Bareilly district is located at 28.0 latitude and 79.0 longitude. The district was previously part of Panchala. The Gomti River to the east, the Yamuna to the west, the Chambal to the south, and the Himalayan ranges to the north formed its frontier boundaries.

Panchal was considered a major center of Vedic culture, and its traditions were famous across the country. Bareilly is also notable from a geological perspective. Remains of Panchal have been found near Rampur village. Coins from before the Gupta era have been recovered from Ahichchatra, and the district has also been known for Harakota statues. Panchala was one of the 16 Mahajanapadas in the 6th century.

By the middle of the 12th century, the Kshatriyas had settled there. Bareilly district is believed to have been established in the 16th century. It is said that a Kshatriya named Jagatsingh founded a village named Jagat Pur. He had two sons, Bansu Dev and Barel Dev. The two brothers settled Bareilly district in 1537, and it was later named Bans Bareilly. A locality in Bareilly is still known as Jagatpur. After the death of Bansu Dev, Bareilly was incorporated into the Mughal Empire.

The rapid development of the district began in 1657. At that time, the faujdar of Bareilly was Mukrand Rai. He founded many localities, including Biharipur, Malkapur, and Kazitola. He also built a large fort near the Jama Masjid and Fort Police Station.

The freedom struggle in Bareilly started on 14 May 1857. Local residents staged several demonstrations in protest and burned papers in front of Kotwali.

The Indian National Congress was founded in Bareilly during the Khilafat movement. Gandhiji first arrived in Bareilly at the same time. The Civil Disobedience Movement started in the district on 26 January 1930. Jawaharlal Nehru, M. N. Rai, Purushottam Rai, and others participated in a session of the Congress. Many processions related to the Quit India Movement were also held, and about 200 people were arrested.