Oswald Bastable is a fictional character created by Michael Moorcock . He is the protagonist in The Warlord of the Air , The Land Leviathan , and The Steel Tsar , and appears in other stories.
116-495: E. (Edith) Nesbit created a character named Oswald Bastable and his five siblings in the 1890s and featured them in numerous children's adventure stories narrated by Oswald. (These stories were completely separate from Nesbit's other children's fantasy adventures, Five Children and It and its sequels.) Many Bastable stories were first published in magazines as standalone pieces, not as parts of serialized novels , but they were later compiled into three episodic novels, The Story of
232-646: A United Nations Development Programme report, its wind and cyclone zone is "very high damage risk". The annual mean temperature is 26.8 °C (80.2 °F); monthly mean temperatures are 19–30 °C (66–86 °F). Summers (March–June) are hot and humid, with temperatures in the low 30s Celsius; during dry spells, maximum temperatures sometime exceed 40 °C (104 °F) in May and June. Winter lasts for roughly 2 + 1 ⁄ 2 months, with seasonal lows dipping to 9–11 °C (48–52 °F) in December and January. May
348-456: A bat's ears, and its tubby body was shaped like a spider's and covered with thick soft fur; its legs and arms were furry too, and it had hands and feet like a monkey's" and whiskers like a rat's. When it grants wishes it stretches out its eyes, holds its breath and swells alarmingly. The five children find the Psammead in a gravel pit , which used to be seashore. There were once many Psammeads, but
464-512: A castle, only to learn that it is being besieged , while a wish to meet real Red Indians ends with the children nearly being scalped . The children's infant brother, the Lamb, is the victim of two wishes gone awry. In one, the children become annoyed with tending to their brother and wish that someone else would want him, leading to a situation where everyone wants the baby, and the children must fend off kidnappers and Gypsies . Later, they wish that
580-448: A church bell tower with no way down, getting them into trouble with the gamekeeper who must take them home (though this wish has the happy side-effect of introducing the gamekeeper to the children's housemaid, who later marries him). Robert is bullied by the baker's boy, then wishes that he was bigger — whereupon he becomes eleven feet tall, and the other children show him at a travelling fair for coins. They also wish themselves into
696-546: A continued, reformed British Empire . Moorcock's Bastable books explore various variants on the theme of imperialism and colonialism: the British and other colonial empires persisting into the later 20th century, or conversely collapsing already in the early 1900s, and so on. Oswald Bastable was Captain of the 53rd Lancers in British India , and one of four brothers. Sent in 1902, on a mission to Kumbalari, an independent state in
812-491: A councillor to the KMC. Each borough has a committee of councillors, each of whom is elected to represent a ward. By means of the borough committees, the corporation undertakes urban planning and maintains roads, government-aided schools, hospitals, and municipal markets. As Kolkata's apex body, the corporation discharges its functions through the mayor-in-council, which comprises a mayor , a deputy mayor, and ten other elected members of
928-657: A factory; Sutanuti was a riverside weavers' village; and Gobindapur was a trading post for Indian merchant princes. These villages were part of an estate belonging to the Sabarna Roy Choudhury family of zamindars . The estate was sold to the East India Company in 1698. In 1712, the British completed the construction of Fort William , located on the east bank of the Hooghly River to protect their trading factory. Facing frequent skirmishes with French forces ,
1044-514: A lift as far as Morecambe Bay and from there he makes his way north, eventually reaching Skye and joining Korzeniowski's crew. After some time as a privateer with Korzeniowski, they decide that it has become too dangerous to ply their trade and join the navy of Bantustan - an alternate, fully independent, enlightened and racially integrated South Africa - where they are welcome as citizens. They are taken into President Mohandas Gandhi 's confidence and are held in high regard by him. Bastable
1160-478: A particular "Fabian 'liberal' imperialism , still fundamentally paternalistic but well-meaning" which he felt belonged to Nesbit's era. Edith Nesbit and her husband Hubert Bland had been among the founders and leading members of the Fabian Society . Its proclaimed aim was to eventually get to Socialism, but in a gradual non-revolutionary way. It can be said that in practice this made its members into proponents of
1276-527: A police commissioner, is overseen by the West Bengal Ministry of Home Affairs . The Kolkata district elects two representatives to India's lower house, the Lok Sabha , and 11 representatives to the state legislative assembly. The Kolkata police district registered 15,510 Indian Penal Code cases in 2010, the 8th-highest total in the country. In 2010, the crime rate was 117.3 per 100,000, below
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#17328551065111392-456: A quarter of the population live on less than ₹ 27 (32¢ US) per day. Major manufacturing companies in the city are Alstom , Larsen & Toubro , Fosroc , Videocon . As in many other Indian cities, information technology became a high-growth sector in Kolkata starting in the late 1990s; the city's IT sector grew at 70% per annum—a rate that was twice the national average. The 2000s saw
1508-475: A stall for the city dwellers. The city receives 2,107 hours of sunshine per year, with maximum sunlight exposure occurring in April. Kolkata has been hit by several cyclones; these include systems occurring in 1737 and 1864 that killed thousands. More recently, Cyclone Aila in 2009 and Cyclone Amphan in 2020 caused widespread damage to Kolkata by bringing catastrophic winds and torrential rainfall. Pollution
1624-505: A state agency. As of 2012 , the city had 16 fire stations. State-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited , or BSNL, as well as private enterprises, among them Vodafone Idea , Bharti Airtel , Reliance Jio are the leading telephone and cell phone service providers in the city. with Kolkata being the first city in India to have cell phone and 4G connectivity, the GSM and CDMA cellular coverage
1740-435: A steady economic decline in the decades following India's independence due to steep population increases and a rise in militant trade-unionism , which included frequent strikes that were backed by left-wing parties. From the 1960s to the late 1990s, several factories were closed and businesses relocated. The lack of capital and resources added to the depressed state of the city's economy and gave rise to an unwelcome sobriquet:
1856-406: A surge of investments in the real estate, infrastructure, retail, and hospitality sectors; several large shopping malls and hotels were launched. Companies such as ITC Limited , CESC Limited , Exide Industries , Emami , Eveready Industries India , Lux Industries , Rupa Company , Berger Paints , Birla Corporation , Britannia Industries and Purushottam Publishers are headquartered in
1972-648: A year before leaving for Bantustan, having given his manuscript into the care of Una Persson for delivery to Michael Moorcock, Snr. After visiting Teku Benga again, Bastable finds himself in a world where the Great Powers still held their empires and in some cases they are even bigger. Many familiar inventions are in evidence, including airships. The world's peace is broken in 1941 when a mysterious explosion destroys Hiroshima, causing Japan to declare war on Britain. While in Singapore Bastable barely manages to escape
2088-501: Is third most populous metropolitan region of India with a metro population of over 15 million (1.5 crore). Kolkata is regarded by many sources as the cultural capital of India and a historically and culturally significant city in the historic region of Bengal . The three villages that predated Calcutta were ruled by the Nawab of Bengal under Mughal suzerainty . After the Nawab granted
2204-607: Is 1.5–9 m (5–30 ft). Much of the city was originally a wetland that was reclaimed over the decades to accommodate a burgeoning population. The remaining undeveloped areas, known as the East Kolkata Wetlands , were designated a "wetland of international importance" by the Ramsar Convention (1975). As with most of the Indo-Gangetic Plain , the soil and water are predominantly alluvial in origin. Kolkata
2320-447: Is a major concern in Kolkata. As of 2008 , sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide annual concentration were within the national ambient air quality standards of India, but respirable suspended particulate matter levels were high, and on an increasing trend for five consecutive years, causing smog and haze. Severe air pollution in the city has caused a rise in pollution-related respiratory ailments, such as lung cancer. Kolkata, which
2436-573: Is again transported between the planes. Eventually reaching a British Army outpost, he learns that a world-wide war, known as the War Between the Nations, has been raging and that this world, in which it is 1904, bears even less relation to his own 'real' time than the one he had left. Making his way to Calcutta he falls in with some of the forces of the Arabian Alliance. Mistakenly thinking Britain
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#17328551065112552-533: Is also experiencing marked growth in its manufacturing base. In the 2011 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election , Left Front was succeeded by the Trinamool Congress . Spread roughly meridionally along the east bank of the Hooghly River , Kolkata sits within the lower Ganges Delta of eastern India approximately 75 km (47 mi) west of the international border with Bangladesh; the city's elevation
2668-581: Is east of the town. To promote the recycling of garbage and sewer water, agriculture is encouraged on the dumping grounds. Parts of the city lack proper sewerage, leading to unsanitary methods of waste disposal. In 1856, the Bengal Government appointed George Turnbull to be the Commissioner of Drainage and Sewerage to improve the city's sewerage. Turnbull's main job was to be the Chief Engineer of
2784-690: Is eventually given a position on the Loch Etive , a luxury airship used for round-the-world cruises. While serving on the Loch Etive he is involved in an altercation with a passenger and is eventually forced to resign from the SAP. On his return to London he accepts a position as second officer on The Rover, a merchant airship owned and operated by Captain Korzeniowski. While en route to the Far East , Bastable discovers that
2900-686: Is extensive. As of 2010 , Kolkata has 7 percent of the total broadband internet consumers in India; BSNL, VSNL , Tata Indicom , Sify, Hathway , Airtel, and Jio are among the main vendors. The Eastern Command of the Indian Army is based in the city. Being one of India's major city and the largest city in eastern and north-eastern India, Kolkata hosts diplomatic missions of many countries such as Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Canada, People's Republic of China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Thailand, United Kingdom and United States . The U.S Consulate in Kolkata
3016-712: Is home to institutions of national importance, including the Academy of Fine Arts , the Asiatic Society , the Indian Museum and the National Library of India . The University of Calcutta , first modern university in south Asia and its affiliated colleges produced many leading figures of South Asia. It is the centre of the Indian Bengali film industry, which is known as Tollywood . Among scientific institutions, Kolkata hosts
3132-523: Is later attacked by a force of airships commanded by Nestor Makhno , with the result that the Vassarion Belinsky is boarded and captured and taken to Djugashvili 's camp. Seeing that Una Persson was in league with the Steel Tsar, Bastable switches allegiance, trusting Una's judgement. He witnesses the failure of Harry Birchington's mechanical Steel Tsar and is on board the Vassarion Belinsky when it
3248-519: Is located over the "Bengal basin", a pericratonic tertiary basin. Bengal basin comprises three structural units: shelf or platform in the west; central hinge or shelf/slope break; and deep basinal part in the east and southeast. Kolkata is located atop the western part of the hinge zone which is about 25 km (16 mi) wide at a depth of about 45,000 m (148,000 ft) below the surface. The shelf and hinge zones have many faults, among them some are active. Total thickness of sediment below Kolkata
3364-520: Is nearly 7,500 m (24,600 ft) above the crystalline basement ; of these the top 350–450 m (1,150–1,480 ft) is Quaternary , followed by 4,500–5,500 m (14,760–18,040 ft) of Tertiary sediments, 500–700 m (1,640–2,300 ft) trap wash of Cretaceous trap and 600–800 m (1,970–2,620 ft) Permian - Carboniferous Gondwana rocks. The quaternary sediments consist of clay, silt and several grades of sand and gravel. These sediments are sandwiched between two clay beds:
