London A shipwreck holding silver worth £150million has been discovered in the Atlantic — the largest amount of precious metal ever found at sea. About 200 tons of the bullion sank off Ireland with British cargo steamer the SS Gairsoppa when it was hit by a German torpedo in 1941. But it has now been found by US treasure hunters hired by UK Department for Transport.They will now attempt to salvage the silver and will have to hand 20% of its value to the British Treasury. Treasure hunter: The RV Odyssey Explorer, bristling with high-tech equipment, which went looking for and found the wreck of the Gairsoppa The US team lowered a robot 2.9 miles to the seabed and it found a gaping hole in the side of the ship where the torpedo had struck 70 years ago. Greg Stemm, chief executive of underwater archaeology and salvage firm Odyssey Marine Exploration, said: “We were fortunate to find the shipwreck sitting upright, with the holds open and easily accessible. “This should enable to us to unload cargo through the hatches, as would happen with a ship alongside a cargo terminal.” Valued then at 600,000 pounds, the silver today is worth about £150million, which would make it history's largest recovery of precious metals lost at sea, Odyssey said. After a competitive tender process the British government awarded Odyssey an exclusive salvage contract for the cargo, and under the agreement Odyssey will retain 80 percent of the silver bullion salvaged from the wreck. In May 2007, Odyssey announced it had found half a million silver coins and hundreds of gold objects from a ship they code-named the "Black Swan," which went down in 1804 off the Strait of Gibraltar. The find is being contested by Spain, which claims the trove. Sunken Treasure Hoard: The ship, which was torpedoed after breaking away from a convoy, was carrying silver • The 125-metre Gairsoppa had been sailing from India back to Liverpool in February 1941 bearing a cargo of silver, pig iron and tea, and was in a convoy of ships when a storm struck. • Running low on fuel, the Gairsoppa broke off from the convoy and set a course for Galway, Ireland. • It was hit by a German torpedo in the contested waters of the North Atlantic • Of the 85 people on board, only one survived • The Gairsoppa came to rest nearly 4,700 m below the surface. A previous effort to locate the shipwreck failed. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As late as the 1750s, India had an export surplus; its favourable trade balance was matched by bullion import, as the world had nothing else to offer India in return for its fine textiles. British colonialism reversed this process, first by monopolising trade and then — in the early 19th century — by demolishing Indian industry. During the period when British trade established supremacy, goods were exported by India but the bullion never reached the country. British merchants purchased goods in rupee receipts in India, and exchanged them abroad for bullion. Much before Dadabhai Naoroji and the so-called ‘modern nationalist’ school came up with a figure for India’s drain of wealth, Mughal chroniclers had put it at more than 100,000 million pound sterling per annum. Dadabhai NAVROJIproved that the average annual income of an Indian was barely Rs 20. Examining the import and export figures for 37 years, he proved that India's exports exceeded its imports by Rs 50 crores (approximately $135 million) annually. In fact, bullion owed to India helped finance England’s Industrial Revolution. Then, in order to flood Indian markets with European goods, India was de-industrialised. From being a supplier of luxury goods, it was turned into an exporter of raw material. Between 1820 and 1840, de-industrialisation closed down more than 12,000 markets, controlled and operated by peasants and small entrepreneurs in northern India The ideological moorings of imperialism have been many. From liberal
tradition of orientalism to that of not so good utilitarianism. All
these affected the political as well as the economic fabric. The
imperial powers started as trading organisations and later developed
into full fledged political powers. This transformation was to a large
extent based on the control over resources. In India's context, this had
meant things like:
# Use of territorial revenue by British trading company as 'investment',
whereby during the eighteenth century, it would use the territorial
revenue of Bengal to buy goods from Bengal and export that to Europe,
and would show that this money was their 'investment' in India!
#Trade imbalance that had gradually transformed India from an exporting
country in goods like Cotton to that of an importing country of cotton.
#Transfer of wealth in form of invisibles eg. transfer of profit,
pensions, cost of maintenance of Office of Secy etc all these coming
from Indian revenue.
Destruction of handicraft industries (during the later eighteenth
century), when the industrial revolution had only just started~ and
perhaps the societies were poised in a balanced way. This is also
related to an important phenomena of "proto-industrialisation" and
"deindustrialisation". # Destruction of technological industries like shipping in the early nineteenth century. Here it is interesting to note that shipping of India was not outdone by any Western technology, but by the non-technological political policies made in Britain. Scholars like Gunder Frank also puts the western superiority in areas like shipping only by 1840s. All these meant technological impoverishment in the long run Churchill's legacy leaves Indians questioning his hero status ...www.bbc.com › news › world-asia-india-53405121 Jul 20, 2020 — A cyclone and flooding in Bengal in 1942 triggered the famine. But the policies of Sir Winston Churchill and his cabinet are blamed for making ... Sep 8, 2017 — 5. Famines in India. Between 12 and 29 million Indians died of starvation while it was under the control of the British Empire, as millions of tons of ... Bengal famine of 1943 - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org › wiki › Bengal_famine_of_1943 The Bengal famine of 1943 was a famine in the Bengal province of British India during World ... Aid increased significantly when the British Indian Army took control of ... given provincial governments in November 1941 under the Defence of India Act, 1939. ... Poverty and Famines: An Essay on Entitlement and Deprivation. Famine had been a recurrent feature of life the Indian sub-continental countries of India, ... The first major famine that took place under British rule was the Bengal Famine of 1770. ... place in the historiography of famine due to Sen's classic work of 1981 titled Poverty and Famines: An Essay on Entitlement and Deprivation. Apr 16, 2019 — PDF | During British rule India and other colonial coutries were visited by devastating and recurrent famines.During ... poverty, chronic hunger and starvation. Over nine ... 1918-19, 1920-21, 1936-38, 1939-40, 1941-43 and 1946- WHEN INDIA WAS STARVING AND DYING BRITISH COLONIAL RULERS WERE TAKING SILVER OUT OF THE COUNTRY IN A HURRY FOR 2ND WORLD WAR! |
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Finder takes 80% AND (colonial) thief takes 20% . none for the owner(India under slave/colonial rule)---NEWS OFWW II shipwreck found, with £155m treasure on board
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
More photos of Bombay
ALL PHOTOS REMOVED BY HACKER -NOW REPUBLISHING
Approach of the Monsoon, Bombay Harbour[VIEW FROM
MALABAR HILL OF BOMBAY]
View of Bombay Harbour
Panoramic view of Bombay taken from Chinchpoogly hill, Parel, looking towards Cumballa hill and Warli
View of Bombay, from Malabar Hills, with the Island of Caranjah and part of the Indian Continent in the Distance
The Stranger's Lines, Esplanade, showing part of the old ramparts of the Fort, Bombay
and guns
View of Bombay from colaba island in 1773--Artist: Forbes, James Medium: Engraving Date: 1813-- THE FORT WALLS AND THE ST THOMAS CATHEDRAL CAN BE SEEN
'Bombay Esplanade from our(soldier's) Tents. March 1870'.[MALABAR HILL WITH JUST A FEW BUNGALOWS AND GOVERNOR'S BUNGALOW can be seen ]
A depiction of Maratha grabs attacking an English ship in the early eighteenth century. Malabari seamen had used similar country craft in their raids on Portuguese shipping. Reproduced from John Biddulph, The Pirates of Malabar and an Englishwoman in India Two Hundred Years Ago (London, 1907), frontispiece.
