The Colonial Hoax: Shattering the Myth of Job Charnock

-Bangadhipati(B Tech CSE student)

“Kolkata was born on August 24, 1690.”

This sentence is perhaps the greatest lie ever told in the history of Bengal. For generations, colonial historians force-fed us the narrative that before the White Man arrived, this land was nothing but a desolate swamp—a dark, uninhabited jungle waiting for salvation. They painted Job Charnock, a mere agent of the East India Company, as a visionary creator who conjured a metropolis out of mud.

It is a fabrication. A calculated propaganda designed to erase our past and make us believe we owe our very existence to the British.

But history cannot be silenced forever. Today, we dig deep into the soil of Bengal to exhume the truth. Armed with ancient scripts, Mughal records, and the silent testimony of stones that predate the British Empire, we are here to reclaim our history. Kolkata is not a British invention. Kolkata is an eternal Bengali emotion.

The Sacred Geography: “Kalikshetra” & “Kilkila”

Before it was a city of commerce, this land was a city of the Divine. The British claim the name “Calcutta” is a distortion of “Kalikata,” but they fail to ask: where did “Kalikata” come from?

Ancient Tantric texts, specifically the Pithamala Tantra, Nigam Tantra and the Tantra Chudamani, provide a detailed spiritual map of this region long before any European map existed.

The “Kilkila” Province: Ancient texts describe a massive province known as “Kilkila” (The Joyous Land), which extended from the River Saraswati in the west to the River Jamuna in the east. Modern Kolkata sits right in the heart of this ancient province.
The “Kalikshetra” (Field of Kali): Within Kilkila lies the holy zone of Kalikshetra. The texts define it as a bow-shaped (Dhanukaukar) area extending roughly 2 Yojanas (approx. 16 miles) from Bahula (modern-day Behala) in the south to Dakshineswar in the north.
The Shakti Peeth Connection: This is the land where the toes of Sati’s right foot fell. But a Shakti Peeth is incomplete without its Shiva. The presence of the ancient Nakuleshwar Bhairava temple (the consort of the Goddess) near Kalighat proves that this was a settled, active pilgrimage site for centuries.
The Conclusion: The name “Kalikata” is linguistically derived from Kalikshetra. Long before Charnock saw a “jungle,” pilgrims saw a holy land. The identity of the city was forged in spiritual iron, not British brick.

The Evidence of Poetry (The Mangal Kavyas)

Long before Charnock wore his first hat, the poets of Bengal were singing about Kolkata. These texts were not just poems; they served as river charts and travelogues for merchants. If “Kalikata” appears in them, it means it was a landmark as significant as any major port.

Bipradas Pipilai’s Manasamangal (1495 AD)

Time gap: 195 years before Charnock. The poet describes the merchant Chand Sadagar’s voyage down the river Bhagirathi. The text gives us a precise geographical sequence, proving Kolkata’s existence in the 15th century.

Original Verse (Transliteration):

“Kule kule Chitpur, Dakhine Kalikata Buliya Betore, pashchime Bhatpara”

Translation: “Along the banks lies Chitpur, to the south is Kalikata, Having passed Betore (Howrah), with Bhatpara to the west.”

Significance: This proves that in 1495, “Kalikata” was already a prominent enough landmark to be used for navigation by merchant fleets.

Mukundaram Chakrabarti’s Chandimangal (c. 1577-1600 AD)

Time gap: ~100 years before Charnock. In the Akhetik Khanda, the poet describes the merchant Dhanapati passing through the region. It highlights the area as a developed route.

Original Verse (Transliteration):

“Dhakuria eraila, aila Kalighat Beniyara baha path, Paschime Borshat”

Translation: “He passed Dhakuria and arrived at Kalighat, The path of the merchants, with Borshat to the west.”

Significance: It establishes the area as the “path of the merchants” (Beniyara baha path), confirming it was a commercial corridor long before the East India Company.

Krishna Ram Das’s Kalikamangal (1676 AD)

Time gap: 14 years before Charnock. Written during the reign of Emperor Aurangzeb, this text elevates Kolkata from a village to a formal administrative unit.

Original Verse (Transliteration):

“Dharani nahika tul, Sarkar Saptagram Kalikata Pargana, Mahapunya dham”

Translation: “Unequalled on earth, under the Sarkar (District) of Saptagram, Lies the Kalikata Pargana, a place of great virtue.”

Significance: A Pargana is a specific revenue district with a collector and administration. You cannot “found” a city in 1690 that was already an established tax-paying district in 1676.

Sanatan Ghoshal’s Bhasha-Bhagavat (1679 AD)

Time gap: 11 years before Charnock. While other poets wrote about passing Kolkata, Sanatan Ghoshal wrote about living there. He identifies himself as a resident, proving settled society.

Original Verse (Transliteration):

“Kalikata nivas, Ghoshal kula… Kaye Sanatan, mane koriya jatan”

Translation: “Residing in Kalikata, born of the Ghoshal lineage… So says Sanatan, composing this with care.”

Significance: A poet introducing himself as a resident of “Kalikata” in 1679 proves it was a place of social standing, not a jungle outpost waiting to be rescued.

A Pre-British Metropolis: The “Grey Town”

The British love to categorize colonial Kolkata into the “White Town” (British) and the “Black Town” (Native). But history shows that before either of these, there was a cosmopolitan “Grey Town”—a melting pot of nations.

The Venetian Witness (1578): More than 100 years before Charnock, the Venetian traveler Cesare Federici visited Betore (modern Howrah). He described it as a massive seasonal market where ships from all over the world dropped anchor to trade with inland Bengal. This proves the specific geography of Kolkata-Betore was an international trade hub long before the British flag was hoisted.
The Spinal Cord— Chitpur Road: The British did not build the oldest road in Kolkata; we did. The Chitpur Road (now Rabindra Sarani) existed centuries before Charnock as the “Pilgrim’s Path” (Tirtha-path). It was built by the Sabarna Roy Choudhury family (and local rulers) to connect Chitpur in the north to the Kalighat Temple in the south. The city grew organically around this ancient road, not around the British Fort.
The Armenian Connection: The tombstone of Rezabeebeh Sookias (dated July 11, 1630 AD) in the Armenian Church is the smoking gun. Armenians were the “Merchant Princes” of India. If a wealthy Armenian lady was buried here in 1630, it implies a settled, thriving community of foreign traders existed 60 years before Charnock.
The Portuguese Presence: The Portuguese were active in this region (at Bandel and Betore) since the mid-16th century. Some historians argue that the name “Calcutta” itself might have been influenced by the Portuguese term “Gol-gotha” (place of skulls), referencing the treacherous river bend, long before Anglophones arrived.
The Seths & Basaks (Mid-16th Century): As the river Saraswati dried up in the mid-1500s, the wealthy mercantile families—the Seths and Basaks—migrated from Saptagram to Sutanuti and Govindapur (named after their deity, Govindaji). They established the textile market (Sutanuti Haat) that Charnock later “discovered.” They were the true economic founders.

Verdict: Charnock didn’t find a village; he found a Metropolis in the making.

The True Landlords: The Sabarna Roy Choudhury Family

The British did not discover this land; they were merely tenants who rented it from the rightful owners.

1608 AD (The Grant): Emperor Jehangir and his general Man Singh granted the Jagir (land rights) of 8 Parganas—extending from Halishahar in the north to Diamond Harbour in the south—to Lakshmikanta Gangopadhyay (Majumdar), the ancestor of the Sabarna family. “Roy Choudhury” was a title given for their administrative power; they were the de facto rulers of this region.
1610 AD: The family established their Atchala Durga Puja at Barisha in 1610. This puja is still performed today. A grand religious festival requires a settled, prosperous population. This proves a sophisticated society existed here 80 years before Charnock’s arrival.
November 10, 1698 (The Sale of Rights): The East India Company did not “found” the city; they purchased the Zamindari rights (the right to collect rent).

o The Deed: Signed at the camp of Prince Azim-ush-Shan.

o The Signatories: Ramchand Ray and Manohar Ray of the Sabarna family signed over the rights to the British.

o The Price: The rights for the three villages—Sutanuti, Gobindapur and Kalikata—were sold for a mere Rs. 1,300.

The Legal Reality: The British entered Kolkata as tenants and tax-collectors under the Sabarna family and the Mughal Empire. They were not creators; they were buyers.

The Military History: The Iron Ring of Forts

The most absurd British claim is that they brought security to a defenseless land. Historical records show that the Hooghly basin was a militarized zone under the control of the Maharaja Pratapaditya of Jessore and later the Mughals long before the British laid a single brick.

The Tanna Fort (Thana): Located on the western bank (near modern-day Botanical Gardens/Shibpur), the Fort of Tanna was a massive brick-and-mud fortification. It is mentioned in the Mughal naval records (Nawara) and European logs as a strategic checkpoint that controlled all ship movements up the river. The British themselves had to attack this existing fort multiple times (including in 1687) before they could settle.
The Salikha Fort (Salkia): Historical texts like Brihat Banga (Dinesh Chandra Sen) and Jessore-Khulnar Itihas (Satish Chandra Mitra) confirm that Maharaja Pratapaditya built a chain of mud forts to defend against Portuguese pirates (Mughs). One such fort was located at Salka (modern Salkia, Howrah), serving as a watchtower over the trade route.
The “Katcheri” became the “Fort”: Where did the British build their original Fort William (near present-day GPO/Koaghat)? They did not build on virgin land. That precise location—the highest ground near the river—was the site of the Katcheri (Administrative Office/Cutcherry) of the Sabarna Roy Choudhury family.

o The Strategy: Charnock was cunning. He occupied the existing administrative center (the Katcheri) because it was already a secure, permanent structure used for tax collection. He simply fortified the landlord’s office and called it a Fort.

Verdict: The British didn’t build a fortress in a jungle; they captured the existing military and administrative infrastructure of the Bengali rulers.

The Map Evidence (1660 AD)

Maps are the ultimate unbiased witnesses. If Kolkata didn’t exist before 1690, why is it on a map from 1660?

Van den Broucke’s Map (c. 1660): Mattheus Van den Broucke, the Dutch Director of Bengal (1658-1663), commissioned a survey of the region. His map (published later in Oud en Nieuw Oost-Indien) clearly marks a place called “Colecatte” on the eastern bank of the river Hooghly.

o The Road Network: The map is not just a list of villages; it depicts a “Great Road” (Shahi Rasta) running through Bengal. “Colecatte” is shown connected to this road system, proving it was an accessible trade node, not an isolated swamp.

George Herron’s Sailing Instructions (1679): Captain George Herron was a pilot for the East India Company. In his “Sailing Instructions” documented in 1679 (11 years before Charnock’s “founding”), he explicitly mentions “Colgotha” as a landmark for ships navigating the river.

o The Logic: You don’t name a landmark in a navigation manual if it doesn’t exist. The British knew Colgotha existed; they just rewrote history to claim they invented it.

Conclusion: The existence of “Colecatte” on a Dutch map and “Colgotha” in British sailing logs decades before 1690 proves that the location was a well-known geographical entity to Europeans long before Charnock arrived.

The Final Verdict: The 2003 High Court Judgment

This argument is not just based on emotion; it is backed by the highest legal authority in the state.

The Case: In 2001, the Sabarna Roy Choudhury Paribar Parishad filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Calcutta High Court (W.P. No. 1484 of 2001), challenging the colonial lies that Job Charnock was the founder and that August 24 was the city’s birthday.
The Bench: The case was heard by a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice A.K. Mathur and Justice Jayanta Kumar Biswas.
The Expert Committee: To uncover the truth, the High Court appointed a committee of five legendary historians:

Prof. Nemai Sadhan Bose (Chairman, Former VC of Visva-Bharati)
Prof. Barun De
Prof. Arun Kumar Dasgupta
Prof. Sushil Chaudhury
Prof. Pradip Sinha

The Findings: The committee examined all historical records and submitted a report stating:

“Calcutta does not have a birthday. Its origin is part of a general process of rural settlement… agglomerated in the last decade of the 17th century.”

The Judgment (May 16, 2003): In a historic ruling, the Court accepted the report and ordered:

Job Charnock is NOT the founder of Kolkata.
August 24, 1690, is NOT the birthday of Kolkata.
The State Government was directed to purge these myths from all textbooks, official documents, and websites.

The Significance: This judgment was a legal liberation from colonial mental slavery. The Court legally recognized that Kolkata’s roots are indigenous, ancient, and evolved—not a sudden gift from a British merchant.

Conclusion

The myth of Job Charnock was a colonial fabrication to legitimize British rule. They wanted us to believe that without them, we were nothing. But the poetry of Bipradas, the grave of Rezabeebeh, the revenue records of Akbar, and the textile markets of the Seths and Basaks scream the truth.

Kolkata was not built by a white man in a hat. It was built by the toil of Bengali weavers, the prayers of pilgrims at Kalighat, and the trade of diverse communities. The 2003 High Court judgment was the final nail in the coffin of this colonial lie, returning the city’s dignity to its rightful owners—the people.

Job Charnock was just a tenant. Kolkata belongs to its people. It always has.

For more information see this video

Joy Gaud Joy Banga Joy Shashanka

References

Dinesh Chandra Sen, Brihat Banga (History of Bengal).
Abul Fazl, Ain-i-Akbari (1596).
Sukumar Sen, Bangala Sahityer Itihas (History of Bengali Literature).
Calcutta High Court Judgment, Sabarna Roy Choudhury Paribar Parishad vs. State of West Bengal & Ors (May 16, 2003).
P. Thankappan Nair, A History of Calcutta’s Streets.
Satish Chandra Mitra, Jessore-Khulnar Itihas.
Bipradas Pipilai, Manasamangal (1495).
Mukundaram Chakrabarti, Chandimangal (c. 1577-1600).
Krishna Ram Das, Kalikamangal (1676).
Sanatan Ghoshal, Bhasha-Bhagavat (1679).
Tantra Shastras: Pithamala Tantra, Nigam Tantra, Tantra Chudamani.
Mattheus Van den Broucke, Map of Bengal (c. 1660).
George Herron, Sailing Directions (1679).
Cesare Federici, The Voyage and Travaile of M. Caesar Frederick (1588)