Bargis are coming…
Charnock chose Calcutta because of security reasons. In the west it was secured by the Hughli River and in the east lay the salt water lakes. It made the task of protecting the goods and capital in the factory at Fort William a relatively easy affair. It was a well-judged move. Because of the security provided by the Company within the township, people from neighbouring areas started relocating to Calcutta. The population got a further boost during the Maratha raids on Bengal that started in 1741 and continued up to 1751. Memory of that invasion still lingers on; the following ditty often sung by Bengali mothers to put their children to sleep
খোকা ঘুমালো পাড়া জুড়ালো
বর্গী এলো দেশে।
বুলবুলিতে ধান খেয়েছে
খাজনা দেবো কিসে?
An interpretive translation goes like this
The kid has slept, neighbours now can relax
But the Bargis are in town
And there is no grain in the godown
How would we cough up the tax?
Threat from ‘Bargis’ or Maratha invaders, drove people into Calcutta. One direct outcome of the threat was the digging of Maratha Ditch. Calcutta was buffered by the river in the west. The salt lakes in the east also provided some protection but not nearly enough. North was the vulnerable point. So, the decision was taken to dig a ditch encompassing the north and east of the town. It was never used as the Bargis never reached Calcutta. It was eventually covered up with a road built over it (Upper and Lower Circular Roads) which also served as the boundaries of town in the north and east.
Security from invasion and opportunities to trade led to population growth. From a mere 15,000 inhabitants in 1704, population grew to 409,000 in 1752, which was the end of the Maratha invasion period[i].
[i] Ray, A. K. (1902). A Short History of Calcutta (Census of India, 1901). Calcutta: Bengal Secretariat Press. p.59
