Fort William, India

Fort in Calcutta, India

Fort William

Kolkata, West Bengal, India

Fort William, a view from the inside, c. 1828

Fort William

Coordinates| 22°33′28″N 88°20′17″E﻿ / ﻿22.5577°N 88.3380°E﻿ / 22.5577; 88.3380
Type| Fortress, garrisoned and armoured army headquarters.
Site information
Controlled by|

* Bengal Subah (before 1757)
* British East India Company (1757–1858)
* British Raj (1858–1947)
* Indian Army (1947–present)

Site history
Built| 1696–1702
In use| 1781–present
Battles/wars| Battle of Plassey (1757)
Garrison information
Garrison| Eastern Command

Fort William is a fort in Hastings, Calcutta (Kolkata). It was built during the early years of Britain's administration of Bengal. It sits on the eastern banks of the River Hooghly, the major distributary of the River Ganga. One of Kolkata's most enduring British-era military fortifications, other than those in Bombay (Mumbai) and Madras (Chennai), it extends over an area of seventy hectares.

The fort was named after King William III.[1] In front of the Fort is the Maidan, the largest park in the country. An internal guard room became the Black Hole of Calcutta. Today the fort is the headquarters of Eastern Command of the Indian Army.

## History

[edit]

Main article: History of Kolkata

A view of Calcutta from Fort William (1807) Plan (top-view) of Fort William, c. 1844

There are two Fort Williams. The original fort was built in the year 1696 by the British East India Company under the orders of Sir John Goldsborough which took a decade to complete. The permission was granted by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb.[2][3] Sir Charles Eyre started construction near the bank of the Hooghly River with the South-East Bastion and the adjacent walls. It was named after King William III in 1700. John Beard, Eyre's successor, added the North-East Bastion in 1701, and in 1702 started the construction of the Government House (Factory, see Factory (trading post)) at the centre of the fort. Construction ended in 1706.[4] The original building had two stories and projecting wings. In 1756, the Nawab of Bengal, Siraj Ud Daulah, attacked the Fort, temporarily conquered the city, and changed its name to Alinagar. This led the British to build a new fort in the Maidan. Robert Clive started rebuilding the fort in 1758, after the Battle of Plassey (1757); construction was completed in 1781 at a cost of approximately two million pounds. The area around the Fort was cleared, and the Maidan became "the Lungs of Kolkata". It stretches for around 3 km in the north–south direction and is around 1 km wide.[4] The headquarters of the Indian Ordnance Factories was established in 1775 at Fort William.[5]

Today, Fort William is the property of the Indian Army. The headquarters of Eastern Command is based there, with provisions for accommodating 10,000 army personnel. The Army guards it heavily, and civilian entry is restricted.[4]

Much of Fort William is unchanged, but St Peter's Church, which used to serve as a chaplaincy centre for the British citizens of Kolkata, is now a library for the troops of HQ Eastern Command. A major part of the land parcel is home to the family of Ghosh and Pal.

A war memorial has been created at the entrance of the fort, and the fort also houses a museum which displays artifacts from the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, especially those related to the battles in the Eastern sector and the Bangladesh Liberation War.[6][7]

### First Indian Masonic lodge

[edit]

In 1730, Ralph Farrwinter and other members of the East India Company opened the first Indian Masonic lodge, a short time after the creation of the Grand Lodge of England in 1717.[8][9]

### Presidency of Fort William

[edit]

Main article: Bengal Presidency

## Structure

[edit]

The Fort is built of brick and mortar in the shape of an irregular octagon with an area of 5 km2 (1.9 sq mi). Five of its sides face landward, and three towards the Hooghly River. The design is that of a star fort, suited to defence against cannon firing solid shot, and dates from before the advent of explosive shells. A dry moat 9 metres (30 ft) deep and 15 m (49 ft) broad surrounds the fort. The moat can be flooded but is designed as an area in which to use enfilade (or flanking) fire against any attackers reaching the walls. There are six gates: Chowringhee, Plassey, Calcutta, Water Gate, St Georges and the Treasury Gate. There are similar forts at places like Thalassery in Kerala.[10][full citation needed]

## Gallery

[edit]

* Fort William, 1735

* Fort William, by Jan Van Ryne, 1754

* Fort William, Calcutta, 1756[11]

* First English Chapel, Fort William, Calcutta. Raised in 1714, with contribution of Rs. 1000 by the East India Company (p. 197, March 1824)[12]

* St Peter's Church, Fort William by William Prinsep 1835

* Fort William, River Face 1786 (from a coloured engraving by Thomas Daniell).

