Ahmedabad: A city born out of love?

As February unfolds—a month that celebrates both Ahmedabad’s foundation and the spirit of love—there’s a cherished folklore that continues to weave its magic in the hearts of Amdavadis. 

Beyond the World Heritage City and bustling pols, many stories have been passed on since the city’s birth in 1411.  

Legend has it that Ahmedabad’s founder Sultan Ahmad Shah fell in love with Teja, the daughter of Bhil Maharaja Aasha Bhil, ruler of Ashaval, an area on the east of river Sabarmati.  

Aasha Bhil ruled Astodia Darwaza (the present Dhal-ni-pol area) and was known as ‘Asha Bhil-no-Tekro’.

In 1411, Sultan Ahmad Shah’s decision to establish Ahmedabad stemmed from his love for Teja.

Myth suggests that Ahmad Shah was mesmerised by Teja and he regularly visited Ashaval from Patan. 

Before the Sultan could attack a small habitat of Ashaval, Teja’s father married her daughter to the Shah, even if initially he had reservations.

Now that Shah finally got his Begum, Teja, he shifted her to Patan, the then capital of Gujarat.

However, Teja missed her parents’ home.  She spoke highly of the land near her father’s home and urged the Sultan to visit. Intrigued, he decided to explore the area and went hunting in the forests along the Sabarmati River. 

During the hunt, a hare unexpectedly emerged from the bushes, fiercely driving away his hunting dogs. Astonished by the hare’s bravery, the sultan reasoned that if such small creatures were so fearless, the people of this land must be even more remarkable. Inspired by this incident, he chose to establish a city in the same spot and made it his capital. Thus, in 1411, Ahmedabad—the city of Ahmed—was founded. This legend is captured in a local Gujarati couplet:

Jab kutte par sassa aaya, tab badshah ne shaher basaaya

(When the hound was overpowered by the hare, the king established a city there)

This suggests that the main character behind the city’s foundation remains Teja, the queen of the Sultan who later shifted his capital from Patan to Ahmedabad.

However, historians and experts differ in their validation of  the story and have dubbed it a myth.

“Ashawal’s existence is traced to the 11th century, while Sultan founded the city in the 15th century, and Teja’s mention with Ahmad Shah is nowhere recorded in the books,” says Dr Manek Patel, author of books ‘Amdavad-Katha’ and ‘Aa Chhe Amdavad’.

He says that Amdavadis have always been obsessed with telling and listening to stories, so Teja and Ahmad Shah’s love story is one of them.