Calcutta.
Kolkata was always called Kolkata in Bengali — derived from the name of one of the three villages said to have become the modern city of Kolkata. But the British called it Calcutta.
What is the original name of Kolkata?
The city’s former name, Calcutta, is an Anglicized version of the Bengali name Kalikata. According to some, Kalikata is derived from the Bengali word Kalikshetra, meaning “Ground of (the goddess) Kali.” Some say the city’s name derives from the location of its original settlement on the bank of a canal (khal).
Is Calcutta still called Calcutta?
Kolkata wasn’t always known as Kolkata. Before 2001, the city was officially called Calcutta – the anglicised version of its name. Here we look at the political and cultural context surrounding the renaming of one of India’s largest cities. The are a number of reasons why Calcutta changed its name to Kolkata.
When did British come to Kolkata?
The history of Kolkata as a British settlement, known to the British as Calcutta, dates from the establishment of a trading post there by Job Charnock, an agent of the English East India Company, in 1690.
Who named Kolkata?
Colonial Era. In 1690, Job Charnock, an agent of East India Company first came to the city and bought three villages (Sutanuti, Kolkata, Gobindapur) from the local landlord. In 1699, East India Company started developing the city as a Presidency city and named it Calcutta.
What was Kolkata called before British rule?
Calcutta
Kolkata (formerly known as Calcutta) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal and is located in eastern India on the east bank of the River Bhagirathi-Hooghly (Ganga). The city was a colonial city developed by the East India Company and then by the British Empire.
Who ruled Bengal before British?
The Islamic Mamluk Sultanate, the Khalji dynasty, the Turko-Indian Tughlaq dynasty, the Sayyid dynasty and the Lodi dynasty ruled Bengal for over 320 years.
What was Bombay called before the British?
The Portuguese gave the islands various names but they eventually came to be known as Bombaim (or good bay). In 1661, Bombay was made over to the British as part of Catherine of Braganza’s dowry when she married Charles II of England.
Why did Kolkata change its name?
Although the city’s name has always been pronounced Kolkata or Kôlikata in Bengali, the anglicised form Calcutta was the official name until 2001, when it was changed to Kolkata in order to match Bengali pronunciation.
What was Bombay called before?
Kakamuchee
The oldest known names for the city are Kakamuchee and Galajunkja; these are sometimes still used. In 1508, Portuguese writer Gaspar Correia used the name “Bombaim” in his Lendas da Índia (Legends of India).
Which place British came first in India?
Surat
The British first landed in India in Surat for the purpose of trade. Here’s how and why a simple trading company, the British East India Company, became one of the biggest challenges the subcontinent had ever dealt with. By India Today Web Desk: The British landed in India in Surat on August 24, 1608.
Who named Kolkata alinagar?
Siraj-Ud-Daulah
When British were defeated and thrown out of their settlement, Siraj-Ud-Daulah renamed Calcutta as Alinagar.
Who shifted Kolkata to Delhi?
George V
During the Delhi Durbar on 12th December 1911, George V, then emperor of India, along with the Queen made the announcement that Capital of India shifted from Calcutta to Delhi, while laying the foundation stone of Capital of India in Coronation Park.
Why is Kolkata called black city?
Black City, Kolkata
Kolkata got this title due to various reasons. While one reason is the number of Europeans imprisoned in the Black Hole dungeon here, Goddess Kali (associated with colour black) is also widely worshipped in the city.
Which God is famous in Kolkata?
The people of Kolkata worship Goddess Kali very fervently. Lake Kalibari is proof of this. This Kali temple is again built in reverence of the famous Goddess. However, the deity inside the temple is of Goddess Karunamoyee, another aspect of Kali.
What is the old name of West Bengal?
History of West Bengal. The name of Bengal, or Bangla, is derived from the ancient kingdom of Vanga, or Banga. References to it occur in early Sanskrit literature, but its early history is obscure until the 3rd century bce, when it formed part of the extensive Mauryan empire inherited by the emperor Ashoka.
What is the old name of Kolkata and Mumbai?
Mumbai (Marathi: मुंबई), from Bombay, renamed in 1995. Kochi (Malayalam: കൊച്ചി), from Cochin, respelled in 1996. Chennai (Tamil: சென்னை), from Madras, renamed in 1996. Kolkata (Bengali: কলকাতা), from Calcutta, respelled in 2001.
Why did the British divided Bengal?
The idea of the partition had been brought up only for administrative reasons. Therefore, Curzon planned to split Orissa and Bihar and join fifteen eastern districts of Bengal with Assam. The eastern province held a population of 31 million, most of which was Muslim, with its centre at Dhaka.
Why did the British choose Bengal?
Importance for the British: Bengal became the first kingdom to be occupied by the British in India. The East India Company carried on profitable trade with this province. The enormous resources of Bengal came in handy for financing the British expansion.
Who came first in India?
Vasco da Gama
Portuguese explorer Vasco de Gama becomes the first European to reach India via the Atlantic Ocean when he arrives at Calicut on the Malabar Coast. Da Gama sailed from Lisbon, Portugal, in July 1497, rounded the Cape of Good Hope, and anchored at Malindi on the east coast of Africa.
Who invented Bengali language?
The Bengali linguists Suniti Kumar Chatterji and Sukumar Sen suggested that Bengali had its origin in the 10th century ce, deriving from Magahi Prakrit (a spoken language) through Magahi Apabhramsha (its written counterpart).