Ahmedabad is the largest city in the state of Gujarat and the seventh-largest urban agglomeration in India, with a population of almost 53 lakhs (5.3 million). Located on the banks of the River Sabarmati, the city is the administrative centre of Ahmedabad district, and was the capital of Gujarat from 1960 to 1970; the capital was shifted to Gandhinagar thereafter. The city is sometimes called Karnavaá¹­i, a name for an older town that existed in the same location; in colloquial Gujarati, it is commonly called Amdavad. Residents are called Amdavadi.

The city was founded in 1411 to serve as the capital of the Sultanate of Gujarat, by its namesake, Sultan Ahmed Shah. Under British rule, a military cantonment was established and the city infrastructure was modernized and expanded. Although incorporated into the Bombay Presidency during the British rule in India, Ahmedabad remained the most important city in the Gujarat region.

The city established itself as the home of a booming textile industry, which earned it the nickname “the Manchester of the East.” The city was at the forefront of the Indian independence movement in the first half of the 20th century. It was the epicentre of many campaigns of civil disobedience to promote workers’ rights, civil rights and political independence.

With the creation of the state of Gujarat in 1960, Ahmedabad gained prominence as the political and commercial capital of the state. Once characterized by dusty roads and bungalows, the city is witnessing a major construction boom and population increase.

A rising centre of education, information technology and scientific industries, Ahmedabad remains the cultural and commercial heart of Gujarat, and much of western India. Since 2000, the city has been transformed through the construction of skyscrapers, shopping malls and multiplexes. However, this progress has been marred by natural calamities, political instability and outbreaks of communal violence.