Gujarat is derived from theGurjaras, who ruled Gujarat in the 8th and 9th centuries CE.[27][28][29][30] Parts of modernRajasthan and Gujarat were known asGurjarat orGurjarabhumi for centuries before theMughal period.[31]
Gujarat was one of the main central areas of the Indus Valley Civilisation, which was spread across modern-day northern India and Pakistan.[32] It contains ancient metropolitan cities from theIndus Valley Civilisation such asLothal,Dholavira andGola Dhoro.[33] The ancient city of Lothal was where India's first port was established.[14] The ancient city of Dholavira is one of the largest and most prominent archaeological sites in India, belonging to the Indus Valley Civilisation. The most recent discovery wasGola Dhoro. Altogether, about fifty Indus Valley settlement ruins have been discovered in Gujarat.[34]
Dholavira, one of the largest cities of Indus Valley civilisation, withstepwell steps to reach the water level in artificially constructed reservoirs[35]
Archaeological remains of washroom drainage system atLothal
The early history of Gujarat includes the imperial grandeur ofChandragupta Maurya who conquered a number of earlier states in what is now Gujarat. Pushyagupta, aVaishya, was appointed the governor ofSaurashtra by the Mauryan regime. He ruled Girinagar (modern-dayJunagadh) (322 BCE to 294 BCE) and built a dam on the Sudarshan lake. EmperorAshoka the Great, the grandson ofChandragupta Maurya, not only ordered his edicts engraved in the rock at Junagadh, but also asked Governor Tusherpha to cut canals from the lake where an earlier Indian governor had built a dam. Between the decline of Mauryan power and Saurashtra coming under the sway of theSamprati Mauryas ofUjjain, there was anIndo-Greek defeat in Gujarat ofDemetrius. In 16th-century manuscripts, there is an apocryphal story of a merchant of KingGondophares landing in Gujarat withApostle Thomas. The incident of the cup-bearer torn apart by a lion might indicate that the port city described is in Gujarat.[37][38]
For nearly 300 years from the start of the 1st century CE,Saka rulers played a prominent part in Gujarat's history. The weather-beaten rock atJunagadh gives a glimpse of the rulerRudradaman I (100 CE) of the Saka satraps known asWestern Satraps, or Kshatraps. MahakshatrapRudradaman I founded theKardamaka dynasty which ruled fromAnupa on the banks of theNarmada up to theAparanta region bordering Punjab. In Gujarat, several battles were fought between the Indian dynasties such as theSatavahana dynasty and the Western Satraps. The greatest and the mightiest ruler of the Satavahana dynasty wasGautamiputra Satakarni who defeated the Western Satraps and conquered some parts of Gujarat in the 2nd century CE.[39]
Coin of the Gujuras ofSindh,Chavda dynasty,c. 570–712 CE. CrownedSasanian-style bust right / Fire altar with ribbons and attendants; star and crescent flanking flames.[40]
The Kshatrapa dynasty was replaced by theGupta Empire with the conquest of Gujarat byChandragupta Vikramaditya. Vikramaditya's successorSkandagupta left an inscription (450 CE) on a rock at Junagadh which gives details of the governor's repairs to the embankment surrounding Sudarshan lake after it was damaged by floods. TheAnarta andSaurashtra regions were both parts of the Gupta empire. Towards the middle of the 5th century, the Gupta empire went into decline. Senapati Bhatarka, the general of the Guptas, took advantage of the situation and in 470 set up theKingdom of Valabhi. He shifted his capital from Giringer toValabhi, nearBhavnagar, on Saurashtra's east coast. TheMaitrakas of Vallabhi became very powerful with their rule prevailing over large parts of Gujarat and adjoiningMalwa. A university was set up by the Maitrakas, which came to be known far and wide for its scholastic pursuits and was compared with the notedNalanda University. It was during the rule of Dhruvasena Maitrak that Chinese philosopher-travelerXuanzang/I Tsing visited in 640 along theSilk Road.[41]
Gujarat was known to theancient Greeks and was familiar with other Western centres of civilisation through the end of the EuropeanMiddle Ages. The oldest written record of Gujarat's 2,000-year maritime history is documented in a Greek book titledThe Periplus of the Erythraean Sea: Travel and Trade in the Indian Ocean by a Merchant of the First Century.[42][43]
In the early 8th century, theArabs of theUmayyad Caliphate established an empire in the name of the rising religion ofIslam, which stretched fromSpain in the west toAfghanistan and modern-dayPakistan in the east. Al-Junaid, the successor ofQasim, finally subdued the Hindu resistance withinSindh and established a secure base. The Arab rulers tried to expand their empire southeast, which culminated in theCaliphate campaigns in India fought in 730; they were defeated and expelled west of theIndus river, probably by a coalition of the Indian rulersNagabhata I of theGurjara-Pratihara dynasty,Vikramaditya II of theChalukya dynasty andBappa Rawal of theGuhila dynasty. After this victory, the Arab invaders were driven out of Gujarat. GeneralPulakeshin, a Chalukya prince ofLata, received the titleAvanijanashraya (refuge of the people of the earth) and honorific of "Repeller of the unrepellable" by the Chalukya emperorVikramaditya II for his victory at the battle atNavsari, where the Arab troops suffered a crushing defeat.[44]
In the late 8th century, the Kannauj Triangle period started. The three major Indian dynasties – the northwestern Indian Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty, the southern IndianRashtrakuta dynasty and the eastern IndianPala Empire – dominated India from the 8th to 10th centuries. During this period the northern part of Gujarat was ruled by the northern Indian Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty and the southern part of Gujarat was ruled by the southern IndianRashtrakuta dynasty.[45] However, the earliest epigraphical records of the Gurjars ofBroach attest that the royal bloodline of the Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty ofDadda I, II and III (650–750) ruled south Gujarat.[46] Southern Gujarat was ruled by the IndianRashtrakuta dynasty until it was captured by the Indian rulerTailapa II of theWestern Chalukya Empire.[47]
Zoroastrians fromGreater Iran migrated to the western borders of India (Gujarat andSindh) during the 8th or 10th century,[48] to avoidpersecution by Muslim invaders who were in the process of conquering Iran. The descendants of those Zoroastrian refugees came to be known as theParsi.[49][50][51][52]
The Chaulukya dynasty[54] ruled the Kingdom of Gujarat from 960 to 1243. Gujarat was a major center of Indian Ocean trade, and their capital atAnhilwara (Patan) was one of the largest cities in India, with a population estimated at 100,000 in the year 1000. After 1243, the Solankis lost control of Gujarat to their feudatories, of whom theVaghela chiefs ofDholka came to rule the Kingdom of Gujarat. In 1292, the Vaghelas became tributaries of theYadava dynasty ofDevagiri in theDeccan. Karandev of theVaghela dynasty was the last Hindu ruler of Gujarat. He was defeated and overthrown by the superior forces ofAlauddin Khalji from Delhi in 1297. With his defeat, Gujarat became part of theDelhi Sultanate, and the Rajput hold over Gujarat would never be restored.
