Home › B › Bombay (Presidency and one)

Bombay (Presidency and one)

a presidency and one of the eight great provinces of British India: between lat. 14° and 29° N., and long. 66° and 77° E. It includes Bombay, Tind and Aden. Area, 123,059 square miles. Pop. about 19,672,642, and the native states, area, 63,864 square miles, pop. about 7,411,676. The city of Bombay has a population of about 1,000,000. The southern portions are well supplied with moisture, but a great part of Sind is the most arid portion of India. The climate varies, being unhealthful in the capital, Bombay, and its vicinity, but at other places, such as Poonah, very favorable to Europeans. The chief productions of the soil are cotton, rice, millet, wheat, barley, dates, and the cocoa palm. The manufactures are cotton, silk, leather, etc. The great export is cotton.

The administration is in the hands of a governor and council. The chief source of revenue is the land, which is largely held on the ryotwar system. Like Bengal and Madras, the presidency has its own army.