BOMBAY, capital of Bombay Presidency, standing at the southern end of Bombay island, 18° 55' N., 54' E. The island, running roughly north and south is 11m. long by 3m. broad. It is separated at the northern end from Salsette only by a tidal creek crossed by causeways. At the southern end of the island is the well-known Back bay, a shallow basin 2m. across and 3m. deep; and around this lies Bombay.
The shape of this end of the island is roughly that of a thumb and long index finger, pointing downwards, and bent slightly in wards. The thumb, on the west side of the bay, is a rocky ridge, some goof t. high, named Malabar hill. At the extreme point is Government House, with its luxuriant grounds, the cold weather residence of the governor of the presidency. Along the ridge and on its slopes are the beautiful residences of the wealthier citizens of Bombay, both European and Indian, commanding superb views east and west.
The other side of the bay is a long tapering tongue of land terminating in a lighthouse. The upper end is linked to the bazaar, or Indian city proper ; then comes the Fort, now merely a memory, naming the area containing the great business houses, banks, ship ping offices, etc. ; finally comes Colaba, the cantonments, or military quarters of Bombay. Between this side of the island and the mainland is the great waterway constituting Bombay harbour, 7m. wide at the opening and narrowing as it runs north to the creek.
There are few more beautiful and impressive sights than the approach to Bombay from the sea up this noble waterway studded with mountainous islands, the stately buildings of the city on the left, and away to the right the palm-fringed shore of the mainland, rising gradually to the peaks of the western Ghats in the distance. No city in the world has a finer waterfront than Bombay. The great public offices looking over Back bay are not individually distinguished for architectural merit, but they have a cumulative effect of great dignity.
Bombay's position, as the gateway of India, its magnificent natural harbour, and the enterprise of its inhabitants, have made Bombay one of the first cities of the world. The Indian city, or bazaar, is well built and unusually handsome, with fine wide thoroughfares, a perfect hive of industry. In the Fort area, the commercial buildings will compare with those in most other cities, while of really outstanding merit are the Victoria railway terminus, the post office, the museum and the Royal Institute of Science.
According to the 1931 census the population of Bombay was 1,161,383. It includes, besides Europeans, Mahrattas, a relatively small but highly influential group of Parsees, Arab traders from the Persian gulf, Afghans, Sikhs, Tibetans, Cingalese and many others including Baghdad Jews. There is quite a considerable Japanese colony, chiefly interested in cotton, and large enough to have a club of its own, but Chinese have not yet settled there in any number. The two languages of Bombay are Marathi and Gujarati, but most people understand and speak the lingua franca, generally known as Bombay Bat, a colloquial and ungrammatical form of Hindustani, containing an admixture of local and even of English words. The Parsees number only Ioo,000 and occupy a position of influence out of all proportion to their numbers, being endowed with great natural ability, combined with a thoroughly Western initiative and progressiveness. The names of Tata, Wadia, Petit, Jijibhoy, etc., are of world wide repute in the spheres of commerce and philanthropy, and many of the greatest business houses of Bombay are owned by them.
The dockyard, originally built in 1736, has a sea-face of nearly 7ooyd. and an area of about 200 acres. There are five graving docks, three of which together make one large dock 648ft. long, while the other two make a single dock 582ft. long. There are also four building slips opposite the Apollo Bandar (landing place) on the south-east side of the enclosure. Bombay is the only Indian port with tides large enough to permit of docks on the great scale. Prince's dock Victoria dock (1887 88) , Alexandra dock (begun 1905) , are important features of the port's accommodation. In recent years a deep-water pier has been built for the discharge of bulk petrol, with a pipe connection at Sewri, and the sea wall of the Alexandra dock has been extended for i,5oof t., forming the new Ballard pier, or mole. Steamers now come alongside the mole, whence passengers can reach the centre of the city in a few minutes, or can step into well-equipped trains waiting on the mole, and can proceed, without changing, northwards to Delhi and Peshawar, eastwards to Cal cutta, and south-east to Madras.
The harbour defences have been remodelled and supplied with the heaviest guns. Docks are to be built on a large area of re claimed land to the north of the present docks. Other recent activities of the Bombay Port Trust include the building of a line to connect the great Indian Peninsular and the Bombay, Baroda, and Central India railways at a point 6m. from the city, to take over traffic and convey it direct to the docks and depots as required. The total length with sidings is over 1 oo miles.
It is estimated that before many years are past about 150,000 h.p. will be absorbed locally.
Bombay's position on the west coast and her magnificent natural harbour have resulted in the development of a great sea borne trade. The principal exports are raw cotton, grain and seeds, and the principal imports piece goods, metals and machinery.
Gerald Aungier (or Angier), who suc ceeded Sir George Oxenden as president of Surat in 1669 and died in 1677, was the pioneer of modern developments. He succeeded in fortifying town and shore against threatened attacks from the mainland by Mahrattas, and from the sea by Malabar and Dutch seamen, and he also had to cope with Portuguese who still occupied Sal sette island and had established a customs barrier in the channel between Bombay and the sjiore. In 1672 Aungier transferred his headquarters to Bombay and promulgated a liberal scheme of administration, including protection of all castes in the cele bration of their religious ceremonies and prohibition of any com pulsion of natives to carry burdens against their will. Bombay increased rapidly; Hindu capitalists (banya) soon needed a special quarter and Parsis and Armenians flocked to the place. In eight years the population grew from 1 o,000 to 6o,000 and diseases of crowded areas spread, so Aungier, in 1675, initiated works for draining the foul tidal swamps and, failing the consent of the company to the erection of a regular hospital, he turned the law court into an infirmary. He also established a scheme of courts.
