Job Charnock is a very prominent figure in the history of Kolkata. He is considered to be the founder of Calcutta. Charnock was sent to India during 1655 or 56. In the initial years, he settled in Cossimbazar, situated near Kolkata. He was a young merchant of East India Company. Later he moved to Bihar and Patna.
In 1686, Charnock as East India Company’s chief agent came to Hooghly. But soon he was forced to shift his base due to the Anglo-Mughal rivalries. He settled 27 miles away from Hooghly to a place called Sutanuti in 1690.
Job Charnock persuaded Ibrahim Khan, the then subahdar or the landowner to permit him to move his settlement to Sutanuti. He also persuaded the
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subahdar to grant Farman to the East India Company by which they could carry on duty free trade and commerce in Bengal. In lure of that the company agreed to pay him 3000 rupees every year.
In 1699, Sutanuti and its neighboring two villages were bought by the British for 1,300 rupees from the Nawab. Sutanuti is the present location of Calcutta or Kolkata city. Later, he had to run away to Madras after the rivalry with the Mughals. He returned to Sutanuti once more and started his business in Bengal.
Job Charnock also served as Bay Council’s Chief. He took the initiative to transform Kolkata to a capital city of the British power in India. It is believed that he saved a Hindu girl from being dying as ‘sati’ and later married her. He called her Maria and they had four girls. Job Charnock died in 1692 or 93 in Kolkata.
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