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About Aurangabad

The city of Aurangabad was established by Malik Ambar, a minister of Murtaza Nizam Shah of Ahmadnagar, in 1610 A.D, on a site known as Kharki, in the present state of Maharashtra . The population of this small village started to grow and within a decade it transformed into a big and impressive city. The architectural achievements of the city during initial years of its establishment speak much about the artistic bent of its founder. The Mughal Emperor Jehangir attacked and destroyed the city in1621, and Malik Ambar, its founder, died a few years later in 1626. He was succeeded by his son who changed the name of Kharki to Fatehnagar after his own name Fateh Khan.

Fatehnagar came under the control of the Mughals when Nizam Shahi lost its entire territory to the hands of the Imperial troops in 1633. On assuming the title of viceroy for the Deccan region in 1653, Aurangzeb, the Mugal prince changed the name of Fatehnagar to the present Aurangabad.

The rise of Maratha as a powerful kingdom in the region prompted the governor of the city to take measures for its protection. A wall was erected around the city of Aurangabad at the order of the Mughal Emperor who also built a magnificent fort upon his arrival in the city in 1692.

The Mughal empire started to disintegrate after the death of Aurangzeb, and Aurangabad fell into the hands of Nizamul-Mulk Asif Jah, who made it the first capital of his newly founded Nizam dynasty in the early part of the eighteenth century. An attempt by the Mughal Emperor to regain the territory was foiled, and the city remained under the control of the Nizam until the British started to make headway in the region. The first battle of independence in 1857 saw much of action in Aurangabad, with the British cavalry making every attempt to foil the bid of the nationalist progress.

When India became independent, Aurangabad was made a district of the Mahabharata state. The subsequent efforts of the state government led it to become a major industrial hub of the country, with cotton and silk textile producing factories leading the way. Several other industries started to emerge in the city, chief among them were companies engaged in the production of automotive components, pharmaceuticals, breweries, plastic processing, aluminum processing, consumer durables and agricultural goods. Recent trend also shows the emergence of real estate industry owing to the high demand of the residential and commercial properties in Aurangabad.