In the seventeenth century, Bombay was a group of seven islands under Portuguese control.
It passed into British hands after the marriage of Britain’s King Charles II to the Portuguese Princess.
- It became a prominent base for East India Company after it had shifted from Surat. It became a major cotton textile outlet.
- Later, it began functioning as a port, which dealt with raw materials like cotton and opium.
- After the Anglo-Maratha war and the defeat of Marathas, it became the capital of Bombay Presidency in 1819.
- The city expanded quickly. As trade grew, communities like traders, bankers, artisans and shopkeepers settled in Bombay.
- The establishment of textile mills and migration of people made it a prime city of India.
