Mughal rule .281572.E2.80.931707.29 History of Ahmedabad

the battle between mughal imperial army , muhammad husain mirza near ahmadabad in 1573. akbarnama.



drawing dutch missionary philippus baldaeus based on description of city in true , exact description of celebrated east-india coasts of malabar , coromandel , of isle of ceylon, 1672 translated dutch

mughal emperor akbar entered gujarat , won anhilwad patan in 1572. in november 1572, after receiving submission of nobles, made gujarat province of empire, , appointed governor. when akbar gone, rebel mirzas connected timurid dynasty, backed of gujarat nobles, came against ahmedabad in 1573. 2 years later in 1575, @ second siege muzaffar husain mirza took city. in 1583 muzaffar shah iii, last ruler of gujarat sultanate, recaptured ahmedabad , spoiled of gold, jewels, , fine cloth. akbar sent mirza khan, 1 of chief nobles, leading mughal army against ahmedabad. armies clashed on 22 january 1584 @ sarkhej, after hard fought battle, routed muzzafar s army , forced him flee kathiawar. raised khan khanan or head of nobles, mirza khan turned sarkhej battlefield garden, fateh bagh (later fateh vadi), garden of victory, long 1 of chief sights of ahmedabad. khan khanan governed city 1583 1590. in years of seventeenth century ahmedabad increased in size. governor syed murtaza, shaikh farid-i-bukhari ruled 1606 1609 founded new ward bukhari mohalla , built wajihuddin s tomb. in 1613, company of thirty-two englishmen under mr. aldworth, first representatives of british east india company, came ahmedabad. on 15 december 1617, sir thomas roe came ahmedabad. 3 weeks later on 6 january 1618, mughal emperor jahangir gave audience him. dutch traders visited him. jahangir stayed in city 9 months unimpressed environment calling gardabad, city of dust. wife nur jahan governed city during period.

in 1616 prince khurram, afterwards mughal emperor shah jahan, made governor. during government 1616 1622, built moti shahi mahal in 1621 , royal baths in bhadra fort. jain merchant shantidas jhaveri started building chintamani parshwanath temple in saraspur in 1622. shortly after (1626), english traveller sir thomas herbert describes ahmedabad megapolis of gujarat, circled strong wall many large , comely streets, shops full of aromatic gums, perfumes , spices, silks, cottons, calicoes , choice indian , china rarities, owned , sold abstemious banians here surpass number other inhabitants. in 1629 , 1630 ahmedabad passed through 2 years of famine known satyashiyo dukal severe streets blocked dying, , move, wandered other countries. poor , destitute soup kitchens, langar-khanas, established . famine over, city regained prosperity. in 1636, azam khan started construction of azam khan sarai in bhadra.

during next thirty years (1640-1670), fortunes of ahmedabad @ best. distinguished governors azam khan (1635-1642), aurangzeb (1644-1646), , murad bakhsh (1654-1657). in 1638, johan albrecht de mandelslo visited city. during time disorder in 1644 riot between hindus , muslims in under aurangzeb s orders temple of chintamani parswanath near saraspur mutilated. aurangzeb ascended throne @ delhi 1658. in 1664, revenue concessions offered europeans , tavernier came city. english ambassador sir thomas roe visited city in 1672 again. jizya tax imposed on non-muslims in 1681 , riots broke out due famine in city. city flooded teen darwaza in 1683. though several years (1683-1689) affected attacks of pestilence, ahmedabad seems have lost little in wealth. in 1695 headquarters of manufactures, greatest city in india, nothing inferior venice rich silks , gold stuffs curiously wrought birds , flowers. close of aurangzeb s (1707) reign began period of disorder.

during mughal rule, rise of surat rival commercial center, ahmedabad lost of lustre, remained chief city of gujarat.

economy

at close of sixteenth century city large, formed, , remarkably healthy; of houses built of brick , mortar tiled roofs; streets broad, chief of them room enough ten ox-carriages drive abreast; , among public buildings large number of stone mosques, each 2 large minarets , many wonderful inscriptions. rich in produce of every part of globe, painters, carvers, inlayers, , workers in silver gold , iron, famous, mint 1 of 4 allowed coin gold, , imperial workshops came masterpieces in cotton, silk, velvet , brocade astonishing figures , patterns, knots , fashions.

mandelslo, in 1638, describes,

its craftsmen famous work in steel, gold, ivory, enamel, mother of pearl, paper, lac, bone, silk, , cotton, , merchants dealing in sugarcandy, cumin, honey, lac, opium, cotton, borax, dry , preserved ginger , other sweets, myrobalans, saltpetre , sal ammoniac, diamonds bijapur, ambergris, , musk.