The area of Karachi has been known to the ancient Greeks by many names. Krokola, the place where Alexander the Great camped to prepare a fleet for Babylonia after his campaign in the Indus valley; 'Morontobara' port (probably the modern Manora Island near the Karachi harbor), from where Alexander's admiral Nearchus sailed for back home; and Barbarikon, a sea port of the Indo-Greek Bactrian kingdom. It was also known as the port of Debal to the Arabs, from where Muhammad Bin Qasim led his conquering force into South Asia in AD 712. According to the British historian Eliot, parts of city of Karachi and the island of Manora constituted the city of Debal.[citation needed]
According to legend however, the present city started its life as a fishing settlement where a fisherwoman by the name of Mai Kolachi took up residence and started a family. The village that later grew out of this settlement was known as Kolachi-jo-Goth (The Village of Kolachi in Sindhi). By the late 1700’s this village started trading across the sea with Muscat and the Persian Gulf region which led to its gaining importance, and a small fort was constructed for its protection with a few canons imported from Muscat. The fort had two main gateways: one facing the sea, known as Khara Darwaaza (Brackish Gate) and the other facing the adjoining Lyari river known as the Meetha Darwaaza (Sweet Gate). The location of these gates corresponds to the present-day city localities of Khaaradar (Khārā Dar) and Meethadar (Mīṭhā Dar) respectively.
Company Rule (1839 - 1858)
The village was later annexed to the British Indian Empire when the province of Sindh was conquered by Charles Napier in 1843. The capital of Sind was shifted from Hyderabad to Karachi in the 1840s. This led to a turning point in the city's history.
In 1847, on Napier's departure the entire province was added to the Bombay Presidency. The post of the governor was abolished and that of the Chief Commissioner in Sind established.
The British realized its importance as a military cantonment and a port for the produce of the Indus basin, and rapidly developed its harbor for shipping. The foundations of a city municipal government were laid down by the Commissioner in Sinde, Bartle Frere and infrastructure development was undertaken. Consequently, new businesses started opening up and the population of the town started rising rapidly. Karachi quickly turned into a city, making true the famous quote by Napier who is known to have said: Would that I could come again to see you in your grandeur!
In 1857, the First Indian War for Independence broke out in the sub-continent and the 21st Native Infantry stationed in Karachi declared their allegiance to the rebels and joined their cause on September 10, 1857. However, the British quickly defeated the uprising and reasserted their control over Karachi. Karachi was known as Khurachee Scinde (i.e. Karachi, Sindh) during the early British colonial rule.
