William (Vijay Durg): A Colonial Fortress and the Nerve Centre of Indian Army's Eastern Command

Above image Fort William, Calcutta in the 1750s controlled by the British East India Company. The fort was captured by the Nawab of Bengal, Siraj-ud-Daulah, in June 1756. Captured British soldiers who had defended the fort were then imprisoned in the infamous Black Hole of Calcutta and most of them died there.

Ft. William kevinstandagephotography.wordpress.com

Above image: Old Fort William, Calcutta, a view of the ‘Black-Hole’ from the Interior of the Verandah, part of the Barrack, Highly orchestrated by the British with misleading casualty....

vajiraoinstitute.com

vajiraoinstitute.com
Fort William, officially renamed Vijay Durg in 2025, stands on the eastern bank of the River Hooghly in Hastings, Kolkata. It is one of India’s most imposing British-era military fortifications and continues to function today as the headquarters of the Indian Army’s Eastern Command. Spread over nearly 70 hectares, the fort remains a powerful symbol of colonial military engineering and India’s modern defense structure.

The First Fort (1696–1756)

King William III of England en.wikipedia.org

There are actually two Fort Williams. The first was constructed between 1696 and 1706, after the British East India Company received permission from Mughal emperor Aurangzeb to fortify their settlement in Bengal. Sir John Goldsborough issued the order, and Sir Charles Eyre began construction with the South-East Bastion and the riverside walls. Named in honour of King William III in 1700, the fort expanded under Eyre’s successor, John Beard, who completed the North-East Bastion and began the Government House at the center.

Built of brick with projecting wings and two storeys, the fort served as the Company’s principal seat of power in eastern India. However, in 1756, the young Nawab of Bengal, Siraj-ud-Daulah, attacked Calcutta and captured the fort after a short siege. He renamed the captured city Alinagar. The notorious incident involving the “Black Hole of Calcutta” occurred in an internal guardroom of this old fort, where British prisoners were allegedly confined overnight under suffocating conditions.

The Second Fort William (1758–1781)

Ft.William,Kolkata newindianexpress.com

After their victory at the Battle of Plassey in 1757, the British resolved to build a new fortress—far stronger, far larger, and positioned safely away from heavily populated areas. Under Robert Clive, reconstruction began in 1758 on the open Maidan south of the city, and the work was completed in 1781 at a staggering cost of nearly two million pounds. The surrounding neighbourhood was cleared, giving birth to the vast green expanse of the Maidan, often called “the lungs of Kolkata,” stretching about 3 km north-south and 1 km east-west.

Architecture and Structure

The new fort was a masterpiece of eighteenth-century military engineering. Built of brick and mortar in the design of a star fort, it was shaped like an irregular octagon, covering nearly 5 km². Five of its sides faced landward, while three faced the Hooghly River, enabling both defensive and naval communication. A deep dry moat, 9 metres deep and nearly 15 metres wide, surrounded the fort. Designed to be flooded in emergencies, it also enabled enfilade fire on attackers attempting to scale the walls.

There were six strategically placed gates—Chowringhee, Plassey, Calcutta, St George’s Gate, the Treasury Gate, and the Water Gate opening toward the river. The design predated explosive artillery shells, and was intended to resist cannon fire and prolonged siege warfare. The scale and sophistication of Fort William inspired similar fortifications elsewhere in India, including the star-shaped fort at Thalassery in Kerala.

Colonial Legacy and Later Use

In 1730, Fort William became home to India’s first Masonic lodge, founded by Ralph Farrwinter and East India Company officers soon after the creation of London’s Grand Lodge. In 1775, it became the headquarters of the Indian Ordnance Factories, cementing its role as a military-industrial centre of the empire.

Modern Era

Today, Fort William remains under the control of the Indian Army. It houses barracks, training areas, living quarters for nearly 10,000 personnel, a war memorial, and a museum focusing on the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. While much of the original architecture survives, civilian entry is restricted.

Ft.William Present Indian Army, Eastern Command
opindia.com

Renamed Vijay Durg in 2025 to reflect Indian military heritage, the fort stands as a living bridge between colonial history and independent India’s defense tradition. The historic Fort William was constructed by the British in 1781 and named after England’s King William III.

https://kevinstandagephotography.wordpress.com/2024/02/06/the-black-hole-of-calcutta

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_William,_West_Bengal

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Kolkata

https://www.opindia.com/news-updates/indian-army-renames-fort-william-headquarters-of-eastern-command-vijay-durg

https://www.newindianexpress.com/opinions/2025/Feb/28/renaming-spree-full-politics-little-history