3480-461: Is sent on its mission to bomb Makhno's camp. While attempting to disarm the bombs, thereby discrediting Djugashvili, Cornelius Dempsey stops them and lets them leave using gliding equipment, embarking on a kamikaze mission destroying the Steel Tsar's forces. Shortly after landing, Bastable and Persson witness the flash from the explosion of the bombs over the steppe. They are later met by horsemen from Makhno, who had managed to gain concessions from
3596-641: Is sent with the diplomatic mission to the New Ashanti Empire at the request of General Cicero Hood and is taken to the capital, New Kumasi . Bastable had decided to assassinate General Hood, but finds himself impressed by the man, who is not at all like the stories which are told about him. Hood learns that the Australasian -Japanese Federation are planning to attack and decides to invade the United States before they can do so on their terms. This results in
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3712-558: Is shown many things in 'Dawn City' which finally convince him of the error of his outlook and agrees to pilot an airship carrying an experimental bomb to the great airship works in Hiroshima - which are being used by the combined fleets of the great nations attacking the Valley of the Morning to refuel, re-arm and repair. Upon reaching the airfield, the bomb, which is a nuclear device, is set off and
3828-582: Is simply mentioned by the Phoenix, who visits it three times to ask for a helpful wish when the situation becomes difficult), but it plays a significant role in the second sequel after the children rescue it from a pet shop. An omnibus edition of the three books titled Five Children was published in 1930. The trilogy is also known as the Psammead series. The Return of the Psammead (1992) by Helen Cresswell concerns another family of Edwardian children who discover
3944-482: Is so much more fantastic than the wishes the Psammead granted in the past. The word "Psammead", pronounced "sammyadd" by the children in the story, appears to be a coinage by Nesbit from the Greek ψάμμος "sand" after the pattern of dryad , naiad and oread , implicitly signifying "sand-nymph". However, its hideous appearance is unlike traditional Greek nymphs , who generally resemble beautiful maidens. The book's ending
4060-798: Is still allied with them, they give him passage on a steamer across the Indian Ocean . After entering the Red Sea the ship is sunk by the Mannanan, and the survivors left to drown. Bastable is eventually rescued by the Lola Montez , commanded by Captain Korzeniowski. Korzeniowski agreed to drop Bastable off in southern England - though he tries to deter him, offering a place as a crew member. Bastable makes his way inland after being dropped off and ended up rescuing Una Persson from East Grinstead . Una, who had been searching for blueprints to an O'Bean machine, gave him
4176-530: Is the US Department of State 's second-oldest Consulate and dates from 19 November 1792. The Diplomatic representation of more than 65 Countries and International Organization is present in Kolkata as Consulate office, honorary Consulate office, Cultural Centre, Deputy High Commission and Economic section and Trade Representation office. Public transport is provided by the Kolkata Suburban Railway ,
4292-569: Is the largest and second busiest suburban railway network in the country by number of stations and track length, and also one of the largest in the world. Kolkata has five long-distance inter-city railway stations, located at Howrah (the largest and busiest railway complex in India, as of 2024 ), Sealdah (2nd busiest in India, as of 2024 ), Kolkata , Shalimar and Santragachi Junction , which connect Kolkata by rail to most cities in West Bengal and to other major cities in India. The city serves as
4408-695: Is the area south of Park Street , which comprises thoroughfares such as Jawahar Lal Nehru Road , Abanindranath Thakur Sarani , Dr. Martin Luther King Sarani, Dr. Upendra Nath Brahmachari Sarani, Shakespeare Sarani and Acharay Jagadish Chandra Basu Road . South Kolkata developed after India gained independence in 1947; it includes upscale neighbourhoods such as Bhowanipore , Alipore , Ballygunge , Kasba , Dhakuria , Santoshpur , Garia , Golf Green , Tollygunge , New Alipore , Behala , Barisha etc. The south suburban areas like Maheshtala , Budge Budge , Rajpur Sonarpur , Baruipur etc. are also within
4524-519: Is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of West Bengal . It lies on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River , 80 km (50 mi) west of the border with Bangladesh . It is the primary financial and commercial centre of eastern and northeastern India . Kolkata is the seventh most populous city in India with an estimated city proper population of 4.5 million (0.45 crore) while its metropolitan region Kolkata Metropolitan Area
4640-457: Is the hottest month, with daily temperatures ranging from 27–37 °C (81–99 °F); January, the coldest month, has temperatures varying from 12–23 °C (54–73 °F). The highest recorded temperature is 43.9 °C (111.0 °F), and the lowest is 5 °C (41 °F). The winter is mild and very comfortable weather pertains over the city throughout this season. Often, in April–June,
4756-778: Is the oldest High Court in India. It was preceded by the Supreme Court of Judicature at Fort William which was established in 1774. The Calcutta High Court has jurisdiction over the state of West Bengal and the Union Territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands . Kolkata has lower courts: the Court of Small Causes and the City Civil Court decide civil matters; the Sessions Court rules in criminal cases. The Kolkata Police , headed by
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4872-484: Is the oldest underground mass transit system in India. The fully operational blue line spans the north–south length through the middle of the city. In 2020, part of the Second line was inaugurated to cover part of Salt Lake city , Kolkata metro area. This east–west green line connects two satellite cities of Kolkata namely Salt Lake and Howrah. Other operational lines are Purple line and Orange line. Kolkata Suburban Railway
4988-541: Is under the jurisdiction of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), has an area of 206.08 km (80 sq mi). The east–west dimension of the city is comparatively narrow, stretching from the Hooghly River in the west to roughly the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass in the east—a span of 9–10 km (5.6–6.2 mi). The north–south distance is greater, and its axis is used to section
