History
Versova was originally a small fishing village of the Kolis, situated to the north of the old Mumbai city.
The original name of the village is "Vesave", which derives from the Marathi word for "rest" (as in resting place). In 1694, a fleet of Arabs from Muscat landed in Versova and massacred every person they could find in the village. The village is mentioned in the writings of Gemelli Careri in 1695.
Versova came under the Portuguese rule in the medieval period. The Portuguese constructed the Our Lady of Health Church in Versova, and a number of Kolis converted to Christianity during this period. By 1720, it had emerged as a small town, with a small fort and a growing trade in dry fish. By 1728, In 1739, the Portuguese lost the area to the Marathas, who strengthened the fort. A British force led by Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Keating defeated the Marathas in 1774.
In 1800, the British established a training facility for artillery and engineering cadets. However, the facility was moved the old Bombay city after a fever epidemic affected nearly all the cadets, and killed many of them. The military establishment was completely removed in 1818. In 1875-86, the exports from the trade amounted to GB£34,403 and the imports in 1876-77 were worth GB£14784.
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