Aligarh

This article is about the municipality in Uttar Pradesh, India. For its namesake district, see Aligarh district. For the 2015 Hindi film, see Aligarh (film).

Aligarh
City
File:Kennedy House.jpg From top, left to right: Sir Syed Mosque; Aligarh Clock Tower; Bab-e-Syed, Church of Ascension; Aligarh Habitat Centre; Kennedy House Complex
Aligarh Location in Uttar Pradesh, India Aligarh Aligarh (India)
Coordinates: 27.88°N 78.08°E / 27.88; 78.08
Country	India
State	Uttar Pradesh
Division	Aligarh
District	Aligarh
<!-- Established -->	1753 as Aligarh
Government
• Type	Municipal Corporation
• Body	Aligarh Municipal Corporation
• Mayor	Prashant Singhal (BJP)<ref>"BJP wrests Aligarh, continues winning streak in Agra". Hindustan Times. 14 May 2023. Retrieved 22 May 2023.</ref>
Elevation	178 m (584 ft)
Population  (2011)<ref name="Census2011"/>
• Total	874,408
• Rank	53
Demonym	Aligarian
Language
• Official	Hindi<ref name="langoff">"52nd Report of the Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities in India" (PDF). nclm.nic.in. Ministry of Minority Affairs. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 May 2017. Retrieved 20 December 2018.</ref>
• Additional&nbsp;official	Urdu<ref name="langoff"/>
• Regional	Braj Bhasha
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN Code	202001, 202002
Telephone code	0571
Vehicle registration	UP-81
Website	aligarh.nic.in

Aligarh (hi; formerly known as Koil<ref name="Chandra">Satish Chandra (2004). Medieval India:From Sultanat to the Mughals-Delhi Sultanat (1206-1526). Vol. 1. Har-Anand Publications. p. 27. ISBN 978-8-12411-064-5. The areas of Meerut, Baran (modern Buland sher) and Koil (modern Aligarh) in upper doab had been under the control of Dor Rajputs, had been occupied by the Turks shortly after the battle of Tarain</ref>) is a city in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India. It is the administrative headquarters of Aligarh district and lies 342 kilometres (213 mi) northwest of state capital Lucknow and approximately 130 kilometres (81 mi) southeast of the capital, New Delhi. The cities and districts which adjoin Aligarh are: Gautam Buddha Nagar, Bulandshahr, Sambhal, Badaun, Kasganj, Hathras, Etah and Mathura, as well as Palwal district of Haryana. As of 2011, Aligarh is the 53rd most populous city in India.

The recorded history of Aligarh begins in the 12th century, under the name Kol.<ref>"Kol to Aligarh to Harigarh: Name-Changing Moments of the UP District | 12th Century to 2023". News18. Retrieved 11 April 2025.</ref> Kol was a major city of the Delhi Sultanate and Mughal Empire, serving as both a political and economic centre. Beginning with a major rebuilding of the Aligarh Fort in the 16th century, the city was renamed several times before eventually settling on the current name, Aligarh, in the mid-1700s. It is notable as the seat of Aligarh Muslim University, which was founded here as Mohammadan Anglo-Oriental College in 1875, initiating the Aligarh Movement.

History

Written references to the city commence only from 12th century onward; however, archaeological records suggest that the town used to be inhabited by Jains.<ref name=":0">Rezavi, Syed Ali Nadeem (24 September 2021). "Aligarh or Harigarh?". Frontline: 60–62. Archived from the original on 2 January 2022.</ref> The area of Aligarh before the Ghurid conquest of the region was under the sway of Dor Rajputs in 12th century.<ref name="Chandra" />

In 1194, Qutb-ud-din Aibak mounted a successful invasion of the region and Hisam-ud-din Ulbak was installed as the first Muslim governor; court-historian Hasan Nizami noted Kol to be "one of the most celebrated fortresses of Hind".<ref name=":0" /> Beginning the 13th century, the place featured — as Kol or Koil — in multiple Persian (as well as non-Persian) Sultanate sources as a center of economic prominence, especially for production of distilled wine.<ref name="Chandra" /><ref name=":0" />By the mid-13th century, the town commanded enough importance for (would-be Sultan) Ghiyas ud din Balban to erect a minaret.<ref name=":0" />

