The EIC's Forgotten Fort: The Siege of Bombay 1689

In February 1689, the East India Company's fledgling Bombay settlement faced its greatest test. The Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, enraged by the Company's piracy and aggression under Sir Josiah Child, ordered the island's destruction. A Mughal fleet of over 100 ships blockaded Bombay, while Siddi Yakut Khan's forces landed and besieged the English fort. For nearly a year, the small garrison held out against overwhelming odds, relying on desperate diplomacy and the famed 'Bombay fortifications' built by Gerald Aungier. This episode tells the story of that siege — a forgotten turning point that forced the Company to abandon its belligerence and adopt the humble, trade-first posture that would define its rise in India. We explore the Mughal perspective, the role of the Siddi admirals, the famine inside the fort, and the treaty that ended the conflict. It's a story of hubris, survival, and the brutal limits of corporate power. #EastIndiaCompany #SiegeOfBombay1689 #Aurangzeb #SiddiYakutKhan #SirJosiahChild #GeraldAungier #MughalEmpire #BombayCastle #SiddiFleet #Janjira #TreatyOf1690 #Bombay #MumbaiHistory #CompanyRaj #MughalNavalPower #ColonialSiege #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo