Ahmedabad district is an administrative district in the state of Gujarat in western India. It takes its name from its headquarters, the city of Ahmedabad, which is the largest city in Gujarat and one of the major metropolitan centres of India. The district lies in central Gujarat, on the banks of the Sabarmati river, and forms part of the historical region traditionally known as the plains of Gujarat.
| Country | India |
|---|---|
| State | Gujarat |
| Headquarters | Ahmedabad |
| Region | Central Gujarat |
| Major river | Sabarmati |
| Official language | Gujarati |
The district is situated on the largely flat alluvial plains of central Gujarat. The Sabarmati river flows through the district from north to south, passing through Ahmedabad city. The terrain is generally level, with agricultural land dominating the rural portions of the district. The climate is semi-arid, with hot summers, a monsoon season from June to September, and mild winters.
The district borders Mehsana and Gandhinagar to the north, Kheda to the east, Anand and Bhavnagar to the south, and Surendranagar to the west. The southern part of the district extends towards the Gulf of Khambhat.
Ahmedabad district is administered by a District Collector, who is an officer of the Indian Administrative Service. The district is divided into several talukas (sub-districts) for revenue and administrative purposes. The principal urban local body is the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), which administers the city of Ahmedabad. Other towns in the district include Dholka, Sanand, Viramgam, Bavla, Dhandhuka, and Dholera.
The city of Ahmedabad was founded in 1411 by Sultan Ahmad Shah I of the Gujarat Sultanate, on the site of the earlier settlement of Ashaval/Karnavati. Under the Sultanate and later the Mughals, the area developed into a leading centre of textile production and trade. After Mughal decline, the region passed under Maratha and subsequently British control in the early nineteenth century, when it became part of the Bombay Presidency.
During the Indian independence movement, Ahmedabad acquired national prominence as the base of Mahatma Gandhi, who established the Sabarmati Ashram on the banks of the Sabarmati in 1917. Several major satyagraha campaigns, including the Dandi March of 1930, began from this district. After Indian independence in 1947 and the formation of the separate state of Gujarat in 1960, Ahmedabad served as the state capital until the capital was shifted to Gandhinagar. Gandhinagar district was carved out of Ahmedabad district in subsequent administrative reorganisations.
Ahmedabad district is among the most industrialised districts in Gujarat. Historically, it was known as the "Manchester of India" for its dense concentration of cotton textile mills. In recent decades the economy has diversified into pharmaceuticals, chemicals, engineering, automobiles, and information technology. The Sanand industrial area hosts automobile manufacturing units, while the Dholera region has been planned as a major industrial and smart-city development as part of the Delhi–Mumbai Industrial Corridor.
Agriculture remains important in the rural talukas, with cotton, wheat, bajra, paddy, and oilseeds among the principal crops. Dairying, supported by the cooperative movement associated with Amul and the wider Gujarat dairy network, is also significant.
Gujarati is the principal language of the district, with Hindi, Urdu, and English also wid