Sutanuti, once a collection of low, swampy huts, became the site of the factory Job Charnock established in 1686 while fleeing a naval blockade. His tenure as a senior administrator for the East India Company defined English commercial expansion in Bengal, though his legacy as the founder of Kolkata remains a subject of historical and legal dispute.
Early Career and Mercantile Zeal
Born in London in 1630, Charnock began his career in the mid-seventeenth century under merchant Maurice Thomson. By 1658, he entered the service of the East India Company in Bengal. Based initially at Hoogly, he earned a reputation for business acumen and absolute loyalty to the Company. His primary function involved enforcing discipline and preventing smuggling among his colleagues, a stance that generated significant resentment and persistent malicious gossip among his peers.
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Appointed to lead the Company's saltpetre trade at Patna in 1659, Charnock received a promotion to chief factor in 1664. During this period, he entered into a relationship with a Hindu woman he called Maria. Despite accusations of converting to Hinduism—which he denied while remaining a practicing Christian—he rose steadily through the corporate hierarchy. By January 1679, he was promoted to lead the Company's operations at Cossimbazar, a position he assumed following intense internal opposition from the Madras presidency.
Conflict and the Shift to Sutanuti
Charnock assumed the position of agent and chief in the Bay of Bengal in August 1685. He faced immediate hostility from the Mughal nawab regarding customs duties, leading to armed conflict and the siege of Hoogly. In December 1686, he relocated his personnel and assets downriver to Sutanuti. Despite further military setbacks at Hijili in 1687, he negotiated a return to Sutanuti, establishing a permanent base of operations that eventually evolved into the city of Kolkata.
Fast facts
- Born: 1630, London
- Died: 1692, Kolkata
- Company: East India Company
- Citizenship: Kingdom of England
- Primary Occupation: Merchant
- Base of Operations: Bengal
- Burial Site: Job Charnock's Mausoleum
Questions readers ask
Did Job Charnock single-handedly found Kolkata?
The Calcutta High Court ruled in 2003 that he should not be considered the sole founder of the city.
What was the nature of his wife's background?
He lived with a Hindu woman he named Maria, though historical accounts regarding her origins as a sati are considered fictional.
