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
Nitish Kumar
Bihar: CM Nitish Kumar Vows to Create 1 Crore Jobs for Bihar Youth in Next 5 Years, Highlights Major Development Milestones
Vishnu Deo Sai CM
Chhattisgarh Government Approves Rs 1,390 Crore for Four New Medical Colleges and Healthcare Projects
Pushkar Singh Dhami CM
Uttarakhand Government Launches Free Pre-Recruitment Training for Agniveer Aspirants Across All Districts
Airports Authority of India AAI
PESB Finds Candidates Unsatisfactory for AAI Member (Operations) Post, Calls for New Selection Process
justice-photo
Next CJI of India: Find Out Who’s Set to Become the New Chief Justice – Full Story Inside
IPS Ratan Lal Dangi
Who Is IPS Ratan Lal Dangi? Chhattisgarh Police Officer Accused of Harassment by SI’s Wife; IG Anand Chhabra Assigned Probe - Full Story
Yogi Adityanath Ayodhya visit in Diwali
UP: CM Yogi Adityanath Orders Fire Stations Every 100 Km on Expressways, Approves 1,020 New Posts in Fire Services
SDM Chhotu Lal Sharma
Who Is SDM Chhotu Lal Sharma? The 2015-Batch RAS Officer Caught in Yet Another Scandal After Slapping Petrol Pump Employee
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
WhatsApp Image 2025-10-19 at 12.23
UPSC Journey Should Be Enjoyable, Not Cumbersome
WhatsApp Image 2025-10-16 at 15.16
The Many Facets of Former IRS Officer and Author, Giselle Mehta | Video Interview
IDES Saquib Alam
Beyond IAS and IPS: The Inspiring Work of an IDES officer | Video Interview 
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
IAS Rupal Rana UPSC
How Rupal Rana Cracked UPSC CSE 2023 with AIR 26 After Four Attempts
UPSC Topper Rupal Rana secured AIR 26 in 2023 after four attempts. Learn her preparation strategy, booklist,...
Ankita Parashar RAS 2023
4 Attempts, 1 Dream, 0 Excuses: Meet RAS Topper Ankita Parashar, Who Fulfilled a Daughter’s Promise & Secured Rank 2 | Exclusive Interview
Ankita Parashar, a teacher-turned-officer from Pushkar, fulfilled her late father’s dream by securing...
Kushal Chaudhary RAS
From Lab Assistant’s Grit to Rajasthan Topper: How Kushal Chaudhary Topped RAS 2023 with Self-Study | Preparation, Strategy & Interview
Kushal Chaudhary, a farmer’s son and lab assistant from Ajmer, topped RAS 2023 through self-study, overcoming...
Social Media
IFS Parveen Kaswan
Heartbreak by the River: 15-Day-Old Elephant Calf Rejected by Mother, Rescued by IFS Parveen Kaswan and His Team
Jaldapra, West Bengal: In a moving incident that tugs at the heart, a 15-day-old elephant calf was rescued...
Ashwini Bhide IAS and Anand Mahindra
Who Is IAS Ashwini Bhide, Hailed as a Role Model for Mumbai Metro Transformation by Anand Mahindra?
From heritage to high-tech: Bhide’s leadership in Metro Line 3 earns public praise and admiration
World Rhino Day India
On World Rhino Day, IFS Officer Parveen Kaswan Shares Rare Insights - India Now Hosts 80% of the World’s One-Horned Rhinos
September 22 Marks Global Call for Rhino Conservation; India Holds 80% of World’s Greater One-Horned...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
Nitish Kumar
Bihar: CM Nitish Kumar Vows to Create 1 Crore Jobs for Bihar Youth in Next 5 Years, Highlights Major Development Milestones
Vishnu Deo Sai CM
Chhattisgarh Government Approves Rs 1,390 Crore for Four New Medical Colleges and Healthcare Projects
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
WhatsApp Image 2025-10-19 at 12.23
WhatsApp Image 2025-10-16 at 15.16
IDES Saquib Alam
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT