Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency, Vol. I, Part I: History of Gujarat c19.s1.31

c19.s1.31

Asá'wal. Abú Rihán Al Bírúni is the first (A.D. 970-1039) of Arab geographers to mention Asáwal the site of Ahmedábád which he correctly places two days journey from Cambay.¹ The next notice is along with Kháhirtún (probably Kávi on the left mouth of the Máhi) and near Hanáwal or Janáwal, apparently Chanvál or Viramgám, by Al Idrisi (end of the eleventh century) as a town, populous, commercial, rich, industrious, and productive of useful articles.² He likens Asáwal "both in size and condition" to Dholaka both being places of good trade.³ In the early fourteenth century (A.D. 1325) Ziá-ud-dín Barni refers to Asáwal as the place where Sultán Muhammad Tughlak (A.D. 1325-1351) had to pass a month in the height of the rains owing to the evil condition to which his horses were reduced in marching and countermarching in pursuit of the rebel Tághi. In the beginning of the fifteenth century (A.D. 1403-4) the Tárikh-i-Mubárak Sháhi notices Asáwal as the place where Tátárkhán the son of Zafarkhán had basely seized and confined his own father.⁴ The Mirát-i-Sikandari also speaks of Asáwal (A.D. 1403) but with the more courtly remark that it was the place where Zafarkhán the grandfather of Sultán Ahmad the founder of Ahmadábád, retired into private life after placing his son Tátárkhán on the throne.⁵ The Mirát-i-Sikandari states that the city of Ahmadábád was built in the immediate vicinity of Asáwal. The present village of Asarwa is, under a slightly changed name, probably what remains of the old town.