The Bombay City Police: A Historical Sketch, 1672-1916

This volume offers a vivid portrait of how Bombay’s modern police force emerged from the island’s first makeshift militia in the late 1600s. Beginning with Governor Gerald Aungier’s ad‑hoc companies of local volunteers, the narrative shows how early security duties—once a blend of military guard and community watch—gradually took on a civil character amid the competing threats of European rivals, regional powers, and bustling trade. The author weaves together official correspondence and contemporary reports to bring the gritty realities of those formative years to life.

Moving forward, the book traces the gradual professionalization of the force through the rise of a formal magistracy and the succession of influential commissioners who shaped policing tactics, organization, and public perception. Richly illustrated with period portraits and archival photographs, the work highlights how the police became an integral thread in the daily fabric of the city, balancing order‑keeping with the complexities of a rapidly growing metropolis. Readers gain a clear sense of the challenges and achievements that defined Bombay’s law‑enforcement up to the eve of the Home‑Rule agitation.