Fragments of printed cotton from Gujarat have been discovered in Egypt, providing evidence for medieval trade in the western Indian Ocean.[55] These fragments represent the Indian cotton traded in Egypt during theFatimid,Ayyubid andMamluk periods, from the 10th to 16th centuries. Similar cotton was also traded as far east as Indonesia.[55]
After theGhoris had assumed a position of Muslim supremacy over North India,Qutbuddin Aibak attempted to conquer Gujarat and annexe it to his empire in 1197, but failed in his ambitions.[56] An independent Muslim community continued to flourish in Gujarat for the next hundred years, championed by Arab merchants settling along the western coast. From 1297 to 1300,Alauddin Khalji, the Turko-AfghanSultan of Delhi, destroyed the Hindu metropolis ofAnhilwara and incorporated Gujarat into theDelhi Sultanate. AfterTimur sackedDelhi at the end of the 14th century, weakening the Sultanate, Gujarat's MuslimKhatri governor Zafar Khan Muzaffar (Muzaffar Shah I) asserted his independence, and his son, SultanAhmed Shah (ruled 1411–1442), establishedAhmedabad as the capital.Khambhat eclipsed Bharuch as Gujarat's most important trade port. Gujarat's relations withEgypt, which was then the premier Arab power in the Middle East, remained friendly over the next century and theEgyptian scholar,Badruddin-ad-Damamimi, spent several years in Gujarat in the shade of the Sultan before proceeding to theBahmani Sultanate on the Deccan Plateau.[57][58]
Humayun also briefly occupied the province in 1536, but fled due to the threatBahadur Shah, the Gujarat king, imposed.[70] TheSultanate of Gujarat remained independent until 1572, when the Mughal emperorAkbar conquered it and annexed it to theMughal Empire.[71]
TheSurat port (the only Indian port facing west) then became the principal port of India during Mughal rule, gaining widespread international repute. The city of Surat, famous for its exports of silk anddiamonds, had reached a par with contemporaryVenice andBeijing, great mercantile cities of Europe and Asia,[72] and earned the distinguished title,Bab al-Makkah (Gate of Mecca).[16][17]
Drawn by the religious renaissance taking place under Akbar,Mohammed Ghaus moved to Gujarat and established spiritual centers for theShattari Sufi order from Iran, founding theEk Toda Mosque and producing such devotees asWajihuddin Alvi of Ahmedabad whose many successors moved toBijapur during the height of theAdil Shahi dynasty.[73] At the same time, Zoroastrian high priestAzar Kayvan who was a native ofFars, immigrated to Gujarat founding the Zoroastrian school ofilluminationists which attracted key Shi'ite Muslim admirers of theSafavid philosophical revival fromIsfahan.
Early 14th-centuryMaghrebi adventurer,Ibn Batuta, who famously visited India with his entourage, recalls in his memoirs about Cambay, one of the great emporia of the Indian Ocean that indeed:
Cambay is one of the most beautiful cities as regards the artistic architecture of its houses and the construction of its mosques. The reason is that the majority of its inhabitants are foreign merchants, who continually build their beautiful houses and wonderful mosques – an achievement in which they endeavor to surpass each other.
16th-century Portuguese illustration from theCódice Casanatense, depicting inhabitants of Gujarat
Many of these "foreign merchants" were transient visitors, men ofSouth Arabian andPersian Gulf ports, who migrated in and out of Cambay with the rhythm of the monsoons. But others were men with Arab or Persian patronyms whose families had settled in the town generations, even centuries earlier, intermarrying with Gujarati women, and assimilating everyday customs of the Hindu hinterland.[74]
To 16th-century European observers, Gujarat was a fabulously wealthy country. The customs revenue of Gujarat alone in the early 1570s was nearly three times the total revenue of the wholePortuguese empire in Asia in 1586–87, when it was at its height.[79] Indeed, when the British arrived on the coast of Gujarat, houses inSurat already had windows ofVenetian glass imported fromConstantinople through theOttoman Empire.[80] In 1514, the Portuguese explorerDuarte Barbosa described the cosmopolitan atmosphere ofRander known otherwise asCity of Mosques in Surat province, which gained the fame and reputation of illustrious Islamic scholars, Sufi-saints, merchants and intellectuals from all over the world:[81]
Ranel (Rander) is a good town of theMoors, built of very pretty houses and squares. It is a rich and agreeable place ... the Moors of the town trade withMalacca,Bengal, Tawasery (Tannasserim),Pegu,Martaban, andSumatra in all sort of spices, drugs, silks, musk, benzoin and porcelain. They possess very large and fine ships and those who wish Chinese articles will find them there very completely. The Moors of this place are white and well dressed and very rich they have pretty wives, and in the furniture of these houses have china vases of many kinds, kept in glass cupboards well arranged. Their women are not secluded like other Moors, but go about the city in the day time, attending to their business with their faces uncovered as in other parts.
The conquest of the Kingdom of Gujarat marked a significant event of Akbar's reign. Being the major trade gateway and departure harbour of pilgrim ships to Mecca, it gave the Mughal Empire free access to the Arabian sea and control over the rich commerce that passed through its ports. The territory and income of the empire were vastly increased.[82]
For the best part of two centuries, the independentKhatriSultanate of Gujarat was the cynosure of its neighbours on account of its wealth and prosperity, which had long made the Gujarati merchant a familiar figure in the ports of the Indian Ocean.[57][83] Gujaratis, including Hindus and Muslims as well as the enterprisingParsi class ofZoroastrians, had been specialising in the organisation of overseas trade for many centuries, and had moved into various branches of commerce such ascommodity trade,brokerage,money-changing,money-lending andbanking.[84]
By the 17th century,Chavuse andBaghdadi Jews had assimilated into the social world of the Surat province, later on their descendants would give rise to theSassoons of Bombay and theEzras of Calcutta, and other influential Indian-Jewish figures who went on to play a philanthropical role in the commercial development of 19th-century British Crown Colony ofShanghai.[85] Spearheaded byKhoja,Bohra,Bhatiyashahbandars and Moorishnakhudas who dominated sea navigation and shipping, Gujarat's transactions with the outside world had created the legacy of an international transoceanic empire which had a vast commercial network of permanent agents stationed at all the great port cities across theIndian Ocean. These networks extended to thePhilippines in the east,East Africa in the west, and via maritime and the inland caravan route toRussia in the north.[86]
Tomé Pires, a Portuguese official atMalacca, wrote of conditions during the reigns of Mahmud I and Mozaffar II:
Cambay stretches out two arms; with her right arm she reaches towardAden and with the other towards Malacca[87]
He also described Gujarat's active trade withGoa, theDeccan Plateau and theMalabar. His contemporary,Duarte Barbosa, describing Gujarat's maritime trade, recorded the import of horses from the Middle East and elephants from Malabar, and lists exports which included muslins, chintzes and silks, carnelian, ginger and other spices, aromatics, opium, indigo and other substances for dyeing, cereals and legumes.[88]Persia was the destination for many of these commodities, and they were partly paid for inhorses andpearls taken fromHormuz.[89] The latter item, in particular, led SultanSikandar Lodi ofDelhi, according to Ali-Muhammad Khan, author of the Mirat-i-Ahmadi, to complain that the
support of the throne of Delhi is wheat and barley but the foundation of the realm of Gujarat is coral and pearls[90]
Hence, the sultans of Gujarat possessed ample means to sustain lavish patronage of religion and the arts, to build madrasas and ḵānaqāhs, and to provide douceurs for the literati, mainly poets and historians, whose presence and praise enhanced the fame of the dynasty.[91]
Even at the time ofTomé Pires' travel to theEast Indies in the early 16th century, Gujarati merchants had earned an international reputation for their commercial acumen and this encouraged the visit of merchants fromCairo,Armenia,Abyssinia,Khorasan,Shiraz,Turkestan andGuilans from Aden and Hormuz.[92] Pires noted in hisSuma Orientale:[93]
These [people] are [like] Italians in their knowledge of and dealings in merchandise ... they are men who understand merchandise; they are so properly steeped in the sound and harmony of it, that theGujaratees say that any offence connected with merchandise is pardonable. There areGujaratees settled everywhere. They work some for some and others for others. They are diligent, quick men in trade. They do their accounts with fingers like ours and with our very writings.
Gujarat was one of the twelve originalsubahs (imperial top-level provinces) established byMughal Emperor (Badshah)Akbar, with a seat at Ahmedabad, bordering onThatta (Sindh),Ajmer,Malwa and later Ahmadnagar subahs.[citation needed]
Aurangzeb, the sixth Mughal Emperor, was born inDahod, Gujarat. He was the third son and sixth child ofShah Jahan andMumtaz Mahal.[94] At the time of his birth, his father, Shah Jahan, was then the Subahdar (governor) of Gujarat, and his grandfather,Jehangir, was the Mughal Emperor. Before he became emperor, Aurangzeb was made Subahdar of Gujarat subah as part of his training and was stationed at Ahmedabad.[citation needed]
Aurangzeb had great love for his place of birth. In 1704, he wrote a letter to his eldest son,Muhammad Azam Shah, asking him to be kind and considerate to the people of Dahod as it was his birthplace. Muhammad Azam was then the Subedar (governor) of Gujarat.[95]
My son of exalted rank, the town of Dahod, one of the dependencies of Gujarat, is the birthplace of this sinner. Please consider a regard for the inhabitants of that town as incumbent on you.
When the cracks had started to develop in the edifice of theMughal Empire in the mid-17th century, theMarathas were consolidating their power in the west,Chatrapati Shivaji, the great Maratha ruler, attacked Surat in southern Gujarat twice first in 1664 and again in 1672.[96] These attacks marked the entry of the Marathas into Gujarat. However, before the Maratha had made inroads into Gujarat, the Europeans had made their presence felt, led by the Portuguese, and followed by the Dutch and the English.
ThePeshwas had established sovereignty over parts of Gujarat and collected taxes and tributes through their representatives.Damaji Rao Gaekwad andKadam Bande divided the Peshwa territory between them,[97] with Damaji establishing the sway ofGaekwad over Gujarat and makingBaroda (present dayVadodara in southern Gujarat) his capital. The ensuing internecine war among the Marathas was fully exploited by the British, who interfered in the affairs of both Gaekwads and the Peshwas.
InSaurashtra, as elsewhere, the Marathas were met with resistance.[98] The decline of theMughal Empire helped form larger peripheral states in Saurashtra, includingJunagadh,Jamnagar,Bhavnagar and a few others, which largely resisted the Maratha incursions.[98]
In the 1600s, the Dutch, French, English andPortuguese all established bases along the western coast of the region. Portugal was the first European power to arrive in Gujarat, and after theBattle of Diu, acquired several enclaves along the Gujarati coast, includingDaman and Diu as well asDadra and Nagar Haveli. These enclaves were administered byPortuguese India under a single union territory for over 450 years, only to be later incorporated into theRepublic of India on 19 December 1961 by military conquest.
17th-century French explorerFrançois Pyrard de Laval, who is remembered for his 10-year sojourn in South Asia, bears witness in his account that the Gujaratis were always prepared to learn workmanship from the Portuguese, and in turn imparted skills to the Portuguese:[100]
I have never seen men of wit so fine and polished as are these Indians: they have nothing barbarous or savage about them, as we are apt to suppose. They are unwilling indeed to adopt the manners and customs of thePortuguese; yet do they regularly learn their manufactures and workmanship, being all very curious and desirous of learning. In fact, thePortuguese take and learn more from them than they from thePortuguese.
Later in the 17th century, Gujarat came under control of the HinduMaratha Empire that arose, defeating the Muslim Mughals who had dominated the politics of India. Most notably, from 1705 to 1716,SenapatiKhanderao Dabhade led the Maratha Empire forces in Baroda.Pilaji Gaekwad, first ruler ofGaekwad dynasty, established the control over Baroda and other parts of Gujarat.
TheBritish East India Company wrested control of much of Gujarat from the Marathas during theSecond Anglo-Maratha War in 1802–1803. Many local rulers, notably the Maratha Gaekwad Maharajas of Baroda (Vadodara), made a separate peace with the British and acknowledged British sovereignty in return for retaining local self-rule.
An epidemic in 1812 killed half the population of Gujarat.[101]
Initially there was confusion over whether Junagadh would join India or Pakistan. This was resolved in 1947 with aplebiscite for full union with India following the next year.[102]
AfterIndian independence and thepartition of India in 1947, the new Indian government grouped the former princely states of Gujarat into three larger units;Saurashtra, which included the former princely states on theKathiawad peninsula,Kutch, andBombay state, which included the former British districts of Bombay Presidency together with most ofBaroda State and the other former princely states of eastern Gujarat. Bombay state was enlarged to include Kutch, Saurashtra (Kathiawar) and parts ofHyderabad state andMadhya Pradesh in central India. The new state had a mostly Gujarati-speaking north and a Marathi-speaking south. Agitation by Gujarati nationalists, theMahagujarat Movement, and Marathi nationalists, theSamyukta Maharashtra, for their own states led to the split ofBombay state on linguistic lines; on 1 May 1960, it became the new states of Gujarat andMaharashtra. In1969 riots, at least 660 died and properties worth millions were destroyed.[103][104]
The first capital of Gujarat wasAhmedabad. The capital of Gujarat was moved toGandhinagar in 1970.Nav Nirman Andolan was a socio-political movement of 1974. It was a students' andmiddle class people's movement against economic crisis and corruption in public life. This was the first and last successful agitation after the Independence of India that ousted an elected government.[105][106][107]
Gujarat has emerged as an important industrial hub in India. In Western IndiaSurat was among the strongest industrial clusters in the 1970s. Between 1971 and 1981diamond cutting was established as industry in Surat. At the same time the production ofartificial silk and a substantialpetrochemical industry became a fixture in Surat.[108]
TheMorvi dam failure, in 1979, resulted in the death of thousands of people and large economic loss.[109] In the 1980s, areservation policy was introduced in the country, which led to anti-reservation protests in 1981 and 1985. The protests witnessed violent clashes between people belonging to variouscastes.[110]
The2001 Gujarat earthquake was located about 9 km south-southwest of the village ofChobari in theBhachau taluka ofKutch District. This magnitude 7.7 shock killed around 20,000 people (including at least 18 in South-eastern Pakistan), injured another 167,000 and destroyed nearly 400,000 homes.[111]
Gujarat borders theTharparkar,Badin andThatta districts ofPakistan'sSindh province to the northwest, is bounded by the Arabian Sea to the southwest, the state ofRajasthan to the northeast, Madhya Pradesh to the east, and by Maharashtra, theUnion Territory ofDadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu to the south. Historically, the north was known asAnarta, the Kathiawar peninsula, "Saurastra", and the south as "Lata".[115] Gujarat was also known as Pratichya and Varuna.[116] The Arabian Sea makes up the state's western coast. The capital, Gandhinagar is aplanned city. Gujarat has an area of 75,686 sq mi (196,030 km2) with the longest coastline (24% of Indian sea coast) 1,600 km (990 mi), dotted with 41 ports: one major, 11 intermediate and 29 minor.
TheNarmada is the largest river in Gujarat followed by theTapi. TheSabarmati has the longest course through the state.The Sardar Sarovar Project is built on Narmada, one of the major rivers ofpeninsular India where it is one of only three major rivers that run from east to west – the others being the Tapi and theMahi. It is about 1,312 km (815 mi) long. Several riverfront embankments have been built on the Sabarmati River.
The eastern borders have fringes of low mountains of India, theAravalli,Sahyadri (Western Ghats),Vindhya andSaputara. Apart from this the Gir hills, Barda, Jessore andChotila together make up a large minority of Gujarat.Girnar is the tallest peak andSaputara is the only hill-station (hilltop resort) in the state.
Rann (રણ) is Gujarati for desert. TheRann of Kutch is a seasonally marshy saline clay desert in theThar Desert biogeographic region between the Pakistani province ofSindh and the rest of the state of Gujarat; it commences 8 km (5.0 mi) from the village of Kharaghoda, Surendranagar District.
In February 2019, aBengal tiger claimed to be fromRatapani in Madhya Pradesh was spotted in the area ofLunavada inMahisagar district, in the eastern part of the state,[122][123] before being found dead later that month, likely from starvation.[124]
The population of Gujarat was 60,439,692 (31,491,260 males and 28,948,432 females) according to the 2011 census data.[126] The population density is 308 persons per square kilometre (800 persons/sq mi), lower than other Indian states. As per the census of 2011, the state has a sex ratio of 918 females for every 1000 males, one of the lowest (ranked 24) among the 29 states in India.
