The Agris

The map, entitled Demonstração da Fortaleza de Mombaim, features many of the aforestated features of the urban infrastructure. The map is titled and labelled in Portuguese proving it to be made by the colonists back then. At first sight, the map is bright and colourful with images and symbols. However, this map paints a picture of insensitive colonialism imposed by the Portuguese in the near and back future, at that point in time.

Fig: 78

Map Source: https://hum54-15.omeka.fas.harvard.edu/exhibits/show/bombaim/introduction

The Colour Of Colonialism

Certain reports state that half the population of Bombay and Salsette were converted into Roman Catholicism by the Portuguese and these were majorly the Kolis, the Parvaris, the Mahar, and the Kunbis (agriculturists).

The Portuguese also initiated and supported mixed marriages between Portuguese settlers and local women. This resulted in having a Catholic local population following the Portuguese Empire by their very roots, culture, and religion. The ones who had entered India with an intention of trade and spice were infusing their culture in various parts of the country.

The Goanese in India is one such Catholic Community that still dwells in Goa, Mangalore, and Bombay. Forced and volunteered conversions, a rapid growth of certain religioncentric structures, and conflicts, the Portuguese brought with them an era largely of religious friction.

But the Portuguese never entered Bombay with an intention to build it which is why their contribution to Bombay stayed limited to churches, few settlements and the Manor House (home of the Portuguese Marrano doctor Garcia da Orta) ruins of which are still seen within the INS Angre establishment next to Naval Dockyard in Colaba.

It seemed like Bombay was left for the British to build over.

Presented in the form of dowry, Bombay in 1662, was gifted to the East India Company by the Portuguese in the form of a marriage treaty. But back then, till 1665, Bombay was just a set of islands making the Britishers just a group of adventurers attracted by the “good trade prospects” that its West Coast location offered. But what changed the fate of Bombay was when Gerald Aungier, the president of the East India Company (then in Surat), took Bombay from the British Crown, and eventually shifted its Headquarters from Surat to Bombay.

Aungier made some significant additions to the city which changed the image of Bombay. Some of which include -

1. Authorising the Court of Justice under the English law.

2. Construction of the SIon and Mahim forts.

3. Winning the confidence of the local population then, by sorting out the ill-recorded claims of the landowners and giving it a fresh start on the basis of their claims.

4. Establishing Bombay Police by involving around 600 Bhandaris Militia men. They were monitored by 100 main landowners of Bombay then and their headquarters were formed with the Subhedars at Mahim, Sewree and Sion.

Fig: 87, Image Source- https://121clicks.com/inspirations/50-old-and-vintage-bombay-mumbai-photos, edited by: Author

5. Introducing the Panchayat System to the local communities of Bombay to solve their community conflicts and issues.

6. Inviting the Gujarati, Banias and other communities like the Parsees to settle and practise their religion in Bombay, freely. Furthermore, for their next 20 years, taxes were exempted for their ease in the city.

Fig: 88, Image Source- https://121clicks.com/inspirations/50-old-and-vintage-bombay-mumbai-photos, edited by: Author

(Mole Station, 1925)

Fig: 89, Image Source: https://www.past-india.com/photos-items/ballard-pier-mole-station-bombay-old-postcard-1925/, edited by: Author

Fig 90: Image Source- https://oldphotosbombay.blogspot.com/2010/07/blog-post_6609.html, edited by: Author

9. Purchasing land for the company, today known as Colaba and Fort.

Fig: 91, Image Source- https://railmantri.in/, edited by: Author (Colaba Sea-Face)

(Fort area, 1870)

Fig: 92, Image Source- https://www.past-india.com/photos-items/mumbai-fort-19th-century-old-photo-1870/, edited by: Author

Very rightly known as the Founding Father of Bombay, Aungier gave Bombay its new phase of history. Aungier’s contributions resulted in a massive growth of population in Bombay.

Trade flourished.

The growth of Bombay as envisioned by Britishers could be essentially proven through following factors:

Technological Factor-

With the help of technological development, all seven of Bombay’s islands were connected by the Hornby Vellard causeway, enabling the city to expand and become a single parcel of land, geographically ( island to be precise).

Civic Factor-

Defeated after the three AngloMaratha wars ( 1810-1818), the Britishers won the whole of Bombay from the Marathas (especially the Central Bombay), which helped them to develop the island city at peace.

Industrial Factor-

The demand of Indian cotton increased in the British Cotton Mills post the American Civil War (1861-65) boosting the need of developing a cotton textile industry in Bombay. The city weaved its own cotton through mills which brought in prosperity and worker influx. Bombay also had a massive opium trade run majorly by Jews and Parsees which included exporting opium from Malwa ( Madhya Pradesh) to China. The two trades existed with 30% and 42% shares respectively.

The East India Company, who encouraged and monitored these trades till the 1833s. Post the revolt of the Indians against the oppressive company, the British state formally took over the governance over India from the company. This resulted in opening doors to international trade and brought back the vision of Aungier for Bombay, of it being a city where people could trade and live with safety and freedom.

Foreign Factor-

The opening of Suez Canal in 1869 made a way for the European ships to have a direct access to the Bombay port formulating it as one of the major ports of India.

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Cotton Mills of Bombay and the Bombay Port grew to become the major industries that boosted the city’s economy and drawed a massive influx of migrants from the Konkan Coast and the Deccan region to work in the textile mills, docks, railway workshops and trading businesses and warehouses in this city.