Mumbai early history and Age of indigenous empires & Islamic period
Early History
[edit]Pre-historic period
See also: South Asian Stone Age
Geologists believe that coast of western India came into being around 100 to 80 mya after it broke away from Madagascar. Soon after its detachment, the peninsular region of the Indian plate drifted over the Réunion hotspot, a volcanic hotspot in the Earth's lithosphere near the island of Réunion. An eruption here some 65 mya is thought to have laid down the Deccan Traps, a vast bed of basalt lava that covers parts of central India. This volcanic activity resulted in the formation of basaltic outcrops, such as the Gilbert Hill, that are seen at various locations in the city. Further tectonic activity in the region led to the formation of hilly islands separated by a shallow sea.[2] Pleistocene sediments found near Kandivali in northern Mumbai by British archaeologist Todd in 1939 indicate habitation since the Stone Age.[3] The present day city was built on what was originally an archipelago of seven islands of Bombay Island, Parel, Mazagaon,Mahim, Colaba, Worli, and Old Woman's Island (also known as Little Colaba).[4] The islands were coalesced into a single landmass by the Hornby Vellardengineering project in 1784. By 1000 BCE, the region was heavily involved in seaborne commerce with Egypt and Persia.[5] The Koli fishing community had long inhabited the islands.[6] They were Dravidian in origin and included a large number of scattered tribes along the Vindhya Plateau, Gujarat, and Konkan. In Mumbai, there were three or four of these tribes. Their religious practices could be summed up as animism.[7]
[edit]Age of indigenous empires
Main article: History of Mumbai under indigenous empires
The islands were incorporated into the Maurya Empire under Emperor Ashoka of Magadha in the third century BCE. The empire's patronage made the islands a centre of Hindu and Buddhist religion and culture.[5] Buddhist monks, scholars, and artists created the artwork, inscriptions, and sculpture of the Kanheri Caves in the mid third century BCE[8] and Mahakali Caves.[9] After the decline of the Maurya Empire around 185 BCE, these islands fell to the Satavahanas.[10] The port of Sopara(present-day Nala Sopara) was an important trading centre during the first century BCE,[11] with trade contacts with Rome.[12]The islands were known as Heptanesia (Ancient Greek: A Cluster of Seven Islands) to the Greek geographer Ptolemy in 150 CE.[13] After the end of the Satvahana rule in 250 CE, the Abhiras of Western Maharashtra and Vakatakas of Vidarbha held dominion over the islands. The Abhiras ruled for 167 years, till around 417 CE.[10] The Kalachuris of Central India ruled the islands during the fifth century,[14] which were then acquired by the Mauryas of Konkan in the sixth and early part of the seventh century.[10] The Mauryas were feudatories of Kalachuris,[10] and the Jogeshwari Caves were constructed during their regime between 520 to 525.[15] The Greek merchant Cosmas Indicopleustes visited Kalyan (near Mumbai) during 530–550.[16] The Elephanta Caves also dates back to the sixth century.[17] Christianity arrived in the islands during the sixth century, when the Nestorian Church made its presence in India.[18] The Mauryan presence ended when the Chalukyas of Badami in Karnataka under Pulakesi II invaded the islands in 610.[19] Dantidurga of the Rashtrakuta Dynasty of Karnataka conquered the islands during 749–750.[10]
The Silhara dynasty of Konkan ruled the region between 810 and 1260.[20] The Walkeshwar Temple was constructed during the 10th century[21] and the Banganga Tank during the 12the century under the patronage of the Silhara rulers.[22] The Italian traveler Marco Polo's fleet of thirteen Chinese ships passed through Mumbai Harbour during May — September 1292.[16][23] King Bhimdev founded his kingdom in the region in the late 13th century[24] and established his capital in Mahikawati (present day Mahim).[25] He belonged to either the Yadava dynasty of Devagiri in Maharashtra or the Anahilavada dynasty of Gujarat.[24] He built the first Babulnath temple in the region and introduced many fruit-bearing trees, including coconut palms to the islands.[26] The Pathare Prabhus, one of the earliest settlers of the city, were brought to Mahim from Patan and other parts of Saurashtra in Gujarat around 1298 by Bhimdev during his reign.[27] He is also supposed to have brought Palshis,[28] Pachkalshis,[28] Bhandaris, Vadvals, Bhois, Agris andBrahmins to these islands. After his death in 1303, he was succeeded by his son Pratapbimba, who built his capital at Marol in Salsette, which he named Pratappur. The islands were wrested from Pratapbimba's control by Mubarak Khan, a self-proclaimed regent of the Khilji dynasty, who occupied Mahim and Salsette in 1318. Pratapbimba later reconquered the islands which he ruled till 1331. Later, his brother-in-law Nagardev for 17 years till 1348. The islands came under the control of the Muslim rulers of Gujarat in 1348, ending the sovereignty of Hindu rulers over the islands.[10]
[edit]Islamic period
Main article: History of Mumbai under Islamic rule
The islands were under Muslim rule from 1348 to 1391. After the establishment of the Gujarat Sultanate in 1391, Muzaffar Shah I was appointed viceroy of north Konkan.[29] For the administration of the islands, he appointed a governor for Mahim. During the reign of Ahmad Shah I (1411–1443), Malik-us-Sharq was appointed governor of Mahim, and in addition to instituting a proper survey of the islands, he improved the existing revenue system of the islands. During the early 15th century, the Bhandaris seized the island of Mahim from the Sultanate and ruled it for eight years.[30] It was reconquered by Rai Qutb of the Gujarat Sultanate.[31] Firishta, a Persian historian, recorded that by 1429 the seat of government of the Gujarat Sultanate in north Konkan had transferred from Thane to Mahim.[32] On Rai Qutb's death in 1429–1430, Ahmad Shah I Wali of the Bahmani Sultanate of Deccan captured Salsette and Mahim.[33][34]
Ahmad Shah I retaliated by sending his son Jafar Khan to recapture the lost territory. Jafar emerged victorious in the battle fought with Ahmad Shah I Wali. In 1431, Mahim was recaptured by the Sultanate of Gujarat.[34] The Sultanate's patronage led to the construction of many mosques, prominent being the Haji Ali Dargah in Mahim, built in honour the Muslim saint Haji Ali in 1431.[35] After the death of Kutb Khan, the Gujarat commandant of Mahim, Ahmad Shah I Wali again despatched a large army to capture Mahim. Ahmad Shah I responded with a large army and navy under Jafar Khan leading to the defeat of Ahmad Shah I Wali.[36] During 1491–1494, the islands suffered sea piracies from Bahadur Khan Gilani, a nobleman of theBahamani Sultanate.[37] After the end of the Bahamani Sultanate, Bahadur Khan Gilani and Mahmud Gavan (1482–1518) broke out in rebellion at the port of Dabhol and conquered the islands along with the whole of Konkan.[31][38][39] Portuguese explorer Francisco de Almeida's ship sailed into the deep natural harbour of the island in 1508, and he called it Bom Bahia (Good Bay).[40] However, the Portuguese paid their first visit to the islands on 21 January 1509, when they landed at Mahim after capturing a Gujarat barge in the Mahim creek.[4] After a series of attacks by the Gujarat Sultanate, the islands were recaptured by Sultan Bahadur Shah.[31]
In 1526, the Portuguese established their factory at Bassein.[41] During 1528–29, Lopo Vaz de Sampaio seized the fort of Mahim from the Gujarat Sultanate, when the King was at war with Nizam-ul-mulk, the emperor of Chaul, a town south of the islands.[42][43][44] Bahadur Shah had grown apprehensive of the power of the Mughal emperor Humayun and he was obliged to sign theTreaty of Bassein with the Portuguese on 23 December 1534. According to the treaty, the islands of Mumbai and Bassein were offered to the Portuguese.[45] Bassein and the seven islands were surrendered later by a treaty of peace and commerce between Bahadur Shah and Nuno da Cunha, Viceroy of Portuguese India, on 25 October 1535, ending the Islamic rule in Mumbai.[44]
Comments
Post a Comment