Small Starts for a Great City

The English East India Company acquires a Charter from King Charles II, today in 1668, giving over the control of Bombay to the Company. This marked the start of the development of the Bombay islands into a commercial colonial port.

A map from 1672 displaying Bombay in its fragmented form; Source: Wikipedia

Bombay or Mumbai as we know it today, underwent a long series of transfers from Portugal to England. When King Charles of England married Catherine of Braganza, his dowry included the island of Bombay but it would not entirely be under his control. East India Company acquired the control of Bombay in 1665, while the Portuguese still held the neighbouring islands and districts.

These districts of Salsette, Mazagaon, Parel, Worli, Sion, Dharavi, Wadala - all these remained under Portuguese possession. These would be slowly taken over by the British by the 27th of March, 1668.

In a Royal Charter, these would be transferred from Charles II’s personal property to the property of the English East India Company with just an annual rent of 10 pounds per year.

The Portuguese had given up Bombay in hopes of better areas up north, especially near Surat. This might have been true at the time when the Mughal empire was still booming, but it was on the verge of a serious financial crisis now. There was an opening up of opportunities for new players all around - and EIC Bombay seemed like the place to go.

Even before consolidating their hold onto their base in Bengal, the English would long establish and develop the islands of Bombay, linking the numerous islands together and building one of the most successful commercial cities ever established on the Indian subcontinent to this day.

While initially being sidelined by the Marathas and then British Bengal, Bombay would also have its boom later in the 19th century. During this time, scores of emergent Indian businessmen would come to Bombay and then finance it with basic industries, mills, and opium trade to China, making Bombay blossom under the British Raj. And so, the foundation of a long rule was laid, way before anyone could have imagined it.