Ahmadabad
chief town of a district in Guzerat, India, second among the cities of the province of Bombay. It was built in the year 1412 by Ahmad Shah, and finally came under the power of the British in 1818. Its architectural relics are gorgeous, even in the midst of decay, and illustrate the combination of Saracenic with Hindu forms, mainly of the Jain type. The Jama Masjid, or great mosque, rises from the center of the city, and is adorned by two superbly decorated minarets. There is likewise an ivory mosque, so called because, although built of white marble, it is lined with ivory, and inlaid with a profusion of gems. It is famous for its manufacture of rich fabrics of silk and cotton, brocades, and articles of gold, silver, steel, and enamel. The pottery is very superior; and paper of various sorts is largely manufactured chiefly from jute.
Pop. about 250,000. The district, mainly a great alluvial plain, has an area of 3,821 square miles and a population of about 900,000.