurred amongst the Imperial troops. The Chief of the (English) factory in the Kamatik supplied the Imperial army with food-stnffs, carrying the same on board the ships, and thus rendered loyal and good service. The Emperor Aurangzeb being pleased with the English, enquired as to what the English Company prayed for. The English Chief peti¬ tioned for the grant of a Sanad (Royal patent), permitting the erection of factories in the Imperial dominions, and especially the erection of the Bengal factory. The petition was granted by the Emperor, and an Imperial Farman (patent) was issued, remitting all customs on ships of the English Company, and directing the levy from them of Rs. 3,000, by way of tribute to the Royal Oustoms-house, and permitting the erection of a factory. Mr. Cbarnock, with the Imperial Farman and orders, returned from the Dakhin to Bengal, and at a place called Clianak (Barrackpur) / 33 landed. He sent agents with presents, tribute, and gifts, Ac., to Nawab JafarKhan, and obtained permission to build a factory at Calcutta, in accordance with the Imperial Sanad, and building a new factory there, devoted himself to the improvement of the town, and opened trading transactions with Bengal. To this day the factory is notable. Calcutta is a large city on the banks of the river Bhagirati. It is a large port, and the commercial emporium of the English Company, and is subject to them. Small ships, called sloops, always every year come to that port from China, England, and othe; parts, and many remain there. At present, this city is tho place of residence of the English Chiefs and officers and employes. The buildings are solidly made of lime and brick. As its soil is damp and salt, from proximity to the sea, the buildings of that city are two-storeyed and three-storeyed. The lower rooms are unfit for dwelling. The buildings are constructed after those of England ; they are well-ventilated, commodious, and lofty. The roads of.that city are broad and paved with pounded brick. And besides the Englisn Chiefs, the Bengalis, the Armenians, Ac., there are also rich merchants. The water of wells in this city, owing to salt, is unfit for drinking, and if anyone drinks it, he suffers much In summer and rainy seasons, the water of the river also become bitter and salt; but the water of tauks, which are plenty, is drunk. The sea is forty Karoh distant from this place; within every day and night the water of the river has one How and one ebb. At times of full moon, for three days, the tide comes furiously once in course of a day and night. It shows a wonderful condition and a strange furiousness. It drives across the banks many boats, and wrecks them, bnt those which are not on the sides of the rivers are left undamaged. Consequently, on that day, at that place boats, both small and large, are left without anchor. This tide in the language of Bengal is called bin, and the tide which occurs daily is called jodr. An earthen fort has been erected totbesonth, outside the city. The English are wonderful iu ventors. To re¬ late its praise is difficult; one ought to see it, to appreciate it. Viewed externally from any of the four sides, the quadrangular rampart looks low like the slopes of tanks; bat viewed internally, it looks lofty. Inside the fort, there are lnrge and lofty buildings. Wonderful workmanship has been displayed in the construction of the fort; and other curiops and rare workmanships are visible in 6 34 this city. In point of beauty of its edifices and the novelty of its arts, no city is equal to it, barring Dehli, which is unique. But.its drawback is that its air is putrid, its water salt, and its soil so damp that the ground, though protected by roof, and cemented with brick and lime, is damp owing to excessive moisture, and the doors and walls, to the height of two or three cubits, are also wet and damp. For four months of winter, the climate is not very unhealthy, but during eight months of summer and rainy seasons, it is very unhealthy. At the present day, when since a few years the countries of Bengal, Behar, and Orissa have passed into the possession of the Chiefs of the English Company, this city has become the seat of Government of these dominions. The head of these Chiefs, who is styled Governor-General, resides in this city, and his deputies are appointed and sent out to each district, and remit to Calcutta the revenue-collections from each district. 1 The officers of the Board of Revenue are in Calcutta. Wonderful is the City of Calcutta in Bengal; For it is a model of China and England. Its buildings please the heart and the soul, And tower to the height of the air. A master-hand has wrought such workmanship in it, That everything is apaint and everything beautiful. From the exquisite workmanship of the English, Reason, in contemplating it, becomes confounded. * Until 1707, when Calcutta was first declared a Presidency, it had been dependent on the older English settlement at Madras. From 1707 to 1773 it was on an equal footing with presidencies at Madras and Bombay. In 1773, an Act of Parliament was passed, under which it was declared that the Presidency of Calcutta should exercise a sort of general control over other possessions of the English East India Company, that the Chief of the Presi¬ dency of Calcutta should be called Governor-General.