* The interior of the Arsenal, Fort William by William Prinsep 1835

* Fort William by Samuel Davis

* Main entrance, Fort William 2013

* South gate, Fort William 2013

* St. Peter's Church, Fort William, Kolkata

* Semaphore Tower, Fort William, Kolkata

* Main Gates of Fort William

## See also

[edit]

* Fort William College
* Fort St. George, India

## References

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fort William (Kolkata).

1. ^ Krishna Dutta (2003). Calcutta: A Cultural and Literary History. Signal Books. p. 71\. ISBN 9781902669595.
2. ^ Sudip Bhattacharya, Unseen Enemy: The English, Disease, and Medicine in Colonial Bengal, 1617 – 1847, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 30 Jun 2014, p.54
3. ^ "Fort William Kolkata India - History of Fort William". www.makemytrip.com. Archived from the original on 10 April 2019. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
4. ^ a b c Verma, Amrit (1985). Forts of India. New Delhi: The Director of Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. pp. 101–3. ISBN 81-230-1002-8.
5. ^ "History | Directorate of Ordnance (Coordination and Services) | Government of India". Ddpdoo.gov.in. Archived from the original on 19 January 2022. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
6. ^ "Memories of 1971 Bangladesh War come alive in Army museum". Economic Times. 16 December 2013. Archived from the original on 27 December 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
7. ^ "Indian Army to throw parts of Eastern Command HQ open for public". Economic Times. 17 December 2013. Archived from the original on 25 December 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
8. ^ Simon Deschamps (2017). "Merchant and Masonic Networks in Eighteenth-Century Colonial India". L'Empire (in English and French) (74). doi:10.4000/1718.828. ISSN 0291-3798. OCLC 7288589062. Archived from the original on 28 March 2021.
9. ^ Joseph F. G. Golder. Freemasonry in British India (1728–1888). Archived from the original on 28 March 2021.
10. ^ Nandakumar Koroth, History of Forts in North Malabar
11. ^ Grant, James (1873). British Battles On Land and Sea. Vol. II. Cassell & Company, Limited. p. 69.
12. ^ "The Gentleman's Magazine, and Historical Chronicle". The Gentleman's Magazine, and Historical Chronicle. 94 (1): 197. February 1824. Retrieved 13 December 2017.

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Industry and
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* ABP Group
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Transportation|

| Road|

* Calcutta Tramways Company
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|

Rail|

* Kolkata Metro
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Sea|

* Port of Kolkata

Air|

* Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport
* List of airports

Culture|

* Kolkata Book Fair
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| Ethnic enclaves|

* Bow Barracks (Anglo-Indian)
* Chinatown, Kolkata (Chinese)
* Tangra, Kolkata (Chinese)
* Zakaria Street (Bihari Muslim)
* Armani-para (Armenian)

|

Places of
worship|

| Hindu|

* Belur Math
* Birla Mandir, Kolkata
* Dakshineswar Kali Temple
* Kalighat
* Kripamayee Kali Temple
* Baranagar Math
* Alambazar Math

|

Christian|

* St. Paul's Cathedral
* Holy Rosary Cathedral (Portuguese Church)
* St. John's Church
* Parasnath Temple

Others|

* Nakhoda Mosque
* Tipu Sultan Mosque
* Chinese temples in Kolkata
* Magen David Synagogue

Sports|

* ATK
* Barasat Stadium
* B.C. Roy Trophy
* Beighton Cup
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* Netaji Indoor Stadium
* Indian Arrows
* United SC
* Rabindra Sarobar Stadium
* Salt Lake Stadium
* Sunfeast Open
* Southern Samity
* Subroto Cup
* Aryan FC
* Tollygunge Agragami FC
* West Bengal football team

Other topics|

* Adwaita
* Zoological Garden, Alipore
* Bengal Club
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* Calcutta Rowing Club
* Central Forensic Science Laboratory
* Chinese of Calcutta
* Early phase of printing in Calcutta
* Electoral constituencies
* List of people from Kolkata
* Fort William
* Hooghly River
* Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden
* Maidan
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* Princeton Club
* Rabindra Sarobar
* Royal Calcutta Golf Club
* Sonagachi
* South Park Street Cemetery
* Tollygunge Club
* Tala tank

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Forts in India

Ahom dynasty|

* Talatal Ghar
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Bahmani Sultanate|

* Bidar
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British Raj|

* Anchuthengu
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Deccan sultanates|

* Ahmednagar
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Delhi Sultanate|

* Aligarh
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* Qila Mubarak
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Eastern Ganga dynasty|

* Barabati
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Faruqi dynasty|

* Asirgarh
* Laling
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Gujarat Sultanate|

* Bhadra

Jat|

* Bawana Fort
* Gohad
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* Nahar Singh Mahal

Kakatiya dynasty|

* Warangal

Kingdom of Mysore|

* Devanahalli
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* Mandsaur
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Maratha Empire|

