Bombay: History of a City

The City of BombayBombay, now known as Mumbai is a thriving cosmopolitan, multi-cultural city, and is the centre of India's entertainment industry.At first there were just seven islands separated by swamps: the land was dangerous and unhealthy. A thousand years ago the islands were part of the Magadhan Empire. 1343 Became part of the lands of the Sultan of Gujrat.1534 Under Portuguese rule; establishment of a trading centre.The Portuguese called the place Bom Bahia, meaning 'the good bay', which the English pronouncedBombay.1626 The trading place slowly grew. Trading of products like silk, muslin, chintz, onyx, rice, cotton and tobacco started. There was a great warehouse, a friary, a fort and a ship building yard.There were also new houses for the general population, and mansions for the wealthy.October 1626 English attack Bombay. They burned down buildings, and destroyed Portuguese ships.May 1662 - King Charles II of England married Catherine of Braganza, whose family offered a large dowry (a gift made by the father of the bride to the groom). Part of this gift was the Portuguese territory of Bombay. However, Charles II did not want the trouble of ruling these islands and in 1668 persuaded the East India Company to rent them for just 10 pounds of gold a year. As Bombay was a deep water port, large vessels were able to dock there. Bombay needed a fort and a garrison of soldiers to protect it from Dutch fleets and Indian pirates.1670 - Settlers came from many local communities, as well as from Britain. The Company had 1,500 soldiers in Bombay (both English and local) to protect people living there.1687 - The Company made Bombay their Indian headquarters. The headquarters stayed there until 1708.1688 Conflict between the English and the Mughals. Fourteen Mughal ships were captured and taken to Bombay harbor. A fleet of barges was also captured.February 1689 - A force entered Bombay harbor and landed Mughal men.1700 Trading Capital The Gateway to IndiaBecause Bombay was a secure place offering a range of employment opportunities, people with all sorts of skills moved there to start a new life.There were goldsmiths to make fabulous jewellery, weavers to create extraordinary textiles, merchants to trade the goods, and money-lenders in case the merchants or anybody else needed cash, as well as ironsmiths, planters, and servants. Bombay did not only trade in local products; many other goods were brought from all over India and beyond. 1730 - Ship builders moved into Bombay, creating a new industry.Raw cotton was shipped from Bombay to England where it was manufactured into cloth prior to being sent back to India for sale. Early 1800s Engineering work carried out in Bombay. Citys swamps were completely filled in.1845 - Seven small islands that had previously made up Bombay had been turned into one large island.1853 - The first Indian railway opened, which stretched from Bombay to Thana. The employment created by the new railway attracted more people to settle in Bombay.1854 - The first Indian cotton mill was opened.1864 - Population of Bombay was 816,562.1991 - The population of the whole of Bombay (which had spread beyond the islands) was 9,900,000.1995 - The city changed its name in to Mumbai, after Mumbadevi, the stone goddess of the deep-sea fishermen who originally lived on the islands before they were driven out by the East India Company.