Derivation of the word “Bombay”
Courtesy :
A Short Sketch of the Early History of the Town and Island of Bombay – Hindu Period
By Purushottam Balkrishna Joshi, Fellow of the Bombay University,
Author of Padyasudha, Anandodgdr and other Marathi Poems
Published at The Times of India Press, 1902
Property of “The University of Michigan Libraries”
(1) Bombay is derived from two Portuguese words bom i.e. Good and bahia i.e. Bay or Harbour
Opinions differ about the origin and significance of the word Bombay. By some writers, it is believed, that the word Bombay is derived from two Portuguese words bom i.e. Good and bahia i.e. Bay or Harbour, and that the Portuguese gave this name to the island on account of its excellent harbour. But according to the rules of euphony the correct combination of bom and bahia would be “Boa-bahia” and not “Bom-bahia” (bahia being of the feminine gender) and had the Portuguese given the name “Bom-baim” to the island on account of its good harbor, they would have certainly called it “Boa-bahia” but what do we find? We find that most of the Portuguese writers speak of the island as “Bom-baim” and that in the papers relating to the grant of the island of Bombay as part of the marriage dowry by the King of Portugal to King Charles II of England the word “Bom-baim” is used.
(2) Bombay is derived from the word “Mubarak” the name of a Mohammedan King
Another explanation given about the origin of the word Bombay is that it is derived from the word “Mubarak”, the name of a Mohammedan King, who is supposed to have held sway over the island of Bombay. There is a probability of truth in this belief, and let us see how far it is borne out by historical evidence and local traditions. From the Maratha records published and unpublished, and from other sources, we find that up to the end of the thirteenth century the greater part of the Northern Konkan, including the Islands of Bombay (Mahim) and Salsette (Shristhan) was at one time or other, under the rule of the Hindu kings of the Silahar dynasty, and the Yadavas of the Devagiri. About the beginning of the fourteenth century, i.e. in the year 1318 AD, after the reduction of Devagiri, and the death of Harpaldev, the son in law of Ramadev Rane, the last sovereign of the Yadava dynasty, Emperor Mubarak I ordered his garrisons to be extended as far as the sea, and in obedience to his directions, the Islands of Mahim and Salsette were occupied by his forces. From the above it is plain that in the fourteenth century, Mahim (Bombay) and Salsette were brought under the rule of Emperor Mubarak I of Delhi. But there is nothing on record to show, that the Emperor gave his name to the island, and had this island been called Mubarakpur or Mubarakabad, after the Emperor Mubarak, Mohammedon historians of the subsequent period would have made use of that name in referring to the conquest of the island, instead of calling it by the name of Mahim (Bombay), as will be shown hereafter.
According to Briggs (Ferista II, 413) in the year 1429 AD, Malik-ul-Tujar, a General of the Bahamani King of the Dekkan, led a large army into the Konkan, brought the whole country under subjection, and took several elephants and cartloads of gold and silver, as booty to his master, the Bahamani King. Malik-ul-Tujar then seized on Mahim (Bombay) and Salsette. The seizure of these two islands aroused the wrath of Ahmed Shah, the King of Gujarat, to such an extent that he immediately sent a large army to recapture these important places. A part of this army went by land, and a part embarked in seventeen ships. And this combined army laid siege to Thana, by sea and land. Malik-ul-Tujar offered some resistance to this force but eventually he abandoned the place and returned to Mahim where it appears a part of his army was stationed. Having strengthened his forces by additional reinforcement at Mahim (Bombay), Malik-ul-Tujar returned to Thana. Here he attacked the combined forces of Ahmed Shah. A bloody engagement took place between the two forces, and it is stated, it lasted a whole day. The army of Malik-ul-Tujar was completely defeated and dispersed and the fleet of Ahmed Shah returned to Gujarat carrying with it some beautiful gold and silver embroidered muslins taken on the island of Mahim (Bombay). The above account is corroborated by Erskine who states that Ahmed Shah during his reign reduced under his power the Northern Konkan and the island of Bombay. In the Mirat-i-Ahmedi, a list is given of the possessions of the Gujarat King Mohammed Shah Begada (who died in 1511 AD) and these are made to include in the Konkan, the districts of Bassein, Mahim (Bombay), Daman and Danda Rajapur (Janjira)
From this account and the authorities given above, it is conclusively proved that :
1. In the fourteenth and the fifteenth centuries of the Christian era, the northern Konkan including the island of Bombay was under the sway of the Mohammedan Kings (for the most part if not exclusively) of Gujarat.
