Bombay Presidency

The Bombay Presidency (English Bombay Presidency ) was a province of British India from 1618 (first British settlement ) or 1858 (the beginning of direct British rule ), when the province of Bombay State was until independence in 1947.

At the time of greatest expansion, the presidency included the present-day Indian state of Gujarat, the western two-thirds of Maharashtra including the regions of Konkan, Desh and Kandesh and the North Western Karnataka, in the south east of present-day Pakistan was part of Sindh to also in the South Arabian Yemen, the British colony Aden. It was like the rest of India's districts under direct British administration and from states that were ruled by native princes, which was a British Governor to the side.

Beginning of British rule

The first British settlement in the Presidency was from 1612 Surat in Gujarat today. The English East India Company established a trading post here, which was under the protection of the Mughal emperor Jahangir. England and the Netherlands in 1626 tried unsuccessfully to acquire the island of Bombay from Portugal in 1653 were made for sale suggestions. 1661 Bombay was ceded to Great Britain as part of the dowry of the Infanta Catherine of Braganza, the bride of King Charles II in 1668, the city was, however, assigned for an annual payment of £ 10 to the East India Company. The military facilities were handed over, one erected in Europe regiment was stationed in Bombay. The fortifications proved to be sufficient in 1673 to ward off a Dutch attack. 1687 Bombay became the capital of all the possessions of the company in India, in this role, but it was in 1753 replaced by Calcutta.

Expansion of the area

During the 18th century, the Hindu Marathenreich expanded very rapidly at the expense of the decaying Mughal Empire and conquered Konkan and eastern Gujarat. In the western Gujarat, including Kathiawar and Kachchh which is loosening control of the Mughals allowed many native rulers to make himself practically independent. In the Marathenkriegen (1774-1782, 1803-1805 and 1817-1818), most of the Marathenreiches of Britain was conquered.

1803 was the Bombay Presidency only from the island of Salsette, is on the Bombay, Surat and Bankot. Until 1827, the remaining areas were added. The numerous small states in Kathiawar and Mahi Kantha organized 1807-1820 as princely states under British suzerainty. Baji Rao II, the last Peshwa (Prime Minister) of the Marathenreiches, 1818 resigned with a pension.

Aden in 1839, was added in 1843 Sindh the presidency. During the uprising, 1857-1858, it remained relatively calm in the province. As a result of the American Civil War and the blockade of the Southern agricultural production increased sharply since the Indian cotton in Europe replaced the American. The thus flowing into the country money led to a speculative bubble and the collapse of the Bank of Bombay, 1866.

Geography and population

The Bombay Presidency was bounded on the north by Baluchistan, Punjab and Rajputana, to the east of Indore, the Central Provinces and Hyderabad, in the south of the Madras Presidency and the Kingdom of Mysore. In the west they bordered on the Arabian Sea. The colony Aden was in the south of the Arabian Peninsula. Within the territory of the presidency were the Portuguese enclaves of Goa, Daman and Diu, also the princely state of Baroda, who reported directly to the Indian colonial administration. The total area (excluding Aden ) was 488,850 km ², of which 318,530 km ² under direct British administration, 170,320 km ² under local government stood.

The population was 25.5 million people in 1901, of which 18.5 million in the British -administered areas, 7 million in the princely states. Of these, 20 million Hindus, Muslims 4.5 million, 0.5 million Jains and Zoroastrians about 80,000 and 200,000 Christians. Approximately 24 million were illiterate. In Sindh Islam was the predominant religion since the Arab conquest in the 8th century.

Management

The Presidency was divided into four commissionerships and 26 districts. The native states consisted of 353 different units that were managed either by administrators or the tax collectors of the surrounding districts.

After the suppression of the great rebellion, the rule of the British East India Company in 1858 replaced by the direct rule of the British crown. In Bombay reigned one appointed by the UK governor as president with two counselors who were employed by the Crown and were from the local administration. A Legislative Council, which included a further eight to twenty members in addition to the Governor and his advisers could legislate. In 1921, the administration was reformed, the Legislative Council has received more elected Indian members.

The management of native princely states was monitored by British administrators, the precise relationship between them and the native rulers differed widely, depending on its relations with the colonial power.

In 1935, the province of Sindh was separated from Bombay. This was after independence in 1947, a part of Pakistan, while the Bombay Presidency was reorganized in 1950 with the inclusion of the former princely states on the Bombay State.