5104-656: The Strand Magazine under the general title The Psammead, or the Gifts , with a segment appearing each month from April to December. The stories were then expanded into a novel which was published the same year. It is the first volume of a trilogy that includes The Phoenix and the Carpet (1904) and The Story of the Amulet (1906). The book has never been out of print since its initial publication. Like Nesbit's The Railway Children ,
5220-598: The East India Company a trading licence in 1690, the area was developed by the Company into Fort William . Nawab Siraj ud-Daulah occupied the fort in 1756 but was defeated at the Battle of Plassey in 1757, after his general Mir Jafar mutinied in support of the company, and was later made the Nawab for a brief time. Under company and later crown rule , Calcutta served as the de facto capital of India until 1911. Calcutta
5336-613: The East Indian Railway Company responsible for building the first railway 541 miles (871 km) from Howrah to Varanasi (then Benares ). Electricity is supplied by the privately operated Calcutta Electric Supply Corporation , or CESC, to the city proper; the West Bengal State Electricity Board supplies it in the suburbs. Fire services are handled by the West Bengal Fire Service ,
5452-1035: The Geological Survey of India , the Botanical Survey of India , the Calcutta Mathematical Society , the Indian Science Congress Association , the Zoological Survey of India , the Horticultural Society , the Institution of Engineers , the Anthropological Survey of India and the Indian Public Health Association . The Port of Kolkata is India's oldest operating port. Four Nobel laureates and two Nobel Memorial Prize winners are associated with
5568-651: The Japanese between 1942 and 1944, during World War II . Millions starved to death during the Bengal famine of 1943 (at the same time of the war) due to a combination of military, administrative, and natural factors. Demands for the creation of a Muslim state led in 1946 to an episode of communal violence that killed over 4,000. The partition of India led to further clashes and a demographic shift—many Muslims left for East Bengal (later East Pakistan , present day Bangladesh ), while hundreds of thousands of Hindus fled into
5684-535: The Kolkata Metro , trams , rickshaws , taxis and buses. The suburban rail network connects the city's distant suburbs. Kolkata Metro is the rapid transit system of Kolkat. According to a 2013 survey conducted by the International Association of Public Transport , in terms of a public transport system, Kolkata ranks top among the six Indian cities surveyed. The Kolkata Metro, in operation since 1984,
5800-538: The Kolkata metropolitan area , which is the city's urban agglomeration. The agency overseeing the latter, the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority , is responsible for the statutory planning and development of greater Kolkata. The Kolkata Municipal Corporation was ranked first out of 21 cities for best governance and administrative practices in India in 2014. It scored 4.0 on 10 compared to
5916-559: The Left Front , which was dominated by the Communist Party of India (CPM). It was the world's longest-serving democratically elected communist government, during which Kolkata was a key base for Indian communism . The city's economic recovery gathered momentum after the 1990s, when India began to institute pro-market reforms . Since 2000, the information technology (IT) services sector has revitalised Kolkata's stagnant economy. The city
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#17328551065116032-408: The Victoria Memorial , Howrah Bridge and the Grand Hotel . The city's heritage includes India's only Chinatown and remnants of Jewish , Armenian, Greek and Anglo-Indian communities. The city is closely linked with Bhadralok culture and the Zamindars of Bengal , including Bengali Hindu , Bengali Muslim and tribal aristocrats. The city is often regarded as India's cultural capital. Kolkata
6148-461: The secondary sector (industrial and manufacturing); and 83.69% worked in the tertiary sector (service industries). As of 2003 , the majority of households in slums were engaged in occupations belonging to the informal sector; 36.5% were involved in servicing the urban middle class (as maids, drivers, etc.) and 22.2% were casual labourers . About 34% of the available labour force in Kolkata slums were unemployed. According to one estimate, almost
6264-538: The summer monsoon , sometimes interrupt transportation networks. Kolkata along its metropolitan area is home to the second largest road network in India. As of 2022 , total road network in the city's metropolitan area is 4,018 km (2,497 mi), while the city proper has road network of 1,850 km (1,150 mi). The city has witnessed a steady increase in the number of registered vehicles: from 17 lakhs in 2019 to 21 lakhs in 2022, an 18.52 per cent jump. With 2,448 vehicles per kilometre of road, Kolkata has
6380-410: The "dying city". The city's fortunes improved after the Indian economy was liberalised in the 1990s and changes in economic policy were enacted by the West Bengal state government. Recent estimates of the economy of Kolkata's metropolitan area have ranged from $ 150 to $ 250 billion ( PPP GDP), and have ranked it third-most productive metro area of India. Flexible production has been
6496-499: The 1850s, Calcutta had two areas: White Town, which was primarily British and centred on Chowringhee and Dalhousie Square ; and Black Town, mainly Indian and centred on North Calcutta. The city underwent rapid industrial growth starting in the early 1850s, especially in the textile and jute industries; this encouraged British companies to massively invest in infrastructure projects, which included telegraph connections and Howrah . The coalescence of British and Indian culture resulted in
6612-418: The 1947 partition of India , transforming its landscape and shaping its politics. The city was overtaken by Mumbai (formerly Bombay) as India's largest city. A demographically diverse city, the culture of Kolkata features idiosyncrasies that include distinctively close-knit neighbourhoods ( paras ) and freestyle conversations ( adda ). Kolkata's architecture includes many imperial landmarks, including
6728-453: The 1962 Sino-Indian War , and immigration to foreign countries for better economic opportunities. The Chinese community traditionally worked in the local tanning industry and ran Chinese restaurants. According to the 2011 census, 76.51% of the population is Hindu , 20.60% Muslim , 0.88% Christian and 0.47% Jain . The remainder of the population includes Sikhs , Buddhists , and other religions which accounts for 0.45% of