================================================================
Khandalla, Bombay
View of Bombay Harbour - January 1870
Water-colour painting of Mumbai Harbour by Nicholas Chevalier (1828-1902) in January 1870. Inscribed on the back in pencil is: 'Bombay.'
Originally, Mumbai (Bombay) was composed of seven islands separated by a marshy swamp. Its deep natural harbour led the Portuguese settlers of the 16th century to call it Bom Bahia (the Good Bay). The British Crown acquired the islands in 1661 when Catherine of Braganza married Charles II, as part of her marriage dowry. It was then presented to the East India Company in 1668. The second governor, Gerald Aungier, developed Bombay into a trading port and centre for commerce and inducements were offered to skilled workers and traders to move here. European merchants and shipbuilders from western India were encouraged to settle here and Mumbai soon became a bustling cosmopolitan town.
View of Bombay Harbour. January 1870
View of Bombay Green[ now known as Horniman circle]
Illustrated London News. [Click on image to enlarge it]
. Source: the 1869The Reversing Station, Campoolee, Bombay
Matheran. The Bund
1850s to 1870s (photographed)
Matheran.--Photographer: Unknown Medium: Photographic print Date: 1855A Sketch in the suburbs of the City of Poonah. September 1871'.--Artist: Lester, John Frederick (1825-1915) Medium: Watercolour Date: 1871Water-colour painting of a part of the city of Pune (Poona) by John Frederick Lester (1825-1915) dated September 1871. This is from an album of 30 folios with laid down water-colours made between 1865 and 1877 in Kathiawar, Bombay, Poona, Mahabaleshwar and Savantvadi State. Pune is situated near to the Western Ghats in Maharashtra; it occupies a strategic place on the trade routes between the Deccan and the Arabian Sea and prospered during the early medieval period. Under the 16th century Marathas Pune became the military headquarters and capital of a sovereign state, until its rulers were deposed by the Brahmin Peshwa family who dominated Pune during the 18th century. They ruled until the arrival of the British when the city was used as the headquarters of the Government of Bombay and a major military cantonment. I AM REPUBLISHING PAINTINGS AS IT WAS REMOVED BY UNKNOWN HACKER A Street in the City of Poonah [Pune]. 29th August 1871. George Hogg with me'.The British Library Poonah [Pune]. 29th August 1871 ... 'A Sketch in the suburbs of the City of Poonah. September 1871'.--Artist: Lester, John Frederick (1825-1915) Medium: Watercolour Date: 1871File:Callian, Northern Concan - British Library P155.jpg - Wikimedia CommonsCallian,[KALYAN] Northern Concan--Lithographer: Ackermann, Rudolph (1764-1834) Medium: Lithograph Date: 1820 Posted on: 12 January 2015 View from Malabar Hill - 1800 The view shows the islands of Bombay, part of the village of Mazagaon, and the Mahratta mountains in the background. The top of Belvidere House and Cross Island are on the left; to the right is Fort George. Ships are pictured at anchor in the harbour This is plate 8 from James Wales' 'Bombay Views'. The series was painted for Sir Charles Malet (1752-1815), the British Resident of Poona, who Wales met in Bombay in 1791. . Across the water is Chaul and the Kanheri.'
WALES, James (1747-1795) |
This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons. Information from its description page there is shown below. Commons is a freely licensed media file repository. You can help. |
Summary
Description | English: Photograph of a street in Bombay (Mumbai), Maharashtra, by an unknown photographer, from an album of 40 prints taken in the 1860s. The view taken in the Bombay Fort area in the centre of the business district of Bombay looks along a street lined with commercial premises, including Favre Brothers (jewellers and watch-makers) and the Bombay Times and Standard office in foreground. Bombay, one of the key cities of India, is a major port, busy manufacturing centre and capital of Maharashtra. During British rule, it was the administrative capital of the Bombay Presidency. It extends over a peninsula jutting into the Arabian Sea on the west coast of India. Originally a collection of fishing villages of the Koli community built on seven islands, Bombay was by the 14th century controlled by the Gujarat Sultanate who ceded it to the Portuguese in the 16th century. In 1661 it was part of the dowry brought to Charles II of England when he married the Portuguese princess Catherine of Braganza. The British built up fortifications around Bombay harbour in the 17th century around the original Portuguese settlement. In the 1760s the fortifications were enhanced as the British were engaged in war with France in both Europe and India. By the 19th century the British had established control over India and the fort walls were torn down and the area converted into the central district of Bombay city. |
Date | 1860s |
This view of Churchgate Street, now known as Vir Nariman Road, in the Fort area of Bombay was taken in the 1860s to form part of an album entitled 'Photographs of India and Overland Route'. Churchgate Street runs from Horniman Circle at the east end to what was originally named Marine Drive at the edge of the Back Bay. Churchgate Station, the old General Post Office (now the Telegraph Office) and the Cathedral Church of St Thomas, the oldest still-functioning structure in the city, are all located along its length. However, Churchgate Station and the Post Office were later additions to the street and would not have been in existence at the time of this photograph.
