"HISTORY OF GUJARAT"
Ancient Period
The name Gujarat is derived from 'Gujaratta' or 'Gujartra' that is the land protected by or ruled by Gujars. The word Gujarat gained currency during Chalukya period (942-1299 AD). Before this, parts of Gujarat were known as Anarta, Lata and Saurashtra.
Pre-History Period
The period before the advent of writing is called as pre-history to differentiate it from authentic documented history. The pre-history of Gujrat begins with the first appearance of the early man on banks of Sabarmati.
Proto-historic period
The period, which bridges the gulf between pre-history and history, is proto-history. The proto-history period of Gujarat covers the period between 2500 BC to 500 BC. During this period it was Harappan culture and Yadav rule that has dominated the historical account. As per references from Vedas, Puranas, Buddha and Jain literature, Lord Krishna has established dynastic rule of Yadavs at Dwarka around 1000 BC.
Maurya, Indo-Greek, Kahatrapas, Gupta, Maitrak & Chalukya period upto 1297 AD
The real political history of Gujarat begins with the establishment of Mauryan rule in Gujarat. Between the decline of Mauryan power and Saurashtra coming under the sway of Samprati Mauryas of Ujjain, there was Greek incursion into Gujarat lead by Dernetrious. For nearly 400 years from the start of first century, Saka rulers played a prominent part in Gujarat's history.
Medieval Period
Sultans of Delhi & Gujarat and Muslim period upto 1758 AD
Before Muslims finally entrenched themselves into Gujarat in 1298 AD, the Muslims had only an occasional contact with this part of India. It was only after the defeat of Karnadeva Vaghela at the hands of Alauddin Khilji, Muslim rule continued for nearly 400 years either under Delhi's viceroyalty or under Muslim Sultanate.
The decline of Sultanate started with the assassination of Skinder Shah. The defeat of Bahadur Shah, the last sultan under the hands of the great Mughal emperor Akber marked the beginning of the Mughal rule, which lasted for almost 185 years.
Modern Period
The Marathas and British Rule upto 1947 AD
Chatrapati Shivaji, the great Maratha ruler, attacked Surat twice that marked the entry of Marathas in Gujrat. However, before Marathas inroads into Gujarat, the Europeans had made their presence felt here with Portuguese leading them followed by the Dutch and English. Madhorao Gaekwad joined alliance with the British in 1802 and gradually it resulted in in the end of Maratha rule over Gujarat and paramountcy of British rule in 1819.
Pre-Independence
Gujarat has played a key role in the freedom struggle specially after Mahatma Gandhi's taking over the leadership of the freedom movement. India achieved independence on 15th August 1947 and a bilingual state of Gujarat and Maharashtra were formed. Then the sun once again rose over the glory of Gujarat on 1st May 1960 when a separate state of Gujarat was formed. Today, the state has once again taken the lead in industry, commerce and culture for which it was known for thousands of centuries.
GUJARAT
With
its 2000-year-old history and magnificent architectural monuments, Gujarat is blessed with a long shimmering and emerald
coastline, a splendid savage desert, long flat plains.....all interspersed with
quaint hillocks. Added to this is an abundance
of flora and fauna from the unique wild ass to the Asiatic lion with a million
different trees and plants. And it is a
bird-watchers paradise.
The
state of Gujarat lies in the northern
extremity of the western sea board. Its
population of over 60 million is primarily Gujarati speaking. Being a
coastal state, Gujarat has had contacts with
the western trading world since Greco-Roman times. In fact, in Lothal, a civilisation dating
back to 3000 BC has recently been excavated and later the Aryans from Central Asia found it a good entry point. After the Golden Age of the Guptas, Gujarat successively came under the Rajput kings, the
Muslim Sultans, the Mughals and finally under the British Raj. Of its known original inhabitants, all but
the Bhil and Gond tribes have vanished, and these live now mostly on the
mainland. Every race that was drawn to India, left in Gujarat either a colourful contribution to its culture or
a trail of ruins.
With a
large Jain population and a long period of Buddhist culture from Ashoka’s time
to the end of the Vallabhi dynasty in 790, the people of this western corner of
India
are largely strict vegetarians. The
history of the Gujaratis has given them a gentle dignity and a secure culture.
The people of the Saurashtra region are attractive and colourful Among them are the descendants of the Rajputs
who spread all over the peninsula in the eighth century and founded many of the
ruling families.
Just
over the state line, going from Mumbai to Ahmedabad is Sanjan, where a masonry
flame-topped pillar marks the landing place of the Parsees in 745 AD after they
had spent 19 years in Diu, an island south of Saurashtra. Why they left there is not known, but they
set off again in the same ships that had brought them from Persia. They had to keep moving the sacred fire for
protection and it was only after 700 years that they set it up permanently at
Udvada, a little north of Sanjan. There
are now Parsee groups in almost every Gujarat
town and many of their surnames are derived from the localities’ names.
Along
the palm-fringed coast crossed with frequent banyan-lined rivers running into
the Gulf of Cambay are many ancient ports, now
undistinguished, of which a major one is Surat.
On a hill, overlooking the wide NarmadaRiver and cotton fields on the other
side, is Broach, known to commercial travellers before Buddha’s time. The river was supposed to be just the thing
for bleaching cloth. Gujarat is famous for the
exquisite mirror-work of Kutch. The Rabari
patch work and the tie-and-dye bandhini from Jamnagar are equally fascinating.
In Gujarat, look for the legend of Krishna
and the eternal appeal of Gandhi. Seek
out the vibrant mix of foods, fairs, arts & crafts, music and dance...in an
atmosphere of the warm and gracious hospitality of its people.
AHMEDABAD
- Founded on the Sabarmati River in 1411 AD by Ahmed Shah I, it was at that time considered the finest
city in India. Under the city’s many
cruel but culture-bent sultans, the Muslim ideals of beauty and their concept
of religious architecture were fused with the local arts and ideas, bringing
about the true Indo-Saracenic style.
Many of the edifices have Hindu and Jain pillars, carvings and
inscriptions which the Muslims considered too good to waste.
Half
day sightseeing of Ahmedabad
Visit Jumma Masjid with its pillared porticos, fifteen cupolas resting
on 250 columns and wide pointed arches. The Shaking Minarets of the Rajpur Bibi and Sidi Bashir Mosques -
vibration in one minaret makes the other one shake without disturbing the
dome. The mosque and tomb of Rani Sipri, a beautiful memorial built early
in the 16th century by one of the wives of Madmud Begara, after her son was
executed by his father for “misbehaviour”. This small mosque with slender
minarets is a gem of feminine delicacy and grace. A high
point of Gujarati art is the stone carving in the Mosque of Sidi Sayyid, a slave of
Ahmed Shah. The lace-like ethereal
carvings that form the windows are the best in India. Mahatma Gandhi’s Sabarmati Ashram which continues to function quietly as he started
it.
Modhera
In their determination to
triumph over the destructive visit of Mahmud of Ghazni in 1026, the Solanki (Rajput) kings of Anhilwad Patan
built many temples. The best of them is the Sun Temple in the virtually deserted hamlet of Modhera, 60 miles
Northwest of Ahmedabad. Although partially ruined by earthquakes, this is the
finest Hindu temple in Gujarat. It has
scalloped arches and tiered columns with a wide bank of steps descending to a
tank. A pillared porch leads to the Hall
and shrine. The open columned aisles are
full of light so that each part of the intricate carving is illuminated. Such
is the organic design of the shrine that the Surya (Sun God) image - now
missing - would be struck by the rising sun at the equinoxes.
Palitana
Palitana is the approach to
Shatrunjaya, the hill on the river of the same name. The path winds 3.5 km. up
through 3950 steps. Rising above the
plains, wrapped in its own mystique and covered with 863 Jain shrines, this Temple City on a hill
“the place of victory” (over hatred and worldly things) is the most sacred of
the five hills decorated by the Jains. Some of the temples were built in the
11th century, however,
construction activity spanned 900
years. The massed towers and domes of Palitana, many of them in bone-white
marble, seem to sit on a number of giant steps. And over it all is the
resonance of constantly tolling bells and the sonorous chant of worshippers.
Lothal
- 80
kms. south of Ahmedabad a civilisation dating back to 3000 BC has been
unearthed here. The word Lothal comes
from the word `Loth’ which in Gujarati means `the dead’. Four thousand years ago, a vanished people
known as the Harappans built a dry dock which can still work in the saline
scrublands of Gujarat. Here are planned roads
and buildings, underground drainage, public baths and a central acropolis
containing assembly rooms and the houses of officials. Here is also an interesting site museum
displaying artifacts excavated in Lothal.
Today, Lothal is far inland but the great plain around it is slicked
with damp where old and snaking watercourses have not quite dried. Atop the mound from which Lothal was
excavated was a temple which has now been shifted. It is dedicated to the Goddess of Navigators
and looks out to the Arabian Sea 100 km. away.