While Gujarati speakers constitute a majority of Gujarat's population, the metropolitan areas of Ahmedabad,Vadodara andSurat are cosmopolitan, with numerous other ethnic and language groups.Marwaris compose large minorities of economic migrants; smaller communities of people from the other states of India have also migrated to Gujarat for employment.Luso-Indians,Anglo-Indians,Jews andParsis also live in the areas.[127]Sindhi presence is traditionally important here following thePartition of India in 1947.[128] TheKoli forms the largest caste-cluster, comprising 24% of the total population of the state.[129][130]
Gujarat ranked fifth in the Fiscal Health Index (FHI) 2025, with a score of 50.5.[131]
According to 2011 census, the religious makeup in Gujarat was 88.57%Hindu, 9.67%Muslim, 0.96%Jain, 0.52%Christian, 0.10%Sikh, 0.05%Buddhist and 0.03% others. Around 0.1%did not state any religion.[132] Hinduism is the majority religion, and is over 93% in rural areas.Muslims are the biggest minority in the state accounting for 9.7% of the population. Gujarat has the third-largest population ofJains in India, followingMaharashtra andRajasthan, almost all of whom live in urban areas like Vadodara, Ahmedabad and Surat.[133]
Gujarati is the official language of the state of Gujarat. AnIndo-Aryan language, it is spoken natively by 86% of the state's population, or 52 million people (as of 2011). Hindi is the second-most frequently spoken language in the state, being spoken by more than 6% of the population. Marathi also is spoken in urban areas.[134]
People from the Kutch region of Gujarat also speak in theKutchi mother tongue and, to a great extent, understandSindhi as well.Memoni is the mother tongue of Kathiawar and Sindhi Memons, most whom are Muslims.
Almost 88% of theGujarati Muslims speak Gujarati as their mother tongue and the remaining 12% speakUrdu. A sizeable proportion of Gujarati Muslims are bilingual in the two languages.
In rural areas among the tribals, various Bhil dialects are spoken by approximately 1.37% of the population. In the northeast part of the stateBhili is spoken, in the central part of the stateBhili,Bhilali, andVasava are spoken, while in the southeast part of the stateDangi,Varli,Chodri, andDhodia (which are related to Marathi) are spoken.
Gujarat is governed by aLegislative Assembly of 182 members. Members of the Legislative Assembly are elected on the basis of adult suffrage from one of 182 constituencies, of which 13 are reserved forscheduled castes and 27 forscheduled tribes. The term of office for a member of the Legislative Assembly is five years. The Legislative Assembly elects a speaker who presides over the meetings of the legislature. A governor is appointed by thePresident of India, and is to address the state legislature after every general election and the commencement of each year's first session of the Legislative Assembly. The leader of the majority party or coalition in the legislature (Chief Minister) or his or her designee acts as the Leader of the Legislative Assembly. The administration of the state is led by the Chief Minister.
During and after India'sState of Emergency of 1975–1977, public support for the INC eroded, but it continued to hold government until 1995 with the brief rule of nine months byJanata Morcha. In the 1995 Assembly elections, the Congress lost to theBharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led byKeshubhai Patel who became the Chief Minister. His government lasted only two years. The fall of that government was provoked by a split in the BJP led byShankersinh Vaghela. BJP again won election in 1998 with clear majority. In 2001, following the loss of two assembly seats in by-elections, Keshubhai Patel resigned and yielded power toNarendra Modi. BJP retained a majority in the 2002 election, and Narendra Modi remained as Chief Minister. On 1 June 2007, Narendra Modi became the longest serving Chief Minister of Gujarat.[145][146][147] BJP retained the power in subsequent elections in 2007 and 2012 and Narendra Modi continued as the chief minister. After Narendra Modi became the prime minister of India in 2014,Anandiben Patel became the first female chief minister of the state.Vijay Rupani took over as chief minister and Nitin Patel as deputy chief minister on 7 August 2016 afterAnandiben Patel resigned earlier on 3 August.Bhupendrabhai Patel became chief minister in September 2021 after the resignation of Vijay Rupani.
The incumbent chief secretary of Gujarat is Raj Kumar[148] and director general of police (DGP) is Vikas Sahay.[149]
Gujarat is the most industrialised state in India and has the highest industrial output when compared to other states in the country.[150] It has the highest exports of any Indian state, accounting for 30.7% of all Indian exports in 2024–2025.[151] It leads in diverse industrial sectors such as chemicals, petrochemicals, dairy, drugs and pharmaceuticals, cement and ceramics, gems and jewellery, textiles and engineering.[152] It has the highest electricity production capacity[153] and maritime port cargo volume[154] among all states in India.Major agricultural produce of the state includes cotton,groundnuts (peanuts),dates,sugar cane, milk and milk products. Industrial products include cement andpetrol.[155]Gujarat is ranked number one in thepharmaceutical industry in India, with a 33% share in drug manufacturing and 28% share in drug exports. The state has 130 USFDA certified drug manufacturing facilities. Ahmedabad and Vadodara are considered as pharmaceutical hubs, as there are many big and small pharmaceutical companies established in these cities.[156]
Gujarat has the longest coastline in India (1600 km), and its ports (both private and public sector) handle around 40% of India's ocean cargo, withMundra Port located inGulf of Kutch being the largest port of India by cargo handled (144 million tons) due to its favourable location on the westernmost part of India and closeness to global shipping lanes. Gujarat also contributes around 20% share in India's industrial production and merchandise exports. According to a 2009 report oneconomic freedom by theCato Institute, Gujarat is the most free state in India (the second one beingTamil Nadu).[157]Reliance Industries operates the oil refinery atJamnagar, which is the world's largest grass-roots refinery at a single location. The world's largest shipbreaking yard is in Gujarat near Bhavnagar atAlang. India's only Liquid Chemical Port Terminal atDahej, developed by Gujarat Chemical Port Terminal Co Ltd. Gujarat has two of the three liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals in the country (Dahej and Hazira). Two more LNG terminals are proposed, atPipavav andMundra.[citation needed]
According to most recent data, Gujarat is considered the fourth richest state in India.[158]
Gujarat has 85% village connectivity with all‐weather roads.[159] Nearly 100% of Gujarat's 18,000 villages have been connected to the electrical grid for 24-hour power to households and eight hours of power to farms, through theJyotigram Yojana.[160] As of 2015[update], Gujarat ranksfirst nationwide in gas-based thermal electricity generation with a national market share of over 8%, and second nationwide in nuclear electricity generation with national market share of over 1%.[161]
The state registered 12.8% agricultural growth in the last five years against the national average of 2%.[162]
Gujarat records highest decadal agricultural growth rate of 10.97%. Over 20% of theS&P CNX 500 conglomerates have corporate offices in Gujarat.[163] As per RBI report[which?], in year 2006–07, 26% of total bank finance in India was in Gujarat.[citation needed]
According to a 2012 survey report of the Chandigarh Labour Bureau, Gujarat had the lowest unemployment rate of 1% against the national average of 3.8%.[164]
Legatum Institute's Global Prosperity Index 2012 recognised Gujarat as one of the two highest-scoring among all states of India on matters of social capital.[165] The state ranks 15th alongside Germany in a list of 142 nations worldwide: higher than several developed nations.[166]
The tallest tower in Gujarat, GIFT One was inaugurated on 10 January 2013. One other tower called GIFT Two has been finished and more towers are planned.[167]
Gujarat's major cities include Ahmedabad,Surat,Vadodara,Rajkot,Jamnagar andBhavnagar. In 2010,Forbes' list of the world's fastest growing cities included Ahmedabad at number 3 afterChengdu andChongqing from China.[168][169] The state is rich incalcite,gypsum,manganese,lignite,bauxite,limestone,agate,feldspar, andquartz sand, and successful mining of these minerals is done in their specified areas. Jamnagar is the hub for manufacturingbrass parts. Gujarat produces about 98% of India's required amount of soda ash, and gives the country about 78% of the national requirement of salt. It is one of India's most prosperous states, having a per-capita GDP significantly above India's average.Mehsana,Kalol, Khambhat, andAnkleshwar are today known for their oil and natural gas production. Dhuvaran has a thermal power station, which uses coal, oil, and gas. Also, on the Gulf of Khambhat, 50 km (31 mi) southeast of Bhavnagar, is the Alang Ship Recycling Yard (the world's largest).MG Motor India manufactures its cars at Halol nearVadodara, The world's least expensive car, theTata Nano, was manufactured inSanand near Ahmedabad.Surat, a city by theGulf of Khambhat, is a hub of the global diamond trade. In 2003, 92% of the world's diamonds were cut and polished in Surat.[170] The diamond industry employs 500,000 people in Gujarat.[171]
At an investor's summit entitled "Vibrant Gujarat Global Investor Summit", arranged between 11 and 13 January 2015, at Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar, the state government signed 21000 Memoranda of Understanding for Special Economic Zones worth a total of₹ 2.5 million crores (short scale).[172] However, most of the investment was from domestic industry.[173] In the fourth Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors' Summit held at Science City, Ahmedabad, in January 2009, there were 600 foreign delegates. In all, 8668 MOUs worth₹ 12500 billion were signed, estimated to create 2.5 million new job opportunities in the state.[174] In 2011, Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors' Summit MOUs worth₹ 21 trillion (US$ 463 billion) were signed.
