MAINPURI

town, administrative headquarters of Mainpuri district, Uttar Pradesh state, northern India, east of Agra. Mainpuri and the surrounding territory were part of the kingdom of Kannauj (Kanauj) and became splintered politically when the kingdom fell. The town was conquered by the Mughal ruler Babur in 1526; it fell to the Marathas in the 18th century and was ceded to the British in 1801. It is a trade centre for agricultural products, and its principal industries are cotton ginning, oilseed milling, and lamp and glass manufacture. The town is also known for wooden sculpture and tobacco. Its most notable building is a raja's palace, the Garhi. Mainpuri district, 1,642 sq mi (4,254 sq km) in area, is situated on the alluvial plain between the Ganges and Yamuna rivers. Irrigated by the Upper and Lower Ganges canals, it contains many groves of mangoes and other trees. Main crops are wheat, gram, rice, and barley. Pop. (1981) town, 58,928; district, 1,726,202.