THE RISEOF THE INDIAN CITY

OF

Bombay

Bombay.At first, Bombay was the major outlet for cotton textiles from Gujarat. Later, in the nineteenth century, the city functioned as a port through which large quantities of raw materials such as cotton and opium would pass. Gradually, it also became an important Administrative Centre in western India, and then, by the end of the nineteenth century, a major Industrial Centre.

Bombay in the year 1852.

Bombay. Work.The first cotton textile mill in Bombay was established in 1854. By 1921, there were 85 cotton mills with about 146,000 workers. Only about one-fourth of Bombay’s inhabitants between 1881 and 1931 were born in Bombay: the rest came from outside. Large numbers flowed in from the nearby district of Ratnagiri to work in the Bombay mills.

The Island of Bombay.

Bombay. Reclamation.In 1864, the Back Bay Reclamation

Company won the right to reclaim the western foreshore from the tip of Malabar Hill to the end of Colaba. Reclamation often meant the leveling of the hills around Bombay. By the 1870s, although most of the private companies closed down due to the mounting cost, the city had expanded to about 22 square miles.

Bombay. Reclamation.

Bombay. Reclamation.

A successful reclamation project was undertaken by the Bombay Port Trust, which built a dry dock between 1914 and 1918 and used the excavated earth to create the 22-acre Ballard Estate. Subsequently, the famous Marine Drive of Bombay was developed.

Bombay. Trade.By 1845, the seven islands were coalesced into a single landmass by the Hornby Vellard project via large scale land reclamation. On 16 April 1853, India's first passenger railway line was established, connecting Bombay to the neighbouring town of Thane. During the American Civil War (1861–1865), the city became the world's chief cotton trading market, resulting in a boom in the economy that subsequently enhanced the city's stature.

Bombay. Port.

Bombay. Events.The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869

transformed Bombay into one of the largest seaports on the Arabian Sea. In September 1896, Bombay was hit by a bubonic plague epidemic where the death toll was estimated at 1,900 people per week. About 850,000 people fled Bombay and the textile industry was adversely affected. As the capital of the Bombay Presidency, it witnessed the Indian independence movement, with the Quit India Movement in 1942 and The Royal Indian Navy Mutiny in 1946 being its most notable events.

Bombay. 800-1883.

Bombay. 800-1883.The Year 800.The Bombay Harbor.

Bombay. 800-1883.The Year 1700.

The English Fort.

Bombay. 800-1883.The Year 1852.

The Government House.

Bombay. 800-1883.

The Year 1870.The Streets near The Fort.

Bombay. 800-1883.

The Year 1883.Taken From the Mazagon Hill.

Mumbai. The Metropolitan.

Mumbai. The Metropolitan City.

Mumbai, formerly known as, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million. Mumbai lies on the west coast of India and has a deep natural harbor. In 2009, Mumbai was named an Alpha world city. Mumbai is also the richest city in India, and has the highest GDP of any city in South, West or Central Asia.

THE END.

Afnan Nazer.