Under the Khiljis and Tughlaqs, the prominence continued unabated; it had become an Iqta by the times of Alauddin Khalji.<ref name=":0" />

Battle of Aligarh (1803)

General Lord Gerard Lake who oversaw the Siege of Aligarh

The Battle of Aligarh was fought on 1 September 1803 during the Second Anglo-Maratha War (1803–1805) at Aligarh Fort. The British 76th Regiment, now known as the Duke of Wellington's Regiment besieged the fort, which was under the control of the French officer Perron, and established British rule. In 1804, the Aligarh district was formed by the union of the second, third and fourth British divisions with the addition of Anupshahr from Muradabad and Sikandra Rao from Etawa. On 1 August 1804, Claude Russell was appointed the first Collector of the new district.<ref>Edwin T. Atkinson (1875). Descriptive and Historical Account of the Aligarh District. p. 348. Archived from the original on 5 July 2014. Retrieved 13 October 2011.</ref>

Administration

Aligarh district is divided into five tehsils, namely Kol Tehsil, Khair Tehsil, Atrauli, Gabhana and Iglas. These tehsils are further divided into 12 blocks.

The city is administered by Nagar Nigam Aligarh (Municipal Corporation), which is responsible for performing civic administrative functions administered by Mayor and Municipal Commissioner (PCS Officer). Infrastructure development of the city is looked after by the Aligarh Development Authority (ADA) administered by Divisional Commissioner (chairman) and vice-chairman (PCS Officer).

The Uttar Pradesh Municipal Corporation Act-1959 is the Municipal Act under which the city is administered. AMC covers an area of 40 km².<ref>"Aligarh Nagar Nigam: नगर निगम चार जोन में बंटा, पहला जोन कार्यालय हुआ शुरू". Amar Ujala (in हिन्दी). Retrieved 19 December 2025.</ref><ref>"Aligarh News: 35 गांव शामिल होने से अलीगढ़ नगर निगम में बढ़ेंगे 20 वार्ड, चुने जाएंगे 90 पार्षद". Prabhat Khabar (in हिन्दी). 6 October 2022. Retrieved 19 December 2025.</ref>

Aligarh division has four districts : Aligarh, Hathras, Kasganj and Etah.<ref>"Administrative Setup | District Aligarh, Government of Uttar Pradesh | India". Retrieved 19 December 2025.</ref>

Aligarh is the headquarters of Aligarh Police Range and Aligarh Division.

As per the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, the Aligarh Municipal Corporation reported a revenue of ₹365 crore and an expenditure of ₹257 crore in 2022–23. Taxes contributed to 35.1% of the revenue, with 64.9% of the income coming from other sources.<ref>"Aligarh Municipal Data". Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India. Retrieved 1 April 2025.</ref>

Demographics

Religions in Aligarh city (2011)<ref name="religion">"Table C-01 Population by Religion: Uttar Pradesh". censusindia.gov.in. Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India. 2011.</ref>
Religion			Percent
Hinduism			55.36%
Islam			42.64%
Christianity			0.53%
Other or not stated			0.47%
Distribution of religions

