The British Fort In Bombay – Antique Plan 1755
This is an antique 1755 plan of the fortification of Mumbai. Steel engraving on handmade paper measures 16 x 13 inch. Shows the view of the castle which was part of the Mumbai Fortification or Fort George. The British fortified the city against attacks and protecting the island town from seaborne assailants.
It was constructed on the “H” shaped island called Bombay. That was one of the seven islands. With the governing castle in its center serving as the official residence (Government House) of the Governor until the 1770s. Later Parel became the new home of the Government House. Finally shifting it to Malabar Hill in 1883 since then becoming the Government residence now called Raj Bhavan.
With the passing of years, the whole area where Fort George was located was to be called Fort to even this day. Before the 1800s, threats from the Mughals and Marathas diminished. There was no nuisance from the Portuguese since they had gifted the island to the English King as dowry in 1668. This led the authorities in the 1860s to demolish the Fortification to make space for more area.
See also History of a City. See post View Of Bombay Fort & Harbour – Old Print 1840
Did you know- the Fortification in Mumbai was built by the British in 1715 and not by the Portuguese as mistakenly thought.
From the collection- Raja Ravi Varma’s “Birth of Shakuntala” Oleograph of c1894., Bombing of Madras By Emden WW1 – Old Print 1914., Salsette or Mumbai Suburban – Vintage Map 1893., Chitpore Road British India Calcutta – Old Photo 1914
