Karachi 'The City of Lights' started its life as a small fishing settlement by the Indus Delta known as Kolachi-jo-Kun (the ditch of Kolachi), named after an old fisherwoman, Mai Kolachee who took up settlement here.

In time, the settlement grew into a small fishing village and came to be known as Kolachi-jo-Goth or, the village of Kolachee. This small fishing village gradually started trading activities by sea with Muscat and Bahrai

Talpur rulers of Sindh overthrew the Kalhoras and took back the control of the village. The Talpura Amirs erected a small fort at Manora near the village, which had some cannons brought in from Muscat. The fort had two doorways: one facing the sea known as Khaara Darwaaza (Brackish gate) and the other facing the Lyari river known as Meetha Darwaaza (Sweet gate).

On 3rd February, the fort at Kolachi had surrendered without firing a single shot and this small fishing village crossed a turning point in its life. Three years later in 1843, upon the annexation of Sindh into the British empire, the regional capital was transferred from Hyderabad to Karachi by Charles Napier, the first governor of Sindh. The British made the town an Army Headquarters and military cantonments were established outside the town limits. A municipal committee was formed to provide basic facilities and municipal limits were expanded to 74 square miles to allow for expansion, even though the town occupied only 4 square miles.