Fort William Latest News
Fort William in Kolkata, the headquarters of the Eastern Army Command, has been renamed Vijay Durg recently.
About Fort William
- Fort William was built by the British in 1773 and was named after King William III of England.
- It is located on the eastern bank of the river Hooghly in Kolkata, West Bengal.
- Today, Fort William is the property of the Indian Army. It also serves as the headquarters of the Eastern Command.
Fort William History
- The original fort was built by the English East India Company in 1696.
- Initially,it comprised wings and an inner bastion where prisoners were hauled, which is why it was known as ‘theblack hole of Calcutta’.
- In 1756, Siraj-ud-Daulah, the Nawab of Bengal, attacked the fort and captured Calcutta.
- After the fall of Siraj-ud-Daulah in the Battle of Plassey, the fort was demolished, after which, Robert Clive began constructing a new fort.
- The fort was completed in 1773 and stands as present-day Fort William.
Fort William Architecture
- The fort is octagonal in shape and has an imposing structure made out of brick and mortar.
- It is spread over 70.9 acres and is embellished with hundreds of arched windows that overlook lush green gardens.
- Meticulous stonework adorns the surface of the building.
Fort William FAQs
Q1. What is Fort William known as?
Ans. Fort William is also known as the Fort William Military Complex and is often referred to as “The Citadel of Calcutta”.
Q2. What is the importance of Fort William?
Ans. Fort William was an important historical landmark in the Kolkata district of West Bengal named after King William III, situated on the banks of the river Hooghly.
Q3. Who established Fort William in India?
Ans. The original structure of Fort William was built in 1696 CE by the British East India Company on the banks of the river Hoogly.
Source: TH
Last updated on June, 2025
→ UPSC Notification 2025 was released on 22nd January 2025.
→ UPSC Prelims Result 2025 will be out soon for the CSE held on 25 May 2025.
→ UPSC Prelims Question Paper 2025 and Unofficial Prelims Answer Key 2025 are available now.
→ UPSC Calendar 2026 is released on 15th May, 2025.
→ The UPSC Vacancy 2025 were released 1129, out of which 979 were for UPSC CSE and remaining 150 are for UPSC IFoS.
→ UPSC Mains 2025 will be conducted on 22nd August 2025.
→ UPSC Prelims 2026 will be conducted on 24th May, 2026 & UPSC Mains 2026 will be conducted on 21st August 2026.
→ The UPSC Selection Process is of 3 stages-Prelims, Mains and Interview.
→ UPSC Result 2024 is released with latest UPSC Marksheet 2024. Check Now!
→ UPSC Toppers List 2024 is released now. Shakti Dubey is UPSC AIR 1 2024 Topper.
→ Also check Best IAS Coaching in Delhi