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About Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad was established by Sultan Ahmed Shah, the ruler of the Muzaffarid dynasty, to serve as the capital city of his regime, which covered almost whole of the modern Gujarat under its suzerainty. Earlier history, mainly by evidences provided by the Archaeological institutions in India, suggests that the area was ruled by Solanki rulers and Vaghela dynasty at different periods of time from the eleventh century to the thirteenth century. Situated on the bank of Sabarmati river, the city derives its name from its founder Sultan Ahmad Shah. The Muzaffarid dynasty, which lasted till the annexation of the area by the Mughal rulers in 1573, was credited with the fortification of the city under Mahmud Begada, the grandson of Ahmed Shah.

The city developed into a major trading center exporting goods, chiefly textile products, to Europe and other parts of the world during the Mughal reign.

The Mughal heritage of the city is reflected in several monuments built during the period and are present even today including Moti Shahi Mahal in Shahibaug. The Maratha captured the city in 1758 and Ahmedabad became a bone of contention between the two rival factions of Maratha clans - the Gaekwad of Baroda and the Peshwa of Poona.

The British conquerers seized the city from the Marathas in 1818 and subsequently, a part of it was converted into a military cantonment area. The establishment of a municipal corporation and the rail link between Ahmedabad and the erstwhile Bombay paved the way for its growth into a major city on modern lines. The textile industry got a further boost from these constructive activities and a large number of people started to flock to the city in search of jobs in any of the numerous textile mills.

Ahmedabad can be regarded as the political center of the Indian national movement, as the famous Sabarmati Ashram, founded by Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation, is located here. The Sabarmati Ashram, as the home of Mahatma Gandhi, was at the focus of several movements that was initiated by the nationalist leaders during the course of freedom struggle, such as the Salt Satyagraha, the world-famous Dandi March, and the Quit India movement.

Post independence, a large chunk of area dominated by the Gujarati-speaking people was carved out of the erstwhile state of Bombay to create a new state of Gujarat in 1960 and the city of Ahmedabad was chosen to serve as its capital. Later the capital was shifted to Gandhinagar, a city designed on modern lines to function well as the capital of the state. However, the importance of Ahmedabad as the chief trading center remained intact and it is still the major commercial center of the state. Its burgeoning population and expanding boundaries have placed it among the largest cites of the country.

Today, the city of Ahmedabad and its adjoining areas are witnessing an unprecedented realty boom, which has seen the development of a large number of residential complexes, shopping malls, retail chains, commercial zones, educational institutions and many more. As a home ground to some of the finest business schools of the country including the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), and several IT companies, the city of Ahmedabad has emerged as one of the most favored destinations for the Indian youths.