6844-441: The 2005 National Family Health Survey, around 14% of the households in Kolkata were poor, while 33% lived in slums, indicating a substantial proportion of households in slum areas were better off economically than the bottom quarter of urban households in terms of wealth status. Mother Teresa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for founding and working with the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata—an organisation "whose primary task
6960-437: The 2011 national census, Kolkata district, which occupies an area of 185 km (71 sq mi), had a population of 4,486,679; its population density was 24,252/km (62,810/sq mi). This represents a decline of 1.88% during the decade 2001–11. The sex ratio is 899 females per 1000 males—lower than the national average. The ratio is depressed by the influx of working males from surrounding rural areas, from
7076-442: The 20th century. The Jewish population of Kolkata was 5,000 during World War II, but declined after Indian independence and the establishment of Israel; as of 2003 , there were 25 Jews in the city. India's sole Chinatown is in eastern Kolkata; once home to 20,000 ethnic Chinese, its population dropped to around 2,000, as of 2009 , as a result of multiple factors including repatriation and denial of Indian citizenship following
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#17328551065117192-456: The American forces and was taken to Washington, D.C. Here, he attempted to warn them of the dangers awaiting them but was unheeded and eventually ignored. Seeing many things to convince him that the people he had tried to warn deserved what was coming to them, he helped free a chain gang and sabotage some of the Whites' preparations just as the Black Horde starts its attack. After the Battle of Washington, Bastable remained in Hood's service for
7308-424: The Battle of the Atlantic , which Bastable saw as an observer, and the breaking of the power of the Australasian-Japanese Federation, although the New Ashanti Empire also lost a lot of ships. Bastable was also along when the invasion of the USA started, witnessing the conquering of New York City . Escaping from the Black Horde as it conquered Philadelphia , he made his way to Wilmington where he made contact with
7424-576: The Bengali language name of one of three villages that predated the arrival of the British; the other two villages were Sutanuti and Govindapur . There are several explanations for the etymology of this name: Although the city's name has always been pronounced Kolkata or Kôlikata in Bengali, the anglicised form Calcutta was the official name until 2001, when it was changed to Kolkata in order to match Bengali pronunciation. The discovery and archaeological study of Chandraketugarh , 35 km (22 mi) north of Kolkata, provide evidence that
7540-425: The British began to upgrade their fortifications in 1756. The Nawab of Bengal, Siraj-ud-Daulah , condemned the militarisation and tax evasion by the company. His warning went unheeded, and the Nawab attacked; his capture of Fort William led to the killings of several East India company officials in the Black Hole of Calcutta . A force of Company soldiers ( sepoys ) and British troops led by Robert Clive recaptured
7656-424: The Central Government allowing him to run his anarchist experiment. Edith Nesbit's character, Oswald Bastable, was born 15 August, as stated on page 201, in The Wouldbegoods , published by Harper and Brothers Publishers, New York and London (1901). Five Children and It Five Children and It is a fantasy children's novel by English author E. Nesbit . It was originally published in 1902 in
7772-445: The Hooghly River. The Kolkata metropolitan area is spread over 1,886.67 km (728.45 sq mi) and comprises 4 municipal corporations (including Kolkata Municipal Corporation), 37 local municipalities and 24 panchayat samitis , as of 2011 . The urban agglomeration encompassed 72 cities and 527 towns and villages, as of 2006 . Suburban areas in the Kolkata metropolitan area incorporate parts of
7888-426: The Indian military, which is based in Fort William, played a pivotal role in the Indo-Pakistani war of 1971 and securing the surrender of Pakistan . During the mid-1980s, Mumbai (then called Bombay) overtook Kolkata as India's most populous city. In 1985, Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi dubbed Kolkata a "dying city" in light of its socio-political woes. In the period 1977–2011, West Bengal was governed from Kolkata by
8004-408: The Japanese invasion, eventually ending up in an open motor-boat which drifts to Rowe Island. After recovering there, he is captured by the Japanese and taken to a civilian camp on Rishiri Island , from which he is rescued, along with the other prisoners, by Britain's allies the Russians; due to the October Revolution not occurring in this timeline, Alexander Kerensky has led Russia to become one of
8120-402: The KMC. The functions of the KMC include water supply, drainage and sewerage, sanitation, solid waste management, street lighting, and building regulation. Kolkata's administrative agencies have areas of jurisdiction that do not coincide. Listed in ascending order by area, they are: Kolkata district ; the Kolkata Police area and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation area, or "Kolkata city"; and
8236-452: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation limits, in their own municipal corporations or authorities. Kolkata is the commercial and financial hub of East and Northeast India and home to the Calcutta Stock Exchange . It is a major commercial and military port, and is one of five cities in eastern India (alongside Bhubaneswar , Guwahati , Imphal , and Kushinagar ) to have an international airport. Once India's leading city, Kolkata experienced
8352-567: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation) can be broadly divided into two groups— bustees , in which slum dwellers have some long term tenancy agreement with the landowners; and udbastu colonies , settlements which had been leased to refugees from present-day Bangladesh by the government. The unauthorised slums (devoid of basic services provided by the municipality) are occupied by squatters who started living on encroached lands—mainly along canals, railway lines and roads. According to