The Mazagaom Bunder, with a vessel stranded [Bombay].--Photographer: Scott, Charles Medium: Photographic print Date: 1850
View of Bombay', after the painting by Lambert & Scott. Mezzotint by Elisha Kirkall, c.1735. Printed for T. & J. Bowles. Presented by Sir George Birdwood.
Etcher: Kirkall, Elisha (c.1682-1742)
Medium: Mezzotint
Date: 1735
Mezzotint with etching of a view of Bombay by Elisha Kirkall dated c.1735 after the painting by George Lambert (1710-65) and Samuel Scott (1701/2-72). Inscribed on the front is: 'To the Honourable the Court of Directors of the United-Company of Merchants of England trading to the East-Indies this view of Bombay done after the Painting in the Court Room of the Company house in Leaden Hall Street is most humbly Dedicated by their Honours most obliged and most devoted Servant John Bowles.'
The area of Bombay was composed of seven islands separated by a marshy swamp and inhabited by Koli fisherman. Its deep natural harbour led the Portuguese settlers of the 16th century to name the settlement Bom Bahia 'the Good Bay'. The British Crown acquired the islands as part of the marriage dowry of Catherine of Braganza when she married Charles II in 1661. Bombay was then presented to the East India Company in 1668. The East India Company’s navy was founded at the beginning of the 18th century to protect shipping against pirates and the maritime Mahratta states. Ships were built both locally and in Britain and eventually the fleet was sufficiently powerful to be able to go into action anywhere between the Red Sea and China. The second governor of Bombay, Gerald Aungier offered inducements for skilled workers and traders to settle here and the town quickly developed into a thriving trading port and commercial centre
Khandalla on the Bhore Ghaut, Bombay.--Photographer: Unknown Medium: Photographic print Date: 1860
his print was taken by an unknown photographer in the 1860s. It shows a view of Khandala, a small hill station in the state of Maharashtra,
Bombay Harbor with guns from Apollo Bunder.--Photographer: Unknown Medium: Photographic print Date: 1855
A photograph of a view of Bombay Harbour from Appolo Bundar from the 'Vibart Collection of Views in South India' taken by an unknown photographer about 1855.The East India Company’s navy was founded at the beginning of the 18th Century to protect shipping against pirates and the maritime Mahratta states. Ships were built in Britain and locally and eventually the fleet was sufficiently powerful to be able to go into action anywhere between the Red Sea and China.
Angria's Colaba.-Photographer: Unknown Medium: Photographic print Date: 1855
Colaba_Causeway_construction,_view_from_Colaba_island,_1826.
Marine Battalion, Esplanade.-BOMBAY-Artist: Gonsalves, Jose M. (fl. 1826-c.1842) Medium: Lithograph Date: 1826
Lithograph of the Marine Battalion at the Esplanade by Jose M. Gonsalves (fl. 1826-c.1842). Plate 4 from his 'Lithographic Views of Bombay' published in Bombay in 1826. Gonsalves, thought to be of Goan origin, was one of the first artists to practice lithography in Bombay and specialised in topographical views of the city. In 1772, the English feared an attack on Bombay by the French and cleared a semi-circular area of land around the fort to provide a clear line of fire. This area was known as the Esplanade. In the southern section of this area, there was a parade ground known as Marine Lines. This view shows a battalion soldiers on parade with military bungalows in the background.
BOMBAY-Back Bay in 1861.-Photographer: Johnson, William Medium: Photographic print Date: 1861
Photograph taken by William Johnson in 1861, of Back Bay in Bombay (Mumbai), Maharashtra, from an album of 40 albumen prints taken in the 1860s. The busy port and industrial hub of Bombay is the capital of Maharashtra. During British rule, it was the administrative capital of the Bombay Presidency. Extending over a peninsula into the Arabian Sea on the west coast of India, Bombay prospered with maritime trade and became the chief commercial centre of the Arabian Sea. Originally a collection of fishing villages of the Koli community built on seven islands, Bombay was by the 14th century controlled by the Gujarat Sultanate who ceded it to the Portuguese in the 16th century. In 1661 it was part of the dowry brought to Charles II of England when he married the Portuguese princess Catherine of Braganza. In the 19th century, Bombay burgeoned with economic activity and grew huge. Land reclamation along Back Bay provided for further development. Back Bay is located at the southeast tip of Bombay, near the fort and central district. In this view local craft are beached in the foreground.
Aquatinter: Clark, J. (fl.1789-1834)
Medium: Aquatint, coloured
Date: 1813
Coloured aquatint of the Fleet under Convoy of H. M.'s Ship 'Chiffone' Captain Wainwright leaving Bombay in Maharashtra by J. Clark (fl.1789-1834) after an original drawing of September 14th 1809 by Robert Temple (fl.early 1800) of the H. M. 65th Regiment and published in London in 1813.
In 1674, Bombay replaced Surat as the headquarters of the English East Company in India. The esplanade, seen in the foreground of this view, provided a clear range of fire from the fort and was added in the 1770s to protect the city from the French.
Back Bay, Bombay.--Photographer: Johnson and Henderson Medium: Photographic print Date: 1855
A photograph of the Back Bay in Bombay from the 'Vibart Collection of Views in South India' taken by Johnson & Henderson about 1855. Originally, Bombay was composed of seven islands separated by a marshy swamp. It’s deep natural harbour led the Portuguese settlers of the 16th Century to call it Bom Bahia (the Good Bay). The British Crown acquired the islands in 1661when Catherine of Braganza married Charles II, as part of her marriage dowry. It was then presented to the East India Company in 1668. The second governor, Gerald Aungier, developed Bombay into a trading port and centre for commerce and inducements were offered to skilled workers and traders to move here. Back Bay is located on the southeast tip of the island near the fort, the central business district and the area known as Colaba.The Back Bay Reclamation Project was originally proposed in 1865, started in 1913, sidelined by government regulations until 1922, abandoned in 1930, proposed again in 1950 and finally completed in 1970.
Bombay Green of 1862.
Thana Fort on the Island of Salsette seen from the mainland - 1782
Wash drawing by A. van der Heen (fl. 1782) of Thana Fort on the Island of Salsette, near Bombay in Maharashtra, seen from the mainland with European figures in the foreground, dated 1782. The image is inscribed on the back in ink:' Thanah Fort on the Island of Salsett taken from the Contenent. A. van der Heen delt ad Vivum, 1782.'
Thana Fort on the Island of Salsette seen from the Esplanade. Camels and European figures in the foreground Artist: Heen, A. van der (fl. 1782) Medium: Wash Date: 1752
Wash drawing by A. van der Heen (fl. 1782) of Thana Fort on the Island of Salsette near Bombay in Maharashtra, seen from the Esplanade, with camels and European figures in the foreground, dated 1782. The image is inscribed on the back in ink: 'Tanah fort taken from the Esplanade. A. van der Heen fecit, 1782.'
View Of Bombay, From Mazagon Hill.--Artist: Gonsalves, Jose M. (fl. 1826--c. 1842) Medium: Lithograph, coloured Date: 1833
Hill Fort, Poorandhur - 1845
Pencil drawing of Purandhar Fort by Alexander Nash (fl. 1834-1846) in 1845. This image is from an album of 19 drawings depicting the monuments of Bijapur and the hill forts of Dejouri and Purandhar, made during a Revenue Survey of the Deccan. Nash served with the Bombay Engineers and from 1836 was mainly employed in the Revenue Survey of the Deccan, first as an assistant and from 1841 as Superintendent.
Purandhar Fort is situated on a basalt cliff commanding a passage through the Western Ghats in Maharashtra. There are actually two forts on this site, Purandhar, the stronger of the two and the lower fort of Wazirgarh, or Vajragad. The fortifications are protected by a wall which is 42 km in extent and relived by three gateways and six bastions. The earliest fortifications on this site date from 1350 and there is also a Mahadev temple near to the Delhi Gate of the fort. Later it became one of the most important strongholds of Shivaji, the independent Hindu king of muslim (Mughal) dominated India and was also a retreat for the Peshwars until in 1818 when it fell to the British under General Pritzler.
Hill Fort, Poorandhur--Artist: Nash, Alexander (fl. 1834-1846) Medium: Pencil on paper Date: 1844
Pencil drawing of Purandhar Fort by Alexander Nash (fl. 1834-1846) between 1844 and 1845
View from Sion Fort --Artist: Wales, James (1747-1795) Medium: Etching, coloured Date: 1800
From the vantage of Sion fort, the view opens out to the island of Mahim, which was occupied by the Portuguese in the 16th century. In the 1670s the convent of Our Lady of Salvation was built on the island, and a Franciscan church constructed in what is now Dadar. In the 17th century, the Englishman John Fryer wrote of a customs house and a guard house on the island.
Street scene in the Fort area, Bombay - 1870
A photograph, from the 'Album of Indian Views', of a street scene in Bombay taken by Bourne and Shepherd in the 1870s. The fort area was named such after the colonial fortifications. The 19th century saw a boom in the cotton industry making Bombay a commercial centre. With the commercial boom and the efforts of the local government the fort area developed a rich legacy of Victorian Gothic architecture. This view is of a street composed of western Indian wooden architecture in a thriving bazaar.
Street scene in the Fort area, Bombay.--Photographer: Bourne and Shepherd Medium: Photographic print Date: 1870
This view is of a street composed of western Indian wooden architecture in a thriving bazaar
View from the Esplanade of Fort George Bombay towards Mazagon'--Date: 1828
showing the view from Fort George in Bombay towards Mazagaon by William Miller (1795-1836) c.1828. Inscribed on reverse: 'View from the Esplenade of Fort George Bombay towards Mazagon'.
Part of the Fort and fort wall, Bombay, 1863.--Photographer: Unknown Medium: Photographic print Date: 1863
Photograph taken shortly before the demolition of the rampart and moat of the Fort in Bombay (Mumbai), Maharashtra, by an unknown photographer, from an album of 40 prints of the 1860s. The busy port and industrial hub of Bombay is the capital of Maharashtra. During British rule, it was the administrative capital of the Bombay Presidency. Extending over a peninsula into the Arabian Sea on the west coast of India, Bombay prospered with maritime trade and became the chief commercial centre of the Arabian Sea. Originally a collection of fishing villages of the Koli communitybuilt on seven islands, Bombay was by the 14th century controlled by the Gujarat Sultanate who ceded it to the Portuguese in the 16th century. In 1661 it passed to the English as part of the dowry brought to Charles II by the Portuguese princess Catherine of Braganza. The British built up fortifications around Bombay harbour in the 17th century around the original Portuguese settlement. In the 1760s the fortifications were enhanced as the British were engaged in war with France in both Europe and India. By the 19th century the British had established control over India and the fort walls were torn down and the area converted into the central district of Bombay city.
