Belvedere Estate - Revision history

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2025-09-09T14:42:20Z

Enhanced content and organization

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:12, 9 September 2025
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	{{~~EngvarB~~\|~~date=May 2013~~}}		{{Short description\|Calcutta location of the National Library of India}}
	{{~~Use dmy dates~~\|date=May 2013}}		{{use Indian English\|date=May 2013}}
	{{~~more citations needed~~\|date=~~December 2013~~}}		{{Use dmy dates\|date=October 2022}}
	[[File:Belvedere House Alipur Calcutta (Kolkata) by William Prinsep 1838.jpg\|thumb\|right\|230px\|Illustration of Belvedere House, 1838, by the Anglo-Indian merchant and artist [[Prinsep\|William Prinsep]]. The estate belonged to the family, who sold it to the [[East India Company]] in 1854.]]		[[File:Belvedere House Alipur Calcutta (Kolkata) by William Prinsep 1838.jpg\|thumb\|right\|230px\|Illustration of Belvedere House, 1838, by the Anglo-Indian merchant and artist [[Prinsep\|William Prinsep]]. The estate belonged to the family, who sold it to the [[East India Company]] in 1854.]]
	The '''Belvedere Estate''' consists of Belvedere House and the {{convert\|30\|acre\|adj=on}} grounds surrounding it, in ~~which the~~ [[~~National Library of India~~]] ~~is housed~~, ~~since 1948.<ref name=mint12>{{cite news \|title=A long shelf life \|url=http://www.livemint.com/Leisure/vovXthCcTpiCvVHtjg37HL/A-long-shelf-life.html \|publisher=~~[[~~Mint (newspaper)~~\|~~Mint~~]] ~~Lounge \|date=15 November 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|title=history of the National Library: From the Imperial Library to the National Library \|url=http://www.nationallibrary.gov.~~in~~/nat_lib_stat/history.html \|publisher=~~[[~~National Library of India~~]] ~~\|access-date=17 November 2012 \|archive-url=https://web~~.~~archive.org/web/20160617023911/http://www.nationallibrary.gov.in/nat_lib_stat/history.html \|archive~~-~~date=17 June 2016~~ \|~~url~~-~~status=dead }}</ref> It is located in~~ [[~~Alipore~~]], ~~near~~ the [[~~Alipore Zoological Gardens~~\|~~zoo~~]], in [[~~Kolkata~~]]. Belvedere House was the ~~former palace for~~ the [[~~Viceroy~~ of India]] ~~and later the [[Governor of Bengal]]~~.		The '''Belvedere Estate''' consists of Belvedere House and the {{convert\|30\|acre\|adj=on}} grounds surrounding it. It is located in [[Alipore]], near the [[Zoological Garden, Alipore\|zoo]], in [[Kolkata]]. It served as the main residence of 1st [[List of governors-general of India\|Governor-General of Bengal Presidency]], [[Warren Hastings]]. In 1803, after the residence was shifted to [[Raj Bhavan, Kolkata\|Government House]], it was used for various purposes before the [[List of governors of Bengal Presidency#Lieutenant-Governors\|Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal]] took up residence in Belvedere House from 1854 onwards. When the capital moved from Kolkata to Delhi in 1911, the Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal, who had hitherto resided in Belvedere House, was upgraded to a full governor and transferred to Government House. Belvedere House has been the home of the [[National Library of India]] since 1948.