8468-542: The Nawabs were abolished, and East India company took complete control of the city and the province. In the early 19th century, the marshes surrounding the city were drained; the government area was laid out along the banks of the Hooghly River. Richard Wellesley , Governor-General of the Presidency of Fort William between 1797 and 1805, was largely responsible for the development of the city and its public architecture. Throughout
8584-610: The North-east of the sub-continent, ruled by Sharan Kang. While there Bastable and his men are drugged by the Kumbalaris and when attempting to make their escape through the maze-like tunnels beneath the Temple of the Future Buddha are caught in an earthquake. Upon awakening Bastable discovers he is alone and the whole city of Teku Benga is in ruins. He is eventually rescued by an airship of
8700-455: The Psammead for a complex series of wishes to set things right. It agrees, on the condition that they will never ask for any more wishes. Only Anthea, who has grown close to It, makes sure that the final wish is that they will meet It again. The Psammead assures them that this wish will be granted. The Psammead is described as having "eyes [that] were on long horns like a snail's eyes. It could move them in and out like telescopes; it had ears like
8816-474: The Psammead. Four Children and It (2012) by Jacqueline Wilson is a contemporary retelling of the story in which four children from a modern stepfamily encounter the Psammead. One of the children has read the original book and wishes to meet Cyril, Anthea, Jane and Robert. In Five Children on the Western Front (2014) by Kate Saunders , set nine years after the original story, the children encounter
8932-581: The Royal Indian Air Service and discovers that seventy years have passed since he journeyed to meet Sharan Kang. Realising how it might be received if he insists on telling the truth about what has happened to him, he feigns amnesia and is eventually returned to London . When in London, after being given a clean bill of health (apart from his 'amnesia'), he trains with the Special Air Police and
9048-482: The Treasure Seekers (1899), The Wouldbegoods (1901), and New Treasure Seekers (1904). Four more Bastable stories are in the collection Oswald Bastable and Others (1905). Moorcock stated on the forums of his website that his use of the name "Oswald Bastable" was not supposed to directly link his character with Nesbit's (i.e. to make his novels into sequels). Rather, he said that he was trying to connect with
9164-402: The baby would grow up faster, causing him to grow all at once into a selfish, smug young man who promptly leaves them all behind. Finally, the children accidentally wish that they could give a wealthy woman's jewellery to their mother, causing all the jewellery to appear in their home. It seems that the gamekeeper, who is now their friend, will be blamed for the robbery, and the children must beg
9280-469: The caveat that the wishes will turn to stone at sunset. This, apparently, used to be the rule in the Stone Age , when all that children wished for was food, the bones of which then became fossils . The five children's first wish is to be "as beautiful as the day." The wish ends at sunset and its effects simply vanish, leading the Psammead to observe that some wishes are too fanciful to be changed to stone. All
9396-481: The city into North, Central, South and East Kolkata. North Kolkata is the oldest part of the city. Characterised by 19th-century architecture and narrow alleyways, it includes areas such as Jorasanko , Rajabazar , Maniktala , Ultadanga , Shyambazar , Shobhabazar , Bagbazar , Cossipore , Sinthee etc. The north suburban areas like Dum Dum , Baranagar , Belgharia , Sodepur , Khardaha , New Barrackpore , Madhyamgram , Barrackpore , Barasat etc. are also within
9512-759: The city is struck by heavy rains or dusty squalls that are followed by thunderstorms or hailstorms, bringing cooling relief from the prevailing humidity. These thunderstorms are convective in nature, and are known locally as kal bôishakhi ( কালবৈশাখী ), or "Nor'westers" in English. Rains brought by the Bay of Bengal branch of the south-west summer monsoon lash Kolkata between June and September, supplying it with most of its annual rainfall of about 1,850 mm (73 in). The highest monthly rainfall total occurs in July and August. In these months often incessant rain for days brings life to
9628-517: The city of Kolkata (as a metropolitan structure). Central Kolkata hosts the central business district. It contains B. B. D. Bagh , formerly known as Dalhousie Square, and the Esplanade on its east; Rajiv Gandhi Sarani is on its west. The West Bengal Secretariat , General Post Office , Reserve Bank of India , Calcutta High Court , Lalbazar Police Headquarters and several other government and private offices are located there. Another business hub
9744-519: The city of Kolkata (as a metropolitan structure). The Maidan is a large open field in the heart of the city that has been called the "lungs of Kolkata" and accommodates sporting events and public meetings. The Victoria Memorial and Kolkata Race Course are located at the southern end of the Maidan. Among the other parks are Central Park in Bidhannagar and Millennium Park on Rajiv Gandhi Sarani, along
9860-647: The city such as the Coal India , National Insurance Company , Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers , Tea Board of India , Geological Survey of India , Zoological Survey of India , Botanical Survey of India , Jute Corporation of India , National Test House, Hindustan Copper and the Ordnance Factories Board of the Indian Ministry of Defence . The demonym for residents of Kolkata are Calcuttan and Kolkatan . According to provisional results of
9976-458: The city the following year. Per the 1765 Treaty of Allahabad following the battle of Buxar , East India company was appointed imperial tax collector of the Mughal emperor in the province of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa, while Mughal-appointed Nawabs continued to rule the province. Declared a presidency city , Calcutta became the headquarters of the East India Company by 1773. In 1793, ruling power of
10092-522: The city. During the 1960s and 1970s, severe power shortages, strikes and a violent Marxist – Maoist movement by groups known as the Naxalites damaged much of the city's infrastructure, resulting in economic stagnation. During East Pakistan's secessionist war of independence in 1971, the city was home to the government-in-exile of Bangladesh . During the war, refugees poured into West Bengal and strained Kolkata's infrastructure. The Eastern Command of
