1. City in Kansas (USA); zip code 67621.
2. Town in Oklahoma (USA); zip code 74824.
City of Uttar Pradesh, India, on the river Jumna, 160 km/100 mi SE of Delhi; A commercial and university center, it was the capital of the Mogul empire 1566–69 and 1599–1658, from which period the Taj Mahal dates.
history Babur, the first great Mogul ruler, made Agra his home 1527. The present city was founded 1566 as the capital of the Mogul empire. Akbar, grandson of Babur, rebuilt the Red Fort of Salim Shah 1566, and is buried outside the city in the tomb at Sikandra. In the 17th century the buildings of Shah Jahan made Agra one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The Taj Mahal, erected as a tomb for the emperor’s wife Mumtaz Mahal, was completed 1650. Agra’s political importance dwindled from 1658, when Aurangzeb moved the capital back to Delhi. It was taken from the Marathas by Lord Lake 1803.
The city has been the site of three major battles.
1713 Jahandar Shah, with 70,000 troops, fought against a rebel force commanded by his nephew Faroukhsiyar. After a bitter struggle the rebels won and Jahandar Shah was captured and executed by his nephew, who succeeded to the throne.
4 Oct 1803 a British force under General Lake besieged the town, which fell into their hands Oct 18.
2 Aug 1857 the British garrison holding the city went out to meet a force of about 10,000 rebels stirred into action by the Indian Mutiny. Native troops in the British force deserted to the rebels and the British troops were forced to retire into the city and take refuge in the fort. They were then besieged until Oct, when a relief column was able to break through the rebel lines.