The Seven Islands of Bombay (Portuguese: Ilhas de Bom Baim) were 16th-century Portuguese colonial possessions lying off the Konkan region by the mid-west coast of India.
History
They were partly handed over to England under this title as part of the dowry of Catherine Braganza when she married Charles II in 1661. The isles and islets had earlier been part of indigenous polities like the Silhara dynasty and the Gujarat Sultanate before they were captured by the Portuguese Armadas in 1534. After acquiring them as through a royal dowry from the Kingdom of Portugal, Charles II leased Bombay and adjacent islets to the East India Company in 1668 for £10 per year (receiving a loan of £50,000 at 6% interest in return for the favor).
By 1845, the islands had been merged into one landmass by means of multiple land reclamation projects. The resulting island of Bombay was later merged with the nearby islands of Trombay and Salsette that lay to its north-east and north respectively to form Greater Bombay. These islands now constitute the southern part of the city of Bombay (Mumbai).
The original seven islands handed over to England were as follows:
- Colaba
- Isle of Bombay
- Mahim
- Mazagaon
- Old Woman's Island (Little Colaba)
- Parel
- Worli
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The original seven islands
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Map of Bombay in 1893.
There also are several smaller islands that lie to the east of the main seven islands:
- Butcher Island
- Cross Island
- East Ground
- Elephanta Island, also Known as Gharapuri
- Middle Ground
- Oyster Rock
See also
- Geography of Mumbai
- History of Bombay under British rule
- History of Bombay under Portuguese rule (1534–1661)
References
- "350 years ago, Bombay was given to the East India Company and 'Urbs Prima in Indis' was born". The Times of India. 27 March 2018. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
- "Bombay: History of a City". The British Library. Archived from the original on 25 June 2013. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
External links
- The Seven Islands: Mumbai
- Story of cities #11: the reclamation of Mumbai – from the sea, and its people?
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