10208-449: The city. Philips India, PwC India , Tata Global Beverages , and Tata Steel have their registered office and zonal headquarters in Kolkata. Kolkata hosts the headquarters of two major banks: UCO Bank , and Bandhan Bank . Reserve Bank of India , State Bank of India have its eastern zonal office in Kolkata. India Government Mint, Kolkata is one of the four mints in India. Some of the oldest public sector companies are headquartered in
10324-536: The city. Though home to major cricketing venues and franchises, Kolkata stands out in India for being the country's centre of association football. Kolkata is known for its grand celebrations of the Hindu festival of Durga Puja , which is recognized by UNESCO for its importance to world heritage. Kolkata is also known as the 'City of Joy'. The word Kolkata ( Bengali : কলকাতা [kolˈkata] ) derives from Kôlikata (Bengali: কলিকাতা [ˈkɔliˌkata] ),
10440-558: The emergence of a new babu class of urbane Indians, whose members were often bureaucrats, professionals, newspaper readers, and Anglophiles; they usually belonged to upper-caste Hindu communities. In the 19th century, the Bengal Renaissance brought about an increased sociocultural sophistication among city denizens. In 1883, Calcutta was host to the first national conference of the Indian National Association , which
10556-499: The following districts: North 24 Parganas , South 24 Parganas , Howrah , Hooghly and Nadia . Two planned townships in the greater Kolkata region are Bidhannagar , also known as Salt Lake City and located north-east of the city; and Rajarhat , also called New Town and located east of Bidhannagar. In the 2000s, Sector 5 in Bidhannagar developed into a business hub for information technology and telecommunication companies. Both Bidhannagar and New Town are situated outside
10672-958: The headquarters of three railway zones out of eighteen of the Indian Railways regional divisions namely the Kolkata Metro, Eastern Railway and the South Eastern Railway . Kolkata has international rail connectivity with Dhaka , the capital of Bangladesh. Kolkata is the only Indian city with a tram network, which was operated by the Calcutta Tramways Company . It has now amalgamated to West Bengal Transport Corporation . There are three operational routes: Tollygunge to Ballygunge , Gariahat to Esplanade , Shyambazar to Esplanade . Trams are environment friendly but due to slow-moving and traffic congestion, tram attracts less passengers. Water-logging, caused by heavy rains during
10788-478: The highest car density in India. This leads major traffic congestion. The city's main bus terminals are located at Esplanade and Howrah . The Kolkata–Delhi and Kolkata– Chennai prongs of the Golden Quadrilateral , and National Highway 12 start from the outskirts of the city. As of 2024 , Kolkata has one state expressway and two national expressways , all in its metropolitan area. Kalyani Expressway
10904-487: The horrors of the First World War . Five Children and It has been adapted for television and film several times: A wizard named Psamathos Psamathide, described as a "Psamathist" (expert in sand) appears in J. R. R. Tolkien 's Roverandom . The character, in an early draft, originally belonged to an order of "Psammeads". Calcutta Kolkata , also known as Calcutta ( its official name until 2001 ),
11020-442: The late 18th and 19th century, the city was a centre of the East India Company's opium trade. A census in 1837 records the population of the city proper as 229,700, of which the British residents made up only 3,138. The same source says another 177,000 resided in the suburbs and neighbouring villages, making the entire population of greater Calcutta 406,700. In 1864, a typhoon struck the city and killed about 60,000 in Kolkata. By
11136-527: The lower one at a depth of 250–650 m (820–2,130 ft); the upper one 10–40 m (30–130 ft) in thickness. According to the Bureau of Indian Standards , on a scale ranging from I to V in order of increasing susceptibility to earthquakes, the city lies inside seismic zone III . Kolkata is subject to a tropical savanna climate that is designated Aw under the Köppen climate classification . According to
11252-766: The most civilized and democratic peoples of the world. Bastable joins the Russian Volunteer Airforce and undertakes training in Samara , where he first hears of the "Steel Tsar," Iosif Vissarionovich Djugashvili , the head of a theocratic revolutionist society. He is assigned to the Vassarion Belinsky, under Captain Leonov, which is sent to join Air Admiral Krassnov in an attack on the Free Cossack forces attacking "Yekaterinaslav" (possibly Yekaterinburg ). The fleet
11368-575: The national average of 3.3. The Kolkata Port Trust, an agency of the central government, manages the city's river port. As of 2023 , the All India Trinamool Congress controls the KMC; the mayor is Firhad Hakim , while the deputy mayor is Atin Ghosh. The city has an apolitical titular post, that of the Sheriff of Kolkata , which presides over various city-related functions and conferences. As
11484-578: The national rate of 187.6; it was the lowest rate among India's largest cities. The Kolkata Municipal Corporation supplies the city with potable water that is sourced from the Hooghly River; most of it is treated and purified at the Palta pumping station located in North ;24 Parganas district. Roughly 95% of the 4,000 tonnes of refuse produced daily by the city is transported to the dumping grounds in Dhapa , which
11600-414: The norm in Kolkata, which has an informal sector that employs more than 40% of the labour force. One unorganised group, roadside hawkers , generated business worth ₹ 87.72 billion (equivalent to ₹ 300 billion or US$ 3.6 billion in 2023) in 2005. As of 2001 , around 0.81% of the city's workforce was employed in the primary sector (agriculture, forestry, mining, etc.); 15.49% worked in
11716-460: The others died when they got wet and caught cold. It is the last of its kind. It is thousands of years old, and remembers pterodactyls and other ancient creatures. When the Psammeads were around they granted wishes that were then mostly for food. The wished-for objects turned into stone at sunset if they were not used that day, but this does not apply to the children's wishes because what they wish for
11832-416: The population; 1.09% did not state a religion in the census. Kolkata reported 67.6% of Special and Local Laws crimes registered in 35 large Indian cities during 2004. Kolkata is administered by several government agencies. The Kolkata Municipal Corporation , or KMC, oversees and manages the civic infrastructure of the city's 16 boroughs, which together encompass 144 wards. Each ward elects
