Long ago, the seven islands that now form Mumbai were a rural backwater of fishermen who lived in small villages. The Muslims who invaded in the 14th century passed them to Portugal in 1534, and then the main island was given as part of Catherine of Braganza's dowry when she married King Charles the second in 1661, beginning the long history of British Rule in the region.
Britain took control of the whole group of islands in 1665, and the government then leased them to the East India Company, at which point the area, now known as Bombay began to become an important trading port, and the population was swelled by merchants flooding into the city from the rest of the country.
The fort was constructed in 1720, and not long after, land reclamation began to see all seven islands become one, and in 1818, Bombay became connected to the mainland when Britain began its conquest of Western India.
The increase in demand for cotton during the American Civil war coupled with the arrival of steam ships and the railway, saw the city attract huge wealth, and a building boom that saw the city become the most important port in India.
The city was a main player as Indian independence came to the fore in the 1880sm and was the launch pad for the Quit India that began in 1942.
In 1996, the pro Marathi government, the Shiv Sena officially renamed the city as Mumbai, and by 2000 was well on its way to becoming the most populous city in the world - although even now, only around 50% of the people living in Mumbai have access to fresh water or electricity, and pollution in the city is reaching crisis point.
New Bombay, a satellite city is developing on the mainland, and will be a showcase for new India, although for all the faults and problems with the current city, the pollution congestion and over crowding, many of the locals are unhappy about moving, and find the new city characterless and cold in comparison to the lunacy that is Mumbai.
