CALCUTTA - ITS PAST

    Calcutta, the city of love, the city of many faces, hidden secrets, old as time, young in experience, smiling, laughing, weary, pulsating, ever youthful the City of Joy. Calcutta's history dates back to the seventeenth century when in 1686, Job Charnock, the leader of the British merchants moved the British capital down river from Hooghly to three small villages -Sutanati, Govindpur and Kalikata which became the present day Calcutta. Calcutta takes its name from the last village.

    Calcutta remained under the British control of the East India Company till 1756, when Siraj-ud-daula, the Nawab of Murshidabad defeated the British and took over the town.

    A year later, in 1757, the British led by Robert Clive defeated Siraj-ud-daula, who was supported by the French at the Battle of Plassey, and recaptured Calcutta. Calcutta, the city, developed under the British from 1780 onwards and in the latter half of the 19th century became an important centre in the struggle for Indian independence. The British therefore, decided to transfer their capital to Delhi in 1911 but even then, the city prospered till after World War II.

    Calcutta has inherited a legacy of beautiful old buildings from the British and the Calcutta Municipal Corporation is taking steps to maintain and renovate these structures.