Armenians of Calcutta

  • The Armenians were the first merchants to arrive to India much before Job Charnock and the East India Company from the ancient Eurasian country. Merchant Thomas Cana arrived to Malabar coast on 780 CE. 
  • The community was sparsely populated reaching maxima of 12,000 people at a time. 
  • The Armenian Holy Church of Nazareth (located at Bowbazar), established in 1688, was the first church of Calcutta which houses the oldest Christian grave dating back to 1630. It was rebuilt in 1724 through the efforts of Agha Nazar after the original wooden structure perished in a fire in 1707. The same register of Baptism is maintained from 1904 till today. 
  • The majestic architechtures of Kolkata associated with the Armenian legacy includes Stephen Court and Grand hotel (built by Arathoon Stephen), Queens’s mansion and Nizam Palace (built by J. C. Galstaun), Armenian Ghat (built by Hazoori Mal), Park Mansion (built by Mesrope Thaddeus) and others. 

  • The wealthy Armenians owned trading companies, publishing houses, shipping lines and businesses like indigo, shellac and jewellery and coal. 
  • Sir Catchick Paul Chater, revered as the most famous Armenian of Asia was born in Calcutta on 1846. Khachig Pogose Astwachatoor, as he was named after his birth, was orphaned at the age of 9 and joined La Martineire for Boys’ School, Kolkata as a foundation scholar. 
  • Gauhar Jaan, born an Armenian Christian and baptized as Eileen Angelina Yeoward, established herself along with her mother as a leading vocalist of Calcutta. She is credited with India’s first ever recording on a gramophone, recorded on 2 November 1902.
  • Armenian College and Philanthropic Academy (ACPA) is the sole Armenian-centred school in the eastern section of the world,till date. 

 References:

1.      https://www.getbengal.com/details/armenian-street-tale-of-a-kolkata-street-that-preceded-british-by-centuries

2.      https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/kolkata/management-of-armenian-properties-in-kolkata-draws-applause-from-armenia/article65934560.ece

3.      https://archive.org/details/dli.MoI.TheArmeniansofkolkataanAnthropologicalhistory_Eng

4.      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armenian_Church_of_the_Holy_Nazareth

5.      Armenians of Calcutta by Alakananda Nag, 

 A  A taste of time by Mohona Kanjilal

6. https://www.tutorialathome.in/heritage-commercial-buildings/queens-mansion

7.      https://www.india-armenia.com/sir-catchick-paul-chater-s-bust

8.      https://www.peopleofar.com/2018/02/11/gauhar-jaan-armenian-lady-became-indias-first-superstar/

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