Gujarat History
Gujarat, which means Gujjar nation, gets its name from an ancient tribe of nomads who traveled from modern-day Caucasian Georgia, then known as Gurjistan, thousands of miles away. Gujarat had some of the earliest contact with the Middle East and Greek world, and it was part of the Indo-greek kingdoms that cropped up after Alexander's invasions of the 3rd century BC.
The ancient port Bharuch was a center of trade during the Mauryan and Guptan empries, and thousands of coins from Rome have been found, showing the cultural exchange that happened on ancient Gujarat's shores. When the Gupta empire dissolved, Gujarat enjoyed a long period of prosperity, and received many Zoroastrians feeling from iran in the 6th century AD who have stayed there to this day, still practicing their religion.
Just as Gujarat was among the first regions in India to meet Greek civilization, it was the first to meet the Arabs, who invaded from neighboring SInd in the late 6th century, and was periodically invaded for hundreds of years until its incorporation into the Delhi Sultanate, who ruled the area for centuries until gradually losing influence in the area. Sultan Ahmed Shah re-established Ahmedabad as the capital of the state, and Gujarat again became a center of trade, with Cambay overcoming Bharuch as the economic center of the area. Portugal brought more wealth to the area after taking the the towns of Daman, Diu, Dadra, and Nagar Haveli. The Mughals conquered the region in 1576.
Britain came into the area in the early 19th century, and the region remained under British rule until Independence in 1947. Gujarat was a major center of the Indian Independence Movement with leaders such as Mohandas Gandhi, Sardar Patel, Narhari Parikh, and Ravi Shankar Vyas came from the state, and was the site of Gandhi's March to the Sea.
Gujarat is largely flat, and is mainly a desert in the north and sub-tropical in the south due to the heavy rains during monsoon season. It has some of the finest beaches in the country, although parts of the coast are marred by extreme poverty and unregulated industry, as the state is a major industrial hub.
Most Gujaratis speak Gujarati, with sizable minorities speaking Hindu and Urdu. Muslims form a large minority in the state, and it is one of the only places where Zoroastrians, also known as Parsis, still practice their religion.
Gujarat is the only place outside of Africa where wild lions can still be seen, and Gir Forest National Park is where most of these are. Panthers can also be seen in the state.
Gujarat has many ruins in it, including some from the Indus Valley Civilization of some 5,000 years ago. The Port of Lothal is considered by many to be the first major Indian port, and the city of Dholavira is a major archeological site of the civilization. There are also hundreds of famous temple complexes in the state and it is a major center for the Swaminarayan sect of Hinduism.
Today, Gujarat is largely ignored by foreign tourists, in spite of its long history and nuanced culture, but it can be very rewarding for intrepid tourists seeking to see its many attractions and rare wildlife.