From Ashaval To Ahmedabad: Unearthing Layers Of Gujarat Ciy's Centuries-Old Identity

Hyderabad: The city of Ahmedabad, situated on the banks of the Sabarmati River, is a living legacy of centuries-old identities and names. The city’s name, which ranged from Ashaval to Karnavati, founded by Karnadev, and later Ahmedabad during the reign of Sultan Ahmed Shah, each name bears the imprint of time, culture and kingdom. These names tell the story of the city's transformation.

Ahmedabad-based researcher and author Manek Patel ‘Setu’ told ETV Bharat, “Ahmedabad is a city that has been given a tag. In reality, Ahmedabad is thousands of years old. Back in the 9th or 10th century, its original name was Ashaval, where Thakores were settled. At that time, the king or courtiers were called Ashaval.”

According to him, next to Astodia, the upper part of the city, there is a slope that resembles a mound. Even today, a sign says, 'Ashaval's Mound.' At that time, this sloped area was where the Ashaval ruled.

“Nearby, there was a settlement of Ashavals. People also knew it as 'Ashapur' or 'Ashapalli.' History takes a very large note of Ashaval,” Patel said.

Patel further said that Ashaval was conquered by King Karnadev Solanki in 1045-46. He renamed it Karnavati. During Solanki's time, it was not a town or city but a military base. “A military base could have existed in the present-day Jamalpur or Kochrab villages on the banks of the Sabarmati River,” he said.

In 1411, Emperor Ahmad Shah arrived and founded Ahmedabad. At that time, he inaugurated the present-day Bhadra Fort on January 26, 1411, in the presence of five Muslim religious leaders and 12 baavadis (fakirs).

“I have been researching Ahmedabad for the past 30 years. Ahmedabad has given me identity and as an Ahmedabadi, and it is my duty to make people aware about its history, geography, culture and art. Since history is a deep subject, I want people to understand it in simple language. That is why I have been writing simply for the last 30 years,” said Patel.

He related that Bhadra Fort is a copy of the one at Patan in North Gujarat and the Bhadra Kali Temple was built during the Maratha period. According to him, this temple is in Azam Khan Palace.

According to him, the name of the city is actually Amdavad that has been distorted to Ahmedabad. He related the common story behind the founding of the city, where Ahmed Shah saw a dog being attacked by a hare and decided to establish a city there. “There is no historical evidence about this episode. It is rooted in stories,” he said.

Patel pointed out that looking back in time, one can find that Vadodara was once Baroda and is presently spelt as Vadodara in Hindi, Gujarati and English. Bharuch was once Bharoch. Now it is written Bharuch again in English and Gujarati. Similarly, Cambay is back to being Khambhat. In the same way, Bombay is Mumbai today, he added. “I personally believe that the name of any city should be consistent and it should be spelt the same in all languages,” he said.