2. That during the whole of this period the island of Bombay was known by the name of Mahim and not as Bombay or Mubarakpur
3. And that it (Mahim) was a place of some importance, politically and commercially.
(3) Bombay is derived from the word “Mumba” given in the memory of a monster named “Mumbarakh”
According to a local tradition which is based on the authority of a work called Mumba Devi Mahatmya or Puran, the name of Mumba is given in the memory of a monster named Mumbarakh who was supreme in this island. We have got a copy of this so called Puran with us. It is written in Sanskrit and contains fifty two verses in the anushtup meter or nearly 208 lines. It states that a long time ago, there lived on the island of Bombay, a powerful Daitya (monster). He was a great devotee of the God Brahma, whom he pleased by his strict performance of religious austerities for a number of years. At last the God Brahma was pleased with him and informed him that he would be glad to grant him any boon that he may ask for. The monster thanked the God and requested him to grant him such a boon that by virtue of it he would be invincible in battles and would not suffer death at the hands of man, gods, yakshas, demons, animals, serpents. beasts and birds. The God Brahma granted this boon immediately and from that day, Mumbarakh began to harass everybody on earth. The people on earth therefore went to Vishnu God of protection. As it was owing to the favour of the God Brahma that the demon Mumbarakh had become invincible, God Vishnu went to Brahma and in his company they all went to Kailas, the residence of God Shiva (the hindu God of destruction). Vishnu informed Shiva of the havoc, created by the demon Mumbarakh. Shiva was greatly enraged and in his anger, he threw out of his mouth a part of his tej or luster and commanded all the Gods to do likewise. And from the combined tej or luster of all the Gods a female deity was created. All the Gods now implored her to protect them from the demon. The Goddess consented and came to the nether world. On seeing the Goddess the demon Mumbarakh came to attack her seated in a chariot. Upon this the Goddess invoked her vahan (vehicle) the lion, and the lion of the Goddess Amba at once appeared before her. Riding on this lion, Mumbadevi fought with the demon for eight days at the end of which the demon was vanquished and he prayed for mercy. He praised the Goddess and she was pleased. He promised not to harass anyone in the future and go to Patal (the lower regions) provided the Goddess adopted his name before her name and stayed in the island. The Goddess consented and it is stated that from that time she adopted the name of Mumbadevi and stayed in the island.
In conclusion, the writer of this Puran says, “those who want health, wealth and prosperity and those who want victory on the battlefield, power of oratory, succession of progeny etc… should worship this Goddess with flowers, fruits and presents of money, ornaments and jewels, and they should also feed Brahmans and give them good (dakshina) and he must have been a half educated Brahman for the verses are full of grammatical inaccuracies and here and there we find utter disregard to the rules of Sanskrit prosody. But this is not all. At the end of this Puran, the writer gives a very interesting and amusing piece of information. He states “Having heard of the prowess of the Goddess from Rama, the great warrior (monkey God) Hanuman came to Bombay, immediately and has been ever since staying in this island”. The author of this Puran further tells us that “In order to strengthen the defences of this island against any encroachment, the Goddess Mumba commanded one hundred thousand of her Ganas or fighting followers to come and settle in Bombay.
(4) Bombay is derived from the word “Mumba” (a) in turn derived from Munga or Muga, the name of a Koli fisherman or (b) the name of Amba Bhawani, a Hindu Goddess
There is no doubt that the city of Bombay derives its name from the Goddess Mumba. But the question is how is the word Mumba derived? Is it a foreign word? Or is it the name of a Hindu Goddess? Two explanations seem plausible and they are :
· That the name Mumba is derived from Minga or Muga the name of a Koli fisherman or
· That it is derived from the name of Amba Bhawani, a hindu Goddess
Let us examine these two explanations and see which of them is worthy of credence and acceptance. By some authorities it is firmly believed that the word is derived from Munga or Muga the name of the koli who first built the temple of the Goddess Mumbadevi. But we generally find that whenever any Hindu deities are called after the name of the builder of the temple, the name of the male builder is given to the God and of the female builder or of the male builder’s wife is given to the Goddess. The feminine of the word Munga is Mungi and therefore the correct form would be would have been Mungi-ai and not Munga-ai or Mumba-ai.
Another explanation of the origin of the word Mumba is that it is derived from Amba another name of Bhawani, the consort of Shiva (the hindu God of destruction) and in our opinion this latter explanation is correct. As the Goddess Kali is sometimes called Mahakali or the great Kali so Amba is also called Maha Amba or the great Amba. And by the kolis and other illiterate persons the word Maha Amba is generally pronounced as Mamba or Mumba. The suffix Ai signifying mother is a term of respect applied to Hindu Goddesses.
The word Mumbai is therefore derived from the words Maha + Amba + Ai = Mumbai
And evidently the word Bombay (Portugese “Bombaim”) is the corruption of the word Mumbai.
Many instances can be given of names of towns and villages being similarly derived i.e. the names of the local deities. We shall here give only three such instances.
· Wasai, the name by which the town of Bassein is called by the natives of the place. This town takes its name of Wasai from the name of the Goddess Watsa or Watsala and Watsa + Ai = Watsai or Wasai
· Gorai, a village in Salsette. It is derived from Gauri + Ai. Gauri is the name of the Goddess Bhawani. And by the villagers she is called Gaur or Gor.
· Jogai is similarly derived. Joga is the diminuitive of the word Jogeshwari (the name of a well known Goddess) and the word Jogai is derived from Joga + Ai meaning the Goddess Mother Joga
