[1] For a long time, tradition holds that this area was ruled by indigenous groups like the Gujars, the Ahirs, the Pasis, the Arakhs, the Bhihars, and the Bhils.

[1] The reason for this is that Muslim rulers were unable to wield any effective control over this region without an enormous effort.

[1] If invaded, the Katehrias and other ruling Rajput in the region would simply burn their crops and retreat into the forests, making it impossible to collect revenue from them.

[1] As a result, the Muslim rulers generally left them to themselves, and would only take military action in response to aggression by the Rajput tribes.

[1] It was under Sher Shah Suri that the area of modern Shahjahanpur district was incorporated more firmly into Muslim territory, as the sarkar of Kant-o-Gola.

[1] The two men together had great success in not only defeating the local zamindars, but also extending the cultivation in the region.

[1] After a force of Bachhils and Gaurs plundered an imperial treasure convoy at Kant in 1647, Diler Khan obtained permission to lead a punitive expedition against them.

[1] Pleased with the services of Diler Khan, Shahjahan gave him 14 villages and directed him to construct a fort.

[1] Diler Khan chose the site of Noner Khera, near the confluence of the Garrah and Khannaut rivers, which supposedly had once been a Gujar stronghold.

[1] He established the mohallas of Dilerganj and Bahadurganj, while his brother Bahadur Khan brought many Pathans with him to populate the new city.

[1] The ruling Pathans of Shahjahanpur were at least nominally subjects of the governors of Bareilly, but during the 1700s they became closely aligned with the Bangash Nawabs of Farrukhabad.

[1] Qaim Khan, then Nawab of Farrukhabad, then invaded Rohilkhand but was defeated and killed in battle, and the Rohillas were able to drive out the Bangash from the region.

[1] In 1813-14, a separate Shahjahanpur district was created, and originally it covered the entire territory between the Ganges and Ramganga down to the reduced border with Awadh.

[1] At that time, it included the parganas of Shahjahanpur, Mihrabad, Tilhar, Nigohi, Jalalpur, Khera Bajhera, Miranpur Katra, Baragaon, Pawayan, Khutar, Marauri, Bangaon, Amritpur, Khakhatmau, Paramnagar, Khairigarh, and Puranpur Sabna.

Adjoining districts of Shahjahanpur are Lakhimpur Kheri, Hardoi, Farrukhabad, Bareilly, Badaun, and Pilibhit.

According to the 2011 census Shahjahanpur district has a population of 3,006,538,[5] roughly equal to the nation of Albania[6] or the US state of Mississippi.