Mumbai grew from a group of seven islands off the western coast of India, settled for a long time by Koli fishing communities. The islands passed to the Sultanate of Gujarat and then to the Portuguese, who took control in the sixteenth century and built forts and churches there. In 1661 they were given to the English crown as part of the dowry of Catherine of Braganza, when she married Charles II, and the king leased them to the East India Company. The Company developed Bombay into a major port, and the islands were later joined by land reclamation. The city's growth accelerated with the cotton trade and the opening of the Suez Canal, and it became the commercial capital of India.
Before and after
- 8 September 1504Michelangelo's David is unveiled
- from 16 March 1505 to 26 January 1517Mamluk–Portuguese conflicts
- 18 April 1506Construction of St. Peter's Basilica
- 20 May 1506Death of Christopher Columbus
- 1507Founding of Mumbai
- 25 April 1507The name 'America' appears on a map
- from February 1508 to December 1516War of the League of Cambrai
- March 1508Battle of Chaul
- 30 November 1508Birth of Andrea Palladio
More in Civilizations & archaeology
- 6 August 1538Founding of Bogotá
- 12 June 1550Founding of Helsinki
- 11 March 1565Founding of Rio de Janeiro
- from 26 July 1581 to 19 January 1795Dutch Republic
- 1614Founding of Tirana
- 1624Founding of New York City
The era
This moment belongs to the Early modern world (1500 CE to 1760 CE), voyages, printing and new ideas. You can also browse everything in the 16th century.