The Colonial History of Mumbai

Bombay

If you know the colonial history of Mumbai, then you probably know that its old name was Bombay. The city only adopted the name of Mumbai in 1995 which may explain why outsiders still get confused as to where Bombay is and what is Mumbai. A resident of Bombay/Mumbai may either be known as a Bombayite (when referring to Bombay) or a Mumbaikar (if using the new name Mumbai.)

East India Company

The East India Company played an important role in the colonial history of Mumbai because Queen Elizabeth I of England granted it an English Royal Charter back in 1600. This English Royal Charter allowed the East India Company to gain advantageous trading privileges over India. Eventually, the East  India Company was able to acquire auxiliary military and governmental functions, aside from its trading  functions, so that it was able to effectively rule over India.