Gujarat is a state with surplus electricity.[175] TheKakrapar Atomic Power Station is a nuclear power station run by NPCIL that lies in the proximity of the city of Surat. According to the official sources, against demand of 40,793 million units during the nine months since April 2010, Gujarat produced 43,848 million units. Gujarat sold surplus power to 12 states: Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, and West Bengal.[176]
As of May 2024, the peak power requirement of state is 25,088 MW.[178] As of March 2024, total installed power generation capacity is 52,945.13 MW. Of this 23,643.41 MW belongs to thermal power generation capacity while 27,461.72 MW (51.87%) belongs to renewable energy generation capacity including 1990 MWHydropower. The rest 1840 MW is nuclear power generation capacity.[179] The renewable energy installed capacity includes 11,823 MW wind power and 14,182 MW solar power totalling 26,005 MW, as of June 2024.[180] Total rooftop solar power installation capacity of state is 3455.90 MW, as of April 2024.[181]
The total geographical area of Gujarat is 19,602,400 hectares, of which crops take up 10,630,700 hectares.[verification needed][182] The three main sources of growth in Gujarat's agriculture are from cotton production, the rapid growth of high-value foods such as livestock, fruits and vegetables, and from wheat production, which saw an annual average growth rate of 28% between 2000 and 2008 (According to theInternational Food Policy Research Institute).[183] Other major produce includes bajra, groundnut, cotton, rice, maize, wheat, mustard, sesame, pigeon pea, green gram, sugarcane, mango, banana, sapota, lime, guava, tomato, potato, onion, cumin, garlic, isabgul and fennel. Whilst, in recent times, Gujarat has seen a high average annual growth of 9% in the agricultural sector, the rest of India has an annual growth rate of around 3%. This success was lauded by former President of India, APJ Abdul Kalam.[184]
The strengths of Gujarat's agricultural success have been attributed to diversified crops and cropping patters; climatic diversity (8 climatic zones for agriculture); the existence of 4 agricultural universities in the state, which promote research in agricultural efficiency and sustainability;[185] co-operatives; adoption of hi-tech agriculture such as tissue culture, green houses and shed-net houses; agriculture export zones; strong marketing infrastructure, which includes cold storage, processing units, logistic hubs and consultancy facilities.[186]
Gujarat is the main producer of tobacco, cotton, and groundnuts in India. Other major food crops produced are rice, wheat,jowar, bajra, maize,tur, andgram. The state has an agricultural economy; the total crop area amounts to more than one-half of the total land area.[187]
Animal husbandry and dairying have played vital roles in the rural economy of Gujarat. Dairy farming, primarily concerned with milk production, functions on a co-operative basis and has more than a million members. Gujarat is the largest producer of milk in India. TheAmul milk co-operative federation is well known all over India, and it is Asia's biggest dairy.[188] Among the livestock raised are, buffaloes and other cattle, sheep, and goats. As per the results of livestock census 1997, there were 20.97 million head of livestock in Gujarat State. In the estimates of the survey of major livestock products, during the year 2002–03, Gujarat produced 6.09 million tonnes of milk, 385 million eggs and 2.71 million kg of wool. Gujarat also contributes inputs to the textiles, oil, and soap industries.
The adoption of cooperatives in Gujarat is widely attributed to much of the success in the agricultural sector, particularly sugar and dairycooperatives. Cooperative farming has been a component of India's strategy for agricultural development since 1951. Whilethe success of these was mixed throughout the country, their positive impact on the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat have been the most significant. In 1995 alone, the two states had more registered co-operatives than any other region in the country. Out of these, the agricultural cooperatives have received much attention. Many have focused on subsidies and credit to farmers and rather than collective gathering, they have focused on facilitating collective processing and marketing of produce. However, whilethey have led to increased productivity, their effect on equity in the region has been questioned, because membership in agricultural co-operatives has tended to favour landowners whilelimiting the entry of landless agricultural labourers.[189] An example of co-operative success in Gujarat can be illustrated through dairy co-operatives, with the particular example ofAmul (Anand Milk Union Limited).
Amul was formed as a dairy cooperative in 1946,[190] in the city of Anand, Gujarat. The cooperative, Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd.(GCMMF), is jointly owned by around 2.6 million milk producers in Gujarat. Amul has been seen as one of the best examples of cooperative achievement and success in a developing economy and the Amul pattern of growth has been taken as a model for rural development, particularly in the agricultural sector of developing economies. The company stirred the White Revolution of India (also known asOperation Flood), the world's biggest dairy development program, and made the milk-deficient nation of India the largest milk producer in the world, in 2010.[191] The "Amul Model" aims to stop the exploitation by middlemen and encourage freedom of movement since the farmers are in control of procurement, processing and packaging of the milk and milk products.[192] The company is worth 2.5 billion US dollars (as of 2012[update]).[193]
70% of Gujarat's area is classified as semi-arid to arid climatically, thus the demand on water from various economic activities puts a strain on the supply.[194] Of the total gross irrigated area, 16–17% is irrigated by government-owned canals and 83–84% by privately owned tube wells and other wells extracting groundwater, which is the predominant source of irrigation and water supply to the agricultural areas. As a result, Gujarat has faced problems withgroundwater depletion, especially after demand for water increased in the 1960s. As access to electricity in rural areas increased, submersible electric pumps became more popular in the 1980s and 1990s. However, the Gujarat Electricity Board switched to flat tariff rates linked to the horsepower of pumps, which increased tubewell irrigation again and decreased the use of electric pumps. By the 1990s, groundwater abstraction rates exceeded groundwater recharge rate in many districts, while only 37.5% of all districts has "safe" recharge rates. Groundwater maintenance and preventing unnecessary loss of the available water supplies is now an issue faced by the state.[195] The Sardar Sarovar Project, a debated dam project in the Narmada valley consisting of a network of canals, has significantly increased irrigation in the region. However, its impact on communities who were displaced is still a contested issue. In 2012 Gujarat began an experiment to reduce water loss due to evaporation in canals and to increase sustainability in the area, by constructing solar panels over the canals. In a one megawatt (MW) solar power project set up at Chandrasan, Gujarat uses solar panels fixed over a 750-metre stretch of an irrigation canal. Unlike many solar power projects, this one does not take up large amounts of land since the panels are constructed over the canals, and not on additional land. This results in lower upfront costs since land does not need to be acquired, cleared or modified to set up the panels. The Chandrasan project is projected to save 9 million litres of water per year.[196]
The Government of Gujarat, to improvesoil management and introduce farmers to new technology, started on a project which involved giving every farmer a Soil Health Card. This acts like a ration card, providing permanent identification for the status of cultivated land, as well as farmers' names, account numbers, survey numbers,soil fertility status and general fertiliser dose. Samples of land from each village are taken and analysed by theGujarat Narmada Valley Fertiliser Corporation, State Fertiliser Corporation andIndian Farmers Fertilisers Co-operative. 1,200,000soil test data from the villages was collected as of 2008, from farmer's field villages have gone into a database. Assistance and advice for this project was given by local agricultural universities and crop and soil-specific data was added to the database. This allows the soil test data to be interpreted and recommendations or adjustments made in terms of fertiliser requirements, which are also added to the database.[197]
Idol of Hemchandra Acharya at a Jain temple inNew Jersey, regarded as the father of Gujarati language.
