The city derives its name from Raja Hardeo, Bhar chief who built it[6], but tradition either attributes it to a Thathera ruler named Raja Harnakas or to a religious devotee named Hardeo Babar who supposedly lived here around 1000 CE.[7] In any case, the site was inhabited from an early date; below the old town is an ancient khera that covers 16 acres.[7] Around 1300, a group of Chamar Gaurs led by Nir Singh are said to have conquered the place from the Thatheras, destroyed their fortress, and re-founded the city.[7]
At the turn of the 20th century, Hardoi consisted of two distinct parts: "old" Hardoi, occupying the original site of the village, and "new" Hardoi, which was developed after the establishment of the British civil station in the late 1850s.[7] "New" Hardoi had wide streets, well-shaded by trees, and consisted mostly of the homes of civil officials and members of the local bar, as well as shops.[7] Victoria Hall, built in 1888, contained the municipal and district offices as well as a public library (with books in English, Urdu, Hindi, Persian, Arabic, and Sanskrit) and a clock tower.[7] The city also had a courthouse, police station, dispensary, orphanage, several schools, post and telegraph offices, and jail.[7] Hardoi was not at the time a major commercial centre; the main trade involved gathering grain from the rural parts of the district and then exporting it by rail.[7] There was a grain market at Railwayganj, by the train station, while the main market was at Hardeoganj, which held bazaars on Sundays and Wednesdays.[7] The Gibsonganj quarter, near Railwayganj, had a colony of carpenters who did "extensive business in plough handles, cart wheels, and other portions of country carts."[7]
As of 2011 Indian Census, Hardoi had a total population of 126,851, of which 66,352 were males and 60,499 were females. Population within the age group of 0 to 6 years was 14,048. Hardoi had an average literary rate of 76%, of which male literacy was 79.5% and female literacy was 72.1%. The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes population was 12,277 and 4 respectively. Hardoi had 21949 households in 2011.[3]
As of 1971, the economy of Hardoi was described as a hybrid between the service, commercial, and industrial sectors.[13] The main items imported were kerosene oil, cane sugar, and cloth.[13] The main items manufactured were sugar, groundnut oil, and lime.[13] The biggest exports were sugar, groundnut oil, and arhar.[13]
Hardoi has officially been incorporated into the State Capital Region of the Uttar Pradesh government in 2024.[14]
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