Gujarat: Encyclopedia - Gujarat

Gujarat

Gujarat (Gu: ગુજરાત, De: गुजरात; Gujarāt, IPA [guɟra:t]; also spelled Gujrat and sometimes (incorrectly) Gujarath) is one of the Princely states of India, and it is the most industrialized state in India after Maharashtra. Its capital is Gandhinagar, a planned city close to Ahmedabad, the former state capital and the commercial center of Gujarat.

The state of Gujarat was created on May 1, 1960, out of the northern, predominantly Gujarati-speaking portion of Bombay state. The southern, predominantly Marathi-speaking portion of Bombay state became Maharashtra.

Gujarat has become one of the fastest-growing states in the country; Gujarat had an average per capita income of Rs. 9,289.10, compared to Rs. 6400, the average for all Indian states.

Gujarat has given India three of the most prominent leaders in the independence movement: Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, and Morarji Desai. Gujaratis have also been leaders in the arts and the sciences; Vikram Sarabhai, a Gujarati, was the father of India's space program. They are, however, mostly noted for their entrepreneurial spirit.

Gujarat - Geography

Gujarat is the westernmost state of India. It is bounded by the Arabian Sea to the west and southwest, Pakistan to the north, by the state of Rajasthan to northeast, by Madhya Pradesh to the east, and by Maharashtra to the south and southeast.

The relief is low in most of the state. The climate is mostly dry, and even desertic in the north-west. But with the construction of the largest dam in India, Sardar Sarovar, irrigation facilities have improved immensely and now water is provided to the most dry areas of Kutch and Saurashtra via 550 km long canal, an engineering miracle.

Gujarat has about 1600 km of coastline and it is the longest coastline of all Indian states. This coastline includes the Gulf of Kutch and Gulf of Cambay.

The major cities in Gujarat are Ahmedabad, Vadodara (Baroda), Surat, Rajkot and Jamnagar. Ahmedabad is the largest city in the state and the sixth largest in India. Other important cities in Gujarat are Nadiad, Anand and Ankleshwar in the centre, Bharuch, Navsari, Vapi, and Valsad in the south; and in the west are Bhuj, and Dwarka.

Gujarat is home to several National Parks, including Gir Forest National Park (Girnar), near Junagadh, Velavadar National Park in Bhavnagar District, Vandsa National Park in Bulser District, and Marine National Park on the Gulf of Kutch in Jamnagar District. The last remaining Asian lions, famous for their dark black manes, live in Girnar.

There are also a number of wildlife sanctuaries and nature preserves, including Anjal, Balaram-Ambaji, Barda, Jambughoda, Jessore, Kachchh Desert, Khavda, Nal Sarovar, Narayan Sarovar, Paniya, Purna, Rampura, Ratanmahal, and Surpaneshwar.

Gujarat - History

Situated on the western coast of India, the name of the state is derived from Gujjarātta (Gurjar Rāshtra), which means the land of the Gujjars. It is believed that a tribe of Gujjars migrated to India around the 5th century. The history of Gujarat, however, began much earlier. Settlements of the Indus Valley Civilisation, also known as the Harappan Civilisation, have been found in the area now known as Gujarat. Gujarat's coastal cities, chiefly Bharuch, served as ports and trading centres in the Maurya and Gupta empires.

After the fall of the Gupta empire in the 6th century, Gujarat flourished as an independent Hindu kingdom. The Maitraka dynasty, descended from a Gupta general, ruled from the 6th to the 8th centuries from their capital at Vallabhi, although they were ruled briefly by Harsha during the 7th century. The Arab rulers of Sind sacked Vallabhi in 770, bringing the Maitraka dynasty to an end. A branch of the Pratihara clan ruled Gujarat after the eighth century. In 775 the first Parsi (Zoroastrian) refugees arrived in Gujarat from Iran.