Part of the Fort, Bombay in 1864.--Photographer: Unknown Medium: Photographic print Date: 1864
Photograph with a view looking towards a street of private houses at the Fort perimeter, after the removal of the ramparts, in Bombay (Mumbai), Maharashtra, taken by an unknown photographer, from an album of 40 prints of the 1860s. The busy port and industrial hub of Bombay is the capital of Maharashtra. During British rule, it was the administrative capital of the Bombay Presidency. Extending over a peninsula into the Arabian Sea on the west coast of India, Bombay prospered with maritime trade and became the chief commercial centre of the Arabian Sea. Originally a collection of fishing villages of the Koli communitybuilt on seven islands,
Bombay was by the 14th century controlled by the Gujarat Sultanate who ceded it to the Portuguese in the 16th century. In 1661 it passed to the English as part of the dowry brought to Charles II by the Portuguese princess Catherine of Braganza. The British built up fortifications around Bombay harbour in the 17th century around the original Portuguese settlement. In the 1760s the fortifications were enhanced as the British were engaged in war with France in both Europe and India. By the 19th century the British had established control over India and the fort walls were torn down and the area converted into the central district of Bombay city.
Street in Bombay Fort.--Date: 1860--Photographer: Unknown
Photograph of a street in the Fort area of Bombay (Mumbai), Maharashtra, by an unknown photographer, from an album of 40 prints taken in the 1860s. Bombay, one of the key cities of India, is a major port, busy manufacturing centre and capital of Maharashtra. During British rule, it was the administrative capital of the Bombay Presidency. It extends over a peninsula jutting into the Arabian Sea on the west coast of India. Originally a collection of fishing villages of the Koli community built on seven islands, Bombay was by the 14th century controlled by the Gujarat Sultanate who ceded it to the Portuguese in the 16th century. In 1661 it was part of the dowry brought to Charles II of England when he married the Portuguese princess Catherine of Braganza. The British built up fortifications around Bombay harbour in the 17th century around the original Portuguese settlement. In the 1760s the fortifications were enhanced as the British were engaged in war with France in both Europe and India. By the 19th century the British had established control over India and the fort walls were torn down and the area converted into the central district of Bombay city.
The Fort, Bombay, Harbour face wall,- 1863.--Date: 1863--Photographer: Unknown
North-west view of the fort of Bombay--Date: 1826--Artist: Westall, william (1781-1850)
Fort area was mainly known as the Bombay city in the history and today known as a popular part of town area. Other famous places in and around Fort area is Bombay Stock Exchange, Kala Ghoda, Churchgate station, CSMT railway station, Flora fountain and many more.
There was a marriage treaty between Portuguese and Britishers. In 1661 Prince Charles II of England was married to Infanta Catherine de Braganza, sister of the King of Portugal. Under this treaty the Bombay island was gifted as dowry by the Portuguese to the British.
After the handover of Bombay islands in 1665, the Deputy British Viceroy Humphrey Cooke, after taking the charge, he built a 50 metres fort wall installing upto 20 cannons on it. This was the first step of defence against the Marathas and the Dutch.
In 1715 the fort was expanded by Charles Boone, the Governor of Bombay. It was completed in 1722 with three gates: 1) Bazar gate (opposite GPO).2) Church gate (near Flora fountain) 3) Apollo gate (between St.Andrew’s Church and Rampart Row). That time the Fort area was considered as main city. It was built to protect city from invasion of Marathas. After thirty years for more safety purpose a ditch was constructed around the fort.
Until the mid-nineteenth century, Mumbai meant essentially the Fort and outside it were numerous villages like Mazagaon, Byculla, Mahim and Matunga. Outside the Fort walls was the ‘Black Town’ set amidst coconut trees. This also included the present. Girgaon and Bhuleshwar areas.
The Fort Wall, with its twelve bastions mounted with guns, ran from the sea to the Lion Gate then westwards upto the present University buildings and turned north, following Mahatma Gandhi Road (Honrby Road) upto V.T., then turning to
This is plate 17 from Robert Melville Grindlay's 'Scenery, Costumes and Architecture chiefly on the Western Side of India'. Grindlay (1786-1877) was only 17 when he arrived in India in 1803. He served with the Bombay Native Infantry from 1804 to 1820 and during this period made a large collection of sketches and drawings.
Referring to the fort of Bombay, Grindlay wrote: "The fortifications which were originally commenced by the Portuguese, and subsequently improved by the English, though very strong particularly towards the sea, are too extensive, and require a very large garrison. That part represented in the plate is the north-west extremity, and exhibits a remarkable accumulation of threatening embrasures, commanding the approach from the northern part of the island".
By the middle of the 18th century, the fort area had became too congested and setllements moved outside its walls, with the governor moving in 1750 to Parel. Much of the area was gutted in the great fire of 1803, the year Grindlay arrived.
The fort walls
Source: Internet.
7) Boone also established a fleet called ‘Bombay Marine’. This was a sea service of the E.I.C. to invite frigates from Surat. This was also done to persuade the King of England to dispatch a special Naval fleet and accordingly a squadron arrived from England. The vessels were built by the Parsi shipbuilders Wadias.
8) In 1739, North Konkan including Bassein fell in the hands of the Marathas. Fearing an attack on Bombay also the British got a ditch built around the Bombay fort. The ditch took three years to be built.
9) In 1756 the fort defenses were strengthened and all trees within 120 yards of the outer wall were cut down. The Portuguese church was destroyed and more walls added.
10) In 1760 a new practice was started. There was daily gunfire at dawn and sunset, and the main gates of the fort were opened and shut. In the same year the Esplanade was cleared in the fort, and the British armory was moved from Bombay fort to Mazgaon.
11) The northern side of the Bombay fort was dominated by Dongri hill where the Dongri fort stood (destroyed in 1716). The Siddis in 1689 from the Dongri fort and the Marathas in 1739 from the Dongri hill attacked the Bombay fort. Hence the Dongri hill was considered a danger to the Bombay fort and so was blown up in 1764. Later in 1769-70 a new fort called St. George was built on the debris and was linked to the old one. It was named after the British King George III. This fort had 4 bastions called Tank, Flag Staff, North-east and Magazine.
Interior of Fort,--Date: 1855-- Bombay.-[before fort walls removed] Also Notes on the life inside Bombay fort
1841, February 24th.
— Bombay street notes:-
"The Fort is now a second Augean stable — heat suffocating.
March 24th.
—" We are informed that H. E. has directed that the oval space called Bombay Green, in the centre of which the statue of the Marquis Cornwallis now stands, is to be neatly laid out and railed in as a garden
Sir Robert Grant
suggested the planting of all the roadsides with trees. Now un fait accompli, well and truly done."
October 12th. —
" The unhealthy position of the Colaba Barracks is now fully demonstrated." All nonsense. The two Napiers put this all to right.
1849, February 16th. —
" Our nuisances are the barking of pariah dogs at night. Ferocious dogs attack people at ChurCH Gate at night." I am afraid they are like the poor, " always with us."
1850, September. —
" Eumour that Elephanta is to be turned into a tavern and ball-room." More nonsense.
The next fond anticipation has been answered by the custodians
1850:-
locking the Elphinstone Garden gates at sundown. " Bombay Green — a swamp in monsoon and a receptacle of stones and dust in fine weather. Shall we ever see fond lovers there, sitting under the shade of umbrageous trees " ?
November. —
" Children not burned, but buried in the sands of Back Bay."
1851, May. —
"The moat round Bombay, 2| miles in length, is now dry from end to end, and was never dry before."
1852, June 18th. —
" The Fort is no cleaner nor more savory than it was in your time " (say 1832).
1852, April 11th. —
" A monster petition to the Court of Directors, London, from the inhabitants of Bombay, against any building being erected on Bombay Green.Copy sent to every firm or individual in England who knew Bombay."
1853, November 19th. —
" Saw a corpse strung by four cords jostled through the streets to its shallow hole in the sands of Back Bay."
1854. —
"Hornby Eow is one of the filthiest streets in Bombay." Many letters in the papers on the Main Drain Nuisance.
August 19th. —
" The Town Hall is now in a very dirty condition ; the stairway the resort of idle gamblers and so forth.
November. —
" Corpses floating in harbour after the Great Storm. Public notice to abstain from fish, as was done in 1827 and '37."
1856, September 9th. —
" Vehar works in progress."
1857, October 20th. — " Dr. Buist proposes to cover the main
drain." A most earnest and useful man. Who knows if the
seeds of his illness and death were not sown in such foul
surroundings ?
1858, May 15th. —
" The sanitary condition of Bombay is a disgrace to us all."
1859, May 17th.—
" Ditch fearfully foul."
1860, February 29th. —
"From Colaba Church to the light- house the stink might be cut with a knife.
" May 3rd. — "A
(THE BLACK DEATH)[PLAGUE DEATH]
Goanese corpse from the Jejeebhoy Hospital was left at Sonapore Churchyard and eaten by vultures and dogs."
Government House, Fort, Bombay--Date: 1826--Artist: Gonsalves, Jose M. (fl. 1826-c.1842)
Monday, May 23, 2016
History of Government House in Bombay {official residence of the Governor} 1700 - 2016
Lithograph of the Government House in the Fort in Bombay by Jose M. Gonsalves (fl. 1826-c.1842). Plate 2 from his 'Lithographic Views of Bombay' published in Bombay in 1826. Gonsalves, thought to be of Goan origin, was one of the first artists to practice lithography in Bombay and specialised in topographical views of the city.
The location of the Government House in Bombay changed several times. Originally, the Government House was located in Bombay Castle.
The second Government House, shown in this view, was situated in the fort area on Apollo Street and functioned as the official residence of the Governor until 1829.
below:- Apollo street of Bombay fort
Scotch Church, Court-House, and entrance to the Dock-Yard [Bombay].--Photographer: Scott, Charles Medium: Photographic print Date: 1850--
THE ICE HOUSE NEXT TO THE CHURCH (DOMED STRUCTURE);WHERE ICE IMPORTED BY SHIP WAS STORED;TILL ICE MAKING WAS DISCOVERED ;NEXT BUILDING IS LAW COURT
Photograph from 'Views in the island of Bombay' by Charles Scott,1850s. This is a view looking north along Apollo Street from the Apollo Gate towards the dockyards entrance on the right. The Scotch Church stands in the left foreground, with Hornby House beyond. The classic Georgian style Saint Andrew's or Scotch Kirk was completed in 1819. Hornby House, which initially began as a residence to the Governor Hornby, served as the Law Court until the late 1870s when it became the Great Western Hotel. Between this building and the church, stands the domed Ice-House, erected by subscription in 1843 for the consignments of ice which were imported regularly and sold to the public. When ice began to be manufactured in Bombay the Ice-House lost its purpose and was used as a godown until it was demolished years later.
A PALKHI WALA (PALANQUIN CARRIER)CAN BE SEEN SITTING NEXT TO THE PALKHI ;NEAR CHURCH STEPS.THE ROAD LEADS TO THE 'CHURCH GATE' OF THE BOMBAY FORT WALL
Apollo Gate, Bombay. 1833 below:- The third Government House at Parel had already been used as a Country retreat for the Governor from 1719. |
The third Government House at Parel had already been used as a Country retreat for the Governor from 1719. Day & Son from Sir Harry Darrell's China, India and the Cape London, 1852. Proof. > Large image
'Parell. The Government House, Bombay'. Lithograph by Day & Son from Sir Harry Darrell's China, India and the Cape London, 1852. Proof.
'Parell. The Government House, Bombay'. Lithograph by Day & Son from Sir Harry Darrell's China, India and the Cape London, 1852. Proof.
'Parell. The Government House, Bombay'
'Parell. The Government House, Bombay'. Lithograph by Day & Son from Sir Harry Darrell's China, India and the Cape London, 1852. Proof.
In the 1880s, the location of the Government House was moved once again to Malabar Point.
Below:- government house at malabar hill 1850's
Once tigers, maha ..