According to the 2011 Census, Aligarh has a total population of 874,408, of which 461,772 are males and 412,636 are females. Population in the age range 0–6 years is 119,543. The literacy rate is 59.15%, of which the male literacy rate is 63.42% and female literacy rate is 54.37%. The effective literacy rate of 7+ population of Aligarh was 68.5%, of which male literacy rate was 62.9% and the female literacy rate was 70.8%. The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes have a population of 138,184 and 332 respectively. There were 147,363 households in Aligarh as of 2011.<ref name="Census2011">"Census of India: Search Details". www.censusindia.gov.in. Retrieved 29 September 2019.</ref> The city lies in the cultural region of Braj.<ref name="LuciaMichelutti1">Lucia Michelutti (2002). "Sons of Krishna: the politics of Yadav community formation in a North Indian town" (PDF). PhD Thesis Social Anthropology. London School of Economics and Political Science University of London. p. 49. Retrieved 20 May 2015.</ref> <gallery> File:Khalifa Daud, Aligarh.png|Sunni Muslim, Aligarh File:Meer Inayut Hosein, Shiah Mahomedan, a Syud or descendant of Mahomed, Allyghur.png|Shia Muslim, Aligarh </gallery>

Languages in Aligarh (2011)<ref name="Lang"/>

  Hindi (81.50%)

  Urdu (17.20%)

  Others (1.20%)

Hindi is the most spoken language. Urdu is the second-largest language.<ref name="Lang">"2011 Census of India, Population By Mother Tongue - Uttar Pradesh (Town Level)". censusindia.gov.in. Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India. Retrieved 27 June 2022.</ref>

Geography

Location

Aligarh is located at the coordinates 27.88°N 78.08°E / 27.88; 78.08.<ref>"Falling Rain Genomics, Inc – Aligarh". Fallingrain.com. Archived from the original on 11 October 2011. Retrieved 13 October 2011.</ref> It has an elevation of approximately 178 metres (587 feet). The city is in the middle portion of the doab, the land between the Ganges and the Yamuna rivers. The Grand Trunk Road passes through it via NH-91 is 134&nbsp;km from capital of India.

Climate

Aligarh has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh) a little too dry to be a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate (Cwa). Summers start in April and are hot with temperatures peaking in May. The average temperature range is 28–38 °C (82–100 °F). The monsoon season starts in late June, continuing until early October, bringing high humidity. Aligarh gets most of its annual rainfall of 800 millimetres (31 in) during these months. Temperatures then decrease, and winter sets in December, and continues until February. Temperatures range between 2–11 °C (36–52 °F). Winters in Aligarh are generally mild, but 2011–12 experienced the lowest temperature of 1&nbsp;°C. The fog and cold snaps are extreme.

Climate data for Aligarh (1991–2020, extremes 1932–2011)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	30.7 (87.3)	33.3 (91.9)	41.7 (107.1)	44.8 (112.6)	47.5 (117.5)	46.7 (116.1)	44.5 (112.1)	42.1 (107.8)	40.2 (104.4)	41.7 (107.1)	36.1 (97.0)	32.8 (91.0)	47.5 (117.5)
Average high °C (°F)	19.1 (66.4)	23.5 (74.3)	30.2 (86.4)	37.1 (98.8)	40.2 (104.4)	38.6 (101.5)	34.9 (94.8)	33.2 (91.8)	33.3 (91.9)	32.8 (91.0)	27.5 (81.5)	22.0 (71.6)	31.1 (88.0)
Average low °C (°F)	7.3 (45.1)	10.4 (50.7)	15.0 (59.0)	20.5 (68.9)	24.6 (76.3)	26.5 (79.7)	26.2 (79.2)	25.5 (77.9)	23.9 (75.0)	19.2 (66.6)	13.2 (55.8)	8.6 (47.5)	18.4 (65.1)
Record low °C (°F)	0.0 (32.0)	1.7 (35.1)	3.9 (39.0)	10.9 (51.6)	15.5 (59.9)	18.6 (65.5)	19.9 (67.8)	19.9 (67.8)	14.8 (58.6)	11.0 (51.8)	2.9 (37.2)	1.2 (34.2)	0.0 (32.0)
Average rainfall mm (inches)	15.2 (0.60)	16.5 (0.65)	10.4 (0.41)	12.0 (0.47)	27.2 (1.07)	66.2 (2.61)	217.7 (8.57)	216.3 (8.52)	107.7 (4.24)	17.2 (0.68)	2.7 (0.11)	3.7 (0.15)	712.8 (28.06)
Average rainy days	1.4	1.4	1.3	1.0	2.7	4.0	9.3	10.3	5.5	1.0	0.3	0.4	38.6
Average relative humidity (%) (at 17:30 IST)	66	57	46	33	34	48	68	75	67	52	57	62	72
Source: India Meteorological Department<ref name=IMDnormals> "Station: Aligarh Climatological Table 1991–2020" (PDF). Climatological Normals 1991–2020. India Meteorological Department. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 April 2024. Retrieved 7 July 2024.</ref><ref name=IMDextremes> "Extremes of Temperature & Rainfall for Indian Stations (Up to 2012)" (PDF). India Meteorological Department. December 2016. p. M210. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 February 2020. Retrieved 27 April 2020.</ref>

