Hijli

Hijli lay near the mouth of the Rasulpur River, where the waterways of western Bengal meet the Bay of Bengal. Its position made it a coastal centre for shipping and salt. Portuguese traders carried salt from Hijli to Hughli, while the shifting channels and low islands of the coast shaped access to its harbour.

After the fall of the kingdom of Odisha in 1568, a local state arose with Hijli as its capital. Among its rulers was Taj Khan, known by the title Masnad-i-Ala. In 1687 the English under Job Charnock occupied the island during their conflict with Mughal authorities. The coast was exposed to storms and changes in the shoreline, and the fortunes of Hijli’s harbour changed with the waters around it.