Fort William, West Bengal

Fort William, also called Vijay Durg, is a big old fort in Hastings, Calcutta (Kolkata). It was built a long time ago when Britain was in charge of Bengal. The fort stands on the east side of the River Hooghly, which is an important part of the River Ganga. It is one of the oldest British military buildings left in Kolkata, along with ones in Bombay (Mumbai) and Madras (Chennai). The fort covers a huge area of seventy hectares.

The fort was named after King William III. In front of it is the Maidan, which is the largest park in the country. Inside the fort, there is a special room that used to be a guard post and became known as the Black Hole of Calcutta. Today, Fort William serves as the main office for the Eastern Command of the Indian Army.

History

Main article: History of Kolkata

A view of Calcutta from Fort William (1807)

There are two Fort Williams. The first fort was built in 1696 by the British East India Company under the orders of Sir John Goldsborough. They built it near the Hooghly River with permission from the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. It was named after King William III in 1700. Later, another fort was built in the Maidan area. After some battles, the fort became very important for the British.

Today, Fort William belongs to the Indian Army. It is heavily guarded, and normal people cannot enter easily. Inside the fort, there is a museum with items from old wars, and a special memorial stands at the entrance. In 2025, the fort was officially renamed Vijay Durg.

Plan (top-view) of Fort William, c. 1844

First Indian Masonic lodge

In 1730, Ralph Farrwinter and other members of the East India Company opened the first Indian Masonic lodge.

Presidency of Fort William

Main article: Bengal Presidency

Structure

Fort William is made from brick and mortar and has the shape of an irregular octagon, covering an area of 5 km² (1.9 sq mi). It was designed as a star fort to protect against attacks using cannons that fired solid shots, and it was built before explosive shells were used in warfare. Surrounding the fort is a dry moat that is 9 metres deep and 15 metres wide. This moat can be flooded and is meant to help defend against attackers trying to reach the walls. The fort has six gates: Chowringhee, Plassey, Calcutta, Water Gate, St Georges, and Treasury Gate. Similar forts can be found in places like Thalassery in Kerala.