Agra

Agra Fort (Red Fort), Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India.

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Agra, city, western Uttar Pradesh state, northern India. It lies in the Indo-Gangetic Plain on the Yamuna (Jumna) River about 125 miles (200 km) southeast of Delhi.

There was an early reference to an “Agravana” in the ancient Sanskrit epic Mahabharata, and Ptolemy is said to have called the site “Agra.” The city was founded by Sultan Sikandar of the Lodī dynasty in the early 16th century to be the capital of the Delhi sultanate. Agra also served as the Mughal capital during some periods of that empire. In the late 18th century the city fell successively to the Jats, the Marathas, the Mughals, the ruler of Gwalior, and, finally, the British in 1803. It was the capital of Agra (later North-Western) province from 1833 to 1868 and was one of the main centres of the Indian Mutiny (1857–58).

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Agra is best known for the Taj Mahal (17th century), designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983. A complex mausoleum, the Taj Mahal is often considered to be the world’s best example of Mughal architecture. The Mughal emperor Shah Jahān built it for his favourite wife, Mumtāz Maḥal, in the mid-17th century. Agra Fort (16th century), called the Red Fort for its massive red sandstone walls, was built by the emperor Akbar; it contains the Pearl Mosque (Moti Masjid; 17th century), constructed of white marble, and a palace, the Jahangiri Mahal. The fort was also designated a World Heritage site in 1983.

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The Jāmiʿ Masjid, or Great Mosque, and the elegant tomb of Iʿtimād al-Dawlah (1628), of white marble, are located near the Taj Mahal. To the northwest, at Sikandra, is the tomb of Akbar.

Agra is a major road and rail junction and a commercial and industrial centre known for its leather goods, cut stone, and handwoven carpets. Tourism is a major factor in the city’s economy. The city is the seat of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar University (formerly Agra University), founded in 1927. The suburbs of Agra contain the state psychiatric hospital and Dayalbagh, a colony of the Radha Soami Satsang religious sect (founded in the city in 1861).

Many religious and cultural festivals are held in Agra. Janamashtami commemorates the birthday of Lord Krishna. The annual Taj Mahotsav, a 10-day arts, crafts, and music carnival, usually in February, is held in Shilpagram, a crafts village close to the Taj Mahal.

The region around Agra consists almost entirely of a level plain, with hills in the extreme southwest. The region is watered by the Yamuna River and the Agra Canal. Millet, barley, wheat, and cotton are among the crops grown. The deserted Mughal city of Fatehpur Sikri is about 25 miles (40 km) southwest of Agra city. Pop. (2001) city, 1,275,134; urban agglom., 1,331,339; (2011) city, 1,585,704; urban agglom., 1,760,285.