View Of Mumbai From Malabar Hill, Old Print 1853

This print is an old page from The Illustrated London News of 1853 showing the General view of Bombay’s Malabar Hill. The view of the Back Bay and its shoreline is in its raw state before the area was reclaimed. South Mumbai is a pincer-shaped landmass. With Malabar Hill on the northern tip and Colaba on the southern tip with a ‘C’ shaped Back Bay shoreline in between.

See my older post- Vintage 1924 Map Of Bombay City.

King Charles II of England married Catherine of Braganza of Portugal in 1661. The Portuguese Royalty gifted King Charles a huge dowry out of which the seven Islands of Bombay were a part of the dowry. King Charles after taking possession leased out the sparsely inhabited islands to the British East India Company. The company saw huge potential because it had a perfect setting for a deep water harbour.

By 1708 the British undertook the first major reclamation of the seven islands of Mumbai. Within 2½ centuries the splintered group of islands was reclaimed into a single landmass that is the Bombay we see today. The East India Company encouraged different communities skilled in their own trade to settle down in the new land. Out of which the Parsis migrated from Surat. By and by Malabar Hill became the area for Parsis and Britishers alike. Today it is an exclusive area for the wealthy. Click on the photo for better view

Did you know- Malabar Hill got its name from the pirates who would come from the Malabar Coast of Kerala taking shelter in this region.

From the collection- Tiger Hunt On Elephant back India Vintage Postcard 1905., 1964 M. Suriyamoorthy Charcoal On Paper (#2)., Antique Photo Coir Retting By Travancore Women 1870.