Amreli district

Etymology

Amreli district name derives its name from the town of Amreli, which is the headquarters of the district. It is believed that during the year 534 AD, Amreli existed as a city named Anumanji. After that it was renamed Amlik and then to Amravati. The ancient Sanskrit name of Amreli was Amarvalli.

History

Initially, Amreli was a small village with an ancient history, and part of various kingdoms and empires established in the area. It shot into prominence, turning from village to town, when the Marathas began acquiring territory and establishing their reign over the region in 1780s. Besides levying taxes on the other rulers of the Kathiawar Peninsula, the Gaekwads also acquired their own territory and chose Amreli as the headquarters for their "Kathewad Pranth", which included Dwarka mandal. Vithalrao Devaji was appointed the Diwan (1801–1820), and during this period, Amreli grew and prospered. Vithalrao Devaji converted much of the adjoining forest land into farm land to realise revenue and also built the Nagnath Mahadev temple. Later in 1886, under the Gaikwad regime, compulsory and free education policy was adopted in Amreli for the first time. From the 18th century to 1959, Dwarika and Okhamandal was part of Gaikwad - Amreli state but after 1959, those two cities were merged with Jamnagar district.

During the British Raj, the Maratha Gaekwad dynasty organised its Baroda State into four administrative prants (equivalent to British Districts), namely Baroda itself, Kadi (the largest), Navsari and Amreli, the smallest.

After independence the district became the part of Bombay State and a separate district in Gujarat State after the bifurcation of Bombay State.

Geography

Amreli has a variety of soils such as medium black, loamy, sandy, rocky inferior and saline. The peninsula of Kathiawar is named after the Kathis who came to Saurashtra at the close of the fourteenth century. Their origin is not fully known but it is possible that they were driven southwards by the Muslim invaders. Khachar and Chotila were the most important seats of the Kathis. Worshippers of the Sun, they were essentially nomadic and had developed, among other pastoral occupations, the art of horse-breeding. Successive waves of immigrants from other parts of India have led to a superimposition of different communities and cultures in Kathiawar. The powerful royal families, which conquered Saurashtra later on established their rule over there.

Baroda was a former Indian state in western India, 8176 sqmi; it had four divisions, three in Gujarat (Kadim, Baroda, and Navsari) and one in the Peninsula of Kathiawar (Amreli, with Okhamandal). Once a part of the Mughal Empire; in the 18th century its princes belonged to Maratha Confederacy; c. 1721 it secured part of Gujarat; in 19th century subject to British administrative control until 1881; became part of Bombay state 1948 and of Gujarat state 1960.

Before 1948, there were some 260 Princely states in the Kāthiāwār Peninsula of western India. These were consolidated in a single state named Saurashtra, in which the former rulers would alternate as the constitutional head. Eventually, as expected, Saurashtra became a part of the state of Gujarāt.

Politics

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Economy

Amreli district is industrially backward area. There are some small industries like oil mills spread over the district.

The economy depends upon agriculture. Agro-based industries are also well developed in the district. Mainly groundnut, cotton, sesame, bajri, wheat, and grams are grown therein. Fishery is an important sector in Rajula and Jafrabad talukas.

The district has 4 industrial estates under the GIDC (Gujarat Industrial Development Centres), two of which are in Babra. District has 4822 Small Scale Industries and 5 Medium Scale Industries in which Rs.4947.35 lakh is invested. 16,640 employments are generated through this industrial centres. Pipavav, Jafrabad and Victor ports are situated in the coastal district.

Gems

Gem cutting and polishing industries are located in Babra, while Savar Kundla taluka is famous for its manual weighing scales and electronic weighing machines across the country. Gold plating units exist in Bagasara city. The diamond trading industry is also well developed. There is a small gem cutting industry located in Dhari.

Mining

Rajula is famous for rajula stones which are famous worldwide.

Ginning

Babra is famous for Ginning industry with more than 50 ginning and pressing factories.

Talukas

The district comprises 11 talukas.

• Amreli
• Babra
• Dhari
• Vadia
• Lathi
• Lilia
• Savar Kundla
• Khambha
• Rajula
• Jafrabad
• Bagasara
• Kunkavav Vadia Taluka

Villages

• Keriyanagas
• Barvala-Baval
• Bhada
• Chital
• Chalala
• Dhari
• Savar Kundla
• Amrutvel, Savarkundla
• Shekh Pipariya
• Tori (Rampur)
• Rajula
• Rampar

Rainfall

In 2021 and 2025, Saurashtra experienced heavy rainfall across various regions. In 2021, Amreli district saw intense downpours, with Bagasara receiving 74mm of rainfall and Lilia receiving 168 mm, leading to rescue operations in low-lying areas. On 23rd May and 17th June 2025, heavy rain again affected Amreli, with Kunkavav Vadia recording 189 mm and Bagasara also witnessing significant rainfall. Several nearby regions faced waterlogging and disruption due to the intense showers.

Demographics

According to the 2011 census Amreli district has a population of 1,514,190, roughly equal to the nation of Gabon{{cite web | author = US Directorate of Intelligence | title = Country Comparison:Population | url = https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2119rank.html | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070613004507/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2119rank.html | url-status = dead | archive-date = June 13, 2007 | access-date = 2011-10-01 | quote = Gabon 1,576,665 |access-date=2011-09-30 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131019160532/http://2010.census.gov/2010census/data/apportionment-pop-text.php |archive-date=2013-10-19

Hindus are 93.15% while Muslims are 6.55% of the population.

Language

At the time of the 2011 census, 99.00% of the population spoke Gujarati and 0.66% Hindi as their first language.

Cities and towns

The population development of the cities and towns in Amreli.

Notable people

• Bhoja Bhagat - poet-saint
• Hanu Dhorajiya - politician.
• Yogiji Maharaj - Hindu sadhu and guru
• Jivraj Narayan Mehta - first Chief Minister of Gujarat
• Ramesh Parekh, famous poet of Gujarat.
• Kalapi - writer & poet and was also Thakor of Lathi.
• Kavi Kant - poet
• Manubhai Kotadia - politician.
• Muktanand Swami - sadhu and paramahansa of Swaminarayan sampraday.
• Savji Dholakia - diamond merchant from Surat and the founder of Hari Krishna Exports Pvt. Ltd.
• Vasant Gajera - Entrepreneur Investor Philanthropist
• Dharmajivandasji Swami - founder of Gurukul Sanstha
• Pan Nalin - International Film Director (Hollywood & Bollywood)

Notes

References

References

1. "List of districts of Gujarat".
2. "Census GIS India".
3. (8 September 2021). "Gujarat: Heavy rain claims five lives in Saurashtra, one injured".
4. (23 May 2025). "Gujarat Rains: અમરેલીના કુંકાવાવ વાડિયા તાલુકામાં મેઘમહેર, જાણો કેટલો વરસાદ થયો {{!}} Weather Update Heavy rain in Amreli District Kunkavav Vadia".
5. (17 June 2025). "Monsoon brings heavy blow to Gujarat: One death in Amreli; over 130 people rescued in 24 hours".
6. [http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/PCA/A2_Data_Table.html Decadal Variation In Population Since 1901]
7. "District Census Hand Book – Amreli". [[Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India]].
8. (2011). "Population by Religion - Gujarat". [[Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India]].
9. "Table C-16 Population by Mother Tongue: Gujarat". [[Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India]].
10. "Amreli (District, Gujarat, India) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map and Location".
11. (12 May 2008). "From a tea stall in Amreli to Hollywood".