Aurangabad
In 1610, an Ethiopian military leader named Malik Ambar established a new settlement called Khađkī on the site of modern Aurangabad. He served as the Prime Minister for Sultan Murtaza Nizam Shah II of the Ahmadnagar Sultanate. This village grew rapidly into a populous and imposing city within just one decade. After Malik Ambar died in 1626, his son Fateh Khan took over leadership. Fateh Khan renamed the city to Fatehnagar to honor himself. The area had previously been part of the Yadava dynasty capital known as Dēvagirī before the Delhi Sultanate annexed it in 1308. Sultan Muhammad bin Tughluq briefly moved his capital there from Delhi in 1327 but returned it to Delhi seven years later. By 1499, the region became part of the Ahmadnagar Sultanate again. The strategic location allowed Malik Ambar to build defenses that would protect the growing urban center.
Aurangzeb appointed Viceroy of the Deccan region in 1653 and made Fatehnagar his official capital. He renamed the city Aurangabad shortly after taking control. Chroniclers during his reign sometimes referred to the place as Khujista Bunyad. In 1681, Emperor Aurangzeb shifted his entire court from Delhi to this new capital to conduct military campaigns across the south. The presence of Mughal elites triggered rapid urban development with numerous public and private buildings constructed throughout the decade. A city wall encircling the settlement was built around 1683 specifically to defend against Maratha raids. Several gates from that era still stand today including the famous Delhi Gate. Although Aurangzeb chose not to reside in the city after 1684, it remained the primary military outpost for the Mughal Empire in the Deccan. The population reached an estimated 200,000 people living within 54 suburbs by the height of Mughal power. Trade flourished here while embroidered silk manufacturing emerged as a signature industry that continues to this day.
In 1724, Asaf Jah I, a Mughal governor of the Deccan region, decided to secede from the crumbling empire. He founded his own dynasty known as the Nizams with Aurangabad serving as their initial capital. For the next forty years, the city maintained its political and cultural significance under Nizam rule. His successor, Nizam Ali Khan Asaf Jah II, transferred the capital to Hyderabad in 1763. This move caused a period of economic decline for Aurangabad as it lost its privileged status. By the beginning of the 19th century, the city had become notably underpopulated. Administration suffered crippling effects while many buildings fell into decay. Despite these challenges, Aurangabad continued to function as the second city of the Nizam's dominions until the polity ended. The British established a cantonment outside the city walls in 1816 but were discouraged from entering the proper urban area by local officials. During British suzerainty, the Nizam's Hyderabad State remained quasi-autonomous for 150 years between 1798 and 1948. Until 1956, Aurangabad remained part of this princely state before joining independent India.
The entire geographical area sits upon Deccan Traps lava flows dating back to Upper Cretaceous through Lower Eocene ages. These horizontal basaltic lava flows form the only major geological formation visible across the region. Each flow contains two distinct units with upper layers consisting of vesiculara and amygdaloidal zeolitic basalt. The bottom layer consists of massive basalt rock that differs significantly in water retention capabilities. Groundwater occurs under water table conditions controlled mainly by secondary porosity within weathered rocks. Joints and fractures determine how much water can be stored or transmitted through different sections. Black soil formed from igneous rocks covers most of the landscape with varying depths and profiles. Annual mean temperatures range from 17 degrees Celsius to 33 degrees Celsius throughout the year. Most rainfall occurs during monsoon season stretching from June to September with an average annual total of 710 millimeters. Thunderstorms frequently occur between November and April while cold waves sometimes affect the district during winter months. The highest maximum temperature ever recorded reached a specific peak on the 25th of May 1905. The lowest recorded temperature occurred on the 2nd of February 1911.
