History
It is said that there were signs of life in Ahmedabad since the 11th century. The Solanki ruler, Karandev I, who was the ruler of Anhilwara ( Patan) waged war against the Bhil king of Ashaval. After emerging victorius he established the city, Karnavati on the banks of the Sabarmati, which is the site of modern Ahmedabad. Until the 13th century, the Solanki`s ruled the country. After which Ahmedabad was conquered by the Sultanate of Delhi.
The rule of Muzaffarid dynasty was established in Gujarat in 1411. It is said that Sultan Ahmed Shah , while camping on the banks of River Sabarmati happen to see a hare chasing a dog and impressed by this, the Sultan, who was searching for a place to build his new capital, decided to locate the capital here and named it as Ahmedabad. Im 1487, the grandson of Ahmed Shah, Mahmud Begada made an outer wall for the city that consisted of twelve gates, 189 bastions and over 6,000 battlements. Until 1573 the Muzaffarid dynasty ruled Ahmedabad. Gujarat then fell into the hands of Mughal emperor Akbar in 1573. During this time, Ahmedabad became a major center of trade, mainly in textiles. Shahjahan, the Mughal ruler spent the prime of his life in the city, sponsoring the construction of the Moti Shahi Mahal in Shahibaug.The Mughal rule came to an end with the capture of the city by the Maratha generals.
In 1818, the British East India Company took over the city. In 1915, the Indian independence movement established strong roots in the city. Gandhiji established two ashrams: the Kochrab Ashram and the Satyagraha Ashram on the banks of the Sabarmati .In 1920`s, textile workers and teachers went on strike, demanding civil rights and better pay and working conditions. In 1930, Gandhi gave leadership for the Salt Satyagraha from Ahmedabad. He led the famous Dandi Salt March. In 1942, during the Quit India movement people took to peaceful protests as per Gandhiji`s instructions. After independence came the partion of India in 1947, during this time communal riots broke in the city between Hindus and Muslims.
On 1 May, 1960, with the bifurcation of the State of Bombay, Ahmedabad became the capital of the new state of Gujarat. In 1974, Ahmedabad became the core for national politics.
On 26 January 2001, the city(Bhuj area) was stuck by a devastating earthquake measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale claiming thye lives of 752 people and destroying the city`s infrastructure. In 2002, there broke communal riots between Hindus and Muslims paralysing the city for more than a month.
The city has witnessed the growth of scientific and service industries, the expansion of the IT sector, and improvements in transportation and communications.
Geography of Ahmedabad
AhmedabadAhmedabad is located on the banks of River Sabarmati in north-central Gujarat. The city is the administrative centre of Ahmedabad district and was the capital of Gujarat from 1960 -1970 and later the capital was shifted to Gandhinagar. The city is located at 23.03° N 72.58° E in western India at an elevation of 53 metres.
Ahmedabad is divided by the Sabarmati into two physically distinct eastern and western regions. The eastern bank of the river houses the old city, which includes the central town of Bhadra and there are bazars, places of worship, shanty buildings at this part. The Werstern part of the city houses educational institutions, modern buildings, well-planned residential areas, shopping malls, multiplexes and new business districts.
Education of Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad is a city that gives much importance to education of its citizens. There are 884 Primary Schools and 548 Private Primary Schools. There are 2 Primary Schools of Hindi Medium and 3 of Urdu Medium. The District Primary Education committee runs these schools. The Sanctioned post of teachers in Ahmedabad is 6661. There are proposals to build 364 classrooms under D.P.E.P.
There are 81 Pay center schools, 11 BRC and 140 CRC Centers all over the District. Teachers are trying to improve the quality of education. The Government is aiming for universalization of education under the SSA scheme (SARVA SHIKSHA ABHIYAN).
Economy of Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad is the largest industrial center in Western India. Ahmedabad is an important center for trade, commerce and industry. Agriculture is the major economy of the state. The major crops grown here are Rice, Wheat, Jowar, Bajra, Maize, Tur, Gram, Groundnut while major non food crops are Cotton, Tobacco. In 2001-02, the production of the total food grains was estimated to be 38.28 lakh tones.
Culture of Ahmedabad
NavratriAhmedabad being the center of Gujarat enjoys a rich cultural tradition. There are people belonging to diverse traditions and religios communities. The popular festivals celebrated are Uttarayan, Navratri, Deepavali, Holi, Eid ul-Fitr and Christmas. The Rath Yatra procession on the Ashadh-sud-bij and the procession of Tajia during month of Muharram are integral parts of the city`s culture.
The cuisine of the people consists of roti, dal, rice and Shaak (cooked vegetables, sometimes with curry), with accompaniments of pickles and roasted papads. The beverages used by the people are tea and buttermilk. A strong tradition of vegetarianism is maintained by the city`s Jain and Hindu communities. The city has the Jewish Synagogue, Parsi Fire Temple, Christian churches, the Prathna Samaj Hatheesing Jain temples constructed in 1848 etc.