Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) was established in 1920 in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, as a national Muslim university. It was founded by a group of visionary freedom fighters and scholars, including Maulana Mahmud Hasan and Hakim Ajmal Khan, with the aim of promoting education rooted in Indian culture and values.

In 1925, the university was relocated to Delhi, initially settling in Karol Bagh, and eventually establishing its permanent campus at Okhla, now known as Jamia Nagar.

Over the years, Jamia evolved into a leading institution of higher education. It was declared a “Deemed to be University” by the University Grants Commission (UGC) in 1962, and later, in 1988, it gained the status of a Central University through an Act of the Indian Parliament.