AMADABAT, a corruption from AHMED ABAD, or Ahmed's city (so called from a king of that name); a large and populous city of Indostan, and the capital of the province of Guzerat. It is situated in E. Long. 72. 12. N. Lat. 23. 0. Amadabat was formerly called Guzerat; and by Shah Jehân nicknamed Gherdabad, or "the habitation of dust," because it was much incommoded therewith. It was the seat of the Guzerat kings, as it is now of the Mogul governor. The city stands in a beautiful plain, and is watered by the little river Sabremetti, which, though not deep, in time of rains overflows the plains prodigiously. The walls are built with stone and brick, flanked at certain distances with great round towers and battlements. It has twelve gates; and, including the suburbs, is about four miles and a half long. The streets are wide. The meydân sháh, or king's square, is 700 paces long, and 400 broad, planted round with trees. On the west side is the castle, well walled with freestone, and as spacious as a little city; but its inward appearance is not conformable to its external magnificence. The caravanera is on the south of the square, and its chief ornament. Near the meydân also is the king's palace, whose apartments are richly ornamented: and in the
midst of the city is the English factory, where they purchase fine chintz, calicoes, and other Indian merchandise. The place is so full of gardens studded with fruit trees, that from an eminence it looks like a wood. The Hindoos have here an hospital for sick beasts, and another for sick birds, which they take great care of. According to some late accounts, this city is little inferior to the best in Europe, and is thought to yield ten times as much revenue as Surat.