If you meet a graduate of Aligarh Muslim University, there is a good chance they will introduce themselves as an Alig. The word is simple. It is short for Aligarh, the city in western Uttar Pradesh where the university stands. Over almost 150 years it has become a name for a shared identity.
Where the word comes from
Sir Syed Ahmad Khan founded the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental (MAO) College in Aligarh, which started as a school in 1875. The college became Aligarh Muslim University in 1920. Students who lived and studied on the campus came to be known by the name of the town, and the short form Alig stuck. You can read the full story in our MAO College to AMU timeline.
How Aligs use it
- After a degree. Many alumni write their qualification as BA (Alig), MSc (Alig) or LLB (Alig) to show that the degree is from AMU.
- As an introduction. “I am an Alig” is often enough to start a conversation between two strangers who studied at AMU decades apart.
- As a saying. Students often say “Once an Alig, always an Alig” to describe the bond with the campus.
What makes someone an Alig
There is no formal rule. In everyday use, anyone who has studied at AMU, including its schools, is called an Alig. Shared traditions keep the identity alive: the black sherwani, life in the halls of residence, and the university anthem, the AMU Tarana written by Majaz.
Also readAMU All India Essay Competition 2026: Result on 17 October
Sir Syed Day: when Aligs meet
Every year on 17 October, the birth anniversary of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, the campus marks Sir Syed Day. AMU alumni associations in India and abroad hold Sir Syed Day dinners and gatherings around the same date. For many Aligs, it is the one evening of the year they meet their old batchmates.
Famous Aligs
Aligs have served in Parliament, the courts, the civil services, science, sport and the arts. See our list of Aligs who shaped modern India.
