More widely known as Bombay, Mumbai is '[a]ncient yet modern, fabulously rich yet achingly poor...[It] is India in microcosm. Once a sultry tropical archipelago of seven islands, and the Raj's brightest jewel, Mumbai was the dowry of Portuguese Princess Infanta Catherine de Braganza who married Charles II of England in 1661. Today it's a teeming metropolis, commercial hub of an old civilization seeking to find its place in the New World Order.'

The history of this city in western India goes back thousands of years: Stone Age tools have been found there. It seems, in fact, as if history's turbulent sweep has been shaping this city for as long as anyone can remember-or fathom. It has been home to a great number of empires, including, but certainly not limited to, the Buddhists, the Hindus, the Portuguese, and, perhaps most famously, the British. All of these people have left their mark on the city, and as a result, Mumbai is one of the most fascinating cities in India.