Bombay Docks - 19th century

For any colonial legacy to flourish, it requires the support of the colony's settlements either alongside a prospering river or opening itself to large oceans and seas, creating a rich environment for ports and harbors to thrive. When the British Empire expanded on the Indian subcontinent, three harbor towns, Calcutta, Madras, and Bombay, developed exponentially. Today, these cities, now named Kolkata, Chennai, and Mumbai, remain key economic drivers of the country, providing livelihoods to millions of migrants who travel to metropolitan areas from all parts of the country. This post focuses on one particular city that developed in the 19th century, primarily by communities with little connection to Indian culture - Bombay.

In 1661, the King of Portugal bestowed upon King Charles II a unique dowry for his daughter's marriage. As part of this dowry, the King of England received the island of Bombay. The transaction involved the payment of 100 Rupees annually in gold coins. The ceremony took place at Whitehall Palace in London. A confusion arose between the two parties regarding the extent of the territory transferred. While the English assumed control of various islands, such as Oluan or Koluan (Old Woman's Island), Kolaba or Kolvan or Kolbhhat or Colbat (Colaba), Mombayn or Bombay or Bombain or Bombaym or Monbaym or Mombaim or Mombaym or Bambaye or Bombaiim or Bombeye or Boon Bay/Bon Bahia (Bombay), Mazagon (Mazagaon), Shivdi, Sivadi, Shivavadi, Paral, Parali, Perella (Sewri-Parel), Warlee or Varli or Varel or Worlee (Worli), Maijm or Mayam or Mahikavati (Mahim), as well as neighboring islands like Sashti (Salsette), Kaneri (Kanheri), Cross, Gharapuri (Elephanta), and Putachoes or Patacas (Butcher's Island) — collectively referred to as the Bombay Group of Islands — the Portuguese contended that they had only promised a single strip of land known as Bombay. The disagreement centered around the interpretation of the agreed-upon territory.

As soon as the islands were acquired by the British, fortifications at Mazagaon, Sewri, Sion, Mahim, and Worli started in 1670, and the same year, dock construction and the establishment of EIC's navy segment started in what today is called Navy Nagar, Colaba. One of the earliest starting points of today's Gateway of India was then known as Apollo Under, and even before that, it was known simply as Palo. In the 1680s, mint and coin production started with currencies such as Mohurs, Paanchi, Rupiya, Pavlaya, Chavlaya, and copper Paisas distributed, strengthening trade and commerce at the emerging docks. In 1715, the area between Palo Gate (Apollo Bunder), Church (Churchgate), and Bazaar Gate was developed to form the neighborhood of Fort. It was the same period when docks started to expand at the three entry points of Fort neighborhood, although a formal dockyard was established some two decades later in 1735. The next year, 1736, a Parsi shipbuilder Lowjee Nusserwanjee Wadia from Surat, established a shipbuilding company that would change the fate of dockyards not just in Bombay but in the whole of British India.

But the 1730s weren't a silent time for Bombay, and not only were the British interested in establishing their authority over the islands. The 7th Maratha Peshwa Bajirao I, head of the ruling Maratha Empire, was in constant conflict with the invading Portuguese at the harbors of Thana (Thane), Bajipur or Basai or Bassein (Vasai), Ghodbunder, and Sashti (Salsette). This sped up the need for developing docks and harbors as the British felt a double threat from both the Marathas and Portuguese. But when, in 1753, a French attack was tackled by the British around the Bombay Castle, it was decided to form a proper dockyard, leading to the establishment of the Naval Dockyard or the Bombay Dockyard, which is today's Naval Dockyard building in the Fort area.

Over the next two centuries, the eastern coast of Bombay was shaped with dockyards (such as the Peninsular & Orient Steam Navigation Company or P&O), basins (such as Clerk, Frere, Malet, etc.), and piers such as Kasara and Mazagaon, neighboring the Great Indian Peninsula Railway Harbour Branch joining the majestic Victoria Terminus (Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus). A 19th-century map of the old city shows a range of neighborhoods near these basins and warehouses that no longer exist today, replaced by new establishments. Lakdi Bunder and Coal Bunder exist today as roads, but the Framji Petit Mill adjoining to its west is replaced by the ruins of Devidayal Mill and numerous small commercial shops. A Hindu burial ground is marked that's Vaikunthdham Cremation Grounds. Going downwards, the Alcock Ashdown & Company still exists with the name Alcock Yard, next to the Hazrat Peer Saiyed Ali Mira Datar Dargah, and is close to the main Mazgaon Dock and Ritchie Drydock.

