Aizawl
capital of Mizoram, India
Aizawl (English: EYE-zawl; Mizo: [ˈaɪ̯.ˈzɔːl] ), formerly known as Aijal, is the capital city and the most populous city of Mizoram, India. It is also the third largest city in northeast India. It is situated atop a series of ridges, with an average elevation of around 1,132 metres (3,714 feet) above sea level. In 2024, the city has an estimated population of 415,000 people.
Having served as the capital of the British Lushai Hills from 1898 to 1947, colonial structures are prevalent in the city centre including but not limited to the Aijal Club, Raj Bhavan, the Red School, and the Office of the Deputy Commissioner. As the seat of the Government of Mizoram, Aizawl is home to the Assembly House. Additionally, Aizawl is part of the Smart Cities Mission, an initiative by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs aimed at urban development and infrastructure enhancement.
Etymology
The word Aizawl is a combination of two Mizo words: "ai" meaning "cardamom" and "zawl" meaning "flatland" or "plain." Therefore, "Aizawl" could roughly translate to "the field of cardamom." This name may have historical significance or could refer to the characteristics of the area before urbanisation.
History
Pre-colonialism (before 1889)
Before the British, Aizawl was a village founded by Chief Lalsavunga around 1810. When the British found the site it had been abandoned.
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Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 6, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q192379. VIAF identifies the subject as 126677604. The Library of Congress control number is n81053870. Authority coordinates are 23.733, 92.717. 3 of 4 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2024, 1898, 1947 and 1889.
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This entry incorporates text from “Aizawl” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.