The British King Who Once Owned Bombay, 1910 Postcard

The British King Who Once Owned Bombay, 1910 Postcard

A 1910 postcard of the British King Charles II who once owned Bombay (Mumbai). Before the unification, Bombay was a group of seven islands. Comprising of Colaba., Little Colaba., Island of Bombay., Mazagaon., Matunga or Parel., Worli., and Mahim. These islands were separated from each other at high tide.

Reclaiming the land from the sea during the 19th and 20th centuries led to the creation of this city of dreams. In 1532, the Portuguese conquered the islands of Bombay and Mahim from the control of Sultan Bahadur Shah. Bahadur Shah was the ruler of the Gujarat Sultanate. In the year 1534, Bahadur Shah was forced, under a special peace accord, to also surrender the sovereignty over the remaining islands around Bombay, to the King of Portugal.

A treaty of peace and commerce between Bahadur Shah and Nuno da Cunha, the Viceroy of Goa confirmed the surrender of Bombay in 1535. The new Portuguese rulers were not wise enough to exploit the advantage the island offered. They remained stagnant under their own reign. Years later in 1661, it was handed over to Charles II, King of England (1630-1685). As part of the dowry, which he had received on his marriage to Catherine of Braganza, the sister of King of Portugal. King Charles II leased Bombay to the East India Company for a sum of ten pounds in gold per annum. The rest is history, it grew into a metropolis a city of dreams.

Did you know – after the handover, the British built a fort in 1665. The fort was expanded in 1722 with three gates 1) Bazar Gate., 2) Churchgate., and 3) Apollo Gate.

Past posts –  Maharajah Of Travancore’s Durbar – 2 Old Prints 1852., First Line Beach British Era Madras, 1880 Photo.