Gujarat Subah

Gujarat Subah
Gujarāta subā (Gujarati)
Province of Mughals
1573–1756

Gujarat Subah depicted in map of Mughal Empire by Robert Wilkinson (1805)
CapitalAhmedabad
 • TypeViceroyalty
Historical eraEarly modern period
• Established
1573
• Disestablished
1756
Preceded by		 Succeeded by
Gujarat Sultanate
Maratha Confederacy
Today part ofIndia
Gujarat Subah (1573–1756)
Gujarat Sultanate
History of Gujarat
History of Gujarat
Stone Age (before 4000 BCE)
Stone Age(before 4000 BCE)
Chalcolithic to Bronze Age (4000–1300 BCE)
Chalcolithic Gujarat
 – Anarta tradition(c. 3950–1900 BCE)
 – Padri Ware (3600–2000 BCE)
 – Pre-Prabhas Assemblage(3200–2600 BCE)
 – Pre Urban Harappan Sindh Type Pottery (3000–2600 BCE)
 – Black and Red Ware (3950–900 BCE)
 – Reserved Slip Ware(3950–1900 BCE)
 – Micaceous Red Ware(2600–1600 BCE)
 – Malwa Ware
 – Jorwe Ware
Indus Valley Civilisation(3300–1300 BCE)
 – Early Harappan(3300–2600 BCE)
 – Mature Harappan(2600–1900 BCE)
 – Late Harappan(1900–1300 BCE)
Late cultures(2200–1700 BCE)
 – Prabhas Assemblage(2200–1700 BCE)
 – Lustrous Red Ware (1900–1300 BCE)
Vedic Civilisation(2000–500 BCE)
Iron Age (1500–300 BCE)
Vedic Civilisation(2000–500 BCE)
 – Janapadas (1500–600 BCE)
 – Black and Red Ware(1300–1000 BCE)
 – Painted Grey Ware (1200–600 BCE)
Maha Janapadas (600–300 BCE)
Epic India (1700–300 BCE)
 –Abhira kingdom
 –Anarta kingdom
 –Dwaraka kingdom
 –Sindhu kingdom
 –Saurashtra kingdom
Classical period (380 BCE – 1299 CE)
Nanda Empire (380–321 BCE)
Maurya Empire (321–184 BCE)
Indo-Scythians (312 BCE − 400 CE)
 –Western Satraps (c. 119 – 405 CE)
Vakataka dynasty(c. 250 – c. 500 CE)
Kushan Empire (30 – 375 CE)
Traikutaka dynasty (388 – 454 CE)
Gupta Empire (405 – c. 730 CE)
Maitraka (475 – 767 CE)
Saindhava(c. 725 – c. 950 CE)
Gurjaras of Lata(c. 580 – c. 738 CE)
Chalukyas of Navasarika (c. 660 – c. 739 CE)
Empire of Harsha( 7th century)
Gurjara-Pratihara (c. 730 – c. 960 CE)
Chavda dynasty (c. 690 – c. 940 CE)
Chudasama dynasty (c. 875 – 1472 CE)
Rashtrakuta dynasty(8–9th century)
Paramara dynasty (9–10th century)
Western Chalukya(9–10th century)
Chalukyas of Lata (c. 970 – c. 1070 CE)
Chaulukya dynasty (c. 940 – 1243 CE)
Vaghela dynasty (1243–1299 CE)
Medieval and early modern periods (1299–1819)
Gujarat under Delhi Sultanate (1298–1407)
 – Khalji Sultanate (1298–1320)
 – Tughlaq Sultanate (1320–1407)
Gujarat Sultanate (1407–1573)
Mughal Gujarat (1573–1756)
Maratha Empire (1756–1819)
 –Peshwa
 –Gaekwad
Cutch State(1365–1947)
Colonial period (1819–1961)
Portuguese India(1534–1961)
Company Raj (1819–1858)
British Raj (1858–1947)
 –Princely states(till 1948)
 –Residencies (1819–1947)
 –Agencies of British India(1819–1947)
 –Bombay Presidency(1618–1947)
Post-independence (1947–)
Saurashtra State (1948–1956)
Kutch State (1947–1956)
Bombay State (1947–1960)
Gujarat (1960–)

The Gujarat Subah (Persian: صوبه گجرات) was a province (subah) of the Mughal Empire, encompassing the Gujarat region. The region first fell under Mughal control in 1573, when the Mughal emperor Akbar (r. 1556–1605) defeated the Gujarat Sultanate under Muzaffar Shah III.

Muzaffar tried to regain the Sultanate in 1584 but failed. Gujarat remained the Mughal province governed by the viceroys and officers appointed by the Mughal emperors from Delhi. Akbar's foster brother Mirza Aziz Kokaltash was appointed as the subahdar (viceroy) who strengthened Mughal hold over the region. The nobles of former Sultanate continued to resist and rebel during the reign of the next emperor Jahangir (1605–1627) but Kokaltash and his successor subahdars subdued them. Jehangir also permitted the British East India Company to establish factories in Surat and elsewhere in Gujarat. The next emperor Shah Jahan (1627–1658) expanded his territories in south and his subahdars made hold over Kathiawar peninsula including Nawanagar. Shah Jahan had also appointed his prince Aurangzeb, who was involved in religious disputes, prince Dara Shikoh and later prince Murad Bakhsh as subahdars. Following battle of succession, Aurangzeb (1658–1707) came to the Mughal throne and his policies resulted in revolts and discontent. During his reign, the Maratha Kingdom under Shivaji raided Surat (1666) and their incursions in Gujarat started. Till then Gujarat prospered due to political stability, peace and growing international trade.[1]

During the next three emperors (1707–1719) who had brief reigns, the nobles became more and more powerful due to instability in the Delhi. The royals of Marwar were appointed viceroys frequently. During the reign of the emperor Muhammad Shah (1719–1748), the struggle between the Mughal and Maratha nobles were heightened with frequent battles and incursions. The south Gujarat was lost to the Marathas and the towns in north and central Gujarat was attacked on several occasions with frequent demand of tributes. The Marathas continued to grow their hold and the frequent change of viceroys did not reverse the trend. The competing houses of Marathas, Gaekwads and Peshwas engaged between themselves which slow down their progress for a while. They later made peace between themselves. During the reign of the next emperor Ahmad Shah Bahadur (1748–1754), there was nominal control over the nobles who acted on their own. There were frequent fights between themselves and with Marathas. Ahmedabad, the capital of province, finally fell to the Marathas in 1752. It was regained by noble Momin Khan for a short time but again lost to the Marathas in 1756 after a long siege. Finding opportunity, the British captured Surat in 1759. After a setback at Panipat in 1761, the Marathas strengthened their hold on Gujarat. During this fifty years, the power struggle between the Mughal nobles and Marathas caused disorder and the decline in prosperity.[1]

  1. ^ a b Campbell 1896, p. 266-347.