Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) is a central public university located in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India. Established as the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College in 1875 by the social reformer Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, the institution was elevated to the status of a university in 1920 through the Aligarh Muslim University Act passed by the Imperial Legislative Council. AMU is one of India's oldest residential universities and is recognised as an Institution of National Importance.
| Name | Aligarh Muslim University |
|---|---|
| Former name | Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College (1875–1920) |
| Founder | Sir Syed Ahmad Khan |
| Founded | 1875 (as MAO College); 1920 (as university) |
| Type | Central public university |
| Location | Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India |
| Status | Institution of National Importance |
| Language of instruction | English (with Urdu and Arabic studies) |
The institution traces its origins to the Aligarh Movement, a late nineteenth-century reformist effort led by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan to promote modern, Western-style education among Indian Muslims while preserving Islamic cultural traditions. Modelled in part on the residential collegiate system of the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford, the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College was conceived as a centre that combined scientific and liberal arts education with religious instruction.
AMU offers undergraduate, postgraduate, doctoral, and diploma programmes across faculties including Arts, Science, Commerce, Social Sciences, Law, Engineering and Technology, Medicine, Life Sciences, Theology, Agricultural Sciences, Management Studies and Research, International Studies, and Unani Medicine. The Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and the Zakir Husain College of Engineering and Technology are among its prominent constituent institutions. The Maulana Azad Library is one of the largest university libraries in Asia.
The main campus is spread over a large area in the city of Aligarh and includes residential halls, mosques, sports facilities, and historic buildings such as the Strachey Hall and the Sir Syed Hall. AMU also operates off-campus centres at Murshidabad in West Bengal, Malappuram in Kerala, and Kishanganj in Bihar.
The university is governed under the Aligarh Muslim University Act, 1920, as amended. Its principal authorities include the Visitor (the President of India), the Chancellor, the Pro-Chancellor, the Vice-Chancellor, the Court, the Executive Council, and the Academic Council. The Vice-Chancellor serves as the principal executive and academic officer.
AMU is widely regarded as a key institution of the Aligarh Movement and has played a notable role in modern Indian intellectual, political, and cultural history. Its alumni include former heads of state, judges, scientists, writers, and parliamentarians from India and abroad. The question of the university's minority status under Article 30 of the Constitution of India has been the subject of prolonged legal debate, including consideration by the Supreme Court of India.