The Solanki clan of Rajputs ruled Gujarat from c. 960 to 1243. Gujarat was a major center of Indian Ocean trade, and their capital at Anhilwara (Patan) was one of the largest cities in India, with population estimated at 100,000 in the year 1000. In 1026, the famous Somnath temple in Gujarat was destroyed by Mahmud of Ghazni. After 1243, the Solkanis lost control of Gujarat to their feudatories, of whom the Vaghela chiefs of Dholka came to dominate Gujarat. In 1292 the Vaghelas became tributaries of the Yadava dynasty of Devagiri in the Deccan.

In 1297 to 1298 Ala ud din Khilji, Sultan of Delhi, destroyed Anhilwara and incorporated Gujarat into the Delhi Sultanate. After Timur's sacking of Delhi at the end of the 14th century weakened the Sultanate, Gujarat's Muslim governor Zafar Khan Muzaffar asserted his independence, and his son, Sultan Ahmed Shah (ruled 1411 to 1442), established Ahmedabad as the capital. Cambay eclipsed Bharuch as Gujarat's most important trade port. The Sultanate of Gujarat remained independent until 1576, when the Mughal emperor Akbar conquered it and annexed it to the Mughal empire. It remained a province of the Mughal empire until the Marathas conquered eastern and central Gujarat in the 18th century; Western Gujarat (Kathiawar and Kutch) were divided among numerous local rulers.

Portugal was the first European power to arrive in Gujarat, acquiring several enclaves along the Gujarati coast, including Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli. The British East India Company established a factory in Surat in 1614, which formed their first base in India, but it was eclipsed by Mumbai after the British acquired it from Portugal in 1668. The Company wrested control of much of Gujarat from the Marathas during the Second Anglo-Maratha War. Many local rulers, notably the Maratha Gaekwads of Baroda (Vadodara), made a separate peace with the British, and acknowledged British sovereignty in return for retaining local self-rule.

Gujarat was placed under the political authority of Bombay Presidency, with the exception of Baroda state, which had a direct relationship with the Governor-General of India. From 1818 to 1947, most of present-day Gujarat, including Kathiawar, Kutch, and northern and eastern Gujarat were divided into dozens of princely states, but several districts in central and southern Gujarat, namely Ahmedabad, Broach (Bharuch), Kaira, Panch Mahals, and Surat, were ruled directly by British officials.

Gujarat - Indian Independence Movement

The people of Gujarat were the most enthusiastic participants of India's struggle for freedom. Leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Morarji Desai, K.M. Munshi, Narhari Parikh, Mahadev Desai, Mohanlal Pandya and Ravi Shankar Vyas all hailed from Gujarat. It was also the site of the most number of popular revolts, including the Satyagrahas in Kheda, Bardoli, Borsad and the Salt Satyagraha.

See Also: List of Gujarati Freedom Fighters

Gujarat - Post Independence

After Indian independence and the partition 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 the Kathiawar peninsula, Kutch, and Bombay state, which included the former British districts of Bombay Presidency together with most of Baroda state and the other former princely states of eastern Gujarat. In 1956, Bombay state was enlarged to include Kutch, Saurashtra, and parts of Hyderabad state and Madhya Pradesh in central India. The new state had a mostly Gujarati-speaking north and a Marathi-speaking south. Agitation by Marathi nationalists for their own state led to the split of Bombay state on linguistic lines; on 1 May 1960, it became the new states of Gujarat and Maharashtra. The first capital of Gujarat was Ahmedabad; the capital was moved to Gandhinagar in 1970.

In Gujarat a few new towns have been established since Indian independence in 1947. Most of these are more like settlements established near existing urban centres. Gandhidham, Sardarnagar and Kubernagar are three rehabilitation towns more of refugee settlements than self-sufficient towns. The last two now form part of the city of Ahmedabad. Ankleswar and Mithapur were two of the earlier industrial towns established in Gujarat. A complex of three small townships for the oil refinery, the Fertilizer Factory and Petro-chemicals plant also came up near Baroda. Kandla is the only new port town established in the State.

Gujarat was hit with a devastating earthquake on January 26, 2001 at 9:00am claiming a staggering 20,000 lives, injuring another 200,000 people and severely affecting the lives of 40 million Gujaratis. The economic and financial loss to Gujarat and India was deeply felt for years to come. It was also the site of one of the worst outbreaks of communal violence between Hindus and Muslims, which left over 1,000 people dead.

Gujarat - Administrative divisions of Gujarat

In 1960, Gujarat was created out of the 17 northern districts of former State of Bombay. These districts were further subdivided later on.

As of January 2006 Gujarat comprises of 25 districts as listed below:

Gujarat - Politics

Gujarat is governed by a Legislative Assembly of 182 members. Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) are elected on the basis of adult suffrage from one of 182 constituencies, of which 13 are reserved for scheduled castes and 26 for scheduled 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 the President of India, and is empowered to summon, prorogue, and dissolve the Legislative Assembly, and to address the House after every general election and the commencement of each year's first session of the Legislative Assembly. The Leader of the Legislative Assembly is the leader of the majority party or coalition in the legislature (Chief Minister), or his or her designee. The Leader sets the dates of the legislative sessions, and decides what business is to be transacted in the legislature and what order it is taken up.

The administration of the state is led by the Chief Minister.

After independence in 1947, the Indian National Congress party (INC) ruled the Bombay state (which included present-day Gujarat and Maharashtra). Congress continued to govern Gujarat after the state's creation in 1960. During and after India's State of Emergency of 1975-1977, public support for the Congress Party eroded, but it continued to hold government until 1995. In the 1995 Assembly Polls, the Congress lost to the BJP and Keshubhai Patel came to power. His Government lasted only 2 years. The fall of that government was provoked by a split in the BJP led by Shankersinh Vaghela. BJP returned to power in 1998 state assembly polls and has won most of the subsequent polls. In 2001, following the loss of 2 assembly seats in by-elections, Keshubhai Patel resigned and handed over power to Narendra Modi. The BJP retained a majority in the 2002 election, and Narendra Modi has since served as Chief Minister of the state.

As of 2004, key figures in Gujarat politics are:

1. Narendra Modi, Chief Minister (BJP)
2. Shankersinh Vaghela, MIP representing Kapadvanj constituency; Indian Government Textile Minister (INC).
3. Keshubhai Patel (BJP)
4. Sureshbhai Mehta (BJP)

Main article: Chief Ministers of Gujarat

Following are the Chief Ministers of Gujarat. (They are ordered by the date from which they took office for the first time)

• Dr. Shri Jivraj Narayan Mehta
• Balwantrai Mehta
• Hitendra K Desai
• Ghanshyambhai C. Oza
• Chimanbhai J Patel
• Babubhai J Patel
• Madhavsinh F. Solanki
• Amarsinh Chaudhary
• Chhabildas Mehta
• Keshubhai S. Patel
• Sureshchandra R. Mehta
• Shankersinh L. Vaghela
• Dilipbhai Ramanbhai Parikh
• Narendra Modi

Gujarat - Economy

It is one of India's most prosperous states, having a per-capita GDP significantly above India's average. ^{[citation needed]}

Major Agricultural produce of the state include cotton, peanuts, dates, sugarcane, milk & milk products. Industrial products include cement, and petrol.

Surat is a hub of global diamond trade. It is home to a thriving diamand trade and diamond cuttting industry.

Alang Ship Recycling Yard, located 50 km southeast of Bhavnagar, on the Gulf of Khambhat, is the world's largest ship breaking yard.

The State of Gujarat is the largest producer of milk in India. Amul, located at Anand is one of the largest milk product producer co-operatives in the world.

Reliance Petrolieum Ltd. operated refinery at Jamnagar is the world's largest grassroots' refinary. [[1] - see section headed '1999-2000']

Reliance Industries Limited was founded by one of Gujarat's most respected industrialists, the late Dhirubhai Ambani.

