Traffic Policeman In British Era Calcutta, 1920 Photo
A 1920 photo of a traffic policeman in British Era Calcutta (Kolkata). The uniform says it all. A smartly turned-out Indian traffic policeman is topped with an umbrella, likely to avoid the city’s heat. This uniform has evolved into a more modern one since the colonial era. Similar to the Calcutta policeman, the Bombay police too had its uniform and rules during the British era. The Portuguese formed a basic law structure by the setting up of a Police department in Bombay.
Likewise, the history of Calcutta’s police department goes back to the days of the East India Company. The East India Company in the early days set up an officer’s post to handle the civil and criminal administration. Under an officer grade, there were his Indian subordinates, and the city areas were divided into thanas or police stations. Increasingly the police became a bigger force in the city. Today Calcutta has a more modern police force with vast changes from what it was from the British era days.
Also see Kolkata Traffic Policeman. See post Vintage 1890 Postcard of Bombay Policeman.
Did you know- Kolkata’s history of the present police system goes back to the days of the British East India company of 1720.
From the collection- Calcutta Horse-Drawn Tram – Old Photo 1880., Antique Map Plan Of Fort At Coylan., Raja Ravi Varma Balamoni Postcard 1910., c1964 M. Suriyamoorthy Charcoal On Paper Two Women (#4).
