The Portuguese gave the islands of Bombay to King Charles II of England in 1661 as part of the dowry of:

The Portuguese gave the islands of Bombay (Mumbai) to King Charles II of England in 1661, as part of the dowry of the Portuguese princess Catherine of Braganza, who married him.

About the marriage treaty (1661):

• Catherine of Braganza was the daughter of King John IV of Portugal.
• Portugal wanted an alliance with England to protect itself against Spain.
• Under the marriage treaty of 1661, Portugal gave England the port of Tangier (in North Africa) and the islands of Bombay, along with a large sum of money.
• The Portuguese officials in India delayed handing over Bombay; it was finally transferred in 1665.

Transfer to the East India Company:

• Charles II found Bombay difficult and costly to manage.
• In 1668, he leased Bombay to the English East India Company for a nominal rent of 10 pounds a year.

The growth of Bombay:

• Gerald Aungier, the Company's governor (1672-1677), is regarded as the founder of modern Bombay; he encouraged merchants and craftsmen of different communities (Parsis, Gujaratis, Armenians and others) to settle there.
• The Company moved its western headquarters from Surat to Bombay in 1687.
• Bombay originally consisted of seven islands: Colaba, Old Woman's Island, Bombay, Mazagaon, Parel, Worli and Mahim.
• Land reclamation projects, such as the Hornby Vellard (1784), joined the islands into one landmass.
• Bombay became a great port, commercial centre and industrial city, especially after the opening of the Suez Canal (1869) and the growth of the cotton textile industry.

Catherine of Braganza:

She is credited with popularising the drinking of tea in England.

The name:

The city was officially renamed Mumbai in 1995, after the goddess Mumbadevi.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Mary of Modena was the wife of James II.
• ✗Anne of Denmark was the wife of James I.
• ✗Henrietta Maria was the wife of Charles I.