Various sections of the map showing the names of those who executed the project.

Central Calcutta and the river Hooghly

the Maidan and Fort William . Pictures by Pabitra Das

Prasad, the palace in the Pathuriaghat area constructed by Jatindra Mohan Tagore, is still a storehouse of valuable memorabilia on the city and the Tagore family. Sreejit Tagore is in charge of Prasad now, and recently, while the storeroom in the building was being cleaned, an old, moth-eaten document was discovered. Although it was pasted on a large piece of cloth to give it more body it was in a fragile condition and in need of immediate restoration.

The document had been folded into a neat and handy rectangle and as a result was particularly brittle at the folds. Without urgent intervention it was in danger of coming apart. The document turned out to be an old map of Calcutta measuring 90’’ x 46’’. According to the Atlas of the City of Calcutta and its Environs published by the National Atlas & Thematic Mapping Organisation, Calcutta, “The earliest map available on Calcutta is the Plan of the Territory of Calcutta as marked out in the year 1742 and showing military operations during the time of attack by Siraj-ud-daula on 18th June, 1756. This map is an inset of the map on Calcuttta and its environs in 1792-93, by A. Upjohn.”

In the Plan of Calcutta by Mark Wood published in 1792, the areas inhabited by the Europeans and natives are clearly demarcated. Cartographers had a busy time in the 19th century, when apart from the city, the suburbs such as Baranagore, Salt Lake Water and Garden Reach were mapped in 1817. Between 1825 and 1832 a series of maps was prepared for the use of the Lottery Committee which raised funds for the city’s development. The accuracy and mathematical precision of the maps cannot be doubted as they are in agreement with the principal stations of the Great Trignometrical Survey. The stations are marked on the map in 1841.

The map found at Prasad is of 1847-1849 vintage and it was revised up to 1857. So it started before the Sepoy Mutiny and ended during it. The writings on the map tell their own story. It reads: “Plan of Calcutta. From actual survey in the year 1847-1849. Fredrick Walter Simms, civil engineer, consulting engineer to the Government of India. The suburbs of the town are from surveys recently furnished by Major H.L. Thullier, deputy surveyor, government of India, executed by himself and Captain R. Smyth, revenue survey. Revised up to 1857. Reduced and engraved by J and C. Walker.”

Here are the References: Boundary of Calcutta on the local limits of jurisdiction of the Supreme Court. Private buildings, pucca road, cutcha road, public buildings, tanks, open drains, covered drains, aqueduct.

The map refers to the 26 districts of the burgeoning city. The original spellings have been retained: 1. Baug Bazar 2. Bosepara 3. Shaum Bazar 4. Kumbooliatollah 5. Koomartolee 6. Shaum Pookhur 7. Haltee Bagan 8. Rajah Bagan 9. Sobha Bazar 10. Hautcolah Bazar 11. Munnicktolah 12. Hooghulkhooree 13. Garranhatah 14. Jorah Bagan 15. Mirzapoor 16. Shama Pookhur 17. Kasareepara 18. Rambagan 19. Jorasanko 20. Puttoreah Ghat 21. Pottoldangah 22. Jelleah Tollah 23. Machooe Bazar 24. Soortee Bagan 25. Burra Bazar 26. Chowringhee.

The map, of course, needs to be read by a historian but even a lay person would be amazed at the density of buildings in Calcutta at that early period. All the ghats along both sides of the Hooghly are clearly marked, and so are Dalhousie Square, still called Tank Square, the Maidan, Fort William and Strand Road with the Mint. In the middle of Tank Square is Loll Diggee surrounded by Old Court House Street, Banks Hall Street (changed to Bankshall today), Coilah Ghaut Street and Hastings Street (Kiran Shankar Roy Road). Bentinck Street was still Cossaitollah but Upper Circular Road and Cornwallis Street are already there.

Many of the tanks in the Esplanade-Maidan area have been wiped out of the map. Manohar Doss’s tank and Elliotts tank can still be traced, and Dhurumtollah tank is Curzon park today, but where are Dhobah Pookur, Birjee Talla and Serpentine tank?