The tournament had its origins in an annual match played between the European members of the Bombay Gymkhana and the Parsis of the Zoroastrian Cricket Club.
The Bombay Gymkhana stepped in and accepted the challenge, leading to the first Europeans versus Hindus match, played that February.
The Hindus boasted Palwankar Baloo, who is regarded as India's first great spin bowler, and perhaps the first person from the Chamar caste[3][4][5] to make an impact in an Indian sporting arena.
The next year, 1907, saw the first Triangular tournament featuring teams from the Bombay and Hindu Gymkhanas as well as the Zoroastrian Cricket Club.
The tournament was held throughout World War I, but poor weather at the end of the monsoon season rained out four of the six finals played up until 1916.
Gandhi and his followers were critical of the Quadrangular, seeing the tournament as having the effect of quelling opposition to British colonial rule by ensuring continued support toward Britain's presence and cultural influence on the Indian subcontinent.
After the riots had ended, he attended the first day of the final, accepting cheers from a pro-European crowd, who eventually witnessed the Parsis prevail over the Bombay Gymkhana.
By the 1920s, the Gymkhanas were recruiting players from all over the Indian subcontinent, making the Bombay Quadrangular the biggest and most influential cricket tournament in India.
It also inspired other local competitions, including a Triangular in Lahore and Quadrangulars in Nagpur and Karachi, that led to the rapid development of cricket throughout the region.
In 1935, the sports editor of the nationalist Bombay Chronicle, J. C. Maitra, suggested the Quadrangular be replaced with a geographic-zone-based tournament, to remove the racial and religious overtones.
The first Pentangular, however, was played between just four teams, as the Hindus withdrew in protest over not being allocated what they considered a fair share of seats in the new Brabourne Stadium.