Government House Raj Bhavan Bhawan Walkeshwar Malabar Hill Bombay Mumbai Maharashtra India Indian Asia Asian old vintage 1900s pictureCaptions are provided by our contributors
Bombay. On the Walkeshur Road. Viceregal carriage and mounted escort passing along the road- Lord Curzon's visit to Bombay
1858-BOMBAY FORT
*"Visit of the Viceroy of India to the Sassoon Dock at Bombay," from the Illustrated London News, 1865*
Lithograph of the Government House in the Fort in Bombay by Jose M. Gonsalves (fl. 1826-c.1842). Plate 2 from his 'Lithographic Views of Bombay' published in Bombay in 1826. Gonsalves, thought to be of Goan origin, was one of the first artists to practice lithography in Bombay and specialised in topographical views of the city.
This view of the Government House in the fort area of Bombay was taken from Bombay Green. On the right is the monument to Marquis Cornwallis, the Governor-General and Commander in Chief in India from 1786 to 1793. The location of the Government House in Bombay changed several times. Originally, the Government House was located in Bombay Castle. The second Government House, shown in this view, was situated in the fort area on Apollo Street and functioned as the official residence of the Governor until 1829. The third Government House at Parel had already been used as a Country retreat for the Governor from 1719. In the 1880s, the location of the Government House was moved once again to Malabar Point.
Scen
e in Bombay--Date: 1826--Artist: Grindlay, Robert Melville (1786-1877)st Thomas cathedral seen
Scene in Bombay--Date: 1826--Artist: Grindlay, Robert Melville (1786-1877)st Thomas cathedral seen
Grindlay explains that in 1811, the Bombay 'Green' was "an irregular area, surrounded by various public buildings and originally intended for the Garrison-Parade; but occupied during the dry season by vast piles of cotton bales, marine stores, and various bulky articles of merchandise."
Grindlay explains that in 1811, the Bombay 'Green' was "an irregular area, surrounded by various public buildings and originally intended for the Garrison-Parade; but occupied during the dry season by vast piles of cotton bales, marine stores, and various bulky articles of merchandise."
Bombay fort' General view of Bombay. Arthur Willmore --Date: 1840
Engraving of a general view of Bombay by Arthur Willmore (1814-88) after Thomas Allom (1804-1872) and dated c.1840. The area of Bombay was originally composed of seven islands. In 1661, these islands were acquired by the British Crown from the Portuguese as part of the marriage dowry of Catherine of Braganza when she married Charles II. From 1668, the East India Company leased the land from the British Crown and developed the area as a trading port. A manor house of the Portuguese, situated on Bombay Island, provided a suitable site for the fort. A custom house, warehouse, quay and fortifications were also built soon after. In the 18th century, the town surrounding the fort was developed. This included the contruction a number of public buildings, the creation of outer fortifications and the clearance of land surrounding this area. In this view, the flagstaff within this area is shown. By the 1860s, the need for military defence lessened and Governor Sir Bartle Frere demolished the fort walls. As a result, Bombay underwent an ambitious phase of building in the Victorian style.
'View in Basseen Fort'. Captain James Barton's 12 Views of Hill Forts in the Western Ghats near Bombay, London, c.1820.
A TEMPLE NEAR TO PORTUGESE CHURCHES IN THE BASSEIN FORT[VASAI FORT]1820
Coloured lithograph of a view in Bassein Fort by Rudolph Ackermann (1764-1834) after Captain James Barton (1793-1829) plate 7 of Barton's 12 Views of Hill Forts in the Western Ghats near Bombay published in London c.1820. Bassein (Vasai) is situated at the mouth of the Ulhas River north of Bombay. In 1534, the Portuguese seized Bassein from Bahadur Shah, the Sultan of Gujarat, and the town remained in their control for just over 200 years. At the height of its prosperity, Bassein had 5 convents and 13 churches. In 1739, Bassein was taken by the Marathas. In 1802, the British secured the Treaty of Bassein with Peshwa Baji Rao II, which allowed British forces to be stationed in Maratha territory.
Sewri Fort, Bombay, looking across to Trombay Island. An officer, probably a self portrait, is shown sketching
Date: 1828--Artist: Miller, William (1795-1836)
Pen and ink drawing of Sewri Fort in Bombay looking across to Trombay Island by William Miller (1795-1836) in 1828.The image is inscribed: 'Suree from below the Band hill. Bandalah. W.M. December 1828'.
Sewri Fort was located on the eastern shore of Parel Island and constructed in 1770. Parel Island, along with Trombay, was one of seven that originally made up the area of Bombay. The artist, William Miller, had a house at Parel. It was located at Vadalla between the towns of Sewri and Matunga. In this view an officer is shown sketching on the left. This figure is probably a self portrait of the artist.
A view at Calbadavie [Bombay].--Date: 1850--Photographer: Scott, Charles
Photograph of Kalbadevi, Bombay from 'Views in the island of Bombay' by Charles Scott,1850s. The area of Kalbadevi was named after the shrine dedicated to the goddess Kali in this area. In the 18th and 19th century, Hindu immigrants from Gujarat, Kathiawar, Kutch and Marwar moved to Bombay to escape famine and drought in their homelands and settle in Bombay, where there was economic growth and prosperity. Kalbadevi was one of the areas where they settled. Some of the houses drew inspiration from Gujarat or Rajasthan, the areas where the residents came from. Kalbadevi was also a busy commercial centre with the Gujarati and Marwari Jewellers conducting their business and as a centre for trade in cotton and metals.
Cotton stores, Bombay.-Date: 1855-Photographer: Johnson and Henderson
A photograph of a view of a cotton warehouse, Bombay from the 'Vibart Collection of Views in South India' taken by an unknown photographer about 1855.Before the mid 19th Century, India used to export cotton to Britain, and then reimport cloth. The impetus towards the founding of a cotton industry came from Indian entrepreneurs; the first mill, ‘The Bombay Spinning Mill’, was opened in 1854 in Bombay by Cowasji Nanabhai Davar. Opposition from the Lancashire mill owners was eventually offset by the support of the British manufacturers of textile machinery. Cotton exports from India took off during the American Civil War, when supplies from the USA were interrupted.
