Question

A city that was a group of seven Islands under Portuguese control in the seventeenth-century ___________.
A) Surat
B) Bombay
C) Calcutta
D) Madras

Answer 1

Hint: Abraham Shipman was the first Governor of this city. This city is also known for St.Thomas Cathedral that was constructed in 1718 and it is the first Anglican Church of the city. The first University for modern education in India was established in this city, in 1857.

Complete answer:
Let us analyze the given options:
Option A) Surat: Surat is a port city located at the mouth of the river Tapti. It is surrounded by two cities Navsari and Bharuch, River Narmada and the Gulf of Cambay. It is not surrounded by water bodies on all sides. It is not an island and neither is it a collection of islands. Therefore, this option is incorrect.

Option B) Bombay: Now known as Mumbai, it is India’s financial and commercial capital and also is one of the World’s most populous cities. At the time of arrival of the Portuguese Indian Armadas, the fleets of ships dispatched on a yearly basis from Portugal to the Indian subcontinent (East Indies), Bombay was an archipelago of seven islands. They used to call the islands by several names, which eventually took the written form ‘Bombaim’. The islands were rented to various Portuguese officers during their reign. Thus, it is the correct option.

Option C) Calcutta: Calcutta, currently known as Kolkata is a city located on the banks of the river Hoogly. It has the oldest operating port in India. It is a city that is located on the Indian mainland and the river Hoogly passes right through the city. It is surrounded by the districts Howrah and North and South 24 Parganas. It is not an island. Therefore, this option is wrong.

 Option D) Madras: Madras is currently known as Chennai. In the seventeenth century, it was not a single city. It was a British Province on the Indian mainland. During that time, it included areas that are currently in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, parts of Karnataka etc. Therefore, it was not an island or an archipelago of islands. Hence, this option is also wrong.

Thus, the correct answer is Option B) Bombay.

Note: Bombay was given to the English Crown through Article 11 under the Treaty of Peace and Alliance between Portugal and Great Britain. The Seven Islands were handed over to England as part of the dowry of Catherine of Braganza when she married Charles II in 1661. After acquiring them as dowry, Charles II rented Bombay and adjacent islets to the East India Company in 1668 for 10 pounds per year.