History of Mumbai

An Ancient City

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India’s most populous city was earlier an archipelago of seven islands, and its name was derived from Mumba Devi, patron goddess of the city’s oldest inhabitants, the koli fisher folk. A variety of unearthed archeological implements suggests that these islands were inhabited as far back as the Stone Age. In the 3rd century B.C., this group of islands became part of the Mauryan Empire under the Emperor Ashoka, and after the decline of the Mauryans, passed into the hands of the Silhar dynasty before ending up as the territory of the Mohammedans of Gujarat in 1343. There they stayed for nearly two centuries before the Portuguese came.

For Want of a Dowry

In 1534, the Portuguese who already possessed other ports on the coast like Daman and Dieu wrested control from Bahadur Shah of Gujarat and renamed the islands Bombaia, meaning “good bay.” Several churches were built to accommodate the newly converted Koli fisher folk. In 1661, Bombaia was presented to Charles II of England as part of the dowry of his Portuguese bride, Catherine Braganza. The name “Bombaia” was anglicized to Bombay, and the new name would stick for more than three centuries. In 1668, the islands were leased to the East India Company for the princely sum of 10 pounds a year. At that point, the Company was headquartered in Surat and had been looking out for a deep sea water port. Bombay fit the bill perfectly.

In 1687, Bombay officially became the headquarters of the British East India Company. This new exalted status presented a wealth of business opportunities for immigrants from the rest of the country, and the population swelled dramatically to include Zoroastrians, Bohras Muslims, and Jews. Between 1817 and 1845, a number of reclamation and construction projects completed the consolidation of the islands into one giant teeming land mass. In 1858, after the quelling of the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857, the East India Company was forced to hand Bombay back to the Crown.

A Call to Freedom

The latter half of the 19th century witnessed hectic construction activity, and a number of the city’s most popular monuments, like the Prince of Wales Museum and the Victoria’s Terminus, were built during this time. In 1911, King George V and Queen Mary visited India for the Durbar of Delhi, and the Gateway of India, Bombay’s most famous landmark, was built to commemorate their visit.

Bombay was the backdrop for many significant events in the Indian history struggle. This was where the Indian National Congress had been formed in 1885 at the Gowali Tank Maidan, and this very same spot was where Mahatma Gandhi gave the historic “Quit India” call to the British in 1942. This watershed event was the culmination in a series of struggles, and the British were forced to leave the country in 1947. Symbolically enough, the last troops left through the Gateway of India, sailing through the same harbor they had entered through 282 years ago.

Post Independence History

Bombay continued to be the capital of state until 1960 when the state was splintered into Gujarat and Maharashtra. The city was instated as the new capital of Maharashtra and was ruled by the Congress Party which had swept power through most parts of the country, post independence. In 1994, the Congress stronghold was ended by the Shiv Sena-BJP coalition, and in 1995 the city was rechristened Mumbai. Today, the city is India’s commercial and financial capital, and it houses the country’s premier stock exchange (the oldest in Asia), and is the most common point of entry for foreigners. It has the largest concentration of millionaires in India and is home to Dharavi, Asia’s largest slum. A city of gang lords and Bollywood, Mumbai epitomizes the Indian paradox like no other city can.