Gujarat has a long and glorious history that dates back to the days of Harappan civilization. Many regions in Gujarat were part of the Indus Valley Civilazation.The excavations near Lothal (on the Gulf of Khambhat) and Rangpur have revealed that there was a settlement of the Indus Valley Civilization during 2nd and 3rd centuries BC.

Gujarat has been under the control of several conquerors including Ashoka, Mauryans, Scythians, Guptas, Solanki dynasty and Mughals. The original inhabitant of this land were Dravidians, but was subsequently inhabited by other groups like Gurjars and Parsis.

The name Gujarat has been derived from 'Gujaratta' meaning the land of Gurjars or Khazars. The Gurjars were originally dwellers of Punjab. They passed through Punjab and settled in some parts of Western India, which came to be known as Gujarat. The Gurjars ruled the land during 8th and 9th centuries AD, followed by Muslim rulers until the end of the 13th century. Gujarat then came under the control of Mughals and the Marathas in the mid 18th century followed by British in 1818. The British rule continued till India got her independence in 1947. The first headquarters of the British East India Company was in Surat in Gujarat. It later moved to Bombay, now known as Mumbai.

Gujarat has given birth to many great leaders who have played significant roles in shaping modern India. Prominent among them were Shri Dadabhoy Nauroroji, the grand old man of the freedom struggle, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the architect of a united India and Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the Nation were all from Gujarat. These great men had carried the torch of national freedom and integration inculcating qualities like tolerance, brotherhood, non-violence and patriotism amongst Indians. Other leaders included K.M.Munshi, Narhari Parikh, Mahadev Desai,and Ravi Shankar Vyas.

During British rule, Gujarat was a part of the erstwhile Mumbai state. But in 1960, the 'Gujarati' population decided to form a separate union for which there was formation of two new states, namely Gujarat and Maharashtra. Gujarat became a state of Indian union on May 01, 1960 because of this bifurcation. The first capital of Gujarat was Ahmedabad but the capital was shifted to Gandhinagar in 1970.