It is here that an old (and the only) Chinese temple dedicated to the namesake Kwan Kung exists on Nawab Tank Road, which on the older map is marked as Pedder Market. The temple is a living legacy of several Chinese communities who left the city post the 1962 Sino-Indian War and is the only 'Chinatown' in the city. Next to neighboring buildings are the Port Trust Workshops that are today Mumbai Port Trust Officers Quarters and very close are located the three major docks of the colonial era - the Prince's Dock, Victoria Dock, and Alexandra Dock (renamed as Indira Dock in 1972). The long road that connected all these establishments used to be called Frere Road after Sir Henry Bertle Edward Frere, 1st Baronet, and the Governor of Bombay between 1862 to 1867. Today, this road is divided into the Eastern Freeway and Placid D'Mello Road (or P D'Mello Road), after Placid D'Mello, the founder of Brihanmumbai Municipal Mazdoor Union, BEST workers union, and All India Port & Dock Workers Federation. Between Alexandra Dock and Victoria Dock lies another smaller basin, known as the Carnac Basin, which is now adjacent to the Carnac Bridge located between Masjid and CSMT railway stations and the Yellow Gate terminal of Indira Dock. Towards the end, Alexandra Dock opened to Ballard Pier, named after the British Colonel John Archibald Ballard, the founder of Bombay Port Trust.

The various roads that distributed from the main Frere Road back in the 19th century to the harbor areas were Argyle Road (Sant Tukaram Road), Masjid Road (Yusuf Meher Ali Road), Elphinstone Bridge Road (Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Road), Wari Bunder Road (J Rathod Marg), Nawab Tank Road, Reay Road (P. D'Mello Road), and the Victoria Bridge Road (Sant Savata Mali Marg). The Victoria Bridge Road came from the former Victoria Gardens, which today is Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Botanical Udyan and Zoo, also known as the Byculla Zoo. A Muslim burial ground close to the zoo still exists by the name of Nariyalwadi Qabarstan, which is mentioned on the old map as simply, 'Mohammedan Cemetery.' But the adjacent former mills such as Jumna, Emperor, and Edward are now populated by a mosque (Hatemi Masjid), a Muslim school (Gurfat al-Quran, Anjeerwadi), and several commercial shops. Interestingly, another adjacent cemetery known as Rehmatabad Qabristan was marked as a Jewish Cemetery on older maps. Next to the Nawab Tank Road used to exist a man-made water tank by the name of Bandarwada Reservoir, which is now converted into the Joseph Baptista Garden. The entire Mazgaon-Byculla-Masjid neighbourhood speaks volumes about the colonial dock history of old Bombay that was the backbone of the city's industrial prowess and naval powers.

Alexandra Dock was set in 1914 at Ballard Pier, marking the entrance of 'boat-trains' from Europe to India. And it was here that the Ballard Pier Mole station was inaugurated two years ago in 1912, which was a wharf (today known as Bhaucha Dhakka) that not only used to ferry cargo but also troops and passengers from steamships to destinations in the north, including Karachi. The Punjab Limited train was inaugurated on 1st June 1912 from Ballard Pier Mole station, as a 'limited' service on certain days. It journeyed to Peshawar and took several days to reach there. Today, it is known as the Punjab Mail and takes 36 hours to cover the 1929 kilometers between Mumbai CSMT station and Firozpur Cantonment, Punjab.

There were also lighthouses built in the 19th century not just near the Mazgaon dockyards but also more south of old Bombay. Dolphin Rock (1856), Sunk Rock (1884), Prongs (1874), and Kennery (1867) further away from the harbor towards Alibag. Along with these, the Cross Island (or Chinal Tekdi, literally meaning the hill of prostitutes) hosts an oil refinery and large gas holders and was one fortified by colonial Portuguese and British settlers.

Mumbai harbors in today's times produce a considerable percentage of the city's income that contributes to the overall revenue of the country. Both Mumbai Port Trust and the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) handled a record high of cargo amounting to 63.05 million metric tons in 2017-2018.