* Dongri
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Mughal Empire|

* Purana Qila
* Chanderi
* Agra
* Allahabad
* Fatehpur Sikri
* Red
* Akola
* Hari Parbat Fort
* Ramnagar

Nayak dynasty|

* Chitradurga
* Bekal
* Dindigul
* Gingee
* Tiruchirapalli Rock
* Chandragiri Fort
* Hosdurg

Portuguese|

* Bassein Fort
* Bombay Castle
* Mahim
* Arnala
* Castella de Aguada
* Diu Fort
* Surat Castle
* Fortim do Mar, Diu
* Fortim do Mar, Simbor
* Emmanuel
* Fort Anjediva
* Korlai
* Madh Fort
* St Thomas, Tangasseri
* St. Angelo
* Pallipuram
* Aguada
* Fort Tiracol
* Anjediva
* Cranganore
* Ghodbunder
* Fortaleza de Chaul
* Ponda Fort
* Chapora Fort
* Fortaleza de São Sebastião de Tivim
* Cabo de Rama
* Corjuem Fort
* Mormugão fort
* Rachol Fort
* Fort of São Tiago of Banastarim

Rajputs|

* Achalgarh
* Amber
* Bhangarh
* Chittor
* Jaigarh
* Jaisalmer
* Jalore
* Junagarh
* Kankwadi
* Kumbhalgarh
* Nahargarh
* Qila Rai Pithora
* Taragarh
* Lal Kot
* Gwalior
* Kalinjar
* Hinglajgarh
* Mehrangarh
* Narwar
* Senapati fortress
* Sabalgarh
* Bahu
* Kangra
* Ranthambore
* Bhatner fort

Sikh Empire|

* Kamlah

Siddi|

* Murud-Janjira
* Belapur
* Underi

Sur Empire|

* Chunar
* Rohtasgarh
* Munger

Travancore|

* Vattakottai
* Udayagiri
* East

Vijayanagara|

* Chandragiri
* Gingee
* Bangalore
* Udayagiri
* Vellore

* v
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* e

Tourist attractions in Kolkata

Colonial|

* Currency Building
* Howrah Railway Station
* Metropolitan Building
* Fort William
* National Library
* Victoria Memorial
* Shaheed Minar
* St. John's Church
* Raj Bhavan
* New Market
* Kolkata High Court
* Shobhabazar Rajbari
* Prinsep Ghat

Geographical|

* Hooghly River
* Rabindra Sarobar
* Maidan

Religious places|

* Kalighat Kali Temple
* Dakshineswar Kali Temple
* Belur Math
* Kripamayee Kali Temple
* Baranagar Math
* Alambazar Math
* St. John's Church
* St. James' Church
* St. Paul's Cathedral
* Tipu Sultan Mosque
* Church of the Lord Jesus
* South Park Street Cemetery

Cultural|

* Durga Puja
* Barowari Pujos
* Saraswati Puja
* Kali Puja
* The Asiatic Society
* Dol Yatra
* College Street
* Esplanade
* Chowringhee
* Metro
* Kolkata Film Festival
* Jorasanko Thakur Bari
* Poila Boisakh
* Chhau dance
* Football
* Rabindra Sangeet
* Kumortuli
* Sondesh
* Kolkata Book Fair
* National Library
* General Post Office
* Vintage & Classic Car Rally

Boulevards|

* AJC Bose Road & APC Road
* Amherst Street
* Ballygunge Circular Road
* Bowbazar Street
* Camac Street
* Chittaranjan Avenue
* College Street
* Eastern Metropolitan Bypass
* Gariahat Road
* Gurusaday Dutta Road
* Grey Street
* The Chowringhee
* Lansdowne Road
* Mahatma Gandhi Road
* Mirza Ghalib Street
* Park Street
* Prince Anwar Shah Road
* Rabindra Sarani
* Raja Nabakrishna Street
* Raja SC Mullick Road
* Netaji Subash Chandra Bose Road
* Rashbehari Avenue
* Shakespeare Sarani
* Southern Avenue
* Strand Road
* Sudder Street
* V.I.P. Road
* Vivekananda Road
* Jawaharlal Nehru Road
* B. T. Road

Shopping|

* New Market
* College Street (Books)
* Mani Square
* South City Mall
* Quest Mall
* Forum Mall
* Other shopping malls
* Barnoporichoy

Parks, riverfront,
zoos and stadiums|

* Alipore Zoo
* Central Park
* Millennium Park
* Mohor Kunja
* Aquatica
* Nicco Park
* Science City, Kolkata
* Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden (The Great Banyan)
* Maidan
* New Town Eco Park
* Eden Gardens
* Salt Lake Stadium
* Race Course Pavilions
* Netaji Indoor Stadium
* East Bengal Ground
* Mohammedan Sporting Ground

* Category

Authority control databases |

* VIAF

|

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