"The History Behind The City Of Joy..."

“The History behind the city of joy”

“Kolkata is not only a city, it’s an emotion; an obsession.

Kolkata, the land of celebrations; “City of Joy”, is formerly known as the Calcutta. Kolkata is the capital of West Bengal, an Indian state which is located on the east bank of the Hooghly River approximately 75 km (47 mi) west of the border with Bangladesh, it is the principal commercial, cultural, and educational centre of East India, while the Port of Kolkata is India's oldest operating port and its sole major riverine port. The city is widely regarded as the "cultural capital" of India, and is also nicknamed the "City of Joy". kolkata has rightly been called the 'City of Joy' by French author Dominique Lapierre. Kolkata is nothing but famous for the love, ethics and greeting of the Bengalis towards themselves as well as towards the outsiders.

History:

The city reserves a lot of historical stories to the discussed. But let us explore a short tour within them.

The discovery and archaeological study of Chandraketugarh, 35 km (22 mi) north of Kolkata, provide evidence that the region in which the city stands has been inhabited for over two millennia. Kolkata's recorded history began in 1690 with the arrival of the English East India Company, which was consolidating its trade business in Bengal. Job Charnock, an administrator who worked for the company, was formerly credited as the founder of the city; In response to a public petition, the Calcutta High Court ruled in 2003 that the city does not have a founder. In 1712, the British completed the construction of Fort William, located on the east bank of the Hooghly River to protect their trading factory. The Nawab of Bengal, Siraj ud-Daulah, condemned the militarisation and tax evasion by the company. His warning went unheeded, and the Nawab attacked; he captured Fort William which led to the killings of several East India company officials in the Black Hole of Calcutta. A force of Company soldiers and British troops led by Robert Clive recaptured the city the following year. Declared a presidency city, Calcutta became the headquarters of the East India Company by 1773. In the year 1793, ruling power of the Nawabs were abolished and East India company took complete control of the city and the province. The partition of Bengal in 1905 along religious lines led to mass protests, making Calcutta a less hospitable place for the British. The capital was moved to New Delhi in 1911. Calcutta continued to be a centre for revolutionary organizations associated with the Indian independence movement. The city and its port were bombed several times by the Japanese between 1942 and 1944, during World War II. The partition of India led to further clashes and a demographic shift—many Muslims left for East Pakistan (present day Bangladesh), while hundreds of thousands of Hindus fled into the city.

Although after a long period of clash, Bengal is safe today as well as its culture and heritage is preserved. Since 2000, the information technology (IT) services sector has revitalised Kolkata's stagnant economy. The city is also experiencing marked growth in its manufacturing base.

Having a lot of tragic as well as goosebumps creating memories, Kolkata is a place of mystery and a basket of culture till date.

“It is as if the people who inhabit the streets, inspired by some mysterious wisdom, realise that the true history of Calcutta has always been written in the invisible tales of its spirits and unspoken curses.” – Carlos Ruiz Zafón