sultanate · South Asia
Gujarat Sultanate
Origins
Zafar Khan, governor of Gujarat for the Tughluqs, declared independence in 1407 as Muzaffar Shah after Timur's sack of Delhi left the Delhi Sultanate powerless. His grandson Ahmad Shah I founded Ahmedabad in 1411 on the Sabarmati river and made it the capital of the Muzaffarid dynasty.
Rule and society
Gujarat's ports, including Cambay, Surat and Diu, were hubs of the Indian Ocean trade in textiles, indigo and spices. Mahmud Begada, the greatest sultan, captured Champaner and Junagadh, and his fleet with the Mamluks fought the Portuguese at Chaul and Diu. Ahmedabad's mosques, with their carved stone screens such as Sidi Saiyyed, blend Islamic and local Hindu and Jain craftsmanship.
Decline and legacy
Bahadur Shah ceded Bassein and allowed a fort at Diu to the Portuguese and was killed by them in 1537. Weak successors and noble factions followed, and Akbar of the Mughal Empire conquered Gujarat in 1572 to 1573.
Lineage
On the connections map
Open the full map →Connections (3)
- Khandesh Sultanate was a vassal of Gujarat Sultanate1508 CE – 1572 CE
- Malwa Sultanate was conquered by Gujarat Sultanate1531 CE
- Gujarat Sultanate was conquered by Mughal Empire1573 CE
Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Gujarat Sultanate. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/gujarat-sultanate
- MLA
- “Gujarat Sultanate.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/gujarat-sultanate. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Gujarat Sultanate.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/gujarat-sultanate.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Gujarat Sultanate’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/gujarat-sultanate (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