Junagadh
(Nearest
airport Keshod - 37 km. Airport & railhead of Ahmedabad - 315 km.)
The holy hill of Girnar rises
massive and wooded and dotted with white temples. It is about 8 km east of the fortified town
with its citadel, Upperkot, sitting on a knoll.
The hill is reputedly covered with medicinal herbs. It also holds the shrines of many faiths. There is a Muslim mosque at the foot of the
flight of 7,500 steps that ascend the
hill. 4,500 steps up is a Jain
temple. A thousand steps further is the temple of Ambaji.
And, at the very top is the great temple of Guru Dattatraya. Junagadh is a curious melange of the
religious and the whimsical. Some of the
former rulers of this princely state had a preference for European follies of
great extravagance. The main gate of
this fortified city is a curious mixture of Indo-Saracenic with a strong dose
of Venetian. Long before the Nawabs,
Buddhists had excavated a monastery here and there are signs of ancient bathing
platforms with traces of very hygienic sanitation systems. On a huge boulder, Ashoka the Great’s edicts
exhort all citizens to be kind to animals and women, give generously to charity
and plant healing herbs. Rural folk,
however, rely on the water of an ancient,
beautiful step-well.
GirForest
- nearest
airport Keshod 90 kms. - situated in the old princely state of Junagadh, 7 miles from the town of Sasan Gir. The last
refuge for the Asiatic lion is the GirNational Park. South West of the Saurashtra peninsula, the
forest encompasses over 1,411 sq. km. with about 220 lions. Gir is a mixed deciduous type of forest with
teak, ber, flame of the forest, banyan trees.
Besides having the only population of Asiatic lion, Gir also boasts of a
large number of leopard, some 210 in number, with sambar, chital, nilgai,
chinkara, four horned antelope and wild boar.
Python and crocodile are also found in the area. There is rich birdlife with paradise
flycatcher, blackheaded cuckoo, shrike, borealis eagle being only a few that
streak across the sky.
Somnath
- Al
Biruni, the Arab historian who visited Saurashtra and described so well the
beauties and luxuries of SomnathTemple that Mahmud of Ghazni was moved
to destroy it in 1026 . Two thousand
Brahmins served the temple, daily pouring Ganges
water and scattering flowers on the idols.
Somnath rose and fell several times.
The drama of Muslim iconoclasts’ zeal for desecration and the Hindus’
passionate desire for its restoration continued till the 18th century when
finally they gave up in sheer despair. Only in the 1950s, on the exact spot and
from the particular sandstone used before, has construction of the new temple
begun, facing the open sea.
Dwarka
- Situated
on the western tip of the Peninsula, Dwarka is
one of the most important of Hindu places of pilgrimage. The mythological town Krishna
founded when he came from Mathura
was further south and according to legend it was destroyed by a tidal wave
after his death. The Dwarkanath temple
has a tall conical spire supported by 60 columns. Fortunately it is the outside
which is decorated, for the interior, which is plain, cannot be viewed by
non-Hindus.
KUTCH
Surrounded
on all sides by the Arabian sea and deserts of Sindh and Rajasthan, Kutch lies
in splendid isolation, literally an island during the rains when the Great and
Little Rann are inundated by water from monsoon floods, rivers and the sea, and
only two highways connect it to the rest of Gujarat. Its rich traditions take provenance from
eighteen different tribes, cultures and language zones. It is a land of historic monuments and
sceneries that range from the lush, green coastlands of the Gulf of Kutch to
the saline desert wilderness of the Rann of Kutch, with a transient zone
comprising the Banni grasslands, the
Narayan sarovar thorn forests, extensive lakes and the Kala Dungar black hills
range. The people of Kutch are renowned for
their temperate nature and warm hospitality.
They dress colourfully, walk, talk and work passionately, and enjoy life
as it comes every day.
Come
February, and there will be a very special opportunity for you to visit and
know Kutch intimately - Kutch Utsav. It is organised by
the Tourism Corporation of Gujarat and
is a guided tour of the life and times of Kutch - its beauty, its nostalgia,
its ethos, its traditions, its history, its culture its very inner self. You will experience one of the world’s oldest
and richest cultural heritage.
The Kutch Utsav comprises six heady days of travel,
entertainment and cultural exposure: virgin sea beaches, inscrutable
desertlands, breathtaking landscape, thriving wildlife, bird sanctuaries,
soul-stirring littoral tracts, historic monument, forts and palaces, pilgrim
centres...