11948-690: The region in which the city stands has been inhabited for over two millennia. Kolkata or Kalikata in its earliest mentions, is described to be a village surrounded with jungle on the bank of river Ganga as a renowned port, commercial hub and a hindu pilgrimage site for Kalighat Temple . The first mention of the Kalikata village was found in Bipradas Pipilai's Manasa Vijay (1495), where he describes how Chand Sadagar used to stop in Kalighat to worship Goddess Kali during his path to trade voyage. Later Kalikata
12064-575: The rest of West Bengal; these men commonly leave their families behind. Kolkata's literacy rate of 87.14% exceeds the national average of 74%. The final population totals of census 2011 stated the population of city as 4,496,694. The urban agglomeration had a population of 14,112,536 in 2011. As of 2003 , about one-third of the population, or 15 lakh (1.5 million) people, lived in 3,500 unregistered squatter-occupied and 2,011 registered slums . The authorised slums (with access to basic services like water, latrines, trash removal by
12180-489: The resulting explosion sends Bastable back to 1903. Rescued from the sea by a Japanese fishing boat, Bastable eventually arrives at Rowe Island, where he tells his story to Michael C. Moorcock. After recounting his tale to Moorcock Snr., he stowed away on a ship leaving Rowe Island and eventually made his way back to Teku Benga. Re-entering the maze under the Temple of the Future Buddha, hoping to return to his own world, he
12296-663: The seat of the Government of West Bengal , Kolkata is home to not only the offices of the local governing agencies, but also the West Bengal Legislative Assembly ; the state secretariat, which is housed in the Writers' Building; and the Calcutta High Court . Most government establishments and institutions are housed in the centre of the city in B. B. D. Bagh (formerly known as Dalhousie Square). The Calcutta High Court
12412-468: The ship is carrying terrorists, but before he can alert the authorities the ship is taken over by O. T. Shaw. The Chinese warlord takes his captured airship to the Valley of the Morning in China, where Bastable is surprised to discover a thriving community of exiled scientists from many nations, living harmoniously in a highly advanced city. Formerly a firm supporter of the civilizing influence of Empire, Bastable
12528-433: The story begins when a group of children move from London to the countryside of Kent . The five children (Cyril, Anthea, Robert, Jane, and their baby brother, known as "the Lamb") are playing in a gravel pit when they uncover a rather grumpy, ugly, and occasionally malevolent Psammead, a sand- fairy with the ability to grant wishes. The Psammead persuades the children to take one wish each day to be shared among them, with
12644-420: The wishes go comically wrong. The children wish to be beautiful, but the servants do not recognise them and shut them out of the house. They wish to be rich, then find themselves with a gravel-pit full of gold spade guineas that no shop will accept as they are no longer in circulation , so they cannot buy anything. A wish for wings seems to be going well, but at sunset the children find themselves stuck on top of
12760-603: Was also found to be mentioned in Mukundaram Chakrabarti 's Chandimangal (1594), Todar Mal's taxation-list in 1596 and Krishnaram Das's Kalikamangal (1676–77). Kalighat was then considered a safe place for businessmen. They used to carry on trade through the Bhagirathi and took shelter there at night. Kolkata's recorded history began in 1690 with the arrival of the English East India Company , which
12876-519: Was clearly intended to leave readers in suspense: "They did see it [the Psammead] again, of course, but not in this story. And it was not in a sand-pit either, but in a very, very, very different place. It was in a – But I must say no more." The children reappear in The Phoenix and the Carpet (1904) and The Story of the Amulet (1906). The Psammead is offstage in the first of these sequels (it
12992-489: Was consolidating its trade business in Bengal. Job Charnock is often regarded as the founder of the city; however, in response to a public petition, the Calcutta High Court ruled in 2003 that the city does not have a founder. The area occupied by the present-day city encompassed three villages: Kalikata , Gobindapur and Sutanuti . Kalikata was a fishing village, where a handful of merchants began their operations by building
13108-471: Was once the premier centre of Indian commerce, culture, and politics, suffered many decades of political violence and economic stagnation before it rebounded. In the late 20th century, the city hosted the government-in-exile of Bangladesh during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971. It was also flooded with Hindu refugees from East Bengal (present-day Bangladesh) in the decades following
13224-459: Was the first avowed nationalist organisation in India. The partition of Bengal in 1905 along religious lines led to mass protests, making Calcutta a less hospitable place for the British. The capital was moved to New Delhi in 1911. Calcutta continued to be a centre for revolutionary organisations associated with the Indian independence movement . The city and its port were bombed several times by
13340-548: Was the second largest city in the British Empire , after London , and was the centre of bureaucracy, politics, law, education, science and the arts in India. The city was associated with many of the figures and movements of the Bengali Renaissance . It was the hotbed of the Indian nationalist movement . The partition of Bengal in 1947 affected the fortunes of the city. Following independence in 1947, Kolkata, which
13456-850: Was to love and care for those persons nobody was prepared to look after". Languages spoken in Kolkata city (2011 census) Bengali , the official state language, is the dominant language in Kolkata. English is also used, particularly by the white-collar workforce. Hindi and Urdu are spoken by a sizeable minority. Bengali Hindus form the majority of Kolkata's population; Marwaris , Biharis and Urdu-speaking Muslims compose large minorities. Among Kolkata's smaller communities are Chinese , Tamils , Nepalis , Pathans/Afghans (locally known as Kabuliwala ) Odias , Telugus , Gujaratis , Anglo-Indians , Armenians , Bengali Muslims , Greeks , Tibetans , Maharashtrians , Konkanis , Malayalees , Punjabis and Parsis . The number of Armenians, Greeks, Jews and other foreign-origin groups declined during
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