Why was Bombay renamed to Mumbai?
Why was Bombay renamed to Mumbai?
Introduction
The financial capital of India underwent a significant identity shift in 1995 when the official name was changed from Bombay to Mumbai. This change was part of a broader post-colonial movement across India to reclaim indigenous names and distance cities from their British colonial past.
The name "Bombay" was an Anglicized corruption of the original indigenous name, whereas "Mumbai" has deep historical and cultural roots tied to the region's indigenous population.
The Etymology of Mumbai
The name Mumbai is derived from Mumba or Maha-Amba, referring to the goddess Mumbadevi, the patron deity of the Koli fishing community who were the original inhabitants of the islands. The suffix i or aai means "mother" in the Marathi language. Therefore, Mumbai translates to "Mother Mumba."
The Colonial Influence (Bombay)
When Portuguese explorers arrived in the region in the 16th century, they named the area Buena Bahia, meaning "good bay."
Later, when the territory was handed over to the British Empire as part of the dowry for Catherine of Braganza's marriage to King Charles II in 1661, the British phonetically adapted the name to Bombay. Under British rule, Bombay grew into a major trading port and financial hub, cementing the colonial name internationally for over three centuries.
The 1995 Name Change
Following India's independence in 1947, a cultural shift began to reclaim native Indian names. In 1995, the government of Maharashtra—led by the Shiv Sena party—officially changed the city's name from Bombay to Mumbai.
While the government's official stance emphasized cultural decolonization and honoring Mumbadevi, the move was also politically charged. Today, both names are still used contextually: Mumbai is predominantly used in official contexts and local languages (Marathi, Hindi, Gujarati), while Bombay still appears in the names of historical institutions (like Bombay High Court) and is occasionally used by older residents and in international contexts.