Even under Aungier the Siddi admirals of the Moguls had asserted their right to use Bombay harbour as winter quarters for their fleet, though they had failed to secure it as a base against the Mahrattas. Under his weak successor (Rolt, 1677-82), the English waters, the value of which had now been proved, became the battle-ground between the rival navies, and for some years Bombay lay at the mercy of both. The company's rule, more over, was exposed to another danger. The niggardly policy of the board of directors, more intent on peaceful dividends than on warlike rule, could not but be galling to soldiers of fortune. A mutiny at Bombay in 1674 had only been suppressed by the exe cution of the ringleader; and in 1683 a more formidable move ment took place under Richard Keigwin, a naval officer who had been appointed governor of St. Helena in reward for the part played by him in the capture of the island from the Dutch in 1673. Keigwin, elected governor of Bombay by popular vote, issued a proclamation in the king's name, citing the "intolerable extortions, oppressions and exactions" of the company, and declar ing his Government under the immediate authority of the Crown. He ruled with moderation, reformed the system of taxation, ob tained notable concessions from the Mahrattas, and increased the trade of the port by the admission of "interlopers." But he failed to extend the rebellion beyond Bombay; and, when a letter arrived, under the royal sign manual, ordering him to surrender the fort to Sir John Child, appointed admiral and captain general of the company's forces, he obeyed.
Meanwhile the company had decided to make Bombay their chief centre in the East Indies, but this was delayed by plague and was accomplished on13,- in 17oS. An alliance with the Siddis secured a base of supplies on the mainland (1733), and the Mahratta conquest of Bassein and Salsette (1737-39 removed Portuguese rivalry. French wars in 1744-48 and 1756-63 led to strengthening of fortifications. a city wall having been already built in 1713. Bankot was acquired by alliance with the peshwa (1755) and this ensured supplies. while Watson and Clive (1756) took Vijayadrug and this secured protection from piracy. Dock building (1750-62) was followed by the beginning of cotton trade with China (177o); the result of a famine in China being that the Chinese Government forced an increase of the area devoted to grain. Administrative reform and town-planning also con tributed to the growth of the city, which had 113.000 inhabitants in 17So. A mainland famine in iSo3 drove more people to Bombay, and a great fire led to replanning on extended lines.
The British victory over the Mahrattas and the annexation of the Deccan opened a new period of unrestricted development for Bombay. At this time, too (1819) its fortunes were vigorously fostered by Mountstuart Elphinstone, and in 1838 the popu lation had risen to 236.000. But in the next 5o years it more than doubled itself, the figures for 1891 being 821.000. This great leap was due to the influence of railways, of which the first line was completed in 1853, the opening- of the Suez canal. and the foundation of cotton factories. In 1866-67 the tide of prosperity was interrupted by a financial crisis. due to the fall in the price of cotton on the termination of the American v4,-ar.
however, soon recovered herself, and in 1'391 was more pros perous than ever before; but during the ensuing decade plague (q.v.) caused a decline in both her population and her trade. The city has recovered once more.
Bombay and environs have undergone considerable develop ment recently owing to the activities of the development director ate appointed in 192o. Large schemes were put in hand destined eventually to house 250.000 of the poorer inhabitants and relieve the existing overcrowding, to open up new areas, and to add 2 sq.m. to the area of the city by reclamation of land in Back bay and East Colaba.
The progress of the development scheme came in for strong criticism and was the subject of an official enquiry in 1926. which centred principally round the reclamation in Back bay. Here it was proposed to take advantage of the curve on the eastern side of the bay and to build a sea wall. 4m. long, from Colaba point to Marine Lines, thus enclosing an area of f.3ooac. which would be reclaimed and added to the city. It gradually became evident, however, that the original estimates both as regards time and cost would be seriousl-y exceeded. As the result of the enquiry it was decided to proceed at present with on13,- the two end sec tions of the reclamation. that from Colaba point to the Afghan church, and that from the Marine Lines to the Clock Tower. Good progress was made with the section at the Colaba end and a large part was handed over to the military authorities in 1927. The question as to whether the remaining portion of the re clamation shall be proceeded with is left for future decision.
Of the other schemes for the improvement of Bomba,.-. South Salsette island is being developed. and the industrial and resi dential colonies which have been established along the two rail ways and the arterial roads from Bombay have become very popu lar resorts.
The Mahim scheme is complete, comprising two main avenues and cross roads, with a road from Worli. The reclamation scheme between Mazagon and Sewri is also finished, and the cotton. grain and oil depots have been moved from Colaba. Previously raw cotton had been carried on carts from the goods yards to the Cotton Green at Colaba, but nov,- the Bombay Port Trust has provided railway communications between the railway station, the docks, and the depot at Sewri, which has sheds to hold 3.000.000 bales of cotton. X.