Ancient Gujarat

Ancient Gujarat marks one of the glorious chapters in Indian history. It started from the beginning of the Indus civilization and culminated with the conquest by the Muslim rulers from central Asia.

The earliest archaeological traces of ancient Gujarat can be found in the historical relics of the Indus Valley civilization. The Indus Valley civilization is also known as the Harappan civilization. The Harappan civilization existed during the historical time-period from 3300 to 1700 BC.

Gujarat was always an important trading post from times immemorial. Bharuch-a port in ancient Gujarat had strategic importance during the Maurya and Gupta periods. Bharuch was also an important naval trading port. After the decline of the Gupta empire in the 6th century, ancient Gujarat was ruled by successive Hindu kings.

Ancient Gujarat is full of the imperial grandeur of Chandragupta Maurya. Emperor Ashoka, the grandson of Chandragupta Maurya ordered the engraving of his famous edicts on a rock at present day Junagadh. Emperor Ashoka also commissioned the task of an irrigation network in ancient Gujarat.

Ancient Gujarat also saw its first foreign conquest-a Greek incursion led by Demetrius.

The decline of the Gupta empire saw Senapati Bhatarka- a Gupta general splitting away Gujarat from the Gupta empire and establish his own kingdom in 470 AD. The resulting administration came to be known in ancient Gujarat history as the Maitrak kingdom. It was during the rule of Dhruvasena Maitrak that the great Chinese traveler and philosopher Huien Tsang visited India in 640AD.

The Pratihara dynasty succeeded the Maitrak kingdom. They in turn was succeeded by the Chavada kings.

The last Hindu rulers of ancient Gujarat was the Solanki clan of Rajputs from 960 AD to 1243 AD.

In 1026 the first of the many Muslim conquests of Gujarat-and India has begun.