[1] It is mentioned in the Ain-i-Akbari as a pargana in the sarkar of Budaun, producing a revenue of 690,620 dams for the imperial treasury and a force of 400 infantry and 50 cavalry to the Mughal army.

After the Rohillas moved their capital to Bareilly, Aonla quickly lost its importance, and its many monuments fell into ruin.

In 1813 it was made the seat of a tehsil, and it grew to become an important town again, with thriving commerce and a large export of grain.

[1] Around the 20th century, Aonla was described as a very dispersed town with four distinct quarters, separated by cemetery fields and old ruined mosques.

On the south side of this quarter was a large walled enclosure containing the tomb of Ali Muhammad Khan, maintained by his descendant, the Nawab of Rampur State.

Outside the enclosure there was an ornate masonry tank with steps leading down to the water, surrounded by many more Rohilla tombs.

Its streets were narrow and largely unpaved, and there was a railway station on the north side of town, closest to the Aonla Khas quarter.

Aonla is administered by a Nagar Palika Parishad (municipal body), for which elections are held every 5 years.