Economy

Main article: Economy of Aligarh

The city is an agricultural trade centre.<ref name="india9">"India9.com". India9.com. 7 June 2005. Archived from the original on 25 August 2012. Retrieved 13 October 2011.</ref> Agricultural product processing and manufacturing are important.<ref>"Britannica". Britannica. Archived from the original on 18 November 2008. Retrieved 13 October 2011.</ref>

Aligarh is an important business center of Uttar Pradesh and is most famous for its lock industry. Aligarh locks are exported across the world. In 1870, Johnson & Co. was the first English lock firm in Aligarh. In 1890, the company initiated production of locks on a small scale here.<ref>Pawan Jain (3 June 2003). "Locked out". Times of India. Retrieved 3 November 2020.</ref>

Aligarh is famous for its brass hardware and sculptures. The city has many manufacturers, exporters, and suppliers involved in the brass, bronze, iron and aluminium industries.<ref>Sengar, Resham (5 March 2018). "When in Aligarh, do not miss these unique experiences". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 12 September 2024.</ref>

Indian Diecasting Industries which manufactures aluminium and zinc die-casting parts is located at Sasni Gate in Aligarh.<ref>"Indian Diecasting Industries - Manufacturer of Aluminium Die Cast Components for Automotive Industry & Zinc Die Cast Component for Automobile Industry from Aligarh". diecastingindia.com. Retrieved 9 June 2022.</ref>

Harduaganj Thermal Power Station (also referred as Kasimpur Power House) is 15&nbsp;km from the city. Narora Atomic Power Station is located 50&nbsp;km from Aligarh.

Education

Universities and colleges

The main entrance gate of Aligarh Muslim University, founded and centralised in 1920.

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• Aligarh Muslim University campus is spread over 467.6 hectares in the city.
• Ibn Sina Academy of Medieval Medicine and Sciences
• Jamia Al-Barkaat
• Mangalayatan University

Schools

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• Our Lady of Fatima Senior Secondary School, Aligarh
• STS School

Art and craft

Aligarh is associated with an applique and embroidery art known as phool patti ka kaam.

Further information: Phool Patti ka Kaam

Locations

Cultural landmarks

Church of Ascension

Aligarh has several popular landmarks. Most notable few of them are Aligarh Fort, Jama Masjid,<ref>"मुल्क की ही नहीं एशिया की भी सबसे ज़्यादा महंगी है यह मस्जिद". Zee Salaam. 21 February 2020. Retrieved 6 January 2021.</ref> Khereshwar Temple which is the birthplace of Swami Shri Haridas Ji, Dor fortress (1524), which is now in ruins, lies at the city's centre, its site is in the area now called Upper Fort (Balai Qila) and is occupied by an 18th-century mosque. The area Shah Jamal is very famous for a Sufi saint Syed Shah Jamal is also known as Shamsul Arifeen, of whom the tomb is located at Shahjamal area and surrounded by a graveyard. The Sufi Saint is mentioned by Ibn Battuta in his book The Travels of Ibn Battuta. The saint is said to be of Sufi Chishtiya order.

Aligarh Numaish Ground

The Annual Cultural Exhibition, popularly known as Numaish, is held at the exhibition ground in January and February. The land Numaish Ground was donated by Nawab Rehmat Ullah Khan Sherwani. The cultural shows take place at three grand stages (Kohinoor, Krishnanjali and Muktakash). In all, more than 150 stage events featuring artists from across India take place during a period of 28–30 days.<ref>"Dainik Jagran". Epaper.jagran.com. 29 January 2015. Archived from the original on 21 May 2015. Retrieved 29 July 2015.</ref>

Historical places

Aligarh Fort

Sir Syed Mosque beside Strachey Hall, Aligarh Muslim University

• Shekha Jheel, Bird Sanctuary
• Maulana Azad Library, AMU (Estd 1875)
• Naqvi Park.
• Sir Syed Masjid in Aligarh Muslim University's campus.

Aligarh Muslim University

Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) is one of the oldest central universities. It was established by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan as Madrasatul Uloom Musalmanan-e-Hind in 1875–78 which later became Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental College (MAO College). It was designed to train Muslims for government services in India and prepare them for advanced training in British universities. The Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental College became Aligarh Muslim University in 1920. It is famous for its Law, Medical, and Engineering courses.<ref>Kumar, Anuj (20 April 2024). "In Aligarh, the city of locks, Urdu as the key to a brighter future". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 12 September 2024.</ref>

Museums

Ibn Sina Academy of Medieval Medicine and Sciences maintains 'Museum on History of Medicine and Sciences' and 'Museum on Arts, Culture and Orientalism'. It was established by a family Hakim Syed Zillur Rahman and Syed Ziaur Rahman at the heart of the city and near a busy market of Dodhpur.<ref>"World's 10 weirdest medical museums". Bryan Pirolli for CNN, Travel (24 May 2013). 16 May 2013. Archived from the original on 14 March 2017. Retrieved 17 December 2017.</ref><ref>"Ibn Sina Academy". Eram Agha for News18, (5 November 2017). Archived from the original on 10 November 2017. Retrieved 17 December 2017.</ref>

Transport

By rail

See also: Aligarh railway station

Aligarh Junction railway station is the primary station for Aligarh city and is a major stop on the Delhi-Kolkata route. It is an A-Class railway station. It is one of the oldest railway station of this route. It connects Aligarh to the states of West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand, north-east and most of Uttar Pradesh, and important stations of cities such as New Delhi railway station, Mumbai Central, Kolkata, Bhopal Junction railway station, Indore, Jammu, Gwalior, Lucknow, Jhansi, Puri, Kanpur Central railway station, Etawah Junction railway station, Tundla Junction railway station, Agra Cantonment railway station and Varanasi. Aligarh railway station handles over 136 trains daily (in both directions) and serves around 204,000 passengers every day. Aligarh has one Branch Railway Line to Bareily.

Aligarh Junction railway station

Aligarh City has following railway stations:

• Aligarh Junction: an A-Class Railway Station
• Somna (Gabhana) railway station
• Mahrawal railway station
• Kalua railway station
• Daudkhan railway station
• Mandrak railway station
• Harduaganj railway station (Satha, near Kasimpur Power House)
• Manjoorgarhi railway station (Chherat)

By road

Aligarh is 140&nbsp;km from New Delhi. It is one of the Division of Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation(UPSRTC). UPSRTC buses serve cities all over the state and cities in Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana.

Aligarh City has three UPSRTC bus stations:

• Aligarh Depot (Old Bus Station/Gandhi Park Bus Station) bus station
• Masoodabad (est. 2000) (Budh Vihar Bus Station/New Bus Station/Workshop Bus Station/Raghuveerpuri Bus Station/Mathura Bus Station)
• Depot bus station(non-functional from 2018 to 2021) (now functioning since 2021 post renovation into a well facilitated Bus Station)
• Aligarh Satellite Bus Stand(New Bus Station/Sootmill Bus Station/Sarsaul Bus Station)(functioning since 2018 due to sudden non-functioning of Masoodabaad Bus Station during 2018-2021 period)

There are buses plying from Aligarh to Delhi at frequent intervals via

1) Khair, Tappal, Palval, Faridabad, Delhi - The route is under construction between Khair and Palval and should be strictly avoided by cars. No toll charges.

2) Khair, Tappal, Yamuna expressway, Noida, Greater Noida, Delhi, Gurgaon - Best and recommended route for Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon. Toll Charges are ₹120 between Aligarh and Delhi.

3) Old GT Road, Bulandshahr, Ghaziabad, Delhi - NH 91 - It is a 6-lane highway. Toll charges are ₹285.

Following Highways are connected to Aligarh:

• National Highway 91 - It connects Kolkata to national capital New Delhi. Ghaziabad-Bulandshahr-Aligarh section is a 6-Lane Highway.
• National Highway 93 - It connects Moradabad to Taj Nagri Agra via Aligarh. Aligarh-Agra section is constructed as Brijbhoomi Expressway.
• Yamuna Expressway - It is a 6-Lane Expressway connecting Greater Noida with Agra.

Aligarh City has Mahanagar Bus Service (City Bus Service) which provides local transport to Aligarh.

• Route-1 J N Medical College-Uperkot
• Route-2 Gandhi Park-Sarsaul/Sootmill
• Route-3 Ghantabagh-Quarsi
• Route-4 Gandhi Park-Boner
• Route-5 Etah Chungi-Collectrate

Apart from this an Air-conditioned Electronic Bus Service has been running within the city since January 2022.<ref>"पहली बार अलीगढ़ की सड़कों पर फर्राटा भरती नजर आएंगी "इलेक्ट्रिक बस सेवा"". News18 (in हिन्दी). 7 January 2022. Retrieved 18 April 2022.</ref>

By air

ALIGARH AIRPORT

Aligarh Airport, Situated on NH 91, Dhanipur, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh. It is Also known as Dhanipur Air Strip/Dhanipur Hawai Patti. This airport is also used as flying Club. The Government of Uttar Pradesh signed a memorandum of understanding with the Airports Authority of India in February 2014 for the development of the airport.

At this time direct flight started by the regional airline Flybig from Lucknow to Aligarh and vice versa under the RCS-UDAN scheme.<ref>"Flybig" (PDF).</ref>

The nearest international airport from Aligarh is Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi. It is 140&nbsp;km from Aligarh. Another nearest airport from Aligarh (65&nbsp;km) will be Noida International Airport.

Another airport located close to Aligarh is Agra Airport in Agra. It is about 98 kilometres from Aligarh.

Notable people

Businessmen and entrepreneurs

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• Sheela Gautam, founder of Sheela Foam Limited-Sleepwell
• Vijay Shekhar Sharma, founder of Paytm
• Khwaja Abdul Hamied, Pharmacist, founder of Cipla

Educationalists

Faculty of Arts, Aligarh Muslim University

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• Ziauddin Ahmad, mathematician, M.L.A. (Central), Vice-Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University Movement. He established several institution including J.N. Medical College
• Roshan Ara Bokhari, dancer, choreographer and dance teacher<ref>"International Dance Day: National Performing Arts Group pays tribute to Roshan Ara Bokhari". Daily Times. 1 May 2016.</ref>
• Masud Husain Khan, linguist, the fifth Vice-Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia and the first Professor Emeritus in Social Sciences at Aligarh Muslim University<ref>Parekh, Rauf (3 February 2009). "DAWN - Features; February 03, 2009". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 13 April 2021.</ref>
• Syed Ahmad Khan, founder of Aligarh Muslim University
• Shafey Kidwai, academic, bilingual critic, translator, columnist, author, professor in the Department of Mass Communications at Aligarh Muslim University