Aurangabad began its industrial transformation in the late 19th century when the first cotton mill opened in 1889. The population stood at 30,000 people in 1881 before growing to 36,000 over the following two decades. Deccan famines struck repeatedly between 1899-1900, 1918, and 1920 causing surges in crime rates across the region. After 1960, the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation acquired land to establish industrial estates including Waluj and Chikalthana areas. Major companies like BMW, Audi India, Skoda Auto, Bajaj Auto, and Goodyear Tire have established units within the city limits. One of the largest Russian Steel Company NLMK set up operations in the DMIC Shendra phase. In 2019, the Aurangabad Industrial City became the first greenfield industrial smart city under India's flagship Smart Cities Mission. Paithani silk saris remain a signature product alongside Himroo textiles developed from locally grown cotton mixed with fine silk blends. The city serves as a major production center for both cotton textile and artistic silk fabrics today.
The Ajanta and Ellora caves lie on the outskirts of the city and were designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1983. Twelve Buddhist caves dating back to 3 A.D. sit nestled amidst hills at the Aurangabad Caves location showing Tantric influences in their iconography. Bibi Ka Maqbara stands about five kilometers from the city center as the burial mausoleum of Emperor Aurangzeb's wife Dilras Banu Begum. This structure is popularly known as the Taj of the Deccan due to its similar design compared to the famous monument in Agra. Panchakki functions as a seventeenth-century watermill powered by an underground channel traversing more than eight kilometers from nearby hills. Salim Ali Lake sits in the northern part near Delhi Darwaza opposite Himayat Bagh hosting a bird sanctuary maintained by municipal authorities. Siddharth Garden contains the only zoo in the Marathwada region featuring various animals, birds, flowers, and trees named after Gautama Buddha. The city retains cultural flavors from Muslim Hyderabad influence visible in local language Dakhni Urdu dialect and cuisine traditions. Wali Dakhni composed classical poetry between 1667 and 1743 establishing himself as the first poet to write extensively in Urdu.
The Aurangabad Municipal Corporation administers an area of approximately 54.5 square kilometers divided into six zones since its establishment in 1936. It was elevated to municipal corporation status on the 8th of December 1982 while including eighteen peripheral villages raising total jurisdictional area to 138.5 square kilometers. The city divides into 115 electoral wards called Prabhag each represented by an elected corporator. Bal Thackeray proposed renaming the city Sambhajinagar in 1988 before the local governing body passed a resolution for the change in 1995. On the 29th of June 2022, the Shiv Sena-led Maharashtra cabinet approved the official renaming to Sambhaji Nagar honoring Sambhaji Bhosale. In the 2024 general election, Sandipanrao Bhumre won as member of parliament representing the constituency. Three state assembly seats exist covering East, Central, and West regions with representatives from BJP and Shiv-Sena parties since 2019. Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University hosts 101 affiliated colleges within the city limits alone. The population reached 1,175,116 according to the 2011 Indian Census making it the fifth most populous urban area in Maharashtra.
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Common questions
When was Aurangabad founded by Malik Ambar?
Malik Ambar established the settlement of Khađkī in 1610 on the site of modern Aurangabad. This village grew rapidly into a populous and imposing city within just one decade.
Why did Emperor Aurangzeb rename Fatehnagar to Aurangabad?
Emperor Aurangzeb renamed the city to Aurangabad after appointing Viceroy of the Deccan region in 1653 and making it his official capital. He shifted his entire court from Delhi to this new capital in 1681 to conduct military campaigns across the south.
What is the geological formation underlying the geographical area of Aurangabad?
The entire geographical area sits upon Deccan Traps lava flows dating back to Upper Cretaceous through Lower Eocene ages. These horizontal basaltic lava flows form the only major geological formation visible across the region with distinct units of vesiculara and amygdaloidal zeolitic basalt.
Which industries are currently prominent in Aurangabad today?
Aurangabad serves as a major production center for both cotton textile and artistic silk fabrics including Paithani silk saris and Himroo textiles. Major companies like BMW, Audi India, Skoda Auto, Bajaj Auto, and Goodyear Tire have established units within the city limits since industrial transformation began in the late 19th century.
When was Aurangabad officially renamed Sambhaji Nagar by the Maharashtra cabinet?
On the 29th of June 2022, the Shiv Sena-led Maharashtra cabinet approved the official renaming to Sambhaji Nagar honoring Sambhaji Bhosale. This resolution followed a proposal by Bal Thackeray in 1988 before being passed by the local governing body in 1995.