Who is called the first city of India

The term "first city" in the Indian context most commonly refers to Kolkata (formerly Calcutta), which served as the capital of British India from 1772 to 1911 and was considered the premier city of colonial India—the political, economic, cultural, and intellectual hub during crucial periods of Indian history. Kolkata was the first major modern metropolis in India under British rule, pioneering India's industrialization, establishing the first Indian railway, hosting the first university, serving as the birthplace of the Indian Renaissance and nationalist movements, and functioning as the gateway for British trade and administration. The city's historical significance earned it the designation "first city" in terms of political primacy and modernization during the colonial era.

However, if interpreting "first city" as India's oldest continuously inhabited urban center, Varanasi holds that distinction with over 3,000 years of documented habitation. The phrase could also reference Mumbai as India's premier commercial and financial center in contemporary times, or Delhi as the current political capital. In ancient contexts, cities like Pataliputra (modern Patna) served as capitals of major empires and could claim "first city" status in their respective periods. Kolkata's specific association with "first city" terminology relates to its pioneering role in introducing modern urban infrastructure, Western education, printing presses, newspapers, and political movements to India, making it the gateway through which modernity entered the subcontinent. Today, while Kolkata has been overtaken by Mumbai and Delhi in economic terms, it retains cultural significance as a center for literature, arts, intellectual discourse, and political activism, maintaining strong connections to the nationalist and cultural movements that shaped modern India.