Ahmedabad, a city located in the Indian state of Gujarat, is the largest city and former capital of the state. With a population of more than 6.3 million, it is the sixth largest city and seventh largest metropolitan area of India. Ahmedabad is located on the banks of the Sabarmati River and is an important economic and industrial hub in India. Its economy has shifted towards tertiary sector activities such as commerce, communication, and construction. It is also known for being the second largest producer of cotton in India and housing the country’s second oldest stock exchange. Cricket is a popular sport in the city and the Sardar Patel Stadium, with a capacity of 54,000, is located in Ahmedabad.
Ahmedabad has a rich history dating back to the 11th century when it was known as Ashaval. The Solanki ruler of Anhilwara (modern Patan), Karandev I, waged a successful war against the Bhil king of Ashaval and established a new city called Karnavati on the banks of the Sabarmati River. The city came under the control of the Muzaffarid dynasty in the 15th century and was renamed Ahmedabad by the dynasty’s ruler, Sultan Ahmed Shah. In 1573, Gujarat was conquered by the Mughal empire and Ahmedabad became one of the Empire’s thriving centres of trade, mainly in textiles which were exported as far as Europe. During the British rule, Ahmedabad became one of the most important cities in the Gujarat region, and a railway link between Ahmedabad and Mumbai was established in 1864 by the Bombay, Baroda, and Central India Railway (BB&CI), enabling traffic and trade between northern and southern India via the city.
The city played an important role in the Indian independence movement. Mahatma Gandhi established two ashrams – the Kochrab Ashram near Paldi in 1915 and the Satyagraha Ashram (now Sabarmati Ashram) on the banks of the Sabarmati in 1917 – which would become centres of nationalist activities. During the mass protests against the Rowlatt Act in 1919, textile workers burned down 51 government buildings across the city in protest at a British attempt to extend wartime regulations after the First World War. In the 1920s, textile workers and teachers went on strike, demanding civil rights and better pay and working conditions. In 1930, Gandhi initiated the Salt Satyagraha from Ahmedabad by embarking from his ashram on the Dandi Salt March.
Following independence and the partition of India in 1947, the city was scarred by the intense communal violence that broke out between Hindus and Muslims. Ahmedabad was the focus for settlement by Hindu migrants from Pakistan, who expanded the city’s population and transformed its demographics and economy. By 1960, Ahmedabad had become a metropolis with a population of slightly under half a million people. It was chosen as the capital of Gujarat state after the partition of the State of Bombay on 1 May 1960.
In recent years, the city has seen an increase in the construction and housing industries resulting in the development of skyscrapers. In 2010, it was ranked third in Forbes’s list of fastest-growing cities of the decade, and in 2012, The Times of India chose Ahmedabad as the best city to live in in India. As of 2014, Ahmedabad’s estimated gross domestic product was $119 billion.
Ahmedabad is renowned for its architectural heritage, which fuses Hindu craftsmanship with Persian architecture, creating the Indo-Saracenic style. Many mosques in the city were built in this fashion, including the Sidi Saiyyed Mosque, which was built in the last year of the Sultanate of Gujarat, and has ten stone latticework windows or jali on the side and rear arches. Private mansions or haveli from the same era have carvings. A Pol is a typical housing cluster of Old Ahmedabad.
After independence, modern buildings appeared in Ahmedabad, and architects given commissions in the city included Louis Kahn, who designed the IIM-A; Le Corbusier, who designed the Shodhan and Sarabhai Villas, the Sanskar Kendra and the Mill Owner’s Association Building, and Frank Lloyd Wright, who designed the administrative building of Calico Mills and the Calico Dome. B. V. Doshi came to the city from Paris to supervise Le Corbusier’s works and later set up the School of Architecture. His local works include Sangath.
Posted by Manfred Sommer (348 Mio. Views) on 2016-09-21 20:51:39
