Govind Narayan's Mumbai: An Urban Biography from 1863 (Anthem South Asian Studies)

Guiding the reader on a tour of the sights and sounds of an emerging city struggling to shake off colonialism and wrestling with the formation of its own budding identity, Narayan’s beguiling book offers descriptions of Mumbai’s daily life, its people and its institutions: the parts of the whole that come together to create this diverse and vivacious place. This valuable text is a rare and enthralling glimpse into a fascinating period and place otherwise lost to time. The Expansion Of Mumbai Over The Last Four Centuries Has Been Documented In Much Detail, By Both Contemporary Writers And Historians. The Change Of Name From Bombay To Mumbai On The Eve Of The Twenty-first Century Has Produced A Renewed Interest In The City And Its People. However, This Publication Offers An Alternative, Unique And Authentic Voice. Quite Simply, It Is A Book About The City Like No Other. Govind Narayan's Mumbaiche Varnan Was The First Full Account Of Bombay In Any Language, Written Just Before The Explosive Growth And Renovation Of The City. Govind Narayan's Mumbai, Translated Into English For The First Time, Is Essential Reading For Anyone Interested In The City. Fully Illustrated, With A Detailed Glossary And Biography Of The Author, Students Of South Asian And Indian History Will Find Particular Value In The Text As A Remarkable Historical Document.--jacket. Govind Narayan: A Preliminary Bio-bibliography -- Govind Narayan's Mumbai -- Notes To The Text -- Biographical Index Of Mumbai Men Of The Nineteenth Century -- Descriptive Index Of Mumbai Institutions Of The Nineteenth Century Edited And Translated By Murali Ranganathan ; With A Foreword By Gyan Prakash. Includes 1 Folded Map. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [369]-374) And Index. The first ever book on Mumbai written in the Marathi language, this is a historically fascinating and revealing urban biography of nineteenth-century India