University of Allahabad (AU), Allahabad was established in 1887.

Its the forth oldest university of India.

The university has always occupied an esteemed place among the universities of India over a century now.

It is a centrally finded affilaiting university exercising jurisdiction over higher and secondary education in a wide area in Northern and central India. From the beginning the university has been concerned about women education.

Allahabad University has always occupied an esteemed place among the universities of India for over a century now. Established on 23rd September 887, it is the fourth oldest university of India after Calcutta, Bombay and Madras University. The credit for conceiving a large Central College at Allahabad, eventually to develop into a University, is due to Sir William Muir, then Lt. Governor of United Provinces. As a result of his initiative the foundation stone of the Muir Central College (named agter him) was laid on Dec. 9, 1873 by His Excellency Lord Northbrook.

From the beginnning the University has been concerned about women's education. It purchased houses for a women's Hostel and College at the cost of Rs. 66,286 and other buildings adjoining the college. While classes for girls were started in the old building, Sarojini Naidu and later Priyadarshini Girls Hostel was constructed for the boarders and recently the Shatabdi Girls Hostel has been constructed to accomodate many more boarders. Ever sine the inception of the Muir Central College in 1873, efforts were constantly made to accomodate students coming from distant places. Formerly their were two boarding houses, one situated in the barrack in Malaka near the jail, where the Swarup Rani Hospital now stands. Later this boarding house was shifted to the tiled outhouse of the Lowther Castle, where the classes of the College were held. Finally it was shifted to a large thatched bungalow near the Bhardwaj Ashram.

In 1910-11 the Muir Histel (Now Amar Nath Jha Hostel) was constructed; the Law Hostel (Now Sir Sunder Lal Hostel) was completed on 1914-15; Pandit Ganga Nath Jha Hostel (initially called New Hostel) was completed on 1928; the Hindu Boarding House (Now popularly called Hindu Hostel), which was formerly a straight building between 1902-22 without two wings was also contructed. About the same time the Oxford and Cambridge courts of the present Holland Hall came into existence. A few years back the Tara Chand Hostel was constructed. The Muslim Boarding House (popularly called Muslim Hostel) is the oldest of all these hostels for it was constructed in 1896-97. In this millenium year, the University of Allahabad completes more than a hundred and thirteen years.