Dutch Cemetery — Attraction in West Bengal

Bengal was a directorate of the Dutch East India Company in Bengal between 1610 until the company's liquidation in 1800. It then became a colony of the Kingdom of the Netherlands until 1825, when it was relinquished to the British according to theAnglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824. Dutch presence in the region started by the establishment of a trading post at Pipili in the mouth of Subarnarekha river in Odisha. The former colony is part of what is today called Dutch India.

Dutch East India Company factory in Hugli-Chuchura, Bengal. Hendrik van Schuylenburgh, 1665



Chinsura.

From 1615 onwards, the Dutch East India Company traded with Bengals. In 1627, a trading post was established in Pipely. In 1635 a settlement was established atChinsurah[2] adjacent to Hooghly to trade in opium, salt, muslin and spices. They built a fort called Fort Gustavus, a church and several other buildings. A famous Frenchman, General Perron who served as military advisor to the Mahrattas, settled in this Dutch colony and built a large house here.

Trade thrived in Bengal in the early eighteenth century, to such an extent that the administrators of the Dutch East India Company allowed Hooghly-Chinsura in 1734 to trade directly with the Dutch Republic, instead of first delivering their goods to Batavia. The only other Dutch East India Company settlement to have this right wasDutch Ceylon.

Dutch control over Bengal was waning in the face of Anglo-French rivalry in India in the middle of the eighteenth century, and their status in Bengal was reduced to that of a minor power with the British victory in theBattle of Plassey in 1757.

Dutch Bengal was occupied by British forces in 1795, owing to the Kew Letters written by Dutch stadtholder William V, Prince of Orange, to prevent the colony from being occupied by France. The Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814restored the colony to Dutch rule, but with the desire to divide the Indies into two separate spheres of influence, the Dutch ceded all their establishment on the Indian peninsula to the British with the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824.

Fort Gustavus has since been obliterated from the face of Chinsurah and the church collapsed recently due to disuse, but much of the Dutch heritage remains. These include old barracks now Chinsurah Court, the Governor's residence, General Perron's house, now theChinsurah College known as Hooghly Mohsin College and the old Factory Building, now the office of the Divisional Commissioner. Hugli-Chinsurah is now the district town of the Hooghly district in...

A scene from Dutch cemetery, Cossimbazar, India where deposited the remains of Dutch residents who departed their lives during service for “Dutch East India Company” in India.

The Dutch Cemetery is located next to the Cossimbazar railway station at Murshidabad District in West Bengal where the Dutch owned huge factories in the year 1666 AD were based. The legacy of the Dutch has been ruined and small tombs of 43 in number remain to this day. Most of the monuments were built between 1721 and 1792 AD. The oldest monument at the Dutch cemetery belongs to Daniel van der Muyl who died in 1721. Most of the monuments are pyramidal in shape with cenotaphs mentioning the names. The cemetery is maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India.

The “Dutch East India Company” was a chartered company established in 1602, when the States General of the Netherlands granted it a monopoly to carry out trade activities in Asia. This was the first true multinational corporation. Their initial goal was to develop trade links for precious commodities such as pepper and as time progressed they became increasingly involved in the control and development of their respective territories. Between 1602 and 1796 the “Dutch East India Company” sent almost a million Europeans to work in the Asia trade on 4,785 ships. By contrast, the rest of Europe combined sent only 882,412 people from 1500 to 1795. Their nearest competitor was “British East India Company”. The “Dutch East India Company” remained an important trading concern for almost two centuries.

Bengal was a directorate of the “Dutch East India Company” in Bengal between 1610 until the company's liquidation in 1800 due to Bankruptcy. From 1615 onwards, the “Dutch East India Company” traded with Bengal. In 1635 a settlement was established at Chinsurah adjacent to the Ganges river in Hooghly district of Bengal to trade in opium, salt, muslin and spices. Cossimbazar & Chinsurah were the main places where the...

The Dutch Cemetery in Berhampore, also known as the Cossimbazar Dutch Cemetery, is a historically significant site that offers a tangible link to the colonial past of Bengal. It serves as a reminder of the Dutch presence in the region, particularly during the 17th and 18th centuries when Cossimbazar flourished as a major international trading hub. The cemetery, now a protected monument under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), contains the final resting places of Dutch traders, officials, and their families who lived and worked in the area. The maintenance by the ASI ensures the preservation of these monuments, which include around 47 tombs and obelisks, with the oldest known grave dating back to 1721. These monuments, many of which are pyramidal in shape, bear cenotaphs with names of the deceased, providing valuable historical data. The importance of the Dutch Cemetery lies in its ability to offer a glimpse into a time when multiple European powers, including the Dutch, were active in Bengal's trade and commerce, long before the British established their dominance. The peaceful and tranquil atmosphere, coupled with the historical weight of the monuments, makes it a compelling site for those interested in the diverse and complex history of colonial India. To reach the Dutch Cemetery from Berhampore, it is located in Cossimbazar, near the Cossimbazar railway station. It is a short journey, approximately 4-5 kilometers, and can be easily reached by a local vehicle like a cycle rickshaw, auto-rickshaw, or a toto (e-rickshaw). The best time to visit the cemetery, and indeed the entire Murshidabad-Berhampore region, is during the winter months, from October to March, when the weather is pleasant and comfortable for exploring. The cemetery is generally open to visitors with...