In which year was the Bombay (now Mumbai) Stock Exchange, one of the oldest stock exchanges in Asia, established?

Introduction / Context:
The Bombay Stock Exchange, now known as the BSE, is a key institution in India financial system and is among the oldest stock exchanges in Asia. Questions about its founding year test your awareness of the early development of capital markets and corporate finance in colonial India. Remembering this date helps you anchor the emergence of organised trading in shares well before independence.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The institution is the Bombay Stock Exchange, now called the Mumbai Stock Exchange or BSE. • The options for the year of establishment are 1880, 1930, 1847, and 1875. • We assume a basic understanding that this is a nineteenth century development.

Concept / Approach:
Stock exchanges arose to facilitate trading in company shares and government securities. In India, the earliest such organised exchange grew out of informal trading among brokers in Bombay. Historical accounts point to the year 1875 as the formal establishment of the Native Share and Stock Brokers Association, which later evolved into the Bombay Stock Exchange. The other years either precede the typical timeline of company based trading or belong to later developments that do not mark the original founding.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recognise that the Bombay Stock Exchange has nineteenth century origins linked with the growth of British colonial trade. Step 2: Recall that the formal organisation of brokers into an association occurred in 1875. Step 3: Understand that this association is widely accepted as the foundation of the Bombay Stock Exchange. Step 4: Compare 1875 with 1847, which is too early in terms of formal stock exchange structure in Bombay. Step 5: Check 1880 and 1930, which are later dates and may correspond to other institutional changes but not to the original founding. Step 6: Select 1875 as the correct option since it matches standard reference works and exam keys.

Verification / Alternative check:
A reliable cross check is to associate BSE founding with a simple phrase such as BSE 1875. Many general knowledge summaries explicitly mention that the Native Share and Stock Brokers Association was formed in 1875 and that this body developed into the BSE. Because this date is often contrasted with the founding years of other stock exchanges in India and abroad, it appears repeatedly in tables and charts, making it easy to verify.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
1880: This is close in time but does not correspond to the commonly accepted date of establishment. 1930: Much too late for the earliest stock exchange in India, because organised trading already existed by the late nineteenth century. 1847: Earlier than the institutional consolidation that created the formal association recognised as the start of the BSE.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes choose 1880 because it looks like a neat round figure, or 1930 because they associate financial institutions with the inter war period. Others may feel that 1847 sounds historically impressive and therefore must be correct. To avoid such guesswork, it is better to memorise a few key financial founding dates, such as 1875 for the Bombay Stock Exchange, so that you can answer without hesitation and avoid negative marking.

Final Answer:
The Bombay Stock Exchange was established in the year 1875.