B O M B AY :

The emerald Aarna Bhosale (29) 

of the Siddhi Thakur (26) 

Sneha (46) 
colonial era 
Rajvi Butani ( 45) 
 1. HISTORY OF BOMBAY UNDER BRITISH
RULE
2. PRESIDENCY CITIES
3. FORMATION OF BOMBAY 

INDEX  4. ARCHITECTURE IN BOMBAY

5. POPULATION STRUCTURE OF BOMBAY 
6. ACCOMMODATION FACILITY 
7. LAND RECLAMATION PROJECTS 
8. BOMBAY: THE CITY OF DREAMS 
HISTORY OF BOMBAY UNDER BRITISH RULE (1661-1947)
On 18 January 1665, King Charles granted Humphrey Cooke the possession of Bombay. However, Salsette, Mazagaon, Parel, Worli, Sion, Dharavi,
and Wadala still remained under Portuguese possession. Later, Cooke managed to acquire Mahim, Sion, Dharavi, and Wadala for the English. Sir
Gervase Lucas, 1st Baronet, who was appointed Governor of Bombay on 5 November 1666, reported that Bombay included all the islands except 
Colaba and Old Woman's Island. On 21 September 1668, the Royal Charter of 27 March 1668, led to the transfer of Bombay from Charles II to the 
English East India Company for an annual rent of £10. Sir George Oxenden became the first Governor of Bombayunder the regime of the English East
India Company. Gerald Aungier, who became Governor of Bombay in July 1669, established the mint and printing press in Bombay and developed
the islands into a centre of commerce. He also offered various business incentives, which attracted various communities like Gujuratis, Parsis, 
Dawoodi Bohras, and Jews. On 20 February 1673, Rickloffe van Goen, the Governor-General of Dutch India attacked Bombay, but the attack was
resisted by Aungier. The Treaty of Westminster (1674), concluded between England and Holland, relieved the English settlements in Bombay of
further apprehension from the Dutch.

In 1682, the Company fortified the Middle Ground Coastal Battery isle in the archipelago to curb the sea piracy in the area. Between 1678 and 1682, 
Yakut Khan, the Siddi admiral of the Mughal Empire, landed at Sewri and torched Mahim. By 15 February 1689, Khan conquered almost the whole
island, and razed the Mazagon Fort in June 1690. After a payment made by the English to Aurangzeb, the ruler of the Mughal Empire, Yakut
evacuated Bombay on 8 June 1690. In 1715, the construction of Bombay Castle was finished, which fortified the island of Bombay from sea attacks
by the Portuguese and Mughals. By 26 December 1715, Charles Boone assumed the Governorship of Bombay, and constructed the 
St. Thomas Cathedral in 1718, which was the first Anglican Church in Bombay. In 1737, Salsette was captured by the Maratha Empire and most of the
Portuguese provinces in Bombay was ceded to the Marathas in 1739. In 1753, the Naval Dockyard was opened which remains the oldest docks in the
city. The first land-use laws were also enacted in Bombay during this period. The British occupied Salsette in 1774, which was formally ceded to the 
British East India Company by the Treaty of Salbai signed in 1782. In 1782, William Hornbyassumed the office of Governor of Bombay, and initiated
the Hornby Vellard engineering project of connecting the isles in 1784. However, the project was rejected by the British East India Company in 1783.
The construction of the Sion Causeway commenced in 1798 and was completed in 1803. In 1803, Bombay was hit by a severe famine, which led to a
large-scale emigration. On 5 November 1817, the British East India Company defeated Bajirao II, the Peshwa of the Maratha Empire, in the Battle of
Kirkee which took place on the Deccan Plateau. The success of the British campaign in the Deccan witnessed the freedom of Bombay from all attacks
by native powers.
The encouragement of the trade of Bombay with Jeshwanth combined with the Company's military successes in the Deccan paved the way for the
educational and economic progress which characterized the city during the nineteenth century. The Hornby Vellard project gained momentum in 1817.
One of the chief improvements to the north of Colaba was the construction of the Wellington Pier (Apollo Bundar) the present Gateway of Indiaarea,
which was opened for passenger traffic in 1819. Bombay was hit by a water famine in 1824. In July 1832, the Parsi-Hindu riots took place in
consequence of a Government order for killing of dogs. In 1838, the islands of Colaba and Little Colaba were connected to Bombay by the 
Colaba Causeway. The Bank of Bombay was opened in 1840, which remains the oldest bank in the city. By 1845, all the seven islands had been
connected to form a single island called Old Bombay having an area of 435 km2 (167.95 sq mi) by the Hornby Vellard project. In 1845, the 
Mahim Causeway, which connected Mahim to Bandra was completed. In 1845, the Grant Medical College and hospital, the third in the country, was
founded by Governor Robert Grant. Riots broke out between Muslims and Parsis in October 1851, in consequence of an ill-advised article on 
Muhammad which appeared in the Gujarathi newspaper. On 16 April 1853 the first-ever Indian railway line began operations between Bombay and
neighbouring Tanna, over a distance of 21 miles.
The first cotton mill in Bombay, the Bombay Spinning and Weaving Company was established on 7 July 1854. The foundation of the 
University of Bombay in 1857 made it the first modern institution of higher education in India, along with the University of Calcutta. The 
Great Indian Peninsular Railway and the Bombay, Baroda, and Central India Railway (BB&CI) were started in 1860. The outbreak of the 
American Civil Warin 1861 increased the demand for cotton in the West, and led to an enormous increase in cotton-trade. In 1866, the British
Government established the Bombay Coast and River Steam Navigation Company for the maintenance of steam ferries between Bombay and nearby
islands; while the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 completely revolutionized the marine trade of Bombay. In 1870 the docks were consolidated
under the Bombay Port Trust, and the Bombay Municipal Corporation was established in 1872, providing a modern framework of governance for the
rapidly growing city. Tramway communication was also instituted in 1872. Public gardens such as the Victoria Gardens and Northbrook Gardens were
opened in 1873 and 1874 respectively. Violent Parsi-Muslim riots again broke out in February 1874, which were caused by an attack upon Muhammad
published by a Parsi resident. The Bombay Gymkhana was formed in 1875 and soon organizations such as Bombay Quadrangular followed. Bombay
became one of the few cities in the world to include a large national park within its limits, and the Bombay Natural History Society was founded in
1883. The Princess Dock was built in 1885 as part of a scheme for improving the whole foreshore of the Bombay harbour.
 CITY DEVELOPMENT
Tanna railway viaducts

