CALCUTTA (Kali Ghatta, the gliaut or landing-place of the goddess Kali), the capital of the province of Bengal, and metropolis of British India, is situated on the left bank of the river Hoogly, an arm of the Ganges, in 22° 35' n. lat., and 88' 27' e. long., about 100 m. from the sea by the river. C. was founded by governor Charnock in the year 1686, by the removal hither of the factories of the East India company. In 1700, three villages surrounding- the factories having been conferred upon the company by the emperor of Delhi, in recognition of a present made to Azhn, a son of Aurungzebe, they were forthwith fortified, and received the name of fort William, in honor of the reigning king; but the place was subsequently termed Calcutta, the name of one of the villages. In 1707, C. had acquired some importance as a town, and was made the seat of a presi dency. In 1756, however, a great misfortune befell the rising town ; it was unexpectedly attacked by Surajah Dowlali, the nawaub of Bengal, and being abandoned by a number of those whose duty it was to defend the place, it was compelled to yield after under going a two days' siege. Only 146 men, however, fell into the enemy s hands; but these were treated with heartless cruelty. Cast at night into a confined cell, about 20 ft. square— the notorious " Black Hole" (q.v.)—they endured the most unheard-of sufferings, and in the morning it was found that only 23 out of 146 had survived the horrors of that night. The city remained in the hands of the enemy until eight months afterwards, when Clive arrived in the country from England. In conjunction with admiral 'Watson, Clive suc ceeded in recapturing the town, and afterwards concluded a peace with the nawaub. Soon after this, and subsequent to the important victory of Plassey, the possessions of the East India company were greatly extended by means of grants made by the emperor of Delhi, and C. once more resumed its career of progress, and advanced rapidly in prosperity. In 1852, C. was erected into a municipality, the proprietors paying assess ments, and erecting cominissioners to apply the proceeds of these assessments in cleans ing, improving, and embellishing the town. In 1837, the population of the town proper amounted to 229,700; in 1872, it had increased to 447,601, or with Ilowrah and suburbs, 892,429 (1876, without Howrali, 776,579). Besides these, thousands of the three and a half millions who sleep at night in the surrounding districts of Hoogly and the 24 per gunualis, flock during the clay to C., on foot, by boat, or by railway, to their daily toil. The inhabitants are mostly Hindus; but there is also a good proportion of Mohamme dans About 20,000 are Europeans; 20,000 Eurasians, or the progeny of white fathers with native mothers; and there is a considerable number of Armenians, Greeks, Jews, Parsecs, and negroes. The city extends for about 5 m. along the river, and is somewhat less than 2 m. in breadth at its broadest part, the area being about 8 sq.m., and comprised for the most part between the river and the circular road, a spacious roadway which marks the landward boundary of the city proper. Beyond this road there lie extensive
suburbs, the chief o' which are Cbitpore on the n., Nundeu Baugh, I3ahar:Simleah, Seal dal]. Entally, and I3allygunge on the e., and 13howaueepore, .Allipere, and Kidderpore 'on the south The villages of Sulkeah, Howra, and Seebpoor are situated on the opposite side of the river, and contain the salt-golahs or warehouses of the government, extensive manufactories, dockyards, and ship-building establishments. The appearance of the city as it is approached by the river is very striking; on the left are the botanical gardens, destroyed by the cyclones of 1867 and 1870, but since replanted, and the bishop's college, a handsome Gothic edifice, erected by the society for the propagation of the gospel in foreign parts; on the right is the suburb of Garden Reach, with its handsome country seats and beautiful gardens; further on are the government dockyards and the arsenal; beyond these is the Maidan esplanade, Ivimich has been termed the Hyde park of India, being the favorite place of resort of the elite of C. for their evening drive. Here, near the river, lies fort William, the largest fortress in India, having been constructed at a cost of £2,000,000, and occupying, with the outworks, an area of about half a mile in diameter. It is garrisoned by European and native soldiers, mounts 619 guns, and its armory con tains 80,000 stands of small-arms. Facing the esplanade, among other fine buildings, is the government house, a magnificent palace erected by the marquis of Wellesley. Beyond this, extending northwards along the river bank, is the Strand, 2 m. in length, and 40 ft. above low water, with various ghauts or landing-places. It is adorned by many fine buildings, including the custom-house, the new mint. and other government offices, and the appearance given by these and other edifices has gained for C. the appellation of "city of palaces." Among its other places of interest, mention may be made of the Sudder Dewanee Adawlut, the principal court of justice; the town-hall, a fine building; the Bengal club, writers' buildings, bank of Bengal, Jesuits' college, medical college, university, theater, besides various churches, mosques, Hindu temples, and pagodas and numerous bazaars. There are a number of monuments' throughout the city, the most noticeable being those erected to the marquis of Wellesley and sir David Ochterlony. Although the quarter of the town is distinguished for its fine public buildings and commodious dwelling-houses, the quarters occupied by the natives present a very different appearance, their houses being in most instances built of mud or bamboo and mats, and the streets narrow and unpaved. Considerable improvements have, however, been effected of late; new and wider streets have been opened through crowded quarters; brick houses are fast replacing the huts, and an extensive system of drainage has been carried out, to the no small advantage of the inhabitants, The cyclone of Nov., 1867, destroyed 30,000 native houses, and that of June, 1870, was likewise very destructive.