Kolkata is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. It is located in eastern India on the east bank of the river Hooghly. The city has a population of nearly 4.5 million, with a long metropolitan population of over 14 million, making it the third largest urban agglomeration, and the fourth largest city in India. Kolkata served as the capital of India during the British Raj until 1911. Once the center of modern education,science,culture and politics in India, Kolkata witnessed economic stagnation in the years since India's independence in 1947. However, since 2000, an economic rejuvenation led to a surge in the growth of the city. Like other metropolitan cities of India, Kolkata is still grappling with problems of urbanization, such as poverty, pollution and traffic congestion. Kolkata is noted for its revolutionary history, ranging from the struggle for India's independence from the left and trade union movements.

Etymology of Kolkata

The names and Calcutta Kolkata were probably based on Kalikata, the name of one of the three villages (Kalikata, Sutanuti, Gobindapur) in the area before the arrival of the British. "Kalikata", in turn, is seen as an anglicised version Kalikshetra "Land of the goddess Kali"). Alternatively, the name may have been derived from the Bengali term kilkila. Again, the name may have its origins in the indigenous term for a natural channel, Khal, followed by Katta (which means perhaps widened). While the name of the city was still pronounced either "Kolkata" or "Kolikata" in the local language Bengali, its name was officially changed in English only "Calcutta" to "Kolkata" in 2001, reflecting the Bengali pronunciation. Some people think that this is a move to erase the legacy of British rule.

History of Kolkata

The Cathedral of St. Paul was built during the British rule in Kolkata.The discovery of the nearby Chandraketugarh, an archaeological site, provides evidence that the area has been occupied for more than two millennia. The city of documented history, however, begins with the arrival of the British East India Company in 1690, when the company was consolidating its business in the trade of Bengal. Job Charnock, a director of the Company has traditionally been credited as the founder of this city. Recently, however, experts have supported the idea that Charnock was not the founder of the city.

In 1702, the British have completed the construction of Old Fort William, which was used for the station and its troops as a regional base. Kolkata (Calcutta then) was declared presidency city, and later became the headquarters of the Presidency of Bengal. Faced with frequent skirmishes with the French forces in 1756, the British began to upgrade their fortifications. When protests against the militarization by the Nawab of Bengal Siraj-ud-Daulah went unheeded, he attacked and captured Fort William, leading to the famous Black Hole incident. A force of the company sepoys and British troops led by Robert Clive recaptured the town the following year. Kolkata was named capital of British India in 1772, though the capital moved to the town of Shimla hills during the summer months each year from the year 1864. It was during this period that marshes surrounding the city have been emptied and the government has been constructed on the banks of the river Hooghly. Richard Wellesley, the governor general between 1797-1805, was largely responsible for the growth of the city and its public architecture which led to the description of Kolkata, "The palace in the city." The city was a center of the British East India Company's opium trade during the 18th and 19th centuries; locally produced opium was sold at an auction in Kolkata, to be shipped to China.