APR-JUN 2016
Industrial Heritage,
Belgium
New Town
Islamabad, Pakistan
INTERNATIONAL EDITION
Europe on the
Hooghly
Cultural Heritage,
Palestine
Art Institute,
Chicago, USA
World Heritage,
Zanzibar
€ 15/$ 15
FOCUS ON
History as
Inspiration
ISSN 2455-2380
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URBAN BLUEPRINT>Colonial Heritage, Kolkata
Europe on the Hooghly
Marlijn Baarveld and Professor Paul Meurs tell us how the heritage of Hooghly can inspire new
developments and create a unique riverfront space
T
he Hooghly River was the centre of
maritime trade in the 17th century
and witness to immense cross-cultural
exchanges, trade and power struggles. In a stretch
from Kolkata to approximately 50 kms north
of the city, there is a string of early European
trading settlements: the British in Kolkata
(previously Calcutta) and Barrackpore, the Dutch
in Chinsurah, the French in Chandernagore,
the Danish in Serampore and the Portuguese in
Bandel. This mix of cultures is the starting point
of contemporary Bengali culture manifested in
the architecture, town planning, literature and art
that developed in the region.
HISTORY OF CHINSURAH
The first European to reach the Hooghly area,
40 kms north of Kolkata, was the Portuguese
sailor Vasco-Da-Gama in 1498. In the beginning
of the 16th century the Portuguese were
permitted by Sultan Mahmud Shah to trade in the
area. Later, after the Emperor gave permission,
Bandel became the first European settlement.
However, in 1632 the Mughals ousted them as
the Portuguese refused to pay taxes to the Mughal
Empire and misused their powers.
Also, other Europeans were attracted to
Bengal for the tea, indigo, cotton and silk. The
Portuguese were closely followed by the Dutch,
Heritage
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PHOTO: WIKIPEDIA COMMONS
the French and the Danish. The French settled in
Chandernagore in the middle of the 17th century
(till 1949). The town still has a lot of French
heritage, like the beautiful ‘boulevard’ along the
river. The Danish arrived in 1698 and Serampore
was the Danish trading post till the middle of
the 19th century. The Dutch settled in Bengal
in 1607 and Chinsurah was established in 1656.
Also, the British were attracted by the richness
of Bengal and arrived in 1640. They finally chose
Calcutta (Kolkata) as the place for the British
trade settlement (till 1947) expanding their
power swiftly. The Hooghly River was the centre
of this trade as the main transportation route
and access to the ocean.
For the Dutch, Chinsurah functioned as the
headquarters of the Vereenigde Oost Indische
Compagnie (VOC): the Dutch East India
Company in Bengal. The town was exclusively
built for trade by the VOC and became home
to Dutch and Armenian merchants as well as
native Bengali merchants. The Dutch had an
unusual agreement with the local representative
of the Mughal emperor, as they rented the
city. In return for payments, he protected
the property and administered justice to the
local population. In 1740, the VOC director
of Bengal commissioned a fort in Chinsurah.
The fort, with four corner bastions, was named
Gustavus after the governor-general, Gustaaf
Willem van Imhoff. It was known for its size and
strength. The Dutch had no political intentions
in India, but were solely interested in trade.
They looked beyond the coastline and ventured
further inland along Indian rivers to places like
Ahmedabad, Patna, Hyderabad and Chinsurah.
Bengal was the most profitable region for the
Dutch and Chinsurah was the biggest and most
beautiful settlement in Asia. It was strategically
located between the Netherlands and Batavia
(Jakarta). In the warehouses along the
riverbanks, there were stocks of cotton, ginger,
hemp, opium and sugar ready for shipment to
Persia, Japan, Batavia and Europe. Potassium
nitrate and opium were transported via the
River Ganges from Patna and Chapra, while
the best silk from Cossinbazar was shipped to
Chinsurah where it was stored and shipped to
Batavia and Japan. Chinsurah flourished and the
VOC complex expanded rapidly in the late 17th
century. In 1825, the Dutch possessions in India
were exchanged with the British for Benkulu
in Sumatra, Indonesia and the Dutch presence
came to an end. In 1827 the British destroyed
the fort and used its stones for roads.
The British replaced many of the old Dutch
buildings, but the layout of the town largely
remained the same. The town had a cool
and serene setting with views over the river.
Chinsurah was the perfect location for pleasure
gardens and grand river-facing mansions.
Later it became a suburb of Calcutta with large
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URBAN BLUEPRINT>Colonial Heritage, Kolkata
green open spaces and a close relationship with
the river.
Since the time of the European traders, the
Hooghly River has remained an important centre for
trade. Here the seeds of industrialisation were sown
in India with the setting up of the first jute mills in
1855. Many jute mills arose on the other side of
the riverbank, of which several are still running.
CHINSURAH TODAY
Chinsurah is a multi-cultural, rather quiet, midsized town, acting as a suburb to metropolitan
Kolkata. Although the history of the Dutch in
Chinsurah is almost forgotten and many old
buildings did not survive time, the influence
of the past remains. History is visible in the
urban fabric of the old town. The centre is green
and strong visual and physical links with the
Hooghly River remain. Although the role for
transportation is limited due to the growing
importance of roads and railway, the Hooghly still
plays an important part in daily life for sacred,
transport and recreational uses.
It is a green town. The area where the Dutch
settled is not completely built up, unlike many
other development areas in India. The former
cantonment area of Fort Gustavus and the
vegetable gardens of the Dutch are still large open
green spaces in the centre. Nowadays it is a playing
field where children practice football and people
meet under shaded trees. It is a good environment
for social interactions. This green, public and open
space shapes the character of the area.
Some of the old mansions survived as
reminders of scenes of afternoon siestas and
evening parties. Unfortunately, almost no
buildings from the 17th century survived. Only
the Dutch Cemetery, parts of the Dutch Garrison
within the Hooghly Madarsa building and a part
of the Hooghly Collegiate School exist. Nowadays
they are in use as a government school for boys.
There are more historic buildings from the 19 the
century and early 20th century: like the British
Court Building, Police Lines, Barracks and
mansions of the illustrious merchant families
such as Shome Bari, Hooghly Mohsin College,
Badal Bari and Gopal Bhawan.
Clockwise from top left:
- Chinsurah, Ghorir More –
19th Century Gothic tower,
imported by the British.
It was one of the most
important nodes in the city in
the times of the Dutch
- The beautiful ‘boulevard’
along the river
- Logo of Vereenigde Oost
Indische Compagnie
(VOC): the Dutch East India
Company in Bengal
- Garden in the Residence
of the Commissioner of
Burdwan
NEW DEVELOPMENTS AND THE IDENTITY
OF THE PLACE
Despite economic, social and demographic
changes and a fast growing city, the landscape
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along the river is still remarkably green and
open. This, in combination with the physical
remains of European trade and industrialisation,
contributes to the unique cultural landscape.
Many people are aware of this history and want
to keep it visible in the future.
However, many of the once grand
warehouses, mansions and other older buildings
are deteriorating and vulnerable to demolition
to make way for new economic investments.
The river is littered with garbage and shanties
have sprung up along its edges. Unplanned new
developments threaten the green character. For
example, new high-rise buildings on the riverbanks
block the view to the river, losing the green
riverfront and strong historical connection with
the river. The challenge is to find ways to develop
the area, deal with urgent matters with respect to
the old structures and cultural landscape.
Heritage can inspire and create opportunities
for new developments that contribute to the
identity of the area. The layout of the old towns,
together with the remaining historic buildings,
tells the history of the area and gives it a unique
character and identity: Europe on the Ganges.
This might be attractive for tourists but it is also
interesting for the people who live in the area. The
ensemble of these settlements along the riverfront
on one side and the many jute mills on the
other side, form a unique urban landscape with
potential to strengthen this area. In the case of
Chinsurah, it might happen that the green lungs
are strengthened and links to the river restored
making it more attractive to live, work and play.
How to develop the place with respect to the
old structures and landscape is still a question. But
the fact that many people, including governmental
parties and landowners, are aware of the history
and are willing to find new ways ahead is a
positive step. The first step might be to develop
an integrated vision for Chinsurah and the larger
cultural landscape. This should start with the
notion of ‘what makes the area so special?’ It is
more than individual buildings and entails the
whole cultural landscape with the different time
layers and connecting stories. What physical
elements and stories form the identity of the
area? What kind of area should it be in the
future, more an urban landscape or a rural
landscape? And are there other urgent issues,
such as pollution of the river, housing needs
and community development? By linking these
issues with heritage, new coalitions of people and
organisations might be created. This creative
search could help find ways to preserve heritage
through development.
By linking
these issues
with heritage,
new coalitions
of people and
organisations
might be created
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PHOTOS: PAUL MEURS & MARLIJN BAARVELD
URBAN BLUEPRINT>Colonial Heritage, Kolkata
Chinsurah, Narendra Bhawan,
18th century. Probably one of
the pleasure houses, called
‘Linden Rust’ on the northern
edge of the former Fort
Gustavus
Sadhu Bhawan. The buildings
are a typical example of a
19th century Indo-European
Garden House
There are no concrete answers to these
questions yet. Many organisations started
working on it trying to create a shared vision
or have already started small projects to restore
old buildings. UNESCO organised a workshop in
September 2015 together with the Government
of West Bengal, inviting many organisations to
identify the unique character of the Hooghly
riverfront and explore tourism and development
potential. Also, the Dutch Cultural Agency was
invited. Beforehand, they worked together with
architectural students of Jadavpur University
to create a map of the urban landscape of the
Hooghly River. The purpose of this was to identify
the links between the European settlements,
emphasise the central role of the Hooghly River
and understand how this changed over time,
for example by the growing importance of the
railway and roads, and identify quick wins in
the settlements for strengthening the unique
character of ‘Europe on the Ganges’.
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