Gujarat has an undeniable and laudable history that not numerous persons living on the modern day-day structures in this pretty state are aware of. This post finds its way into the history of Gujarat and walks via many civilizations and cultures that this historical state has witnessed over the centuries.
Gujarat – The Name
The state got its name from “Gujjaratta” which translates into “the land of the Gujjars” who have been a migrant tribe that entered India in the 5th century. This entry came as in the wake of the invasion of the Huns.
Gujarat was a Harappa Settlement
In what is identified as one of the most ancient civilizations in South East Asia, Gujarat has encompassed the Indus Valley Civilization that witnessed the Harappa culture. These are not without the need of facts, about fifty ruins belonging to the Harappa settlements had been unearthed in Gujarat that stands testimony to its extended history. This settlement has been discovered to have existed in between 3300 and 1700 BC. Lothal, an early Harrapan town which existed in the Gujarat area about 3000 B.C. has been established by archeologists to be the oldest known port in the world.
Dravidian Tribes Inhabited Gujarat
The Dravidian tribes have been one particular of the first inhabitants of the Gujarat area and history points to us that these tribes indulged in trading activities with settlements and tribes in the Persian Gulf.
Aryans and Greeks Invaded Gujarat
The history of Aryans shows us that they invaded the Gujarat region and had been the principal reason for the Dravidians to be driven down south from their primary settlements in Gujarat. The Greeks invaded and ruled Gujarat for what was a really short time just before the Hindu Kings waged wars and regained Gujarat below their kingdom.
digital gujarat scholarship of Fantastic Hindu Kings
Some dynamic kingdoms have contributed to the wealthy history of Gujarat. According to the Hindu epics, Lord Krishna and his brother Lord Balarama had evacuated Mathura for the duration of the war times and settled down in Kushasthali, which is now recognized as Dwaraka and started the significantly celebrated Yadava Dynasty. Gujarat was one particular of the exploits of Mauryan emperor Ashoka who later took to Buddhism and let go his quench for power. The rock edicts in Girnar Hills in Junagarh are proof of King Ashoka’s exploits in the region.
Muslim Invasion
With Mohammad Ghazni’s invasion came the entry of the Muslims into the area. His conquest of Somnath ended the rule of the Hindu kings and gave way to the political dominance of the Muslims in the area for the duration of the 9th century. It is crucial to note that the Sultanate of Gujarat was independent till the well-liked Mughal Emperor Akbar decided to annex it to the rest of the Mughal Empire that dominated the north and east of India.
Becoming A Industrial Trading Post
The geographical place created Gujarat an essential commercial trading post in the western components of the sub-continent. The British East India Corporation established its 1st base in Surat in Gujarat in the year 1614. Gujarat became an significant port in the East of India prior to the prominence of the then Bombay took over to turn into the busiest trading post in India.
The European Influence
The Portuguese were the initially of the European powers to establish their presence in Gujarat. The Portuguese, French, Dutch and the English set up ports and establishments in Gujarat thereby facilitating a robust European influence in the culture and trade of the area. The Europeans established bases along coastal Gujarat that incorporated many enclaves like Daman and Diu.
When the British claimed sovereignty in the region, Gujarat was placed below the Bombay Presidency barring Baroda. There were some districts of Gujarat that came below the direct rule of the Governor General of India through that period.
The Independence Struggle
The struggle for an independent India saw the birth of some of the greatest sons of India in Gujarat which integrated some of the greatest names in history – Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhai Patel, Moraji Desai and a lot of others who actively participated in India’s freedom struggle. Gujarat takes pride in becoming the land of the Mahatma and some of the well known revolts during the pre independence era were witnessed in Gujarat which included the Salt Sathyagraha which was led by Mahatma Gandhi himself.
Post Independence
Gujarat underwent post independence turmoil to a certain extent when it was merged with the Bombay state as a single which brought about the Mahagujarat conference. The higher Gujarat area which was under the Bombay Presidency was divided which gave the Gujarati speaking population a separate state dividing the state into Maharashtra and Gujarat respectively. This administrative divide took place on the 1st of May perhaps 1960 and from then on till date Gujarat enjoys a separate state status.
Ahmedabad was created the capital of the newly formed Gujarat state but later in 1970 the state saw the capital getting moved to Gandhinagar. Gandhinagar is a single of the three most planned cities in India and boasts of some fantastic infrastructural facilities.