	~~The Governor-General resided in Belvedere House, Kolkata until the early nineteenth century~~, ~~when~~ [[~~Raj Bhavan, Kolkata~~\|~~Government House~~]] ~~(present Raj Bhavan) was constructed. In 1854~~, ~~after~~ the ~~Governor-General moved out,~~ the ~~Lieutenant-Governor~~ of Bengal ~~took up residence in Belvedere House~~. ~~When the capital~~ moved ~~from~~ Kolkata ~~to Delhi in 1912~~, the ~~Lieutenant-Governor~~ of ~~Bengal~~, ~~who had hitherto resided~~ in Belvedere House, ~~was upgraded to a full governor~~ and ~~transferred to Government House.~~		==History==
			In 1760, [[Mir Jafar\|Mir Jafar Ali Khan]], the [[Nawab]] of the province of [[Bengal]], was compelled by the [[East India Company]] to [[abdicate]] his throne at [[Murshidabad]] to Qasim Khan. Mir Jafar moved to Kolkata where he owned a large court house, and settled within the safety of East India Company fortifications at Alipore. While he was in Kolkata, he built many buildings in the area and gifted Belvedere House to [[Warren Hastings]].<ref>{{cite news\|url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/my-kolkata/places/where-kolkatas-most-powerful-man-lived-loved-schemed-and-fought/cid/1932047\|title=Where Kolkata's most powerful man lived, loved, schemed and fought\|date=24 April 2023\|newspaper=My Kolkata\|access-date=4 January 2024}}</ref>

	~~==History==~~		It is not known when Hastings got the ownership of this house, but in 1763, he had made a request to the Supreme Council asking for "permission of the Board to build a bridge over Collighut (Kalighat) Nulla on the road to his garden house." In 1769, according to Dutch author Stavorinus, the house was occupied by [[Harry Verelst (colonial governor)\|Harry Verelst]] and subsequently by [[John Cartier]] in 1770, both were Governors.<ref>{{cite book\|title = Kolkata Shohorer Itibritto\|author = Binoy Ghosh\|page = 185-186}}</ref>
	It is ~~believed that~~ the ~~roots~~ of ~~Belvedere House lie~~ in the ~~late 1760s from approximately~~ the ~~time when [[Mir Jafar\|Mir Jafar Ali Khan]]~~, the ~~[[Nawab]] of the province of [[Bengal]]~~ was ~~compelled~~ by ~~the~~ [[~~British East India Company~~]] to [[~~abdicate]~~] ~~his throne at [[Murshidabad~~]~~] to Qasim Khan~~ in ~~1760. Mir Jafar moved to Kolkata where he is thought to have owned a large court house~~, ~~and settled within the safety of English East India Company fortifications at Alipore~~. ~~It is believed that while he was in~~ Kolkata~~, he built many buildings in the area and gifted Belvedere House to [[Warren Hastings]].~~

	After the [[Battle of Buxar]] in 1764 Hastings left for England~~. Two governors~~, ~~Verelst and Cartier occupied the Belvedere during the period when Hastings was away in England. Hastings~~ returned to Kolkata as governor in 1772 and to ~~his garden house, the~~ Belvedere with ~~a certain~~ Baroness Inhoff by his side.		After the [[Battle of Buxar]] in 1764 Hastings left for England, but returned to Kolkata as governor in 1772 and to Belvedere House with [[Marian Hastings\|Baroness Inhoff]] by his side.<ref>{{cite book\|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=YpkMAQAAMAAJ \|title= Dialogue of Civilizations William Jones and the Orientalists\|first1= Mohandas \|last1=Moses\|first2=Achala\|last2= Moulik\|year=2009 \|page=94\|publisher=Aryan Books International\|isbn=978-8173053634}}</ref>

	The grounds of Belvedere Estate were witness to a [[duel]] between Warren Hastings and his legal officer, Philip Francis. ~~The duel may have been over~~ the ~~Baroness Inhoff who was staying with Hastings~~ in ~~Belvedere House~~, ~~although an Australian historian~~, ~~Arthur Staples~~, ~~is inclined to conclude that the duel~~ was ~~the outcome of political conflict between the two~~.		Hastings sold Belvedere House to Major William Tolly for Rs. 60,000 in February 1780.<ref name=james>{{cite web\|url=https://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/150023/1/WRAP_Theses_James_2019.pdf\|title='An endless variety of Forms and Proportions': Indian Influence on British Gardens and Garden Buildings c.1760 to c.1865\|page=53\|first=Diane Evelyn Trenchard\|last= James\|publisher=University of Warwick\|date=1 September 2019\|access-date=4 January 2024}}</ref> The grounds of Belvedere Estate were witness to a [[duel]] between Warren Hastings and his legal officer, [[Philip Francis (politician)\|Philip Francis]], in August 1780.<ref>{{Cite book \|last=Wolpert \|first=Stanley \|author-link=Stanley Wolpert \|year=2004 \|orig-year=First published 1977 \|title=A New History of India \|edition=7th \|publisher=Oxford University Press \|page=190 \|isbn=978-0-19-516677-4}}</ref> Tolly died in 1784 and his family sold the property to Nicholas Nugent in 1802. Then, in 1810, it was bought by John Brereton Birch and, between 1822 and 1825, it was owned by Edward Paget. It was owned by Shambhu Chandra Mukhopadhyay in 1827.<ref>{{cite book\|title = Kolkata Shohorer Itibritto\|author = Binoy Ghosh\|page = 187-188\|publisher = Deep Prakashan}}</ref>

