Fort William: Renamed
Fort William in Kolkata, the headquarters of the Eastern Army Command, has been renamed Vijay Durg recently.
- It was built by the British in 1773 and was named after King William III of England.
- It is located on the eastern bank of the river Hooghly in Kolkata, West Bengal.
- Today, it is the property of the Indian Army. It also serves as the headquarters of the Eastern Command.
- The original fort was built by the English East India Company in 1696.
- Initially, it comprised wings and an inner bastion where prisoners were hauled, which is why it was known as ‘the black hole of Calcutta’.
- In 1756, Siraj-ud-Daulah, the Nawab of Bengal, attacked the fort and captured it.
- After the fall of Siraj-ud-Daulah in the Battle of Plassey, the fort was demolished.
- Thereafter, Robert Clive began constructing a new fort. The fort was completed in 1773 and stands as present-day Fort William.
- The fort is octagonal in shape and has an imposing structure made out of brick and mortar.
- It is spread over 70.9 acres and is embellished with hundreds of arched windows that overlook lush green gardens.
- Meticulous stonework adorns the surface of the building.