The capital of Kutch is historic Bhuj,
in the vicinity of which archaeologists have unearthed traces of prehistoric
times, IndusValley civilisation and the invasion of
Greek emperor Alexander’s armies. The
Jadejas were one of the most powerful Rajput rulers in Saurashtra. This dynasty was best known for its powerful
navy, the only one on the west coast to repel Portuguese invasions. Today, Bhuj is a desert township with a
strong medieval flavour, where jeeps and camel carts, bullock carts, cows,
cycles, trucks, cars and people jostle for space in the streets and bazars.
The historic Bhujia fortress, for which Bhuj is
named, still overlooks the town from its superb 160 m high rocky defences. The PragmahalPalace, which was erected by Italian
architects and Kutchi artisans has a splendid museum of Victorian
and Edwardian period relics. The walls
opposite are a fabulous maze of jarokhas, traceries and stone carvings. The more interesting Aina Mahal was erected during the reign of Rao Lakpatrao. This palace is a strange mix of Indian and
European traditions with a fountained pleasure pool courtyard enclosed by
marble walls inlaid with mirror and
jewel mosaics. The Hira Mahal has upholstery with Kutchi silk embroidery but is
decorated with Dutch, English and French clocks and mechanical toys. The Sharad
Bagh Palace is well known for its landscaped gardens. The greatest sight in Bhuj is the Chattardi, a complex of exquisite
sandstone cenotaphs of the Maharoas of Kutch through the ages, with lovely
carvings on walls, pillars and funeral stones.
It is located near the city centre lake where birds gather in winter and
roost on the island gardens. The SwamiNarayanTemple
which is a wondrous sight, exhibits gilded locks and bejewelled idols. But the
true experience of Bhuj is Vainyavad,
the town bazar where you can watch colourful people from nearby villages coming
in to unload their produce, artisans at work and the usual sights of a desert
market. It is one of the finest places
for handicraft shopping in India
specially for wood carvings, embroideries, traditional footwear, block printed
fabrics, bandhini sarees and silver jewellery.
Badreshwar is known for its
vibrantly painted Jain Temples, said to be extremely old but renovated as many
as nine times, the first restoration dating from 1248 AD.
Koteshwar has some historic
monuments dated from around the 10th century and a major shore temple facing
the Kori Creek. From here you can travel
up the coast to the fine Rajput fortress of Lakhpat.
The
rural circuits in Kutch offer an insight into
the colourful cultures and handicrafts that epitomise this region more than any
of the monuments. The Banni grasslands
and Khavda region along the Rann of Kutch are the home of resident and nomadic
pastoral communities, whose women work on embroideries and mirror inlaywork for
a second income, while the men can be seen tending herds of camels, Banni
buffaloes, and Kutchi horses. These circuits can connect up to the salt
flats of the Great Rann of Kutch, the black hills of Kutch atop which jackals
are fed at the Dattatray temple or
lakes like Charri dund and Radrani dam where huge flocks of winter
birds can be seen in the cold months.
Though Kutch
is one of the finest areas for birdwatching in India, many of the wildlife sanctuaries
are either restricted areas or not easily accessible. The KutchDesert wildlife sanctuary is one of the
largest in India,
spanning 7850 sq. kms. of the Great Rann
of Kutch, and includes the FlamingoCity
which is the only place in the sub continent where flamingos have been
known to breed regularly. It has been
declared a 5000 sq. km biosphere reserve and remains a restricted area for
tourists, specially foreigners. The Kutch
sea coast has a number of beaches where sea turtles come to nest and the
islands offshore from the Gulf of Kutch form India’s first marine national park
with coral reefs and mangrove forests supporting a wealth of marine life and
some of the world’s greatest ssemblages of coastal birds. Most of these can be visited from Jamnagar on the southern
Gulf coast.
The Rann of Kutch - Gujarat, like Rajasthan,
has its own startling diversity.
Nalsarovar, an extensive lake, has many hundreds of birds, especially
flamingos and cranes. The Rann of Kutch,
home of the endangered wild ass, and further away lie the incredible nesting
colonies of the flamingos, now popularly called FlamingoIsland. Off the coast is the MarineNational Park
which provides protection to all life in
and around the sea.
Daman & Diu are
former Portuguese enclaves. Daman earlier called “Damao” is a picturesque port
town. Hugged by the Arabian
Sea and swaying casuarinas, Daman
and Diu have been home to the Portuguese till
they were liberated in 1961 to form a part of the Indian Union. The people are unique in their diversity and
hospitality. Hindus, Christians, Muslims
and Parsees - all live in harmony.
