Bet Dwarka is considered to be part of the ancient city of
Dvārakā. In Indian epic literature such as the
Mahabharata and the
Skanda Purana, this city is the abode of
Krishna. Gujarati scholar
Umashankar Joshi suggested that Antardvipa in the
Sabha Parva of the
Mahabharata can be identified as Bet Dwarka, as the
Yadavas of Dwarka are said to have travelled to it by boat. Undersea archaeological remains suggest the existence of a settlement during the
Late Harappan period of
Indus Valley civilization, or immediately after it. The settlement can be reliably dated to the time of the
Maurya Empire, as a part of Okha Mandal or Kushdwip area. Dwarka is mentioned in a copper inscription (dated 574 CE) of Simhaditya, the son of Varahdas (the king of Dwarka) and the minister of the city of
Vallabhi during the
Maitraka dynasty. During the 18th century, the island, along with Okhamandal region, was controlled by the
Gaekwads of Baroda. During the
Indian rebellion of 1857, the
Vaghers captured this region. In 1859, through a joint offensive with the British, Gaekwad and other
princely state troops ousted the rebels and recaptured the region. After Indian Independence in 1947, the area was integrated into the
Saurashtra State. Later, Saurashtra merged with
Bombay State under the state reorganization plans. When
Gujarat was created from the bifurcation of Bombay State, Bet Dwarka was under the jurisdiction of the
Jamnagar district of Gujarat. In 2013, it became part of the
Devbhumi Dwarka district, created from the Jamnagar district. ==Archaeology==