	~~There is not much clarity around this period of~~ the ~~history of Belvedere Estate and~~ it ~~is believed that Hastings finally sold Belvedere House~~ to ~~a Major Tolly in~~ the ~~1780s~~ for the ~~sum~~ of Rs. 60,~~000~~. ~~Major Tolly died~~ in ~~1784 and his family sold the property in 1802~~. ~~From 1854 to 1911 the~~ Belvedere ~~housed a number of lieutenant governors~~, ~~starting with Halliday, till the British India capital moved to [[Delhi]].~~		The building was subsequently acquired by James Mackillop, who sold it to the [[Prinsep]] family in June 1841. The Prinsep company sold it on to the East India Company, for use as the official residence of the Governors-General of the Presidency of Fort William, in 1854.<ref>{{cite book\|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=mRJuAAAAMAAJ \|title= Echoes from Belvedere Home of National Library, Kolkata\|first= P. Thankappan \|last=Nair \|year= 2004 \|page=56\|publisher=Associated Book Agency}}</ref><ref>{{cite web\|url=https://rajbhavankolkata.gov.in/writereaddata/PDF/CHAPTERVII.pdf\|title=Raj Bhavan, Kolkata Chapter VII: Belvedere and Darjeeling\|publisher=Raj Bhavan, Kolkata\|access-date=4 January 2023}}</ref>

	~~[[File:National Library~~, ~~Calcutta 2007.jpg\|right\|thumb\|[[National Library~~ of ~~India]], Kolkata, is housed in the building since 1948.]]~~		However, following the transfer of power from the East India Company to the British Government, the distinction of official residence of the Governors-General of the Presidency of Fort William was transferred to [[Raj Bhavan, Kolkata\|Government House]], in 1858.<ref>{{cite web\|url=https://www.asian-voice.com/News/India/Colonial-names-removed-from-Kolkata-Raj-Bhawan-suites\|title=Colonial names removed from Kolkata Raj Bhawan suites\|date=12 April 2017\|newspaper=Asian Voice\|access-date=4 January 2024}}</ref>
	~~Charles Robert Prinsep (1790–1864), a Cambridge graduate and [[Lincoln's Inn]] barrister~~ from ~~a family with long associations to India, lived at Belvedere Estate for a time. (He later named family property in Australia 'Belvedere' after~~ the ~~estate.) Prinsep served as standing counsel to the [[Honourable~~ East India Company~~\|East India Company]] and then as~~ the ~~Judge Advocate~~ General of ~~India during~~ the ~~time when he resided at Belvedere. He~~ was ~~the brother of~~ [[~~Henry Thoby Prinsep~~]], ~~a civil servant~~ in India.

	~~After this it~~ was ~~turned into~~ the ~~official~~ residence of the ~~Viceroy~~ of ~~India~~.		[[Frederick James Halliday\|Frederick Halliday]] was appointed as the first Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal and, in 1858, he took up residence at Belvedere House.<ref>{{cite book \|title=Parganas: Bengal District Gazetteers \|first=L. S. S. \|last=O'Malley \|edition=Reprinted \|publisher=Logos Press \|location=New Delhi \|orig-year=1914 \|year=2009 \|isbn=978-81-7268-193-7 \|page=207 \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7Hkj2xOrEwkC \|access-date=15 May 2012}}</ref> When the capital moved from Kolkata to Delhi in 1911, the Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal, who had hitherto resided in Belvedere House, was upgraded to a full governor and transferred to Government House.<ref>{{Cite book\|last=Danvers\|first=F.C.\|title=Bengal: Its Chiefs, Agents, and Governors\|date=22 June 2016\|publisher=Forgotten Books\|isbn=978-1332869954\|pages=21–22}}</ref>