Writers, poets and publishers

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• A.R. Akela, Dalit author and publisher, owner of "Anand Sahitya Sadan
• Syed Amin Ashraf, Urdu poet and professor of English at AMU
• Qurratulain Hyder, Padma Bhushan, Urdu novelist, writer, and journalist
• Akhlaq Mohammed Khan, pen name Shaharyar, Urdu poet, Bollywood lyricist and served as Professor at Aligarh Muslim University
• Munshi Nawal Kishore, book publisher
• Jainendra Kumar, Hindi writer
• Gopaldas Neeraj, poet, recipient of Padma Bhushan
• Saghar Nizami, Urdu Poet
• Prem Kishore Patakha, Hindi Humorous Poet
• Maitreyi Pushpa, Hindi fiction writer
• Gafil Swami (born 1953), Hindi poet

Historians

Victoria gate

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• Irfan Habib, eminent Indian historian and Professor Emeritus at Aligarh Muslim University
• Mohammad Habib (1895–1971), noted Indian historian and served as Professor Emeritus at Aligarh Muslim University

Film actors

ZHCET's View at Night

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• Shamim Ara, Pakistani film actress<ref>"Shamim Ara". 5 August 2016.</ref>
• Pooja Banerjee, Indian television actress
• Bharat Bhushan, Bollywood actor
• Aadesh Chaudhary, Indian television actor
• Nitin Chauhaan, Indian television actor
• Ravindra Jain, Bollywood music director
• Kanika Maheshwari, Indian television actress
• Alka Nupur, former actress, kathak dancer
• Chandrachur Singh, Bollywood actor
• Hasan Zaidi, Indian television actor
• Zarina, Indian artist

Sports persons

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• Piyush Chawla, Indian cricketer
• Zafar Iqbal, Former hockey captain of India
• Annu Raj Singh, international shooter
• Rinku Singh, Indian Cricketer

Politicians

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• Mukta Raja, MLA of Aligarh
• Zafar Alam ex-MLA from Aligarh (Assembly constituency)
• Dalbir Singh Chaudhary, MLA from Baruli vidhansabha constituency
• Mohammad Furqan, Former mayor of Aligarh
• Satish Kumar Gautam, MP from Aligarh (Lok Sabha constituency)
• Sheela Gautam, ex MP and ex chairperson of Sleepwell
• Zameer Ullah Khan ex MLA from Koil (Assembly constituency) and Aligarh (Assembly constituency)
• Jamal Khwaja, ex MP
• Sanjeev Raja, ex MLA
• Bijendra Singh, ex MP
• Chaudhary Sunil Singh, ex MLC
• Kalyan Singh, ex governor and ex Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh
• Rajendra Singh, ex Agriculture and Irrigation Minister, Govt of Uttar Pradesh
• Sandeep Singh, MLA Atrauli, grandson of Kalyan Singh former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh
• Thakur Jaivir Singh, ex MLA (Now MLC)
• Roohi Zuberi, advocate

Medical professionals

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• Khwaja Abdul Hamied, pharmacist, founder of Cipla (pharmaceutical company)
• Prerna Kohli, clinical psychologist, social worker and author
• Hakim Syed Zillur Rahman, Unani physician and author
• Syed Ziaur Rahman, pharmacologist, researcher and author
• Ashok Seth, an Indian interventional cardiologist

Social activists

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• Javed Abidi, born with spina bifida, he was an activist working for the disabled community and served as the first director of the National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP)<ref>"Demand made for legal recognition of sign language". Hindustan Times. PTI. 4 December 2010. Retrieved 16 July 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)</ref> and founded Disability Rights in India
• Jai Kishan Das, a close associate of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan
• Rajiv Dixit, Promotor of Yoga, Ayurveda and Swadeshi-economics

See also

• Jamia Millia Islamia

Further reading

• Aligarh in My Days (Interviews of former Vice-Chancellors of Aligarh Muslim University), Ed. Syed Ziaur Rahman, Non-Resident Students' Centre, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, 1997.
• Atkinson, Edward (2010) [1875]. Descriptive And Historical Account of the Aligarh District. Nabu Press. ISBN 978-1-147-42719-6.