History of Mumbai
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Mumbai is India's largest city and the commercial capital of the country. Originally known as Bombay, it has a long history though its status as an urban centre was realised only as late as the 17th century.
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Ancient times
The present day Mumbai city region was originally made up of seven small isles. The islands were Bombay, Parel, Mazagaon, Mahim, Colaba, Worli and Old Woman's Island (also known as Little Colaba). Further north laid the large islands of Salsette and Trombay. Artifacts found near Kandivali in northern Mumbai indicate that these islands were inhabited since the Stone Age. In the 3rd century BC, they were part of the Magadha empire ruled by the Buddhist emperor Ashoka. The Kanheri Caves, Elephanta Caves, Jogeshwari Caves and the Mahakali Caves date back to this era. After the empire's decline empire, Buddhist monks remained on the island. Deep-sea fishermen called the Kolis and salt makers called the Aagris were the chief inhabitants. The Koli goddess Mumbadevi lent her name to the modern metropolis which etymologically means Mumba (the goddess' name) and aai mother in Marathi.
A few kilometres north lay the ancient port town Sopara near the present day exurb of Nala Sopara. The port was the centre of India's commerce and trade at that time. Travellers used to cross the northern part of Bombay to get to Kalyan, an important town in those days. Trade used to be carried out between Aden, Calicut, Cambay and cities on the west coast of Africa.
Between the 9th and 13th centuries the region was ruled by many local Hindu rulers most notably the Silhara dynasty. Edifices built during their rule is visible in the Banganga Tank and parts of the Elephanta Caves. Historians also have evidenced a 13th century ruler Raja Bhimdev who had his capital in Mahikawati which was around the present day neighbourhood of Mahim and Prabhadevi. Subsequently the archipelago was peopled by merchants and agriculturists.
In 1343 the island of Salsette, and ultimately the whole archipelago, came under the Islamic Sultanate of Gujarat captured by the Sultan Muhamed Begada. The mosque at Mahim and the Haji Ali tomb off the coast dates back to this era.
Portuguese era
After the arrival of the Portuguese in India in 1498, resulted in them appropriating most of coastal India. In 1508 Francis Almeida sailed into the archipelago and impressed by the harbour named it Bom Bahia or Good Bay. The Portuguese forced the Sultanate to cede the islands. The Portuguese erected forts in the area most notable are the Sion Fort, Mahim Fort and at one at Bandra Bandstand which still stand today albeit in a dilapidated condition. The forts served as watchtowers for enemy ships particularly from other European colonial powers. The Portuguese also forcibly proselytised many of the local inhabitants and built a few churches in the area. The St. Andrews Church and the Mount Mary's Basilica in Bandra, the Cross at Cross Maidan, Gloria Church (1632) in Mazagaon and the remnants of a church in Santa Cruz are the sole places of worship that have survived till today.
On the island of Mazagaon, the Jesuits had set up base claiming the land. The Portuguese king refused to entertain their claim, and in 1572 permanently leased the island to the de Souza e Lima family. The island has a large Roman Catholic populations mostly consisting of Eurasian and local converts. The Portuguese also brought along black African slaves known as the "Kaffirs" who soon entered the ethnic mix.
The Portuguese however had established Goa which lay south of the islands as their headquarters in India. Goa was then known as the "Lisbon of the East" and was Capital of the Portuguese Indian Vice-Kingdom, and due to its prominence the islands were never important to the Portuguese. In 1661 the seven islands were ceded to Charles II of England as dowry of Catherine de Braganza. The British Crown formally took possession of the islands in 1665.
British East India
Charles II, eager to set up base in India, leased the islands in 1668 to the fledgling British East India Company for a paltry sum of £ 10 per annum in gold. The company, in search of a deep water port for its large vessels, found the deep harbour apposite for this purpose.
After the East India Company shifted base to the islands in 1668, Sir George Oxenden became the first governor of the new province. He was succeeded by Gerald Aungier in 1672. He offered various incentives to skilled workers and traders to move to this British possession. The opportunities for business attracted many communities from Gujarat — the Parsis, the Bohras, the Jews and the Gujarati community. Aungier was given the title "Father of Bombay" by historians as it was his foresight to develop the islands into a centre of commerce to rival other ports which were in the hands of other kingdoms which resulted in the boom in the economy. He fortified defences by embarking on the construction of the Bombay Castle and established courts of law to provide justice.
In 1682, the Company fortified an isle — The Middle Ground Coastal Battery in the archipelago to curb the sea piracy in the area. Later a marine police force comprising of Bhandaris were stationed there to keep an eye on the pirates who used to board the ships. The police were a formidable sight and soon the area was devoid of pirates.
After surpassing Surat in importance as the Company's chief port on the west coast the population was estimated to rise from 10,000 in 1661 to 60,000 by 1675. In 1687, the presidency of the East India Company shifted from Surat to Bombay and consequently it became its headquarters in 1708.
Parsi arrivals
The first Parsi to arrive in Bombay was Dorabji Nanabhoy in 1640. The Parsis had fled their native Iran after Arab invaders forced many to proselytise to Islam. They were to play an important part in the city's development. Later in 1670 the first printing press was imported by Parsi businessman Bhimji Parikh marking the city's long tradition with publishing. Two years later in 1672, the Tower of Silence, a place to dispose their dead was built by Seth Modi Hirji Vachha on Malabar Hill. The first fire-temple was also built in the same year by Seth Vachha opposite his residence at Modikhana on the island of Bombay.
Between 1689 to 1690, the islands were struck by the plague epidemic with many Europeans succumbing to the dreaded disease. The Siddi of Janjira, a Mughal admiral sought to take advantage of this situation by making repeated forays into the region. Rustomji Dorabji, son of Dorabji Patel successfully warded off the invaders with the help of the Kolis on behalf of the British. The British gave him the title "Patel" and they were the only Parsis to get the honorific Patel title.
Bombay Castle
In 1715 the construction of Bombay Castle was finished. The southern limit of the castle was the present day Flora Fountain area where a gate stood. The castle also known as Fort St George or Bombay Fort fortified the island of Bombay from a sea attack by the Portuguese and Mughals.
This enclave proved to be a save haven for many skilled workers away from the power struggles on the mainland. The shipbuilding industry moved to Bombay from Surat with the coming of the Wadias who were Parsis. In 1753, the Naval Dockyard was opened which remains the oldest docks in the city. Artisans from Gujarat, such as goldsmiths, ironsmiths and weavers moved to the islands and coexisted with the slave trade from Madagascar. During this time period, the first land-use laws were set up in Bombay, segregating the British part of the islands from the black town.
In 1757, Kamathis, construction workers from Andhra Pradesh arrived here and set up base. The region was the low-lying area near present day Mahalaxmi. The region became known as Kamathipura, now notorious for its red-light area. In 1794 the Presidency Post Office was established.
Reclamations
The first indications of a project to link the islands was carried out in long before the Portuguese arrived, when Bombay was connected to the island of Worli by a rudimentary stone causeway that could be accessed during the low tide. In 1708, the island of Parel and Mahim were connected by a causeway providing easy access between the two islands and was the first major reclamation. By 1730, land on the main Bombay Island was at a premium owing to the burgeoning of the city's population. Since the sea was shallow and marshy, travelling between islands were hazardous especially during the monsoon season. A practical solution was to raze the numerous hills on the islands and use the debris to fill the shallows.
Hornby Vellard
The British governor William Hornby launched the Hornby Vellard project to connect the islands for a sum of Rs 1 lakh (100,000). An approval for the reclamation was sought from the directors of the East India Company in England and Hornby expected it to be approved and proceeded on with the reclamation without official permission. In 1772 the second reclamation took place to fill in the shallows between the islands of Parel, Worli, Bombay, Mahim and Mazagaon by building a bund to prevent the ingress of the sea, thus gaining valuable land.
However, Hornby's project was denied by the Company a year later and the project deemed illegal, resulting in Hornby being sacked. The bund however, was already completed by then, so reclamation had to take place. By 1884, the entire sea portions between the islands were reclaimed connecting five islands.
Other causeways
The British refused to build causeways between the amalgamated landmasses and the other islands and people continued to perish during inclement weather. Lady Avabai Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy, wife of the first baronet Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy decided to fund the building of causeways on the stipulation that no toll be levied. In 1803, the first causeway linking the landmass to Salsette through Parel was completed. Later in 1838, the island of Colaba and Little Colaba was connected to Bombay by a causeway known as the Colaba Causeway. In 1845 the Mahim Causeway, connected Mahim to Bandra on Salcette island was completed. This causeway was estimated to cost Rs 1 lakh in 1842, but as work commenced the cost escalated and finally cost Rs 1.57 lakhs which was paid by Lady Jeejeebhoy from her purse.
Early 1800s
See Also
External Links
- Portuguese India history:The Northern Province:Vasai(Baçaim),Bombay(Bombaim, Mumbai),Chaul(Revadanda),Damao,Thana,Caranja (http://www.colonialvoyage.com/bacaim.html)
to be concluded Nichalp 20:07, Mar 20, 2005 (UTC)