Thana
| Thana | |
|---|---|
| [[Image:|250px| ]] | |
| Presidency: Bombay | |
| Coordinates: | 19º12N’ 72º59E' |
| Altitude: | |
| Present Day Details | |
| Place Name: | Thane |
| State/Province: | Maharashtra |
| Country: | India |
| Transport links | |
| Great Indian Peninsula Railway | |
A fortress town on the island of Salsette, 21 miles north of Bombay, Thana was a commuter town for the British, set in wooded countryside. It is the HQ of Thane District of Bombay.
Alternative names and spellings
Thana, Tanne, Thane
History
Under a treaty the town was made over to the Portuguese in 1533, and Thana became prosperous. Possession was lost in 1739 when the Portuguese lost Bassein. Under threat of Portuguese repossession of Salsette and Bassein and after failed negotiation with forces from Poona, the British annexed Thana by taking the Fort by force in 28 December 1771 under General Robert Gordon. Later the fort (built 1737) garrisoned (1813) by a battalion of sepoys and the European Artillery from Bombay, was used as a jail (1913).
Schools
- Bairāmjī High School 1880
- English School for Girls
- English Middle school for boys 1821 AKA ‘Thane English School’
- St. John The Baptist School, Thane, was primarily intended for the teaching of Portuguese an did so up until 1905 before Enlish was taught.
Churches
- A Igreja da Se, Nossa Senhora da Conceicao, circa 1540 (Franciscan cathedral)
- The Mother of God, A madre de Deus, 1552 (and about the same time an orphanage and a collage were founded).
- Our Lady of Grace, Nossa Senhora do Rozario 1574 (Augustinians church and convent)
- St. John, Sam, Joao church 1609,
- St. John the Baptist Church 1663
- St. James Church 1825 also known as the English church
- Jewish:Gate Of Heaven Synagogue 1879
Railway
The Bombay (Boribunder) to Thana section of the Great Indian Peninsula Railway (GIPR) opened 16th April, 1853 and was the first railway to open in India.
