Aligarh (Hindi pronunciation: [əliːgəɽʱ]; formerly known as Koil[5]) is a city in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India.

Kol was a major city of the Delhi Sultanate and Mughal Empire, serving as both a political and economic centre.

Written references to the city commence only from 12th century onward; however, archaeological records suggest that the town used to be inhabited by Jains.

[6] The area of Aligarh before the Ghurid conquest of the region was under the sway of Dor Rajputs in 12th century.

[5] 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".

[6] 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.

[5][6][a] By the mid-13th century, the town commanded enough importance for (would-be Sultan) Ghiyas ud din Balban to erect a minaret.

[6] Under the Khiljis and Tughlaqs, the prominence continued unabated; it had become an iqta by the times of Alauddin Khalji.

[6] Kol is mentioned in Ibn Battuta's Rihla, when Ibn Battuta, along with 15 ambassadors representing Ukhaantu Khan, emperor of the Mongol Chinese Yuan dynasty, travelled to Kol city en route to the coast at Cambay (in Gujarat) in 1341.

[7] According to Battuta, it would appear that the district was then in a very disturbed state since the escort of the Emperor's embassy had to assist in relieving Jalali from an attacking body of Hindus and lost an officer in the fight.

Sabit Khan, who was then the governor of this region, rebuilt the old Lodhi fort and named the town Sabitgarh, after himself.

The ruler of Koil was Bargujar King Bahadur Singh who, in 1753, rose against the destruction of Hindu temples.

It was renamed Ramgarh and Rao Durjan Singh Poonia of Bijauli was made the kiledar of the fort.

[9] When a Persian Mughal Shia commander, Najaf Khan, captured Ramgarh, he renamed it and gave it its present name of Aligarh.

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.

The monsoon season starts in late June, continuing until early October, bringing high humidity.

[19] Aligarh is an important business center of Uttar Pradesh and is most famous for its lock industry.

The city has many manufacturers, exporters, and suppliers involved in the brass, bronze, iron and aluminium industries.

[21] Indian Diecasting Industries which manufactures aluminium and zinc die-casting parts is located at Sasni Gate in Aligarh.

Most notable few of them are Aligarh Fort, Jama Masjid,[23] 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.

Aligarh railway station handles over 136 trains daily (in both directions) and serves around 204,000 passengers every day.

Aligarh City has three UPSRTC bus stations: 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.

At this time direct flight started by the regional airline Flybig from Lucknow to Aligarh and vice versa under the RCS-UDAN scheme.