In 1411, Sultan Ahmed Shah established a city and gave it his name- Ahmedabad. Today this city is known as the 'Manchester of the East' being India's textile city.

Gandhiji built the Sabarmati ashram on the outskirts of the city, making it the base camp for the Indian freedom struggle. In the process, transforming it into a symbol of non-violence and peace. Though the city developed more as a vibrant business and commercial center, Ahmedabad also holds attraction as a center for the study of Indo-Saracenic architecture. This style is a mixture of Hindu and Islamic architecture.

The old city of Ahmedabad is dotted with bylanes called pols. The exquisite carved wooden mansions and havelis compete with their stone counterparts in Rajasthan. Though the capital of Gujarat was shifted from Ahmedabad to Gandhinagar, it is still the second largest industrial city in western India.