https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

The Architect of Mumbai’s First Big Market, A Controversial ICS Officer

The first Municipal Commissioner of Bombay (now Mumbai) was Arthur Travers Crawford, a British government employee. Mumbai’s famous Crawford Market (now Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Market) is named after him. Arthur Crawford conceptualised and built this market but with a fair share of controversies
Indian Masterminds Stories

During the past 150 years, Mumbai might have metamorphosed into the financial capital of the country, burgeoning rapidly, often bursting at the seams, yet Crawford Market continued to remain one of the most iconic shopping destinations of the city. Few know that the market is named after an Indian Civil Services (ICS) officer, Arthur Travers Crawford, who was the first Municipal Commissioner of Bombay.

Crawford, a British government employee,  joined the post at the age of 30 and served from 1865 to 1871, but not without a fair share of controversies. The city might have undergone many a changes, its name might have been changed to Mumbai, and even the market might have been rechristened as Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Market, but one of the oldest shopping areas is still known by the name of its founder.

After he took over as Municipal Commissioner, Crawford transformed the city by improving its infrastructure and sanitation. He got the streets cleaned, fixed the drains, ensured proper water supply, and lowered the mortality rate by half over the next two years.

Mumbai’s famous Crawford Market named after Arthur Crawford

MAN BEHIND CRAWFORD MARKET

To fulfil his desire to build an extensive market for the city, he arranged for a competition of market designs. William Emerson won this competition with his design which was considered most appropriate for the city’s climate. A corner site was selected for the market because of its easy accessibility to the Black (Indian) and White (British) Towns of the original island city, and, also, because of its proximity to the railway station and the intersection of main roads.

It was christened Crawford Market in 1869 in honour of the man himself, Arthur Crawford. It went on to become one of Mumbai’s most popular marketplaces. It was later renamed Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Market.

AMBITIOUS TOWN PLANNER

Arthur Crawford was a very ambitious town planner. He acquired the Agri-Horticulture Society’s gardens at Sewri to build the European Cemetery in 1865. The Bombay Gazetteer records how Crawford had an ambitious scheme to dig a tunnel through Malabar Hill, reclaim part of the foreshore, and relocate the Race Course, which was then at Byculla. This grandiose plan however did not materialise.

His plans greatly exceeded the civic budget, and he was accused of financial mismanagement after he did not heed warnings that the deficit was getting bigger.

A Book Written By Arthur Travers Crawford

FINANCIAL IRREGULARITIES CHARGES

A rapid transformation of the city under him led to accusations of financial irregularities, too. According to history books, Crawford, in his zeal to improve the conditions of the city, ended up manipulating money accounts. He was defended by lawyer Pherozeshah Mehta during the Municipal controversy in 1870. He was charged on 33 counts, from corruption to borrowing money from subordinates.

COURT FOUND HIM NOT GUILTY

Though Crawford by and large remained undeterred during his stint as the Municipal Commissioner, things spiralled out of control once he became the Revenue Commissioner. He was accused of bribery and corruption, including that of taking money from subordinates to allow them to continue in certain departments. He was tried before a special commission, presided over by Justice Arthur Wilson of the Calcutta High Court. The inquiry began in 1880 and the commission held 67 public sittings. A great many witnesses were examined but Crawford was ultimately found not guilty.

It was held that Crawford was careless, and the main villain of the story was his personal clerk who made him sign all sorts of papers. Crawford just signed blindly and recklessly, writes P.B. Vachha in his book, Famous Judges, Lawyers and Cases of Bombay: A Judicial History of Bombay during the British Period. Crawford was also not found guilty of accepting bribes, but only of borrowing money from official subordinates.

Arthur Travers Crawford, The First Municipal Commissioner of Mumbai

NAME REMOVED FROM CIVIL SERVANTS LIST

But despite the clean chit, the then Governor Donald Mackay, also known as Lord Reay, ordered the removal of Arthur Crawford’s name from the civil servants list. The administration also decided to take action against all the other officials who had told the Commission that they had paid bribes to get posts. Finally, all of them were asked to resign.

Ultimately, the Governor General issued a modified Act of Indemnity. It protected the officials from prosecution, but they were ordered to send in their resignations. Some monetary compensation was provided to them.