Gujarat - Educational institutions

Gujarat is home to an Indian Institute of Management, located in the city of Ahmedabad. The institute has been rated as the best in Asia by Asiaweek ^{[citation needed]}. Its graduates work in high positions for Fortune 500 companies and other major companies throughout the world. Dhirubhai Ambani Institute of Information and Communication Technology [2] is the first institute in India to recognise ICT as the emerging technical discipline and impart education in the same. Gujarat also hosts an extension campus, the National Institute of Design at Gandhinagar, for the prestigious NID at Ahmedabad. Gujarat has got four state agricultural Universities, namely Anand Agricultural University, Junagadh Agricultural University, Navsari Agricultural University and Saradar Krushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University engaged in Teaching, Research and Extension Education. Nirma Institue of Technology and L.D. College of Engineering are among the premier engineering institues of west india. Centre for Environment Planning and Technology(CEPT) is a well known institution for students of art and architecture.

• Gujarat Ayurved University, Jamnagar [3]
• Anand Agricultural University, Anand [4]
• Saurashtra University, Rajkot [5]
• Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Vadodara [6]
• Hemchandracharya North Gujarat University, Patan [7]
• Gujarat University, Ahmedabad [8]
• Gujarat Vidyapith, Ahmedabad [9]
• Bhavnagar University, Bhavnagar [10]
• Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Open University, Ahmedabad
• Sardar Patel University, Vallabh Vidyanagar [11]
• Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh[12]
• Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari [13]
• Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University, Sardarkrushinagar [14]
• South Gujarat University, Surat
• B. K. School of Management, Ahmedabad
• Centre of Environmental Planning and Technology (CEPT), Ahmedabad

Gujarat also hosts some of the premier research organisations of India. Among others, the Indian Space Research Organisation(ISRO), Physical Research Laboratory(PRL), Institute for Plasma Research(IPR) and Ahmedabad Textile and Industries’ Research Association(ATIRA) are the most noteworthy.

Gujarat Science City, is a government initiative to draw more students towards education in Science.

Gujarat - Demography

Its primary language is Gujarati. The majority of its residents are Hindus, with significant percentages following Islam, Jainism, Zoroastrianism and Christianity.

As Gujarat is a heavily industrialized state of India, it attracts lots of outsiders, mostly from North India, Bihar, and South India. Hundreds of thousands of non-Gujarati workers live in Gujarat.

Gujarat - Tourism

Lothal is the site of the ancient ruins of the first Indian port, during the times of the Indus Valley Civilization.

The Modhera Sun Temple is famous for its rare position as specifically and uniquely designed for the worship of the Sun, Lord Surya. While the main temple is beautifully and intricately designed with complex architecture, painting and sculptures, there is a central pond and surrounding it stand 108 small temples for each of the Sun God's 108 names.

Dwarka city on the tip of the Arabian Sea is famous for being the legendary home of Lord Krishna, the eight Avatara of Vishnu, hero of the Mahabharata epic. Ancient ruins of a city and temple complex found underwater suggest a historical basis for the legend.

The Rann of Kutchch covers a large portion of western Gujarat, and is world-famous for its rare ecosystem, fossils, wildlife and terrain. Only 500 years earlier, the area was the Arabian Sea.

While the city of Ahmedabad is a large and fast-growing modern metropolis, it was also the home of the Indian Independence Movement, with the Sabarmati Ashram of Mahatma Gandhi a standing legacy. The state is tolerant to various religion. however the state people has been pictured as communally violent due to ghodhra incident which which was more a political act rather than a manifestation by people in genreal.

Its main tourist sites include Palitana, Diu, Kutch, Jamnagar, Junagadh, and Rajkot.

Gujarat has 4 national parks and 11 sanctuaries, which includes: Nal Sarovar, Anjal, Balaram-Ambaji, Barda, Jambughoda, Jessore, Kachchh Desert, Khavda, Narayan Sarovar, Paniya, Purna, Rampura, Ratanmahal, and Surpaneshwar

See also

• List of people from Gujarat
• List of Maitraka rulers of Gujarat
• List of Solanki rulers of Gujarat
• List of Vaghela rulers of Gujarat
• List of Muzaffarid rulers of Gujarat

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Gujarat", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki