Riyaz al-salatin 8.1

8.1

The City of Calcutta in past times was a village in a taluqah endowed in favour of Kali, which is the name of an idol which is there. Inasmuch as in the language of Bengal, 'Karta' and Kata " means "master" or "lord," therefore this village was named Kalikata, meaning that its owner was Kali. Gradually, by a process of the modulation of the tongue, the alif and the ea being dropped it was called Kalkata. The following is the account of the foundation of this city and the establishment of the English factory there. In the period of the Nizamat of Nawab Jafar Khan, the factory of the English Company, which existed in the port of Hughli, close to Lakhoghat and Mughulpurah, suddenly after sunset when the English Chiefs were at dinner commenced crumbling down; the English Chiefs harum-scarum ran out, and saved themselves from this whirlpool of destruction. But all their chattels and properties were washed away by the tide. Many cattle and some human beings also perished. Mr. Charnock, the English Chief, purchasing the garden of Benares, the Company's Gumashta, which was situate in Lakhoghat, adjoining to the town, cut down its trees, and laid the foundation of a factory, and commenced erecting two-storeyed and three-storeyed buildings.