The new town referred to earlier came to be known as “ Vadpadraka”. The town later on came to be known as Vadodara. This town occupied an area of 5 sq. kms. Vadodara then passed in to the hands of the imperial Guptas who ruled till the end of the 5th century. After a short rule of chalukyas, Vadodara passed in to the hands of the Rastrakutas who had established an independent division in Gujarat . During the rule of the Rastrakuta, Ankotakka was the district head quarter. However, by the end of the 10th century, Vadodara became more important then ankotakka. The administrative division under the succeeding chalukyas was known as ‘Vatpadravishya’.

After the establishment of the Delhi Sultanate over Gujarat in 1298 A.D., Vadodara became a district town playing its own role in the political turmoil’s of the sultans of Delhi . In 1451, the sultan of Malwa looted Vadodara. In 1511 A.D. Vadodara was given as jagir by muhamad Begda to his son prince khalilkhan. It is said that he founded a new town and named it quila-e-daulatabad, after he became sultan mazaffar shah II in 1511 A.D. It seems that prince Khalilkhan built the modern fort of Vadodara occupying an area of 0.6 sq. km. one and a half mile east of Vadodara. This newly built citadel was strong and well-built and the inhabitants of the near by villages came and settled here taking in to consideration the safety aspects. This fortified town in time grew large and drew all the trade of Vadodara. All these contributed to the gradual impoverishment of Vadpadraka so much so that it could no longer be termed a town.

After the construction of the fort, several lakes were constructed towards the north and the east of the fort for the supply of water to the fort. The population of the fortified city grew so much that the area of the fort increased towards the east and the south. Within the next two centuries, the area adjacent to the fort also became inhabited. The development continued with the fort as the nucles.

The Gaekwads
The extraordinary configuration of Vadodara territory and its diversity is the legacy of two centuries of military exploits, internecine wars and financial and administrative complications. When pilajirao, the founder of the fortunes of the Gaekwads captured songadh, the hill fortress which commands the southern approaches to Gujarat , he laid the foundation of a new power, on the rules of a Moghul empire. This resulted in the end of the mughal rule over Vadodara in 1732.