The city ofPatan was renowned for its collection of ancient Jain manuscripts and as a royal capital of Jain learning,[198] which has drawn the admiration of many scholars.BritishIndologist andSanskritist Peter Peterson described the collection as follows:
I know of no town in India and only a few in the world which can boast of so great a store documents of venerable antiquity. They would be the pride and jealously guarded treasure of any University Library in Europe.[199]
Shrimad Rajchandra Vachnamrut and ShriAtma Siddhi Shastra, written in 19th century by Jain philosopher and poetShrimad Rajchandra (Mahatma Gandhi's guru) are very well known.[202][203]
Gujarati food is primarily vegetarian. The typical Gujaratithali consists ofrotli orbhakhari or thepala or rotlo,dal orkadhi,khichdi, Bhat andshak.Athanu (Indian pickle) andchhundo are used ascondiments. The four major regions of Gujarat all bring their own styles to Gujarati food. Many Gujarati dishes are distinctively sweet, salty, and spicy at the same time. In theSaurashtra region,chhash (buttermilk) is believed to be a must-have in their daily food.[citation needed]
TheGujarati film industry dates back to 1932, when the first Gujarati film,Narsinh Mehta, was released.[205][206][207] After flourishing through the 1960s to 1980s, the industry saw a decline. The industry is revived in recent times. The film industry has produced more than one thousand films since its inception.[208] The Government of Gujarat announced a 100% entertainmenttax exemption for Gujarati films in 2005[209] and a policy of incentives in 2016.[210]
Gujarati folk music, known asSugam Sangeet, is a hereditary profession of theBarot community.Gadhvi andCharan communities have contributed heavily in modern times. The omnipresent instruments in Gujarati folk music include wind instruments, such asturi,bungal, andpava,string instruments, such as theravan hattho,ektaro, andjantar and percussion instruments, such as themanjira andzanz pot drum.[211]
The folk traditions of Gujarat includebhavai andraas-garba.Bhavai is a folk theatre; it is partly entertainment and partly ritual, and is dedicated toAmba. Theraas-garba is a folk dance done as a celebration ofNavratri by Gujarati people. Thefolk costume of this dance ischaniya choli for women andkedia for men. Different styles and steps ofgarba includedodhiyu, simple five, simple seven,popatiyu,trikoniya (hand movement which forms an imagery triangle),lehree,tran taali, butterfly,hudo, two claps and many more.Sheri garba is one of the oldest form of garba where all the women wear red patola sari and sing along while dancing. It is a very graceful form of garba.[212]
Makar Sankranti is a festival where people of Gujarat fly kites. In Gujarat, from December through toMakar Sankranti, people start enjoying kite flying.Undhiyu, a special dish made of various vegetables, is a must-have of Gujarati people onMakar Sankranti. Surat is especially well known for the strong string which is made by applying glass powder on the row thread to provide it a cutting edge.[213]
Due to close proximity to the Arabian Sea, Gujarat has developed a mercantile ethos which maintained a cultural tradition ofseafaring, long-distance trade, and overseas contacts with the outside world since ancient times, and the diffusion of culture through Gujaratidiaspora was a logical outcome of such a tradition. During the pre-modern period, various European sources have observed that these merchants formed diaspora communities outside of Gujarat, and in many parts of the world, such as thePersian Gulf, Middle East,Horn of Africa, Hong Kong,Indonesia, andPhilippines.[214] long before the internal rise of theMaratha dynasty, and theBritish Raj colonial occupation.[215]
Early 1st-century Western historians such asStrabo andDio Cassius are testament to Gujarati people's role in the spread of Buddhism in the Mediterranean, when it was recorded that thesramana monkZarmanochegas (Ζαρμανοχηγὰς) ofBarygaza metNicholas of Damascus inAntioch while Augustus ruled the Roman Empire, and shortly thereafter proceeded toAthens where died bysetting himself on fire to demonstrate his faith.[216][217] A tomb to thesramana, was still visible in the time ofPlutarch,[218] which bore the mention "ΖΑΡΜΑΝΟΧΗΓΑΣ ΙΝΔΟΣ ΑΠΟ ΒΑΡΓΟΣΗΣ" ("Thesramana master from Barygaza in India").[219]
The progenitor of theSinhala language is believed to have beenPrince Vijaya, son of King Simhabahu, who ruled Simhapura (modern-day Sihor near Bhavnagar).[220] Prince Vijaya was banished by his father for his lawlessness and set forth with a band of adventurers. This tradition was followed by other Gujaratis. For example, in theAjanta frescoes, a Gujarati prince is shown enteringSri Lanka.[221]
Many Indians migrated toIndonesia and thePhilippines, most of them Gujaratis. King Aji Saka, who is said to have come to Java in Indonesia in year 1 of the Saka calendar, is believed by some to have been a king of Gujarat.[222] The first Indian settlements in thePhilippines and Java Island of Indonesia are believed to have been established with the coming of Prince Dhruvavijaya of Gujarat, with 5000 traders.[222] Some stories propose a Brahmin named Tritresta was the first to bring Gujarati migrants with him to Java, so some scholars equate him with Aji Saka.[223] A Gujarati ship has been depicted in a sculpture at Borabudur,Java.[221]
Gujarat has a variety of museums on different genres that are run by the state's Department of Museums located at the principal state museum,Baroda Museum & Picture Gallery inVadodara,[226] which is also the location of theMaharaja Fateh Singh Museum. TheKirti Mandir, Porbandar,Sabarmati Ashram, andKaba Gandhi No Delo are museums related to Mahatma Gandhi, the former being the place of his birth and the latter two where he lived in his lifetime. Kaba Gandhi No Delo inRajkot exhibits part of a rare collection of photographs relating to the life of Mahatma Gandhi. Sabarmati Ashram is the place where Gandhi initiated theDandi March. On 12 March 1930 he vowed that he would not return to the Ashram until India won independence.[227]
The Lakhota Museum at Jamnagar is a palace transformed into museum, which was residence of the Jadeja Rajputs. The collection of the museum includes artefacts spanning from 9th to 18th centuries, pottery from medieval villages nearby and the skeleton of a whale.