Bombay, from Malabar Hill-date: 1855--Photographer: Johnson and Henderson
A photograph of a view of Bombay from Malabar Hill from the 'Vibart Collection of Views in South India' taken by an unknown photographer about 1855. Originally, Bombay was composed of seven islands separated by a marshy swamp. It’s deep natural harbour led the Portuguese settlers of the 16th Century to call it Bom Bahia (the Good Bay). The British Crown acquired the islands in 1661when Catherine of Braganza married Charles II, as part of her marriage dowry. It was then presented to the East India Company in 1668. The second governor, Gerald Aungier, developed Bombay into a trading port and centre for commerce and inducements were offered to skilled workers and traders to move here.
please note:- The second governor, Gerald Aungier, developed Bombay into a trading port and centre for commerce and inducements were offered to skilled workers and traders to move here.
BOMBAY-1850-MALABAR HILL -Photographer: Scott, Charles
Photograph looking at the eastern part of Malabar Hill, Bombay from 'Views in the island of Bombay' by Charles Scott,1850s. Malabar Hill, the highest point in Bombay, is where the Silhara Kings (r.810-1260) founded the original Walkeshwar Temple. The temple was destroyed by the Portuguese and rebuilt in 1715 by Rama Kamath. By 1860, the temple attracted many people and there were 10 to 20 other temples around it and 50 dharamshalas. Fairs were held near the temple.
Mountstuart Elphinstone built the first Bungalow in Malabar Hill during his governorship from 1818 to 1827. After this many more people built houses here and the area became a posh locality which it still remains.
WILD ANIMALS INCLUDING TIGERS WERE REPORTED ON MALABAR HILL 1850
Bombay 1881-VIEW FROM MALABAR HILL was possibly taken looking east from Cumbala Hill.
BASSEN FORT(VASAI FORT) BOMBAY-1780
The British Library says that it is a "Pen-and-ink and wash drawing of the Fort of Bassein in Maharashtra by Charles Reynolds (c.1756-1819) in 1780.
BOMBAY-1675-PEOPLE AND BUSINESS
Proceeding roughly south to north, the seven islands ceded by the Portuguese to the British were
|
British soldiers captured these islands only in 1665, and a treaty was signed in the manor house on the island of Bombay.
The first four governors held Bombay for the Crown:-
1 | Abraham Shipman | 19 March 1662 | October 1664 | 2 | |
2 | Humphrey Cooke | February 1665 | 5 November 1666 | 1 | Acting |
3 | Gervase Lucas | 5 November 1666 | 21 May 1667 | 1 | |
4 | Henry Gary | 22 May 1667 | 23 September 1668 | 1 | Acting |
1 | George Oxeden | 23 September 1668 | 14 July 1669 | 1 | ||
2 | Matthew Gray | 14 July 1669 | 7 June 1672 | 3 | Acting | |
3 | Gerald Aungier | 7 June 1672 | 30 June 1677 | 5 | ||
4 | Henry Oxenden | 30 June 1677 | 27 October 1681 | 4 | ||
5 | John Child | 27 October 1681 | 27 December 1683 | 2 | ||
6 | Richard Keigwin | 27 December 1683 | 19 November 1684 | 1 | Acting | |
7 | Charles Zinzan | 19 November 1684 | 1685 | 1 | Acting | |
8 | John Wyborne | 1685 | 2 May 1687 | 2 | Acting | |
9 | John Child | 2 May 1687 | 4 Feb 1690 | 3 | ||
10 | Bartholomew Harris | 4 February 1690 | 10 May 1694 | 4 | ||
11 | Daniel Annesley | 10 May 1694 | 17 May 1694 | Acting | ||
12 | John Gayer | 17 May 1694 | November 1704 | 10 |
Aungier planned extensive fortifications from Dongri in the north to Mendham's Point (near present day Lion Gate) in the south. However, these walls were only built in the beginning of the 18th century. The harbour was also developed, with space for the berthing of 20 ships. In 1686, the Company shifted its main holdings from Surat to Bombay.
Life India-- Elephants Stable--Bullock powered Mill---Bullock cart --
Hill Fort of Mhowle-Lithographer: Ackermann, Rudolph (1764-1834) Medium: Lithograph Date: 1820
Coloured lithograph of the Hill Fort of Mhowle in the Western Ghats in Maharashtra by Rudolph Ackermann (1764-1834) after an original drawing by Captain James Barton (1793-1829). Plate 8 of 'Captain James Barton's 12 Views of Hill Forts in the Western Ghats near Bombay' published in London c.1820. The Western Ghats are a range of hills that reach from the state of Maharashtra to Tamil Nadu and separate Bombay, on the western coast, from central India. This view shows a British encampment in front of a large outcrop of rock at Mowle. The artist, Captain James Barton, was an artillery officer who served in the third Anglo-Maratha war in 1817-19.
Hill Fort on the Island of Caranjah-near BOMBAY-Artist: Forbes, James Medium: Engraving Date: 1813
From Salsette near Bombay, Forbes(1749-1819) sailed to Karanja and landed about two miles from the principal town, situated between two lofty mountains, on the west. He observed that it was: 'nothing more than a large Mahratta village, with low-straggling houses, near a tank covered with wild ducks and water-fowls, hitherto unmolested by Europeans. On its bank a small fort, a Portuguese church and a Hindoo temple embellished the view. It commands a western view of the town and harbour of Bombay, Salsette and all the adjacent islands, and to the east the mountains of the continent, and nearer plains of Caranjah; abounding in rice-fields, coco-nut, palmyra, mango and tamarind trees, filled with monkeys, parrots, owls, and singing-birds of various kinds'.