	~~There is talk of unconfirmed~~ [[~~supernatural~~]] ~~sightings~~ in the ~~house as well as the grounds~~, ~~with rumours~~ of the [[~~ballroom~~]] ~~being lit up and carriages drawing up~~ in ~~the driveway~~.		[[File:National Library, Calcutta 2007.jpg\|right\|thumb\|[[National Library of India]], Kolkata, has been housed in Belvedere House since 1948.]]
			After independence, in 1948, the [[National Library of India]] was transferred from [[Esplanade, Kolkata\|The Esplanade]] to Belvedere House. <ref name=mint12>{{cite news \|title=A long shelf life \|url=http://www.livemint.com/Leisure/vovXthCcTpiCvVHtjg37HL/A-long-shelf-life.html \|publisher=[[Mint (newspaper)\|Mint]] Lounge \|date=15 November 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|title=History of the National Library: From the Imperial Library to the National Library \|url=http://www.nationallibrary.gov.in/nat_lib_stat/history.html \|publisher=[[National Library of India]] \|access-date=17 November 2012 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160617023911/http://www.nationallibrary.gov.in/nat_lib_stat/history.html \|archive-date=17 June 2016 \|url-status=dead }}</ref>

	The complex now includes within it, two housing colonies built by the government, one being for [[National Library of India]] employees, and the other for central government employees. The main building is under the care of the [[Archaeological Survey of India]].<ref name=mint12/> Presently the major portion of the Belvedere Estate houses National Library of India. While a small portion of Belvedere Estate is being used as residential complex for fairly senior Central Government employees and is known as '1, Belvedere Estate, Alipore Road', consists of 24 Type VI houses and 77 Type V houses, is under the control and maintenance by the CPWD ( Central Public Works Department) and provides very quiet and pollution free housing, with plenty of old trees and walking area, to the Central Government Employees.		The complex now includes within it, two housing colonies built by the government, one being for National Library of India employees, and the other for central government employees. The main building is under the care of the [[Archaeological Survey of India]].<ref name=mint12/>

	==See also==		==See also==
	*[[Government Houses of India]]
	*[[Government Houses of the British Empire]]		*[[Government Houses of the British Empire]]

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	[[Category:Buildings and structures in Kolkata]]		[[Category:Buildings and structures in Kolkata]]
	[[Category:Official residences in India]]		[[Category:Official residences in India]]
	[[Category:British Empire]]		[[Category:Government Houses of the British Empire and Commonwealth]]

2409:4060:211:96AF:69EE:4852:F2C4:C0F9: /* History */

2021-06-24T12:45:34Z

History

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{{EngvarB|date=May 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2013}}
{{more citations needed|date=December 2013}}
[[File:Belvedere House Alipur Calcutta (Kolkata) by William Prinsep 1838.jpg|thumb|right|230px|Illustration of Belvedere House, 1838, by the Anglo-Indian merchant and artist [[Prinsep|William Prinsep]]. The estate belonged to the family, who sold it to the [[East India Company]] in 1854.]]
The '''Belvedere Estate''' consists of Belvedere House and the {{convert|30|acre|adj=on}} grounds surrounding it, in which the [[National Library of India]] is housed, since 1948.<ref name=mint12>{{cite news |title=A long shelf life |url=http://www.livemint.com/Leisure/vovXthCcTpiCvVHtjg37HL/A-long-shelf-life.html |publisher=[[Mint (newspaper)|Mint]] Lounge |date=15 November 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=history of the National Library: From the Imperial Library to the National Library |url=http://www.nationallibrary.gov.in/nat_lib_stat/history.html |publisher=[[National Library of India]] |access-date=17 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160617023911/http://www.nationallibrary.gov.in/nat_lib_stat/history.html |archive-date=17 June 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> It is located in [[Alipore]], near the [[Alipore Zoological Gardens|zoo]], in [[Kolkata]]. Belvedere House was the former palace for the [[Viceroy of India]] and later the [[Governor of Bengal]].

The Governor-General resided in Belvedere House, Kolkata until the early nineteenth century, when [[Raj Bhavan, Kolkata|Government House]] (present Raj Bhavan) was constructed. In 1854, after the Governor-General moved out, the Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal took up residence in Belvedere House. When the capital moved from Kolkata to Delhi in 1912, the Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal, who had hitherto resided in Belvedere House, was upgraded to a full governor and transferred to Government House.

==History==
It is believed that the roots of Belvedere House lie in the late 1760s from approximately the time when [[Mir Jafar|Mir Jafar Ali Khan]], the [[Nawab]] of the province of [[Bengal]] was compelled by the [[British East India Company]] to [[abdicate]] his throne at [[Murshidabad]] to Qasim Khan in 1760. Mir Jafar moved to Kolkata where he is thought to have owned a large court house, and settled within the safety of English East India Company fortifications at Alipore. It is believed that while he was in Kolkata, he built many buildings in the area and gifted Belvedere House to [[Warren Hastings]].

After the [[Battle of Buxar]] in 1764 Hastings left for England. Two governors, Verelst and Cartier occupied the Belvedere during the period when Hastings was away in England. Hastings returned to Kolkata as governor in 1772 and to his garden house, the Belvedere with a certain Baroness Inhoff by his side.

The grounds of Belvedere Estate were witness to a [[duel]] between Warren Hastings and his legal officer, Philip Francis. The duel may have been over the Baroness Inhoff who was staying with Hastings in Belvedere House, although an Australian historian, Arthur Staples, is inclined to conclude that the duel was the outcome of political conflict between the two.

There is not much clarity around this period of the history of Belvedere Estate and it is believed that Hastings finally sold Belvedere House to a Major Tolly in the 1780s for the sum of Rs. 60,000. Major Tolly died in 1784 and his family sold the property in 1802. From 1854 to 1911 the Belvedere housed a number of lieutenant governors, starting with Halliday, till the British India capital moved to [[Delhi]].

[[File:National Library, Calcutta 2007.jpg|right|thumb|[[National Library of India]], Kolkata, is housed in the building since 1948.]]
Charles Robert Prinsep (1790–1864), a Cambridge graduate and [[Lincoln's Inn]] barrister from a family with long associations to India, lived at Belvedere Estate for a time. (He later named family property in Australia 'Belvedere' after the estate.) Prinsep served as standing counsel to the [[Honourable East India Company|East India Company]] and then as the Judge Advocate General of India during the time when he resided at Belvedere. He was the brother of [[Henry Thoby Prinsep]], a civil servant in India.

After this it was turned into the official residence of the Viceroy of India.

There is talk of unconfirmed [[supernatural]] sightings in the house as well as the grounds, with rumours of the [[ballroom]] being lit up and carriages drawing up in the driveway.

The complex now includes within it, two housing colonies built by the government, one being for [[National Library of India]] employees, and the other for central government employees. The main building is under the care of the [[Archaeological Survey of India]].<ref name=mint12/> Presently the major portion of the Belvedere Estate houses National Library of India. While a small portion of Belvedere Estate is being used as residential complex for fairly senior Central Government employees and is known as '1, Belvedere Estate, Alipore Road', consists of 24 Type VI houses and 77 Type V houses, is under the control and maintenance by the CPWD ( Central Public Works Department) and provides very quiet and pollution free housing, with plenty of old trees and walking area, to the Central Government Employees.

==See also==
*[[Government Houses of India]]
*[[Government Houses of the British Empire]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110222085443/http://www.nationallibrary.gov.in/ National Library of India, Official website]

{{Kolkata topics}}
{{coord missing|West Bengal}}

[[Category:Houses completed in the 18th century]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Kolkata]]
[[Category:Official residences in India]]
[[Category:British Empire]]