Kolkata

Kolkata কলকাতা Calcutta
Megacity
Clockwise from top: Victoria Memorial, St. Paul's Cathedral, central business district, Howrah Bridge, city tram line, Vidyasagar Bridge
Nickname(s):  City of Joy
Country	India
State	West Bengal
Division	Presidency
District	Kolkata
Government
• Type	Mayor–Council
• Mayor	Firhad Hakim (TMC)
Area
• Megacity	185 km2 (71 sq mi)
• Metro	1,886.67 km2 (728.45 sq mi)
Elevation	9 m (30 ft)
Population  (2011)
• Megacity	4,486,679
• Rank	7th
• Density	24,000/km2 (63,000/sq mi)
• Metro	14,112,536
• Metro rank	3rd
• Demonym	Calcuttan
Time zone	UTC+05:30 (IST)
Postal index number	7000 xx, 7001 xx
Vehicle registration	WB 01–79
UN/LOCODE	IN CCU
Telephone	91-33-XXXX XXXX
Spoken languages	Bengali, Nepali, English
Ethnicity	Bengali, Marwari, Bihari, Other
Website	www.kmcgov.in

Kolkata (spelled Calcutta before 1 January 2001) is the capital city of the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the second largest city in India after Mumbai. It is on the east bank of the River Hooghly. When it is called Calcutta, it includes the suburbs. This makes it the third largest city of India. This also makes it the world's 8th largest metropolitan area as defined by the United Nations. Kolkata served as the capital of India during the British Raj until 1911. Kolkata was once the center of industry and education. However, it has witnessed political violence and economic problems since 1954. Since 2000, Kolkata has grown due to economic growth. Like other metropolitan cities in India, Kolkata struggles with poverty, pollution and traffic congestion.

In the late 17th century, the three villages that predated Calcutta were ruled by the Nawab of Bengal under Mughal suzerainty. After the Nawab granted the East India Company a trading licence in 1690, the area was developed by the Company into an increasingly fortified trading post. Nawab Siraj ud-Daulah occupied Calcutta in 1756, and the East India Company retook it the following year. In 1793 the East India company was strong enough to abolish rule, and assumed full sovereignty of the region. Under the company rule and later under the British Raj, Calcutta served as the capital of British-held territories in India until 1911, when its perceived geographical disadvantages, combined with growing nationalism in Bengal, led to a shift of the capital to New Delhi. Calcutta was the centre for the Indian independence movement. Following independence in 1947, Kolkata, which was once the centre of Indian commerce, culture, and politics, suffered many decades of political violence and economic stagnation.

Etymology

The word Kolkata (Bengali: কলকাতা [ˈkolˌkata]) derives from Kôlikata (Bengali: কলিকাতা [ˈkɔliˌkata]), the Bengali name of one of three villages that predated the arrival of the British, in the area where the city was eventually established; the other two villages were Sutanuti and Govindapur.

History

Calcutta, shown here in 1945, was an important port during World War II.

The discovery of the nearby Chandraketugarh, an archaeological site has proved that people have lived there for over two millennia. The history of Kolkata begins when the English East India Company arrived in 1690. Job Charnock, an administrator with the Company is traditionally known as the founder of this city. However some academics say that Charnock is not the city's founder.

At that time Kolkata, ruled by the Nawab of Bengal Siraj-Ud-Daulah, had three villages. They were Kalikata, Govindapur and Sutanuti. The British in the late 17th century wanted to build a fort near Govindapur. This was to become more powerful than Dutch, the Portuguese, and the French. In 1702, the British completed the construction of old Fort William, which was used to station its troops and as a regional base. Calcutta was declared a Presidency City, and later became the headquarters of the Bengal Presidency. When regular fights with French forces started, in 1756 the British began to upgrade their fortifications. When this was protested, the Nawab of Bengal Siraj-Ud-Daulah attacked and captured Fort William. This led to the infamous Black Hole incident. A force of Company sepoys and British troops led by Robert Clive recaptured the city the next year. Calcutta became the capital of British India in 1772,. However, the capital shifted to the hilly town of Shimla during the summer months every year, starting from the year 1864. Richard Wellesley, the Governor General between 1797–1805, helped in the growth of the city and its public architecture. This led to the description of Calcutta as "The City of Palaces". The city was a centre of the British East India Company's opium trade during the 18th and 19th century; locally produced opium was sold at auction in Kolkata, to be shipped to China.