Dumdum [key], four towns in Suburban Kolkata (Calcutta), West Bengal state, E central India. South Dumdum is a residential area of the northern edge of metropolitan Kolkata, while North Dumdum contains several large rural enclaves. The Dumdum Aerodrome Area is the site of Kolkata's international airport. The town of Dumdum, founded in 1783, has iron- and steelworks, glass and soap factories, and engineering works. In the 19th cent. its arsenal was the first to manufacture lead-nosed bullets that spread on impact, inflicting a tearing wound. In 1905, Great Britain acceded to the prohibition of dumdum bullets adopted by the first Hague Conference in 1899.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Indian Political Geography