Tarnetar Fair,TarnetarA man in traditional costumes duringTarnetar fair
A five-day festival is held duringMaha Shivaratri at the fort ofGirnar, Junagadh, known as the Bhavanth Mahadev Fair (Gujarati: ભવનાથ નો મેળો). The Kutch Festival or Rann Festival (Gujarati: કચ્છ or રણ ઉત્સવ) is a festival celebrated at Kutch duringMahashivratri. TheModhra Dance Festival is a festival for classical dance, arranged by theGovernment of Gujarat's Cultural Department, to promote tourism in state and to keep traditions and culture alive.[238]
The Ambaji Fair is held in the Hindu month of Bhadrapad (around August–September) at Ambaji, during a time which is particularly suitable for farmers, when the busy monsoon season is about to end. The Bhadrapad fair is held at Ambaji which is in the Danta Taluka of Banaskantha district, near the Gujarat-Rajasthan border. The walk from the bus station to the temple is less than one kilometre, under a roofed walkway. Direct buses are available from many places, including Mount Abu (45 km away), Palanpur (65 km away), Ahmedabad and Idar.[citation needed]The Bhadrapad fair is held in the centre of the Ambaji village just outside the temple premises. The village is visited by the largest number of sanghas (pilgrim groups) during the fair. Many of them go there on foot, which is particularly enriching as it happens immediately after the monsoon, when the landscape is rich with greenery, streams are full of sparkling water and the air is fresh. About 1.5 million devotees are known to attend this fair each year from all over the world. Not only Hindus, but some devout Jains and Parsis also attend the functions, while some Muslims attend the fair for trade.[citation needed]
TheTarnetar Fair is held during the first week ofBhadrapad, (September–October according toGregorian calendar), and mostly serves as a place to find a suitable bride for tribal people from Gujarat. The region is believed to be the place whereArjuna took up the difficult task of piercing the eye of a fish, rotating at the end of a pole, by looking at its reflection in the pond water, to marryDraupadi.[239]Other fairs in Gujarat include Dang Durbar, Shamlaji Fair, Chitra Vichitra Fair, Dhrang Fair and Vautha Fair.[citation needed]
The Government of Gujarat hasbanned alcohol since 1960.[240] In 2024, the Gujarat police seized around 82 lakh bottles of Indian-made foreign liquor, amounting to ₹144 crore.[241] Gujarat government collected theBest State Award for 'Citizen Security' by IBN7 Diamond States on 24 December 2012.[242]
60.06 km (37.32 mi) long tracks ofAhmedabad Metro, ametro rail system for Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar is currently operational. The construction started on 14 March 2015.[246][247]
Gujarat State has the longest sea coastline of 1214 km in India.Mundra Port is the largest port as well as the highest capacity port in India, and it is also the largest container port by volume in the country. It is India's first private port owned and operated byAdani Ports & SEZ.Kandla Port, owned by the central government and operated by Deendayal Port Authority, is one of the largest and busiest ports serving Western India. It has the third-highest cargo capacity in India. Other important ports in Gujarat are thePort of Navlakhi,Port of Magdalla,Port Pipavav,Bedi Port, Port ofPorbandar, Port ofVeraval and the privately. The state also hasDahej–Ghogha Sea Connect, a Ro-Ro ferry service.[248]
Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) is the primary body responsible for providing the bus services within the state of Gujarat and also with the neighbouring states. It is a public transport corporation providing bus services and public transit within Gujarat and to the other states in India. Apart from this, there are a number of services provided by GSRTC.
Mofussil Services – connects major cities, smaller towns and villages within Gujarat.[237]
Intercity Bus Services – connects major cities – Ahmedabad,Mehsana, Surat, Veraval, Vapi, Vadodara, Rajkot, Bharuch etc.[237]
Interstate Bus Services – connects various cities of Gujarat with the neighbouring states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan.[237]
City Services – GSRTC provides city bus services at Surat, Vadodara, Vapi, Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad, within the state of Gujarat.[237]
Parcel Services – service used for transporting goods.[237]
Apart from this, the GSRTC provides special bus services for festivals, industrial zones, schools, colleges and pilgrim places also buses are given on contract basis to the public for certain special occasions.[237]
There are also city buses in cities like Ahmedabad (AMTS andAhmedabad BRTS), Surat (Surat BRTS), Bhavnagar (BMC CITY BUS), Vadodara (Vinayak Logistics), Gandhinagar (VTCOS), Mehsana (Mehsana Muncipal Bus Service), Rajkot (RMTS andRajkot BRTS), Anand (VTCOS), Bharuch (Gurukrupa) etc.
Auto rickshaws are common mode of transport in Gujarat. The Government of Gujarat is promoting bicycles to reduce pollution by the way of initiative taken by free cycle rides for commuters.
TheMaharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Vadodara, is a premier university of Gujarat. It is one of the oldest universities of Gujarat and provides education inFaculty of Fine Arts, Engineering, Arts, Journalism, Education, Law, Social Work, Medicine, Science and Performing Arts. Originally known as the Baroda College of Science (established 1881), it became a university in 1949 after the independence of the country and later renamed after its benefactor Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III, the former ruler of Baroda State.[251]
TheNational Institute of Design (NID) in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar is a multi-disciplinary institution in the field of design education and research.[256] Centre for Environmental Planning & Technology University (CEPT) is a planning and architectural school providing various technical and professional courses.[257]
TheSpace Applications Centre (SAC) is an institution for space research and satellite communication in Ahmedabad, India, under the aegis of theIndian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).Vikram Sarabhai, a renowned scientist, industrialist, and visionary Gujarati, played an important role in it. He also foundedPhysical Research Laboratory, a research institute encompasses Astrophysics, Solar System, and cosmic radiation. He also envisionedIndian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, one of the internationally reputed management research institute that is located in Gujarat's commercial capital Ahmedabad and is the top ranked management institutes in the country.[259][260]
The Institute of Seismological Research (ISR) was established by the Science and Technology Department, Government of Gujarat, in 2003 and is registered as a society. ISR campus is at Raisan, Gandhinagar, on the banks of Sabarmati river. Aims and objectives include assigning optimum seismic factors for buildings in different regions and long-term assessment of potential. The ISR is the only institute in India fully dedicated to seismological research and is planned to be developed into a premier international institute in few years time.[citation needed]
^"Appendix-A: Detailed tables, Table (7): Literacy rate (in per cent) of persons of different age groups for each State/UT (persons, age-group (years): 7 & above, rural+urban (column 6))".Annual Report, Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) (July 2023 – June 2024)(PDF). National Sample Survey Office, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government of India. 23 September 2024. pp. A-10.
^Baṭṭūṭa, Ibn; Husain, Mahdi (1976).The Rehla of Ibn Battuta (India, Maldive Islands and Ceylon). Baroda: Oriental Institute. p. 172.
^abDavid Smith (2003).Hinduism and modernity. Oxford: Blackwell. p. 62.ISBN978-0-631-20862-4.Surat was then the place of embarkation of pilgrims to Mecca; known as Bab al-Makkah or the Gate of Mecca, it was almost a sacred place for the Muslims of India. It was the main city for foreign imports, where many merchants had their bases, and all the European trading companies were established. Its population was more than 100,000.
^abThe journal of Asian studies, Volume 35, Issues 1–2. 1975.Archived from the original on 4 March 2019. Retrieved22 December 2016.For a pious emperor, Surat had more than economic and political importance; it was the port from which the hajj (pilgrimage) ships left Mughal India for the Red Sea. The port was variously known as Bab-al-Makkah, the Bab-ul-Hajj, the Dar-al-Hajj, and the Bandar-i-Mubarak.
^Gujarat, Part 1. Popular Prakashan. 2003.ISBN978-81-7991-104-4.Archived from the original on 14 April 2021. Retrieved8 August 2020.The Gurjars of Chitrakuta and Gurjars of lta were mentioned in Rashtrakuta inscriptions
^Gujarat Government."Gujarat state official site". Archived fromthe original on 3 February 2010. Retrieved21 January 2010.The State took its name from the Gurjara, the land of theGujjar, who ruled the area during the 700s and 800s.
^"Gujarat".Encyclopædia Britannica.Archived from the original on 19 October 2016. Retrieved27 October 2016.Gujarat draws its name from the Gurjara, who ruled the area during the 8th and 9th centuries CE.
^Ramesh Chandra Majumdar; Achut Dattatrya Pusalker; A. K. Majumdar; Dilip Kumar Ghose; Vishvanath Govind Dighe; Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan (1977).The History and Culture of the Indian People: The classical age. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. p. 153.
