Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh

Aligarh Muslim University traces its origins to the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College, established by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan in 1875, which began functioning on 24 May 1875 as part of the broader Aligarh Movement promoting modern education for Indian Muslims. The college was initially affiliated with the University of Calcutta and later Allahabad University in 1885. Funded by contributions from figures such as Thomas Baring, Maharaja Mahindra Singh, Raja Shambhu Narayan, and the Nizam of Hyderabad, the institution grew steadily. In 1920, following the Aligarh Muslim University Act, it became Aligarh Muslim University. Over subsequent decades, it expanded to include the Ajmal Khan Tibbiya College (1927), a medical school, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College (1962), and Zakir Husain College of Engineering and Technology (1935). Women's education was advanced through Sheikh Abdullah's efforts, leading to a women's college that became part of the university in 1937. Politically, the university shifted from nationalist to Muslim separatist sentiment after 1939, becoming linked to the Pakistan Movement. It is recognized as an Institute of National Importance under the Seventh Schedule of the Indian Constitution, though its minority status has been legally contested, notably struck down by the Allahabad High Court in 2006.