The smaller railway viaduct (top) and the longer railway viaduct (bottom) near Tanna (circa 1855).
A file photo of University of Bombay's Campus (circa 1870)
 • Urbanization was a slow and gradual
process in the colonial era with the
emergence of new industries. 
• Some cities were titled Presidency
cities as they were important and
functional for the colonial
government. These cities were
PRESIDENCY CITIES  namely Bombay. Bengal and Madras. 
• These cities were regarded important
in more than one ways; major ports,
storages, offices, camps, museums
and libraries etc resided in these
cities. 
MAP OF ISLAND OF
BOMBAY
1812-1816,
re published 1893
 MAP OF
B O M B AY,
CA 1914
 FORMATION OF BOMBAY 
• Up till 17th century, Bombay was a cluster of seven islands
under the Portuguese rule. 
• It was in the year 1661, that the power shifted from the
Portuguese to the British after the British King Charles II
wedded the Portuguese princess. 
• It was after this shift of power that the East
India Company established its new base in Bombay. 
• Initially, Bombay was only the major outlet which sourced
cotton textiles to manufacturers in Gujarat. 
• By the 19th century, Bombay operated as a port
through which large quantities of raw materials
passed 
• Eventually, it became an important
administrative centre 
• By the end of the 19th century, Bombay was a
major industrial centre. 
 ARCHITECTURE IN BOMBAY
If one way of realising this imperial vision was through town planning, the other was through
embellishing cities with monumental buildings. Buildings in cities could include forts, government
offices, educational institutions, religious structures, commemorative towers, commercial depots, or
even docks and bridges. Although primarily serving functional needs like defence, administration and
commerce these were rarely simple structures. They were often meant to represent ideas such as
imperial power, nationalism and religious glory. Let us see how this is exemplified in the case of
Bombay.
Bombay was initially seven islands. As the population grew, the islands were joined to create more
space and they gradually fused into one big city. Bombay was the commercial capital of colonial India.
As the premier port on the western coast it was the centre of international trade. By the end of the
nineteenth century, half the imports and exports of India passed through Bombay. One important item
of this trade was opium that the East India Company exported to China. Indian merchants and
middlemen supplied and participated in this trade and they helped integrate Bombay’s economy
directly to Malwa, Rajasthan and Sind where opium was grown. This collaboration with the Company
was profitable and led to the growth of an Indian capitalist class. Bombay’s capitalists came from
diverse communities such as Parsi, Marwari, Konkani Muslim, Gujarati Bania, Bohra, Jew and
In 1869 the Suez Canal was opened and this further strengthened Bombay’s links with the world economy.
The Bombay government and Indian merchants used this opportunity to declare Bombay Urbs Prima in
Indis, a Latin phrase meaning the most important city of India. By the late nineteenth century Indian
merchants in Bombay were investing their wealth in new ventures such as cotton mills. They also
patronised building activity in the city. As Bombay’s economy grew, from the mid-nineteenth century there
was a need to expand railways and shipping and develop the administrative structure. Many new buildings
were constructed at this time. These buildings reflected the culture and confidence of the rulers. The
architectural style was usually European. This importation of European styles reflected the imperial vision
in several ways. First, it expressed the British desire to create a familiar landscape in an alien country, and
thus to feel at home in the colony. Second, the British felt that European styles would best symbolise their
superiority, authority and power. Third, they thought that buildings that looked European would mark out
the difference and distance between the colonial masters and their Indian subjects.Initially, these buildings
were at odds with the traditional Indian buildings. Gradually, Indians too got used to European architecture
and made it their own. The British in turn adapted some Indian styles to suit their needs. One example is the
bungalow which was used by government officers in Bombay and all over India. The name bungalow was
derived from bangla, a traditional thatched Bengali hut. The colonial bungalow was set on extensive
grounds which ensured privacy and marked a distance from the Indian world around. The traditional pitched
roof and surrounding veranda kept the bungalow cool in the summer months. The compound had separate
quarters for a retinue of domestic servants.
For public buildings three broad architectural styles were used. Two of these were direct imports
from fashions prevalent in England. The first was called neo-classical or the new classical. Its
characteristics included construction of geometrical structures fronted with lofty pillars It was
derived from a style that was originally typical of buildings in ancient Rome, and was
subsequently revived, re-adapted and made popular during the European Renaissance. It was
considered particularly appropriate for the British Empire in India. The British imagined that a
style that embodied the grandeur of imperial Rome could now be made to express the glory of
imperial India. The Mediterranean origins of this architecture were also thought to be suitable for
tropical weather. The Town Hall in Bombay (Fig. 12.24) was built in this style in 1833. Another
group of commercial buildings, built during the cotton boom of the 1860s, was the Elphinstone
Circle. Subsequently named Horniman Circle after an English editor who courageously supported
Indian nationalists, this building was inspired from models in Italy. It made innovative use of
covered arcades at ground level to shield the shopper and pedestrian from the fierce sun and rain
of Bombay. Pitched roof is a term used by architects to describe a sloping roof. By the early
twentieth century pitched roofs became less common in bungalows, although the general plan
remained the same.
The Town Hall in Bombay, which now houses the Asiatic Society of Bombay
 The Elphinstone Circle
Note the pillars and arches, derived from Graeco-Roman architecture.
The Gateway of India, built in the traditional Gujarati style to welcome King George V and Queen
Mary to India in 1911, is the most famous example of this style. The industrialist Jamsetji Tata built the
Taj Mahal Hotel in a similar style.
Ballard Estate
POPULATION STRUCTURE OF BOMBAY

• After the defeat of the Marathas in the Anglo-Maratha war in 1819,

Bombay was declared as the capital of the existing presidency. 
• Large communitie4s of traders, merchants and artisans etc settled in
Bombay. 
• With the establishment of the textile mills, new employment
opportunities were available which attracted migrants. 
• The first cotton textile mill was established in 1854
• There was a junction of two railways in Bombay
which was also a leading cause of the migration. 
• The famine in the Kutch region in 1888-1889 also
caused many people to migrate to Bombay. 
ACCOMMODATION FACILITY IN BOMBAY 
• Initially, the housing and settlement in Bombay took place in a very
unplanned manner, and villas were often adroned with gardens as
frontyards. 
• The region was divided in two sections; native town (indians) and
white sections (europeans). 
• Such racial patterns were prevalent in all presidencies. 
• There was often an acute shortage of water supply and housing crisis
due to the unplanned structure of the city. 
• The labourers and fctory workers lived in chawls while the white
officials lived in villas and bungalows.
• Chawls were one room tenements with
no private toilets. Peopl who lived here
often had to share a common kitchen
and bathroom. 
• Liquor shops emerged in corners and
empty spots. 
• The village headman was responsible
for settlement of disputes, arrangement
of informal credit, and informing about
political developments in the chawls. 
 • The depressed classes found
themselves helpess and with no
shelter and therefore started to
build homes of sticks, and bamboo
leaves etc. 
• The City of Bombay Improvement
Trust was established in 1898 in a
BOMBAY SLUMS hope to clear out the poorer
sections of the city. 
• The Rent Act was passed in
1918 which stated that rents must
be at reasonable rates. 
LAND RECLAMATION
IN BOMBAY 
• In 1784, William Hornby, who was
the then Bombay Governer,
approved of building the great sea
wall which prevented the floowing
of the low lying areas of Bombay. 
• Due to te demand for more land
and housing space, both the public
and private sectors, formulated
plans for the reclamation of land
from the sea. 
• In 1864. Back Bay Reclamation Company won the rights to to reclaim the western frontshore
from the tipn of malabar hill to the end of Colaba. 
• In the early 20th century, every available area was built on and new areas were reclaimed
from the sea. 
• From 1914-1918, The Bombay Port Trust undertook a reclamation project to excavate earth
and create the 22 cre Ballard Estate. 
B O M B AY: T H E C I T Y O F D R E A M S