The Mahim fort is the oldest fortification
constructed in Bombay and yet today, it is in shambles. That would be a real
zinger of an opening line but unfortunately, only part of that statement is
verifiably accurate.
Much like the Worli Fort, the
origins of the Mahim fort are shrouded in mystery. While certain sources suggest
that it was constructed by the British in 1669[1],
others believe it to have been raised in the mid – 1500s by the Portuguese[2].
There is however, a significantly more interesting tale which dates the fort
back to 1140[3]
and links it to the founding of the ancient city of Mahikavati (which over time
morphed into the name Mahim) by Raja Pratap Bimb/ Bhim[4].
For context, that’s more than half a century before work started on the Qutab Minar
and almost four centuries before Babur established the Mughal dynasty. Interestingly,
one of the earliest references to Mahim in Portuguese records relates to Portuguese
ships attacking (and even, seizing) Mahim fort around the 1520s[5].
Therefore, it is likely that Mahim fort already existed when the European
settlers arrived.
However, in a bizarre twist, the
tales of provenance are further muddled by the fact that there exists another fort in another Mahim (in Palghar district of Maharashtra) and there is scant
evidence to distinguish the history of the two forts. That, thankfully, does
not stop us from exploring the story of Raja Bimb/ Bhimdev, who may have built neither
or both the forts at the Mahims.
In keeping with the running theme
of uncertainty and vagueness, there exist multiple versions of Raja Bimb/
Bhimdev’s excursion to Mahim. One version states that Bhimdev was a prince of
the Chaulukya dynasty (which ruled over parts of modern day Gujarat), who had
been forced to flee when Mahmud of Ghazni raided the famous Somnath temple in
1024 – 25. Eventually, Bhimdev ended up in Mahim and settled there[6].
However, this version is usually discredited as fiction, since Bhimdev’s migration
to Mahim is not mentioned in the meticulous records maintained by the Chaulukyan
scribes.
According to the Mahikavatichi Bakhar (The Annals of Mahikavati),
a 15th century document describing the history of Mahikavati (Mahim),
King Pratap Bimb had, during the period
1138 – 1237, marched from Aurangabad and conquered large swathes of territory all
the way up to the Bombay islands. Supposedly, he set up his first capital at
Mahim (Palghar) but was unable to hold on to his territories. His kingdom shrunk
to just the Bombay islands, and he established his new capital city at Mahim. The
Bimb dynasty he established crumbled over time and the lands were appropriated
by Gujarati kings. Years later, another prince named Bimbdev of the Yadav
dynasty (which ruled from Devagiri) is said to have gained control of the
region and restored glory to Mahim by making it his capital[7].
If all these versions appear mightily confusing, you may consider popping an
aspirin. It just gets worse.
The Bimbakhyan, an old Marathi poem which translates to ‘Tale of Bimba’,
tells us that Raja Bimbdev arrived at Mahim from Anahilvada – Patan (Gujarat)
in 1296 to find a beautiful and largely uninhabited island. So besotted was he
with the place that he made it his seat, and thus began the urbanization of
Mahim and other Bombay islands. The fact that Alauddin Khilji had attacked the
Yadav kings of Devagiri in 1296 along with evidence of Yadav rule in Mahim, has
led historians to conclude that the legendary Bimbdev must have been a Yadav
prince, who migrated to the Konkan to escape the clutches of the fearsome
Alauddin. Legend has it that Bimbdev transformed Mahim from a desert island (quite
literally, since it was previously called ‘Baradbet’)
into a beautiful city with palaces and temples, including, the Valkeshwar
temple[8].
He is also said to have built a shrine for the goddess Mumba devi, which gave
the city its modern day name.
Unfortunately, none of these
serpentine accounts make any mention of the forts at either of the Mahims, and
whether Bimbdev or his successors were responsible for their construction.
 |
| Source: Sanjay Leela Bhansali |
In any event, we jump forward a few centuries and the course of history becomes much clearer. The mid – 1300s
onwards, the island of Mahim changed hands between different Muslim rulers
until it was appropriated by the Portuguese in 1534. Subsequently, they granted
it as dowry to the British in 1661. The Mahim fort saw military action when the Siddis raided the Bombay islands in 1689 and then again, in 1772, when the Portuguese
attacked the British. On both occasions, the British were able to retain their hold
over it and thus things continued until 1947.
Today, the condition of the fort
is deplorable as it is replete with tenements and shanties. Locating the fort
is a challenge and once you find it, there isn’t much to see. A single wall is
all that seems to remain of the original structure and there is no sign of any conservation
efforts being made. If things continue in this fashion, the future of this
historic structure is certain to be as dark and uncertain as its past.
[1]
http://www.mahim.com/fort.htm. Also,
Recognizing and Preserving the Historic Identity
of Dadar West, Bombay: Recommendations for Development Control Regulations 67,
Date V. S. (2015), available at https://getd.libs.uga.edu/pdfs/date_vineet_s_201505_mhp.pdf
[4]
Different sources refer to this legendary figure as, amongst other, Pratap
Bimb, Bimbashah, Bhim or Bhimdev. One would imagine that he would not have
gotten along with the Faceless Men of Braavos.
[5]
The Rise of Bombay: A Retrospect, Edwardes
S. M. (1902) available at https://archive.org/stream/risebombayaretr00edwagoog#page/n42/mode/2up
[6]
Identity of Raja Bimb with whom the Pathare
Prabhus migrated to Bombay in the 13th century AD, Rao V.D. (1947) available at https://www.jstor.org/stable/44137182?read-now=1&seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents
[7]
The Witness of Ages: Archaeology of the Madh Island and Versova,
Mumbai Suburban District, Thakare M. (2016) available at http://www.heritageuniversityofkerala.com/JournalPDF/Volume4/36.pdf
[8]
The Rise of Bombay: A Retrospect, Edwardes
S. M. (1902) available at https://archive.org/stream/risebombayaretr00edwagoog#page/n42/mode/2up
