Ahmedabad: A Society in Transition (1818-1914)

Ahmedabad: A Society in Transition (1818-1914) is an attempt to study the urban history of the city in its various social aspects in the transitional period. It is an in-depth analysis of important facets of society such as the press, voluntary associations, caste, emerging classes, women, lifestyles and changing cityscape with the help of contemporary English and Gujarati sources. Dr Kunjlata N Shah believes that there is a dearth of historical research in this subject. Through the book Shah draws out the response and adaptation of Ahmedabad to the modernising forces generated by British rule. It also explains how the traditional urban centre of trade and industry was gradually transformed into a modern industrial city. The book, therefore, starts with a brief history of the Sultanate, Moghul and Maratha rule in the city of Ahmedabad and ends with the arrival of Gandhi in 1915.