The descriptive catalog below represents the initial empirical exploration of Mumbai’s urban landscape that catalyzed this entire project. By systematically mapping the physical remnants of colonial infrastructure—from Portuguese ecclesiastical holdings to East India Company fortifications—I isolated the spatial anomalies and institutional regime shifts that define the city’s built environment. This historical base serves as the raw qualitative canvas for the analytical papers that follow, where I formally evaluate these spaces using frameworks of spatial economics, path dependency, and transaction cost theory.
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Introduction
The city I am from was my first fascination. When I was younger, I thought Mumbai was the world, and it ended and began with the sea. As I got a bit older, I learnt about the seven islands and colonisation (in all its ugliness), I realised that history happened all around me in the…
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Bombaim
Although it is not well-known, the colonial history of Bombay began with the Portuguese. The first Portuguese ship sailed into the Bombay harbour in 1508, and by 1534, the Portuguese seized Bombay from Bahadur Shah of Gujarat. At the time, the city was nothing more than a collection of marshy islands with a few fishing…
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Further Reading and Research Sources
Bibliography Architecture & Urban Heritage Colonial Bombay & Early Urban History Institutions & Landmarks Museums, Archives & Cultural Institutions Journalism, Essays & Contemporary Writing Additional Research Sources
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St. Andrew’s Church, Bandra (1575)
The year is 1568, and the Portuguese Jesuits have been given charge of the salty-aired Salsette Island. By 1575, they had built St. Andrew’s Church, but Christianity was still not popular. Enter Brother Manoel Gomes, the Apostle of Salsette. Ordained in 1583, he set about learning the local customs and language. His efforts made Catholicism…
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St. John the Baptist Church, Andheri (1579)
Another notable accomplishment of the Apostle of Salsette is the construction of St. John the Baptist Church in Condita. Builders constructed this church in 1579, and local communities celebrated it widely. In 1840, after a mysterious epidemic wiped out nearby communities, the church was abandoned. After that, nature reclaimed the church one vine at a…
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The Walled City
The islands of Bombay were not a priority for Portugal. When Catherine of Braganza married King Charles II of England in 1661, they gave Britain the seven islands of Bombay as part of the dowry. Even so, Bombay’s potential remained untouched till 1668, when Charles II leased the islands to the East India Company for…
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Bombay Castle
The story of Bombay Castle begins in the 16th century with a Portuguese physician and botanist named Garcia da Orta. When Garcia da Orta received a leasehold of a barren island, he decided to build his home there. In the years that followed, Manor House became the nucleus of the growing Bombay settlement. Manor House…
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St. Thomas’ Cathedral
St. Thomas Cathedral is the oldest Anglican church in Mumbai. It opened in 1718, and its completion marked the formal beginning of the city’s fort area. Builders designed the Cathedral to serve British officers, merchants, and sailors, and it stood at the heart of Bombay’s early civic life. Its importance is reflected in the geography…
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Bhikha Behram Well
Tucked away at the intersection of Veer Nariman Road and Bhaurao Patil Marg lies bhikha Behram Well. This spot usually goes unnoticed in the daily hustle and bustle of the city. Its story begins in 1715 with a poor man turned philanthropist named bhikha Behramji. A young and penniless Behramji was captured by the Marathas…
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Bazaargate Street, Bombay Green, and Horniman Circle
The layers of Bombay’s commercial history are best explained by Bazaargate Street, Bombay Green, and Horniman Circle. Together, they reflect Bombay’s transition from a fortified trading town to a metropolitan financial powerhouse. Bazar Gate was built in 1772 as one of the three main gates of the Fort. As the name suggests, it was home…
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Growth and Philanthropy
The seven islands of Bombay were joined through large-scale reclamation projects throughout the century. In 1803, a fire destroyed most of the Fort area. This gave the British an opportunity to redesign the settlement. They created wider roads and improved sanitation, while introducing formal systems of urban administration and policing. The Maratha Empire fell to…
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Asiatic Society of Mumbai
Perched atop a grand flight of steps lies Bombay’s Town Hall. This imposing neoclassical landmark houses an essential part of Mumbai and India’s heritage conservation: the Asiatic Society Library. The Asiatic Society of Mumbai was founded as the Literary Society of Bombay in 1804, when Sir James Mackintosh gathered a small circle of scholars interested…
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Royal Bombay Yacht Club
Only a few hundred metres away lies the endless expanse of the Arabian Sea. In this corner of the world, it ebbs and floods through the harbour as boats bob on its waves. From where we stand, the sea is flanked by an enormous sandstone structure on one side and an extravagant hotel on the…
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University of Mumbai & Rajabai Clock Tower
The University of Mumbai, established in 1857 following the British “Wood’s Despatch” educational reforms, is one of India’s oldest modern universities. Initially modelled on the University of London, it began as an examining body overseeing affiliated colleges before expanding into teaching and research. It played a key role in shaping higher education in colonial and…
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Flora Fountain and Hutatma Chowk
Standing beside a bustling road is a landmark that has witnessed the evolution of the city for over a century. Its story begins in 1864, when the British unveiled an ornate stone fountain crowned with the Roman goddess Flora. The fountain became a symbol of Victorian Bombay’s civic pride and growing commercial strength. This vision…
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David Sassoon Library and Reading Room
A group of young mechanics and foremen from the Royal Mint and Government Dockyard formed the Bombay Mechanics Institute to promote knowledge and learning. In 1863, Baghdadi Jewish merchant David Sassoon donated ₹60,000 to build a home for the institute. Architects designed the building in the Victorian Gothic style between 1867 and 1870. The institute…
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Bombay High Court
The Bombay High Court is one of the oldest and most significant judicial institutions in India. Established by Royal Charter in 1862, it administered the rule of law through both original and appellate jurisdiction and replaced courts such as the Mayor’s Court and Recorder’s Court. The Court’s iconic Gothic Revival building was completed in 1878.…
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Kala Ghoda
In 1879, the Governor of Bombay, Sir Richard Temple, unveiled a bronze statue of King Edward VII, then Prince of Wales, riding a black horse. London-based sculptor Sir Joseph Boehm created the statue, while Sir Albert Sassoon gifted it to the city. The striking monument eventually gave the area the name it still carries today…
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Bombay, Mumbai
From 1900 to 1947, Bombay underwent rapid industrialisation and urbanisation alongside the development of a strong Indian identity that stood independent of faith. This period witnessed the rise of Indian enterprise and philanthropy within a cosmopolitan colonial framework. Textile mills, shipyards, and docks expanded rapidly, driving economic prosperity and attracting a massive influx of people.…
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Taj Mahal Palace Hotel
Jamsetji Tata founded the Taj Mahal Hotel after being denied entry into a European-only hotel in Bombay. In response, he resolved to build an inclusive, world-class hotel open to all. Construction began in 1900, and the hotel opened on 16 December 1903. The hotel’s architecture combines Moorish, Florentine Renaissance, Oriental, and Rajput styles in a…
A Little Bit of Existence 