Located at 540 ft above the sea level, Firozabad is the 29th largest hindi speaking city of India with a total population of 6,00,000. Highest employment in the Firozabad district is in Agriculture, in the Glass industry and in the Government. The district has 47% of the workers in Industry and Services, 46% Agricultural workers and 7% household workers. Firozabad is a good agricultural belt since it is drained by the Yamuna, Sirsa & Sengar Rivers. The name Firozabad was given by Faraz Shah Mansab Dar in 1566, during the reign of Akbar. It is said that Todarmal was passing through this town, known at that time as Chandwar Nagar, on a pilgrimage to Gaya and was robbed in this area. At his request, Akbar sent Mansab Dar Faraz Shah to his rescue and to lay the town as a cantonment to secure it from the regions gang of thieves. The tomb of Faraz Shah and ruins of his haveli, Mushtaq Manzil, lie in Katra Pathanan. The Jats ruled Firozabad for 30 years. The French Army chief of the Marathas, D. Wayan, established an ordnance factory in Firozabad in November 1794. In the beginning of the British regime, Firozabad was in Etawah district, later getting attached to the Aligarh district. When Sadabad was created as a new district in 1832, Firozabad was attached to the same. The very next year in 1833, Firozabad was attached to the Agra district. Firozabad district was finally established on 5 February 1989. During the freedom movement, residents of the city took part in the Khilafat and Quit India Movements, and in the Salt Satyagrah. By 1847, the lac business was flourishing at Firozabad and the region is still the largest manufacturer of glass bangles. About four hundred glass industries are registered in Firozabad, making different types of glass products for export and domestic use. The factories use natural gas instead of coal to minimize air pollution and its possible effect in terms of blackening the Taj Mahal at Agra, which is located 40 km away. The history of glass making in the region goes back to ancient times, when foreign invaders brought numerous glass articles along with them to India. Once these glass articles had been rejected, they were collected and melted in locally made furnaces called "Bhainsa Bhatti", still in use in Sasani near Aligarh and at Purdal Nagar. The glass industry, especially the modern glass bangles technology was invented by Haji Rustam Ustad. His shrine is in Sofipura, a village on the banks of River Yamuna, and every year a grand fair is held to pay homage to Haji Rustam Ustad, the father of Firozabad glass industry. The fair is attended by all people irrespective of caste, class or religion.
