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AN
INTRODUCTION
The three hundred years old city of Calcutta has an exciting and
extremely interesting history. The ancient city and trade-centres
of Bengal had been extinct since aeons. Slowly but steadily the
present metropolis was born. Calcutta is a unique and unparalleled
city. The city is old all right, but not
drooping under age. It is relatively young in comparison to
Murshidabad, Dacca, Chunchura, Hooghly, Bandel etc. Once upon a
time, Calcutta was the linchpin of the British trade and commerce
which later transmogrified into the capital of British India.
Azim–Uz-Shaan, the grandson of Aurangzeb, granted the East India
Company the right to purchase three villages in 1698. The
Chowdhurys (landlord Sabarna Chowdhury's family) handed over three villages
viz., Gobindapur, Sutanuti and Kolkata to the company.
On the eastern bank of the Bhagirathi, those 3 villages measured
about 3 miles from north to south and one mile from east to west.
Chitpur, Bag Bazaar, Shova Bazaar, Hatkhola comprised the
erstwhile village of Sutanuti. Dharmatala, Bowbazaar, Mirzapur,
Simla, Jaan Bazaar etc. were collectively known as Kolkata. Hastings, Maidan, Bhawanipur comprised the original
village of Gobindopur. With the passage of time, Sutanuti and
Gobindapur ceased to exist in situ and Calcutta emerged as a whole
and independent city. The name 'Calcutta' may owe its origin to the large
number of British persons who inhabited there and preferred this
name as it suited their accent.
Two canals used to flow through the heart of the city of Calcutta.
One drained into the ‘Laban Hrad’ (Salt Lake) flowing through
Hastings Street, Wellington Square, Creek Row etc. The other, an
extinct one now, used to flow near Chitpur. On the western flank
of the Maidan, near the effigy of Napier, it is engraved that the
area is a mere 20 ft. higher than sea-level.
The banks of the Ganga used to slope down on the eastern and
southern flanks which confluenced with the low-lying marshes here.
Long ago, these marshy tracts were spread far westward. In those
days, the Sealdah
Station of today was ensconced like an island
surrounded by vast boggy tracts. Gradually, those marshes shifted
towards east and habitation started cropping up in these regions.
The canals at Chitpur were filled up and roads were constructed.
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