1661 A.D. - BOMBAY CEDED TO THE BRITISH AS THE DOWRY OF A PORTUGUESE PRINCESS

The Portuguese did little to develop Bombay commercially. They were unhappy when the islands were included in the dowry of Princess Catherine of Braganza when she married England's Charles' II.

The East India Company had coveted the islands for some years as a potential trading base. But reliable knowledge of Bombay was evidently in short supply. When news of the dowry was released, the Earl of Clarendon, who was the British Lord Chancellor, declared that England had come into possession of the island of Bombay with the towns and castles therein, very close to Brazil.

1665 A.D. - BRITISH OCCUPIED BOMBAY

The British occupied Worli, Mazgaon, Old Woman's Island, Colaba, and the sourthern portion of Parel on February 8, 1665. The Portuguese retained the northern portion of Parel, Mahim and the larger island of Salsette to the north. Although Britain already had trading depots on the subcontinent, the islands were the first crown colony in India.

1687 A.D.- THE EAST INDIA COMPANY MOVED ITS HEADQUARTERS FROM SURAT TO BOMBAY

Governor Gerald Aungier, who foresaw the advantages of Bombay, persuaded the East India Company to move its headquarters from Surat to Bombay. The advantages of Bombay lay in its sheltered harbour and the relative security of its island setting. Failing to convince the directors of the company, he moved to Bombay and went about setting the groundwork for the city. Ultimately, pressure from the Marathas forced the East India Company to shift its base from Surat to Bombay.

1689 A.D. - SIDDI INVADERS LAY SEIGE TO BOMBAY FOR A YEAR

Only two years after the East India Company shifted its base to Bombay, a force of 20,000 Siddis invaded the city. Unopposed, they took control of Mahim and Mazgaon fort s, ransacked the island and forced the British to hole up in Bombay Castle for an entire year. The Britishers had to send envoys to the Mughal leader Aurangzeb to beg for mercy before the siege was lifted.

1715 A.D.- CONSTRUCTION OF BOMBAY FORT BEGAN

The construction of Bombay Fort began during the tenure of Governor Gerald Aungier in 1715 and was completed in 1716. However, the internal structures enclosed by the Fort walls, like Bombay Castel, Apollo Gate and the ramparts, were built during the tenure of Governor Boon between 1715 - 1722. Ramparts ran along what is today known as K. Dubash Marg, M. G. Road, Dr D. Naoroji Road, St George's Road and the coast. The Fort had three fortified entrances - Bazaargate (opposite the GPO), Churchgate (where Flora Fountain now stands) and Apollo Gate (near the Scot's Kirk). The magnificent fort walls enclosed a castle surrounded by a settlement of residential and commercial houses, shops, churches and temples. Due to fear of invasion by the Marathas, the British also constructed a moat around the Fort area in 1743, which they named 'Maratha Moat'. The Fort area was severely damaged in a major fire in 1803 and finally demolished in 1860.

1718 A.D. - ST. THOMAS' CATHEDRAL WAS BUILT

The foundation of the Cathedral was laid in 1672, during the governorship of Gerald Aungier. It was not completed until Christmas day in 1718. The actual construction work began when Chaplain Richard arrived during the tenure of Governor Cobbe. Richard persuaded his countrymen to complete the construction of the church, particularly because the Catholics, Hindus, Muslims and Parsis had places of worship, while the colonial elite who were supposed to be a leading example, had none. It was consecrated in 1816 and became a cathedral in 1837. St Thomas' Cathedral is the oldest British church in Bombay and only after it the Church Gate to the Fort was named.

1736 - NUSSERWANJI WADIA BEGAN SHIPBUILDING OPERATIONS IN BOMBAY

Once the Britishers moved their trading operations from Surat to Bombay in the second part of the 18th Century, they coaxed the Parsi shipbuilder Nusserwanji Wadia from Surat to establish the town's shipyards. His family had constructed approximately 400 vessels in Bombay over the next 150 years, including frigates for the opium trade. Made from Malabar teak, these successful ships threatened the profitability of the English shipbuilding industry.