Mumbai remains in the news amid the tussle over the name of BMC Mayor.
Mumbai is the economic engine of India, a confluence of multicolored cultures and a metropolis situated on the banks of the Arabian Sea, whose identity is linked not only to the energy of its people but also to its name. Today, when there is a political tussle going on in Mumbai regarding the Mayor elections, it is natural that the name of this city is also being discussed. After all, who called this city Bombay and Bombay? Portuguese or English? And how did the name Mumbai become popular?
The oldest roots of the name that defines Mumbai are found in the local Koli community. The Koli were sea fishermen and were the original inhabitants of this group of islands for a long time. They were people who worshiped the sea and nature.
Ancient roots of the name Mumbai: Mutha Amma, Mumba Devi and Koli culture
Mumba Devi was a popular goddess in Koli society. It is believed that the Koli people used to call their coast the land of Mumba or Mumbadevi. This is the foundation of the name Mumbai. The temple of Mumba Devi is still located in the Bhindi Bazaar area of South Mumbai, and it is also a cultural proof that the name Mumbai was not given by any colonial power, but it was the local, indigenous name of the city. In the later colonial period, this local word gradually changed to Bombay and then Bombay.
BMC Building.
Name Bombay: word derived from local dialect
There are two main historical views regarding the name Bombay.
- Theory of Local Linguistic Change: Kolis and other Marathi-speaking people spoke Muṁbe or Mumbai, which over time became pronounced Bombay in some areas. It is like how Kanchi became Kanchipuram or many other cities of the country.
- Influence of Arabic and Persian traders: In the 13th and 14th centuries, many Arab and Persian traders used to come here, who used to pronounce the local names according to their dialect. In his pronunciation it was natural for words like Mumbai to come out like Bombay.
- Divided into seven islands: During this period, before Portuguese and British rule, this area was divided into seven islands. Mahim, Parel, Worli, Mazgaon, Mumbadevi, Koliwada and Colaba. At that time the collective local name of all these islands was Mumbai.
Bombay developed rapidly during British rule.
Who gave the name Bombay, the Portuguese or the British?
This is one of the most interesting and often misunderstood questions in history. After the year 1498, when the Portuguese became active on the west coast of India, they reached these islands also. In Portuguese documents this place is written as Bom Bahia, which means Good Bay. According to many historians, the Portuguese heard the local word Mumbai and started calling it Bombaim according to their dialect.
The pronunciation Bombaim became popular due to their mixture of Bom Bahia (Bom Baiya) and the local Mumbai. In the year 1661, the Portuguese gave Bombay as dowry to King Charles II of Britain. The British East India Company took it under its control in the year 1668.
To make the Portuguese Bombaim more simple and English-like in the British administration and the English language, Bombay was written. This means that the Portuguese version of the name of this city, which is the financial capital of the country, was Bombaim, the English version was Bombay and the local version was Mumbai / Mumbadevi land. Thus, the name Bombay was standardized by the British, but its roots lie in Portuguese pronunciation.
Taj Hotel, Mumbai.
Bombay emerged as a global port during the British era.
Bombay developed rapidly during British rule. The textile industry emerged here in the 18th and 19th centuries. Harbor developed. Railway and port infrastructure brought it in line with global trading cities such as the Roman Empire or Venice. Bombay gradually became the financial center of India. British rule established the Bombay Presidency, which was a large administrative area. During this period the name of the city Bombay became widely prevalent in world languages and international trade.
The name Mumbai returned in the year 1995
- In 1995, the Shiv Sena and BJP coalition government officially changed the name of Bombay to Mumbai. There are three main reasons behind this.
- The first reason is local identity. To give linguistic and cultural recognition to the original name of the city i.e. Mumba Devi and Koli culture. The second reason was freedom from colonial names.
- In independent India, local names were restored by changing the names of many cities of the country. Madras to Chennai, Calcutta to Kolkata, Poona to Pune etc. In the same sequence it happened from Bombay to Mumbai.
- The third and final reason was that Mumbai is the center of Marathi people. The name Mumbai strengthens that emotional and cultural identity.
Today Mumbai is used in government documents, railway stations, news organizations and in large sections of society, but the word Bombay is still used in some contexts. Like Bombay High Court, Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) or old cultural contexts. This remains a layer of history.
The old name of Mumbai is Bombay which is It is also said to be a mixture of Persian-Arabic-Marathi influence.
Controversy and politics of mayor election
Before the Mayor elections in Mumbai, there is a tussle going on between the BJP and the Shiv Sena Shinde faction included in the Grand Alliance. Despite less number of councilors, Shinde faction wants the post of Mayor and BJP with more councilors has the natural right to the post of Mayor. Time will decide on which side this camel will sit, but regional identity and Marathi sentiments have always been prominent in Mumbai politics.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray wants that the candidate of Eknath Shinde, who broke his party and became CM, should not sit on the post of Mayor. Right now the issue of reservation is also stuck in this election. It will be interesting to see which party will become the mayor? It is possible that a formula of two and a half years may be formed in the BJP-Shiv Sena Shinde faction because the post of Mayor in Mumbai is fixed only for two and a half years.
Three stories of one city
- Mumbai: Name of Koli culture, local tradition and indigenous identity. Originating from Mumba Devi, the actual traditional name of the city.
- Bombay: Commercial tense form of a word originating in the local dialect. It is also said to be a mixture of Persian-Arabic-Marathi influence.
- Bombay: Influenced by Portuguese pronunciation, standardized by the British and a symbol of colonialism, modernity and old business glory.
All three names are not just words, but like layers of time. One local, one commercial and one colonial.
Mumbai is a confluence of identities
Today’s Mumbai is a unique confluence in itself. The economic capital of the country i.e. economic power, the root of Bollywood, diverse languages and cultures, the center of education, media and art, the hub of global trade and like this diversity, its name also represents diverse histories. The name of Mumbai is not just a word, but a history. Whatever color the politics of mayor election may take, the identity of the city lies with its people and not with the name received from any foreign power. This is the reason why today most people say – this is Mumbai, only Mumbai.
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