Junagadh

Junagadh, the administrative center of Junagadh district in Gujarat, sits at the base of the Girnar hills and ranks as the state’s seventh-largest city. Its name comes from Sanskrit words for “old fort,” referencing ancient fortifications on Mount Girnar. Historically, it was also known as Girivraja and Ujjayanta. The city was part of Saurashtra state and later Bombay state, before joining the newly formed Gujarat state in 1960 following the Maha Gujarat movement.

The city’s early history is marked by the Uparkot Fort, built on a central plateau in 319 BCE under the Mauryan emperor Chandragupta. After being abandoned in the 6th century, it was rediscovered in 976 CE by the Chudasama ruler Graharipu and endured 16 sieges over a thousand years, including one that lasted twelve years. Nearby, a boulder bears fourteen Edicts of Ashoka from 250 BCE, inscribed in Brahmi script similar to Pali. On the same rock, a Sanskrit inscription from around 150 CE by the Saka ruler Rudradaman I is considered the earliest known extensive Sanskrit inscription. Another inscription from about 450 CE references Skandagupta, the last Gupta emperor. Rock-cut Buddhist caves, predating 500 CE, feature stone carvings and floral designs, while the Khapra Kodia Caves north of the fort and the Bava Pyara Caves to the south contain both Buddhist and Jain artworks.

The Maitraka dynasty governed Gujarat from 475 to 767 CE, founded by General Bhatarka, a Gupta military governor who declared independence. The Chudasama dynasty’s early rule in Saurashtra is poorly documented, with bardic legends offering unreliable accounts. Tradition credits Chudachandra with founding the dynasty in the late 9th century. Later Chudasama rulers—Graharipu, Navaghana, and Khengara—clashed with the Chaulukya kings Mularaja and Jayasimha Siddharaja, leading to brief Chaulukya governance. In 1350, Muhammad bin Tughluq conquered Junagadh with help from Koli chieftain Jesaji. After the Chaulukyas and Vaghelas, the Chudasamas ruled independently or as vassals of the Delhi Sultanate and Gujarat Sultanate. Mandalika I is the first Chudasama ruler known from inscriptions; during his reign, the Khalji dynasty invaded Gujarat. The last king, Mandalika III, was defeated and forcibly converted to Islam in 1472 by Gujarat Sultan Mahmud Begada, who annexed the state. The Chudasamas occupied Uparkot Fort under Graharipu, and Navaghana later rebuilt it, moving his capital from Vamanasthali to Junagadh. He also built the stepwells Navghan Kuvo and Adi Kadi Vav inside the fort, while his descendant Khengara constructed Ra Khengar Vav on the road to Vanthali.

Sultan Mahmud Begada renamed Junagadh to Mustafabad and fortified the town, adding a mosque in Uparkot Fort. Under the Gujarat Sultanate, a thanadar (commander) appointed from Ahmedabad governed the city and collected tribute. The first thanadar, Tatar Khan, was the Sultan’s adopted son; his successor, Mirza Khalil, founded the village Khalilpur and later became Sultan Muzaffar. Mahmud Begada also installed Bhupatsingh, son of Mandalika III, as a jagirdar in the Sil Bagasra Chovisi region; his descendants, known as Raizada, continued ruling there. Bhupatsingh was succeeded by his son Khengar. After Sultan Muzaffar’s accession, the government seat moved to Diu due to its naval importance and Portuguese threats. Tatarkhan Ghori was left in Junagadh by Malik Eiaz, who resided in Diu. Following Malik Eiaz’s disgrace and death, Tatarkhan Ghori became independent, and after Sultan Bahadur’s death, the Ghori family ruled Junagadh independently, though nominally loyal to the Ahmadabad sultans. This lasted until the Mughal emperor Akbar’s conquest of Gujarat, when Aminkhan Ghori succeeded his father Tatarkhan. In the 16th century, after the Portuguese took Diu and Daman, a fifteen-foot cannon made in Egypt in 1531 was abandoned by a Turkish force.