The
Portuguese settlement on the Southern bank of river Daman Ganga, which is
called Moti Daman, has a formidable 15th century fortress. It is protected by a moat on the land side
and also connects the river to the sea. A large number of Portuguese gentry and
their families resided within the Fort.
The small fort of St. Jerome
in Nani Daman was completed in 1627 AD in the time of Dom Francisco da
Gama. It has a giant gateway facing the
river with a large statue of St.
Jerome. The
imposing church
of Our Lady of the Sea is
the principal building within the Fort.
The Church
of Bom Jesus (early 17th
century) is one of the most impressive holy places in Daman.
It is a living tribute to the excellence achieved by Portuguese architects and
artisans in ornate and intricate Church buildings.
Diu is a quiet secluded
island. It is connected to the mainland
of Gujarat by a causeway. Its neat golden beaches run along a total
length of 21 km. Among the places of interest are the Fort of Diu which is
skirted by the sea on three sides and by a canal on the fourth. It houses a light house and a jail. Several
cannons still stare menacingly from above.
A strange mist shrouds the entire fort.
The Fortress of Panikot is a magnificent stone structure in the
sea. It has a small lighthouse and a
small chapel dedicated to Our Lady of the Sea.
Jallandhar Shrine is located on a hillock close to the beach and so also
is a temple of Goddess Chandika. The St. ThomasChurch,
which is now a museum, houses wooden carvings, antique statues, idols, and
other important artifacts.
Wild
Life
In India man and
nature have always flourished together with remarkable diversity. India’s landmass is varied. The forests of the subcontinent, be it from
the Himalayas to the Andamans, range from
tropical moist evergreens to deciduous trees.
The mangrove swamps of the Sunderbans, the dry deciduous forests of
Ranthambore, the luxuriant undergrowth of North Kanara, the sandalwood forests
of Karnataka and Andhra, the tropical rain forests of Malabar, the flat Rann of
Kutch and the arid deserts of Rajasthan add to nature’s bounty.
Nature
and wildlife have always been an integral part of the Indian
consciousness. A deep link existed
between man and his natural environment.
Even today, such links sustain themselves. For instance, the traditional communities of
the Bishnois who in the arid desert
of Rajasthan are
completely responsible for protecting an endangered species of antelope - the
blackbuck. They would rather starve than
see the blackbuck hungry. Today, the
blackbuck is found in large concentrations only around Bishnoi settlements. The
tiger was the most important representative of nature and wildlife and this
feeling translated into traditional myth and legend. The tiger became a symbol of the powerful ,
the fearful, the majestic, the magical and the unknown. Deep rooted tradition and constant
participation with nature and wildlife lives in the psyche of the Indian people
even as we enter the 21st century.
Today, the tiger is our national animal as it was chosen as the emblem
of one of world’s first civilisations,
Mohenjodaro, in the north west
of India. The 20th century witnessed unprecedented
shikar, the sport of hunting, first by the British, followed by Indians
themselves, which rapidly depleted our wildlife. We were fortunate to have Jawaharlal Nehru
and Indira Gandhi as Prime Ministers who had a special feeling and understanding
for the natural resources of the country.
Appropriate policies prevented what would have led to the rapid
decimation of our wilderness by a small minority of vested interest groups
wanting to trade in skins and timber. Even as the pressures of population
surmount all else and India slowly touches the figure of 800 million, some of
the traditional and integral links with nature have remained and survived even
though reduced to 8-10 percent of India’s landmass. Under the canopy of these forests exists an
incredible variety and diversity in the flora and fauna. Over 500 species of mammals, several hundred
varieties of birds all inhabit 14 different types of climatic forests that
stretch the length and breadth of this country.
The GirForest
in Gujarat is the only surviving home of the
Asiatic Lion. Manas and Kaziranga in Assam have a
significant population of one horned rhinos and Periyar in Kerala is best known
for wild elephant viewing. Bhandavgarh,
Kanha, Sariska, Ranthambore, Dudhwa and CorbettPark
are some of the country’s best known tiger reserves. Sunderbans, Asia’s
largest mangrove is the home of the Royal Bengal
Tiger. Bharatpur has the largest bird sanctuary in Asia.
October
to March is the most pleasant time to visit any sanctuary in the country. All sanctuaries are accessible by car and all
have accommodation within or near them.
No comments:
Post a Comment