Fort William, a historical monument to visit in Kolkata, was constructed by the British with the western architectural niceties imbibed to make it more fortified. The fort has largely been unchanged since it came into the hands of the independent India. Now-a-days, Fort William is being utilized as the military headquarters for the Eastern Command.
Fort William’s foundation was laid in 1757 AD and the monument was completed in 1781—at a cost of two million pounds sterling. The present Fort William was built in 1781 on the foundations of the former fort assumed to be built in 1757 by Siraj-ud-Daula, the Nawab of Bengal. The new fort could house 10,000 soldiers and was considered impregnable. It has an irregular octagonal shape pierced with seven doors. The vast space which surrounds the fort, the Maidan, is traversed by canals intended to flood a part in case of attack. It is necessary to believe that the reputation of the fort is well-founded since its construction no shot of cannon was fired. This bears the memory of the early British rulers in India, beginning with Lord Clive. The fort is always occupied by the military and its visits are only made with permission.