Old rock-cut Buddhist caves in this area, dating from well before 500 CE, have stone carvings and floral work.

The founder of the dynasty, General Bhatarka, military governor of Saurashtra peninsula under the Gupta Empire, established himself as the independent ruler of Gujarat around the last quarter of the 5th century.

Bardic legends vary significantly in the names, order, and number of early rulers, making them unreliable as historical sources.

In 1350, Junagadh was conquered by Muhammad bin Tughluq with the help and forces of Koli chieftain Jesaji (Jesing) from Ra Khengar.

The last king of the dynasty, Mandalika III, was defeated and forcibly converted to Islam in 1472 by Gujarat Sultan Mahmud Begada, who annexed the state.

[14][15] Sultan Mahmud Begada changed the name of Junagadh to Mustafabad and built the fortifications around the town and the mosque in Uparkot Fort.

Under the Gujarat Sultanate, Junagadh was governed by an official, styled thanadar (commander), appointed directly by Ahmedabad.

The Sultan also installed Bhupatsingh, the son of the last Chudasama king, Mandalika III, in Junagadh as a jagirdar (feudal lord).

This state of affairs continued until the first conquest of Gujarat by the Mughal emperor Akbar, when Aminkhan Ghori had succeeded his father Tatarkhan at Junagadh.

On the return of Emperor Akbar to Agra in 1573, after the defeat and death of Muhammad Husain Mirzah and Ikhtiyar ul Mulk, he gave orders that Sorath should be conquered from Aminkhan Ghori.

On this occasion he left his son Inayat Ullah as faujdar at Junagadh while he himself conducted the government of Gujarat from its capital, Ahmedabad.

[16] In 1730, Mohammad Sher Khan Babi, who owed allegiance to the Mughal governor of Gujarat Subah, founded the state of Junagadh by declaring independence after the invasion by the Maratha Gaekwad dynasty.

[citation needed] The Shri Swaminarayan Mandir temple in Junagadh was constructed on land presented by Jinabhai (Hemantsingh) Darbar of Panchala, and dedicated on 1 May 1828.

Swaminarayan appointed Gunatitanand Swami as the first mahant (religious and administrative head of a temple), who served in this role and preached there for over 40 years.

Rulers of other neighbouring states reacted angrily, sent troops to the Junagadh frontier, and appealed to the government of India for assistance.

A group of Junagadhis, led by Samaldas Gandhi, formed a government-in-exile, the Aarzi Hukumat ("temporary government").

[23] Pakistan agreed to discuss a plebiscite, subject to the withdrawal of Indian troops, a condition India rejected.

Pakistan's claims were based on the logic of the Kashmir annexation, and not on the plebiscite, which went almost unanimously in favour of accession to India.

In 2020, Pakistan's government has maintained and revived its territorial claim on Junagadh, along with Manavadar and Sir Creek in Gujarat, on its official political map.

[27][28] Junagadh city is located at 21°31′N 70°28′E / 21.52°N 70.47°E / 21.52; 70.47 at the foot of Mount Girnar, with the Arabian sea to the southwest, Porbandar to the north, and Amreli to the east.

It is deep- to medium-black coastal alluvium,[31] due to its proximity to the sea, long shoreline, and nearby mountain ridge.

Junagadh lies in a Seismic Zone III region,[32] which means earthquakes up to magnitude 6.5 on the Richter-scale may be expected.

The politics of Junagadh city has always been closely contested between the Indian National Congress (INC) and the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP).

Junagadh's population of 452000 requires 30 million litres (6,600,000 imp gal; 7,900,000 US gal) of water per day, which is supplied through 25,000 tap connections to three major surface water sources, namely Aanandpur Weir, Hasanapur Dam, and Wellingdon Dam, as well as to 32 wells.

The city is connected to Mount Girnar by road, as well as to Bilkha and the Sasan Gir Lion Sanctuary in the south.

Major crops produced in the district are wheat, oil seeds, cotton, mangoes, bananas, onions, and brinjal (eggplant).

The zoo provides purebred Asiatic lions for the Indian and international critically endangered species captive breeding programs.

The Junagadh Buddhist Cave Groups, with their intricately carved gateways, Chaitya halls, sculptured pillars, and sanctums are classic examples of rock-cut architecture.

The Chudama Rajputs left specimens of their architectural style in Nabghan Kuvo and Adi Kadi Vav.

Apart from these religious and national festivals, Junagadh annually celebrates its accession to India on 9 November 1947 as the independence day of the city.