RETIRED TO LONDON

Arthur Crawford’s name was subsequently removed from the Civil Services list, and he was asked to return to London.

Facing ignominy, the once flamboyant Crawford quietly went back to London where he started devoting his time to writing books on his experiences in India.

PENNED HIS MEMOIRS

He penned his memoirs on his life in India, titled Our Troubles in Poona and the Deccan, which was published in 1897. Other books published by Crawford include Reminiscence of an Indian Police Official, The Unrest in India and Legends of Konkan.

PLAQUE STANDS TESTIMONY

A small plaque at the entrance of Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Market stands testimony to the bureaucrat’s link with Mumbai city. However, his name lives on in words of mouth, as maximum people of the maximum city still refer to the market as Crawford Market.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
DGR Job Fair
DGR Job Fair 2025 Held in Delhi to Empower Ex-Servicemen with Career Opportunities in Emerging Tech - Details Inside
omc
Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) Begins Dispatch from Dubna Mines, Strengthening Supply Chain and Industrial Growth
NFDC
NFDC Launches Free Residential 3D Animation & VFX Training for North East Youth - Here's All You Need To Know
CM Yogi
CM Yogi Adityanath Reviews Rs. 42,891 Crore Development Proposals for Lucknow Division, Emphasizes Timely, Inclusive Execution
Mahanadi River
Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai Assures Odisha of Consideration on an Amicable Solution to Mahanadi Water Dispute
MP News
Madhya Pradesh CM Dr. Mohan Yadav Pays Tribute to Pt. Ravishankar Shukla on His Birth Anniversary
ONGC_resized
ONGC Sets Record Date for Rs1.25 Final Dividend for FY25; Strengthens Shareholder Returns- Check Details
CM Pushkar Singh Dhami
PM Modi Releases 20th PM-KISAN Instalment; CM Pushkar Singh Dhami Thanks Centre for Supporting Over 8 Lakh Farmers in Uttarakhand
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IAS Karn Satyarthi
How IAS Karn Satyarthi Transformed Gumla Through Empathy and Innovation
Ananth Rupanagudi IRAS
IRAS Ananth Rupanagudi’s Take on Corruption, Reform, and Duty
WhatsApp Image 2025-07-26 at 13.16
What Most Indians Don't Know About Jim Corbett
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
BPSC Bihar police
From Lantern Light to Police Uniform: How Praveen Kumar from a Small Bihar Village Cracked BPSC to Become SDPO
From a lantern-lit village in Bihar to becoming an SDPO, Praveen Kumar's journey is a testament to resilience,...
IAS Priyansha Garg
Why Mindset Matters: IAS Priyansha Garg’s Mental Health Mantra for UPSC
After two failed prelims, Priyansha Garg cracked UPSC with AIR 31 in her fourth attempt, proving how...
Ashish Akshat
From Setback to State Topper: How Ashish Akshat Topped JPSC While Working Full-Time
Ashish Akshat from Dhanbad topped JPSC 2023, proving that resilience, discipline, and family support...
Social Media
Mudumalai Tiger Reserve
Mudumalai Tiger Reserve: From India’s First Sanctuary to a Tiger Conservation Success Story | International Tiger Day Special
IAS Supriya Sahu Hails Mudumalai's Role in Tiger Conservation on Tiger Day. Declared in 1940, Now Among...
Mangroves
Mangroves: Nature’s Shield Against Disasters, Says Officer Parveen Kaswan on Mangroves Day - Watch His Post Here
Mangroves, with their dense, interlaced root systems, form a mesh-like structure that serves as a buffer...
Retired IPS Inderjit Singh Sidhu
Purpose Doesn’t Retire: How 88-Year-Old Retired DIG Becomes Chandigarh’s ‘Quiet Warrior’ of Cleanliness
Inderjit Singh Sidhu’s Dawn Patrol Earns Applause, Mahindra’s Praise for a Man Who Chose Action Over...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
DGR Job Fair
DGR Job Fair 2025 Held in Delhi to Empower Ex-Servicemen with Career Opportunities in Emerging Tech - Details Inside
omc
Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) Begins Dispatch from Dubna Mines, Strengthening Supply Chain and Industrial Growth
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IAS Karn Satyarthi
Ananth Rupanagudi IRAS
WhatsApp Image 2025-07-26 at 13.16
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT