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Ganga Ghat, Barrackpore
The earliest references to the Barrackpore region are found in the writings of the Greek navigators, geographers, chronicles and historians of the 1st century BC to the 3rd century AD. These authors generally referred to the country of a people variously called the Gangaridai (also Gangaridae or Gandaritai). By the 15th and 16th centuries, Chanak and the other towns in the region had become populous river towns. The Statistical Account of Bengal by W.W.Hunter mentions the towns and villages of this subdivision on the banks of the Hooghly river as chief trading and marketing centres: "On The Hugli- Calcutta, the chief seat of commerce in India. Baranagar, Dakhineswar, Agarpara, Panihati, Sukchar- Khardah, Barrackpur, Nawabganj, Ichapore, Shyam Nagar, Naihati and Halisahar contain large bazaars for sale of miscellaneous goods."
Under the Mughal Empire, Bengal was divided into Circars, or administrative subunits, each of which was ruled over by a Mahal. The name "Barbuckpur", another name for Barrackpore, is associated with a Mahal in the Ain-e-Akbari. From the 17th century, the area was ruled over by a line of Zamindars based in Nona Chandanpukur, Barrackpore.
The first British barrack or cantonment in India was built in the town in 1772. After the British crown assumed direct control of India, the sprawling Government House and the Government Estate were built in Barrackpore to provide the viceroy with a suburban residence 20 kilometres (12 miles) outside of Calcutta.
Hindoo Pagodas near Barrackpore on the Ganges (December, 1807)
Two rebellions against British authority took place in Barrackpore in the 19th century. The first of these was Barrackpore Mutiny of 1824, led by Sepoy Bindee Tiwary. In this rebellion, 47th Bengal Native Infantry refused to board boats to cross the sea for various reasons including social taboo "kala pani" to Burma in the First Anglo-Burmese War. The mutiny was suppressed by loyal Indian sepoys under the command of their British officers. In 1857, Barrackpore was the scene of an incident that some credit with starting the Indian Rebellion of 1857: an Indian soldier, Mangal Pandey, attacked his British commander, and was subsequently court-martialed. His regiment was disbanded, an action which offended a number of sepoys and is considered to have contributed to the anger that fuelled the rebellion. In order to commemorate his actions, a park named 'Sahid Mangal Pandey Udyan' was opened in the serenity of river Hoogly. The Army cantonment of Barrackpore also houses another significant historical landscape called the RCTC area, now populated by the defence quarters.
Mangal Pandey igniting the sepoy mutiny (1857)
Mangal Pandey cenotaph
Mangal Pandey cenotaph
Statue of Mangal Pandey
Zoo[edit]
Asia's first zoo was established at Barrackpore. It was built by Lord Wellesley in the 19th century. There is an aviary built in magnificent Gothic architecture. The zoo had animals such as the African donkey, tiger, bear, bison, leopard, mouse deer, kangaroos, monkeys and various species of birds.
Lord Wellesley felt the need of making a detailed description of the animals in Asia. This was primarily because the Europeans were mostly ignorant when it came to the category of Indian animals. He started working on the first Natural Research Center in Asia, the 'National Heritage of India'. Various animals were required to be collected. Barrackpore Zoo was built to store these animals and birds. Until 1804, ₹2,791 was invested in the cost of maintenance of these animals and birds.
Until 1802 and 1803, then only three zoos were open to the general public around the world. The first was in Vienna (1765), the second in Madrid (1775), and the third in Paris (1795). Even the Zoological Society of London was not yet formed (to be formed in 1826). London Zoo was still a long way off, having started in 1828, and was still 43 years late for the general public. Subjects do not have access to the royal zoo. It is surprising to think that at such a time sixteen miles north of Calcutta, Barrackpore, the first zoo in India, the first in Asia and probably the fourth in the world, opened to the general public. This revolutionary work in the history of naturalism in the world was done by an enterprising man of the East India Company, the Governor General of India, Lord Richard Wellesley, the first Marquess Wellesley.
Barrackpore Zoo (1851)
Later, due to a decrease in funds by East India Company to run the zoo, the birds and animala (like elephant and tigers) were distributed to kings of princely states.
Barrackpore park[edit]
Between 1798–1805, Lord Wellesley was the governor of Kolkata and he created a picturesque garden on the banks of the Ganges in Barrackpore spreading across 1006 bighas of land. This garden is today, called Laat Bagan or Mangal Pandey Park.Right next to this garden, he built a gigantic house which resembled no less than a castle. Later, this house was named Barrackpore Government House. It was called Country House by the British. It also had a hospital at that time. For transport he made a road from Barrackpore to Shyambazar, now known as B.T. Road.
Barrackpore Park (1848)Barrackpore Park (1802)
Abandoned British Bungalow
Government House, Barrackpore (1865)
Barrackpore House (1875)
