In the early twentieth century, Bhiwandi was a small town, inhabited by Maharashtrians and Konkani Muslims. The main occupation of the people at that time was agriculture, fishing and handlooms. With the advent of electricity, the handlooms began to be fast replaced by powerlooms. It became a hub of the textile industry in the 1930s. The credit for turning Bhiwandi into a textile city goes to one Haji Abdus Samad, an illiterate trader from Uttar Pradesh. "Sona becho aur loha kharido (sell gold and buy iron)" was his slogan.