History of Mumbai

History of Mumbai

The city of Bombay originally consisted of seven islands, namely Colaba, Mazagaon, Old Woman's Island, Wadala, Mahim, Parel and Matunga-Sion. These groups of islands, which have since been put together by a series of complaints that were part of the Kingdom of Asoka, the famous Emperor of India.

After his death, these islands passed into the hands of various Hindu rulers until 1343rd In that year, the Mohammedans of Gujarat took possession and the Kings of that province of India ruled for the next two centuries. The only vestige (mark) of their dominion over these islands that remains today is the mosque at Mahim.

In 1534 the Portuguese, who already has many important trading centers on the western coast, such as Panjim, Daman and Diu, took Bombay by force of arms from the Mohammedans. This led to the establishment of numerous churches which were built in areas where the majority of the population were Roman Catholics. There used to be two areas in Bombay called "Portuguese Church". But only one church with Portuguese-style facade still, it is the St. Andrew's church at Bandra. The Portuguese also fortified their possession by building forts at Sion, Mahim, Bandra, and Bassi, who may themselves into disrepair, can still be seen. They named their new possession as "Bom Baia" which in Portuguese means "Good Bay".

One hundred and twenty-eight years later the islands were given to the English King Charles II in dowry on his marriage to the Portuguese princess Catherine of Braganza in 1662. In year 1668 the islands were taken over by the English East India Company on lease from the Crown for a sum of 10 pounds of gold, so little, the British value these islands at that time. The company, which was operated from Surat, was in search for another deeper water port so that larger ships can dock and took the islands of Bombay suitable for development. Relocation of East India Company's headquarters to Bombay in 1687 led to the eclipse of Surat, as the largest trading partner center. The British destroyed the Portuguese name "Bom Baia" to "Bombay". The Kolis used to call the islands "Mumba" after Mumbadevi, the Hindu deity, to whom a temple is dedicated to Babulnath near Chowpatty's sandy beaches.

The first Parsi to arrive in Bombay was Dorabji Nanabhoy Patel in the 1640th The Parsis, originally from Iran, moved to India around 900 years ago. They did it to save their religion, Zoroastrianism, from invading Arabs who proselytized Islam. But in 1689-90, when a severe plague had struck most Europeans have Siddi Chief of Janjira several attempts to re-possess the islands by force, but the son of the former, a trader named Rustomji Dorabji Patel (1667-1763), successfully averted the attacks on behalf of the British using 'Kolis', the original Fisher-folk inhabitants of these islands. The remnants of the Koli settlements can still be seen at Backbay reclamation, Mahim, Bandra, Khar, Bassi and Madh Island.

Sir George Oxenden became the first British Governor of the islands, and was later followed by Mr. Gerald Aungier who made Bombay more populous by attracting Gujerati traders, Parsi ship-builders, and Muslim and Hindu manufacturers from the mainland. He fortified defenses by constructing the Bombay Castle (Fort ago has disappeared, except a small portion of the wall) and provided stability by constituting courts.

Between 1822 and 1838, cattle from the congested fort area used to graze freely at the Camp Maidan (now called Azad Maidan), an open ground opposite the Victoria Terminus. In 1838 the British rulers introduced a 'grazing fee' which several cattle-owners could not afford. Therefore, Sir Jamshedji Jeejeebhoy spent Rs. 20,000 from his own purse for purchasing some grasslands near the seafront at Thakurdwar and saw that the starving cattle grazed without a fee in this area. Over time the area became to be known as "Charni" meaning pasture. When a railway station on the BB & CI railway was built there was called Charni Road.

The Zoroastrian Towers of Silence on Malabar Hill was built by Seth Modi Hirji Vachha of the 1672nd The Zoroastrians believe in venerating the earth, fire and water, and thus they prefer to expose their dead to the elements and carnivorous birds in the Towers of Silence. The first fire-temple was also built in the same year by Seth Vachha opposite his residence at Modikhana within the British fort. Both these structures can still be seen today, although they have been expanded and strengthened.