Mumbaicha Adnyat Itihas – Puri Te Mumbapuri

The greatness of Mumbai, a metropolis situated on the western coast of India, is unparalleled. Mumbai is known as the city with the highest population in India, the capital of Maharashtra state, the economic capital of India, the fifth-largest city in the world, the port contributing 50% to India’s maritime trade, and the powerhouse of Indian industries. This city has earned numerous accolades, including the title of the City of Dreams. People from all over come to Mumbai, where no one ever sleeps, striving to lose themselves but often finding fame and fortune instead. Mumbai is said to be the city of illusions, as once someone arrives here, they are never willing to leave, becoming true Mumbaikars.

The fame of Mumbai didn’t happen overnight; it has been built continuously over two thousand years. Many empires have risen and contributed to the development of Mumbai, and it has withstood the test of time. The credit for the development of Mumbai is not solely owed to the English; even before them, Mumbai was a melting pot of various states and kingdoms, and the traces of its history and glory are still visible today in the form of forts and temples. References to places like Walkeshwar and Banganga in Mumbai are found in the Skanda Purana as well. However, unfortunately, not many are interested in exploring Mumbai’s ancient history.

Although Mumbai has made the most significant contribution to the economic development of the state and the country, it has often altered its own political, cultural, and religious landscape to achieve this position. Mumbai has been a witness to both construction and destruction throughout history.

Understanding the ancient history of Mumbai has many reasons, but one of the major reasons is that over the past two thousand years, many political upheavals have been witnessed here, and the city’s name has changed several times. Mumbai was even known as Purika, the ancient capital of Konkan. From Purika, the name was later changed to Purikokan, and this name was recognized across Konkan. This Purikokan was surrounded by the sea on all three sides, and its first known reference dates back to the 14th century AD. Over the centuries, Pratap Bimb and Bhimdev named this island Kapardi or Kavadi Island. Later, Bhimdev named this island Bhimpuri. During the reign of the Gujarat Sultanate, this city was referred to as Mahikavati.

Later, the Portuguese arrived, and they named Mumbai Bombay, and they also attempted to change its appearance along with its name. However, their attempt, though somewhat successful, was largely unsuccessful and today, it is not recognized as a positive endeavor. The Portuguese completely destroyed Mumbai’s ancient heritage, and even though some aspects of their rule were successful, this attempt has also been considered a failure in understanding Mumbai’s ancient history.

After the Portuguese, the British came and ruled for 286 years. During their rule, they also brought about vast changes in Mumbai’s appearance, but they were not as destructive as the Portuguese. While carrying out development work, they respected local customs and traditions and included them in their practices.

The attempt to understand the ancient history of Mumbai has many reasons, but among them, the main one is that over the past two thousand years, many political changes have been seen in Mumbai, and the name of this city has changed many times as well. Mumbai’s ancient history is directly linked to the ancient history of Konkan. Various historians who have studied the ancient history of the North Konkan, such as Va. Vi. Mirashi, Go. Na. Madgavkar, Ya. Va. Acharya, Mo. Vi. Shingane, J. Ra. Chaudhari, Tr. Sha. Shejwalkar, Va. Kr. Bhave, and Vi. Go. Khobarekar, have written relevant books that would be useful for further study. The names of all these books are provided at the end of this book. Apart from these, some rare books and foreign authors who have written books well before about Mumbai’s history are also useful for understanding Mumbai’s history.

This book is entirely based on Mumbai’s ancient history, and an attempt has been made through this medium to assert that Mumbai was indeed the ancient capital of Konkan. It is hoped that by reading this book, some evidence will emerge that will help shed light on Mumbai’s ancient history in the future. We hope that this book will be well-received by readers, as it presents many significant contributions made by those who explored the history of Mumbai and the reasons behind them.