Letts & Son

Late 19th Century atlas map of Kolkata (formerly Calcutta), the capital of Indian state West Bengal and former British stronghold. This detailed city map is oriented east and lists important buildings and public spaces, all of which are numbered across the map.

The British East India Company established the city in 1690 after it was granted a license to trade, amalgamating the small local villages which formerly stood there. The heavily guarded Fort William, which can be seen on the banks of the River Hooghly, was built in 1696 by the British East India Company and named after King William III (William of Orange). The city remained under British rule (first EIC, and later the British Raj) until 1911 – when the capital of India shifted to Delhi.

Plan of the City of Calcutta