Mumbai history

Mumbai India is the capital of Maharashtra. It was previously called Bombay. The metropolis now is considered to be the financial district of the country because of the presence of ports airports and the biggest stock exchange center in India. It is also the birthing place of Bollywood the booming film industry of India which can produce almost hundreds of movies every year.

The seven islands

A long time ago, the city of Mumbai was composed of seven islands. They were interconnected with the constant reclamation of lands. These included Matunga-Sion, Colaba, Mazagaon, Wadala, Old Woman’s Island, Mahim and Parel. All together made the Ashoka Kingdom founded by one of the most well-known emperors in the country.

However, when he died the entire kingdom including the islands was subdivided by the different Hindi ruler. In 1343, a certain group of people from Gujerat known as the Mohammedans seized the kingdom and the kings controlled the entire city for more than 200 years.

The European conquer

Because of the ports and the growing varieties of spices, India became a favorite spot for the Europeans especially for the British and the Portuguese. It wasn’t long before they started to seize lands and took control of these new territories. For example, the Portuguese overthrew the Mohammedans by 1534. They also began building fortifications all over the city.

The dowry to King Charles II

By 1661 upon the pending marriage of England’s King, Charles II to Portugal’s princess Catherine de Braganza, the entire city of Mumbai was given as a dowry. In 1668, it was offered to the British East India Company; and in 1861 the city was already under the rule of the British monarchy headed by Queen Victoria acting through a viceroy.

Under the British rule, a number of significant economic changes happened in Mumbai. These included the creation of a port and a harbor. Railroad tracks were being built and by 1864 a clean and more advanced water supply was distributed to the city and its neighboring capitals. The introduction of gas in 1864 allowed the city to light up.

Mumbai today

A lot of the European influences are very much present in the city. You can see it by the way old buildings and even churches are designed. The harbor also provided easy access of international traders to the country while India became an excellent exporter of native goods.