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Today, Gujarat is the westernmost state in the
modern nation of India. However, historically, it
has a long and rich history. Situated on the
Arabian Sea, Gujarat has been one of the major
commercial centers of the Subcontinent
throughout its history, from many millennia ago
during the Indus Valley Civilization up to the
British Colonial period and beyond into our own
era. The ancient ports of Gujarat, most
prominent among them being the city of Lothal,
had extensive trading networks that stretched to
far away foreign lands, such as Sumer in modern
Iraq. Successive waves of immigration have
shaped the culture and history of Gujarat, from
the arrival of the Aryans, the spread of Hindu
kingdoms during the Gupta era, the introduction
of Islam by the Muslim traders in the 7th
century, and an influx of Zoroastrians fleeing the
Islamic conquest of Persia. Following the
invasion of these lands two centuries later by the
Muslim Ghaznavids, Islam became a major
political force, as Gujarat was later incorporated
into the Dehli Sultanate, followed by a period of
independence as the Gujarat Sultanate before
eventually being annexed by the Mughal Empire
in 1576. The arrival of the Portuguese in the
17th century signaled a period of European
influence and domination under the Bombay
Presidency, the colonial authority established by
the British. Gujarat also played an important role
in the Indian independence movement as the
birthplace of many prominent leaders, including
Mohandas Gandhi and Mohammed Ali Jinnah.
While mortars and pestles are traditionally used
to grind spices for culinary preparation, certain
features of this set suggest it was used for
ceremonial purposes. An inscription in the
Gujarati script graces one of the sides. It is
possible that this inscription is a quote from a
Vedic text, the Rigveda in particular, an ancient
Hindu sacred text.
- (CK.0041)
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