The Charnock Controversy: Calcutta's Founder or Colonial Myth

In 1690, an English merchant named Job Charnock stepped onto a muddy riverbank in Bengal and, according to legend, founded Calcutta. But the story is messier than a single founding moment. This episode unpacks the colonial myth-making behind Charnock's 'founding' of the city, revealing how the East India Company spun a convenient origin story for its future capital. We trace the actual settlements—Sutanati, Gobindapur, and Kalikata—that predated the British, and meet the Portuguese pirates and Mughal officials who made the Hooghly delta a contested frontier. We also examine Charnock's strange personal history: his controversial marriage to a Hindu widow, his alleged firing on a Mughal convoy, and his death in 1693, which left the settlement in chaos. By the time the British built Fort William, the myth of Charnock as a lone pioneer had erased the Indian communities and the violent negotiations that really shaped the city. A story about empire, memory, and the lies we tell about beginnings. #JobCharnock #Calcutta #Kolkata #EastIndiaCompany #MughalBengal #FortWilliam #Sutanati #Gobindapur #Kalikata #PortuguesePirates #HooghlyRiver #ColonialMyth #BritishRaj #SouthAsia #History #FexingoHistory #Empire #UrbanOrigins Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo