Calcutta the Turbulent Years

Translated from the Bengali original by Rapti Ray

The central character of this book is the city of Kolkata—the second city of the British Empire. It explores how, during the period from 1942 to 1947, one historic event after another turned the city upside down and transformed its fundamental character. War, movements, famine, and riots—within this short span of timealmost brought the bustling metropolis to a standstill. Normal life changed completely. Passing through wave after wave of upheaval, Independence finally arrived. With it came the tide of refugees, which is an entirely different story. From the city’s demographic composition to its very character, everything changed and changed permanently.

This book tells that untold story. It is not a political history of Kolkata, but a history of its people and of the city itself—the history of a city being broken and rebuilt.