The European Colonies of Bengal

In the early 1700s, Bengal was one of the richest places in the world. Generating 5% of global GDP, its capital Murshidabad had more wealth than the British aristocracy combined.

Indeed so rich was this region, that foreign trading companies all competed with eachother for the favours of the Bengali elite.

Gradually, a series of European factories would dot the Hooghly river.

Chandanaggar, for example, became a small French colony. This colony became home to numerous revolutionaries and, intriguingly, was the home of Virginia Woolf's Bengali ancestors.

This temple, Nandadulal Mandir, was likely where her Bengali forebears worshipped.

Calcutta would of course become the first British colony in the region, described by Lord Clive as "one of the most wicked places in the Universe... Rapacious and Luxurious beyond conception."

A Dutch colony was set up in Chinsurah and a Portuguese colony in Bandel.

But perhaps the most unlikely European colony of all was the Danish colony in Serampore.

The citys greatest masterpiece is the Church of St Olav, perhaps the only church in India dedicated to the memory of a Viking.

Serampore College, meanwhile, was the third college ever erected by Denmark, after Copenhagen and Kiel.

I've recently written a new ✨️Substack article✨️ on the forgotten Danish colonies of India. Do give it a read!