Much inaccessible from the reach of historians and marching armies, the secluded island of Mumbai is well-known for being inhabited by humans every single time history chanced on it. Some of the archaeological findings near the city date back to the Stone Age also.
The island is believed to have been ruled by Emperor Ashoka somewhere around the third century BC. It is believed that as the Maghdhan Empire ebbed, it left behind its imprints in the form of some of the Buddhist Monks and a fishermen tribe named the Kolis. Known for making deep sea ventures, these Kolis are staunch devotees of their Stone Goddess, Mumbadevi. The city is believed to have been named after this ancient goddess.
But the city--earlier referred to as Bombay--is known to have changed hands many times. Till the middle of 13th century, these islands were ruled by the Silhara dynasty which is known for having made the Elephanta caves and part of the Walkeshwar temple.
Sources also state that the present day Mahim was also the kingdom of an erstwhile king, Bhimdev. The place was then known as Mahikawati. It is also said that the 13th century was the time when the merchants and agriculturists settled in Mumbai for the first time.
The entire archipelago is supposed to have been under the rule of the Sultan of Gujarat, around 1343. Under the British rule also, Mumbai was the major export hub. As the American Civil war broke out in the year 1861, the port became a major export point of cotton with the opening up of the Suez Canal.
This was a turning point in Mumbai's history as it made the place a major ingredient of the colonial economy. And after India got its independence, the city is on the cloud nine progressing on a fast pace with no looking back.