^Vashi, Ashish (21 October 2010),"Saga of Barygaza",The Times of India,archived from the original on 21 January 2012, retrieved19 August 2014,The book describes an episode of a foreigner bringing costly gifts for kings, saying, 'And for the King there are very costly vessels of silver, singing boys, beautiful maidens for the harem, fine wines, thin clothing of the finest weaves, and the choicest ointments.'
^William H. Schoff (1912),The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea: Travel and Trade in the Indian Ocean by a Merchant of the First Century(digitalized), New York,archived from the original on 24 February 2011, retrieved1 October 2013,As a sign of these places to those approaching from the sea there are serpents, very large and black; for at the other places on this coast and around Barygaza, they are smaller, and in color bright green, running into gold ... Now the whole country of India has very many rivers, and very great ebb and flow of the tides; increasing at the new moon, and at the full moon for three days, and falling off during the intervening days of the moon. But about Barygaza it is much greater, so that the bottom is suddenly seen, and now parts of the dry land are sea, and now it is dry where ships were sailing just before; and the rivers, under the inrush of the flood tide, when the whole force of the sea is directed against them, are driven upwards more strongly against their natural current, for many stadia.{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^Rose, Horace Arthur; Ibbetson (1990).Glossary of the Tribes and Castes of the Punjab and North West Frontier Province. Asian Educational Services. p. 300.ISBN978-81-206-0505-3.
^abWink, André (1990).Indo-Islamic society: 14th – 15th centuries. BRILL. p. 143.ISBN978-90-04-13561-1.Archived from the original on 18 November 2021. Retrieved18 November 2021.Zafar Khan Muzaffar, the first independent ruler of Gujarat was not a foreign muslim but a Khatri convert, of a low subdivision called Tank, originally from Southern Punjab.
^Kurup, K.K.N., ed. (1997).India's naval traditions: the role of Kunhali Marakkars. New Delhi: Northern Book Centre. p. 7.ISBN978-81-7211-083-3.Gujarati merchants had very long-standing relations with the Persian Gulf and Red Sea regions. Aden, Ormuz, and Mecca were frequently visited by them. They took gold, quicksilver, vermilion, copper, rose-water, camlets, scarlet-in-grain, coloured woollen cloth, glass beads and weapons which were brought by merchants from Cairo to Aden. The above mentioned items were collected by merchants from Italy, Greece, and Damascus. Horses from various parts of Arabia and Persia, especially from Ormuz, were brought by the Gujarati merchants to India.
^Arthur Percival Newton (1936).The Cambridge History of the British Empire. CUP Archive. p. 23. Retrieved24 February 2015.The annual pilgrimages of Indian Muslim to Mecca, whose route lay through Gujarat (which was called the Gate of Mecca) had been for some years interrupted by the domination of the Arabian Sea by the Portuguese and also by the disorder prevailing in Gujarat.
^Ho, Engseng (2006).The graves of Tarim genealogy and mobility across the Indian Ocean. Berkeley: University of California Press. p. 122.ISBN978-0-520-93869-4.From the other direction, the enhanced security of the Hejaz provided not only profits for Gujarati merchants but succor for Gujarat's Muslim sultans. In times of insecurity, Gujarati sultans would send their families and treasures to the Hejaz for safekeeping ... the sultanate indeed fell, in 1573, and the triumphant emperor Akbar, retained his services giving him charge of pious endowments in Gujarat dedicated to Mecca and Medina.
^Sen, Sailendra (2013).A Textbook of Medieval Indian History. Primus Books. pp. 115–116.ISBN978-93-80607-34-4.
^Poros, Maritsa V. (2011).Modern migrations: Gujarati Indian networks in New York and London. Stanford, Calif.: Stanford University Press.ISBN978-0-8047-7222-8.Indeed, Fernand Braudel likened Surat to some of the great mercantile cities of Europe and Asia, such as Venice and Beijing ... Godinho estimated that Surat's population was more than 100, 000, with people from all over the world residing in the city or frequenting it for business. He even claimed that it surpasses our "Evora in grandeur"
^"Gujarati showed Vasco 'da' way".The Times of India. 3 October 2010.Archived from the original on 1 October 2013. Retrieved1 October 2013.Historians have differed over the identity of the sailor, calling him a Christian, a Muslim and a Gujarati. According to another account, he was the famous Arab navigator Ibn Majid. Some historians suggest Majid could not have been near the vicinity at the time. German author Justus says it was Malam who accompanied Vasco ... Italian researcher Sinthia Salvadori too has concluded that it was Malam who showed Gama the way to India. Salvadori has made this observation in her 'We Came In Dhows', an account written after interacting with people in Gujarat.
^N. Subrahmanian; Tamil̲an̲pan̲; S. Jeyapragasam (1976).Homage to a Historian: A Festschrift. Dr. N. Subrahmanian 60th Birthday Celebration Committee. p. 62.Archived from the original on 4 March 2019. Retrieved19 October 2015.
^Freeman-Grenville, G.S.P.; Munro-Hay, Stuart Christopher (2002).Historical atlas of Islam (Rev. and expanded ed.). New York [u.a.]: Continuum. p. 250.ISBN978-0-8264-1417-5.Archived from the original on 4 March 2019. Retrieved22 December 2016.
^abVashi, Ashish (1 May 2012)."Aurangzeb loved Dahod till the end".Daily News and Analysis.Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved4 October 2013.Eminent historian Manekshah Commissariat has quoted from this letter in his book 'A History of Gujarat: Mughal period, from 1573 to 1758'.
^Yagnik, Achyut (May 2002)."The pathology of Gujarat". New Delhi: Seminar Publications.Archived from the original on 22 March 2006. Retrieved10 May 2006.
^Ebrahim, Alnoor (2000). "Agricultural cooperatives in Gujarat, India: Agents of equity or differentiation?".Development in Practice.10 (2):178–188.doi:10.1080/09614520050010214.S2CID154497407.
^Bellur, Venkatakrishna; Saraswathi P. Singh; Radharao Chaganti; Rajeswararao Chaganti (1990). "The white revolution—How Amul brought milk to India".Long Range Planning.23 (6):71–79.doi:10.1016/0024-6301(90)90104-C.
^Suran, B (10 June 2012). "Is Agriculture in Gujarat on a Different Growth Trajectory?".Social Science Research Network. National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD).SSRN2080876.
^Kudalk, J. S. (1920). "The Jain Manuscript-Bhandars at Patan a Final Word on Their Search".Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute.3:35–52.JSTOR44526773.
^"Even British were envious of Gujaratis".The Times of India. 11 December 2012.Archived from the original on 28 September 2013. Retrieved25 September 2013.'Most people perceive that British dominated everything in the 19th century when the Indian sub-continent was under their control. But Gujarati merchants, especially those from Kutch, dominated the economy all along the East African coast. So while British were ruling, Gujaratis were making all the money,' said Pearson. 'As financers, they (Gujarati merchants) had agents to collect tax, they had money to provide loans, they dominated the merchandise business and they were also into slavery business atNairobi,Mombasa,Zanzibar on the East African coast and to some extent their influence was also on the South African region,' he said. 'In fact, the dominance of Gujarati merchants on economy was to such an extent that at one point of time the British even complained about it. They, however, couldn't make any difference as most of them were either administrators or soldiers,' said Pearson
^Plutarch. 'Life of Alexander' in The Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romans. (trans John Dryden and revised Arthur Hugh Clough) The Modern Library (Random House Inc). New York. p.850
^Elledge CD. Life After Death in Early Judaism. Mohr Siebeck Tilbringen 2006ISBN3-16-148875-X pp. 122–125
^P. 25Historical and cultural chronology of Gujarat, Volume 1 by Manjulal Ranchholdlal Majmudar
^abP. 4Shyamji Krishna Varma, the unknown patriot by Ganeshi Lal Verma, India. Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Publications Division
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.svg)
.jpg)
![Shown here is the Tata Nano, the world's least expensive car.[177] The Tata Nano was manufactured in Sanand, Gujarat.](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aNano.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
