Arnold Wright

“ Time has done much to clear his memory from the aspersions of jealous and evil-minded contemporaries. He is seen now in truer perspective, as a man whose little personal failings were overlaid by sterling qualities and whose administrative shortcomings paled beneath the grandeur of achievements which have left an indelible mark on the history of the nation's relations with the East. ”

“ Few men of note in the early annals of British India have been the subject of acuter controversy than Job Charnock. Even before his death there had gathered about him a wealth of picturesque legend which distinguished him from the ordinary type of English adventurer of that day. As Chanak, a master mind who had by his almost super-human powers defeated the Mogul forces at Hooghly, he had figured in Hindu tradition. ”

“ The English, sending their troops up the stream, could land and assail the enemy on his march to Calcutta, cut him off from his base, force him to form front parallel to his line of communication and so place him in the most dangerous predicament in which an army can find itself. ”

“ Its merchants are amongst the world's leaders of commerce; its trade touches the four quarters of the globe; it is the home of philosophies and religions and the headquarters of a political movement which is profoundly influencing the course of events in India. If the British had done nothing else in India the creation of Calcutta on what was little better than a swamp would be a conclusive testimony to the genius of the race for the successful management of alien peoples. ”

“ The English never had any reason to repent their trustful action in renewing their connexion with Bengal. The Mogul Nabob was a man of peaceful and benevolent disposition, more of a student and philosopher than an administrator. He genuinely desired that there should be a lasting accommodation and used all his influence to smooth matters for the Company. It was, however, not until February 10, 1691, that what may be termed the title deeds of Calcutta were obtained by the issue of an imperial order authorizing the English to trade on the payment of Rs. 3,000 yearly in lieu of all dues. ”

“ Action had to be taken if the island was not to be made altogether untenable. A series of raids were consequently organized with the object of harassing the enemy and giving the men a little wholesome excitement. Though they were uniformly successful the overwhelming numbers of the enemy enabled them to make good all damage that was done. When one battery was destroyed, another and heavier one was established.
In May the arrival of the Nabob's general with twelve thousand fresh troops was the signal for a more vigorous effort to overwhelm the English. ”

“ But as in the case of Bombay, and to a lesser degree as in the case of Madras, the comparison between what was and what is affords an inspiriting exercise to all patriotic Britons. A forlorn waste for the most part when first occupied, it has become by the energy and enterprise and policy of the paramount race a populous centre of abounding wealth and prosperity. ”

“ After the evacuation of Hooghly the English headquarters had been temporarily established at Sutanuti, a spot which to-day constitutes the northern quarter of Calcutta. This position was now abandoned for one lower down the river on the island of Hijili which was thought to offer a better prospect of making a successful stand. Here Charnock concentrated his forces, using the fort which he had seized from the Mogul garrison as his new headquarters. When all possible protective measures had been taken there was a good deal of room left for anxiety. ”

“ But Charnock, as the sequel will show, was no decadent Englishman with fibres sapped by an enervating Orientalism. He played his part on the great Indian stage with the best and most energetic of his fellow pioneers.
When the crisis came in 1684 Chamock was at Hooghly, whither he had escaped with difficulty from Patna, out of the clutches of the Nabob who was intent on wringing from him an amount unjustly claimed to be due from the Company. The Agent, on entering into his own, at once set about making his dispositions to meet the coming storm. ”

“ The end of August found Charnock and his associates once more installed at Calcutta, endeavouring to pick up the broken threads of a sadly disorganized trade.
Meanwhile, the authorities at home had made many important changes in the arrangements for the control of their Indian interests. In 1687 the seat of the Western Presidency was transferred from Surat to Bombay, this following upon a measure carried through six years' previously separating Bengal from Madras. It was also in this period that Sir John Child was appointed "Governor-General," with full powers in India to make peace or war. ”

“ Encouraged by their success the natives set fire to the hovels surrounding the settlement and commenced a vigorous bombardment of the ships at anchor. Charnock ordered up a body of English troops stationed at Chandemagar to strengthen his force for an emergency which he perceived would require all his resources to deal with. Unfortunately before these arrived another reverse had been sustained in an attempt to capture the enemy's battery. ”

“ These preparations aroused the native officials to action. Troops were hurried up from all quarters to overawe these audacious Englishmen who had shown a disposition to challenge the mighty Mogul authority. A battery of eleven guns was erected to command the anchorage, and the settlement was placed in a condition of blockade by the issue of an edict prohibiting the sale to its inhabitants of any supplies. ”

“ A suitable position existed in a solidly constructed building about halfway to the landing stage which he had used as a battery. This post, together with the one at the landing place, was strengthened by the calling in of the small vessels which had been posted around the island. With the additional men obtained from the shipping Charnock maintained a gallant fight against the Mogul troops which were besieging the fort. ”

“ Those who followed him, and knew little of his earlier services, were not slow to depreciate his abilities, representing him as a very commonplace type of man who had been installed in a position for which he was little fitted either by talents or temperament. ”

“ Charnock selected the latter spot with the definite intention of making it the permanent seat of the Company's power. What were the reasons which animated him in his choice we do not know, but as Mr. C. R. Wilson points out in his admirable work The Early Annals of the English in Bengal, it possessed valuable strategic qualities. "It could only be approached on one side. To attack it the Mogul troops must cross the river higher up and march down upon it from the North. ”