Q90. During which period did the Pahari school of miniature painting chiefly flourish?
[UP PGT (Arts), 10 May 2026]
- (A) Tenth–twelfth centuries
- (B) Fourteenth–fifteenth centuries
- (C) Seventeenth–nineteenth centuries
- (D) Early twentieth century only
Answer: (C) Seventeenth–nineteenth centuries
Explanation: Pahari painting flourished from the seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries in courts of the Himalayan foothills. Although distinct from Mughal court art, it absorbed elements of Mughal naturalism and portraiture while developing devotional and romantic themes, notably Krishna narratives.
Q89. Which monuments were commissioned by Shah Jahan: I. Moti Masjid at Agra Fort; II. Taj Mahal; III. Jodha Bai Palace; IV. Buland Darwaza?
[OSSSC Forester/Forest Guard, 25 Apr 2026]
- (A) I and II only
- (B) I, II and IV only
- (C) I, II and III only
- (D) III and IV only
Answer: (A) I and II only
Explanation: Shah Jahan commissioned the marble Moti Masjid inside Agra Fort and the Taj Mahal in Agra. The Jodha Bai palace complex and the monumental Buland Darwaza belong to Akbar’s Fatehpur Sikri programme, illustrating two different phases of Mughal architectural patronage.
Q88. Which monument in Agra was commissioned by Shah Jahan in memory of Mumtaz Mahal?
[DSSSB MTS, 24 Apr 2026]
- (A) Akbar’s Tomb
- (B) Itimad-ud-Daulah’s Tomb
- (C) Taj Mahal
- (D) Buland Darwaza
Answer: (C) Taj Mahal
Explanation: Shah Jahan ordered the Taj Mahal as the burial monument for Mumtaz Mahal. Its white marble mausoleum stands beside the Yamuna at Agra. The building is renowned for its balanced proportions, calligraphy, marble screens and intricate stone inlay.
Q87. Which early Mughal monument combines Persian-style arches with a charbagh garden?
[DSSSB MTS, 23 Apr 2026]
- (A) Humayun’s Tomb
- (B) Golden Temple
- (C) Ajanta Caves
- (D) Khajuraho Temples
Answer: (A) Humayun’s Tomb
Explanation: Humayun’s Tomb in Delhi is a major early imperial garden tomb. Commissioned by Bega Begum, it combined Persian formal planning with Indian construction skills. Its elevated platform, grand dome, axial approach and four-part garden influenced subsequent Mughal mausoleums.
Q86. Which Shah Jahan-era monument in Delhi served as the main Mughal imperial residence?
[DSSSB MTS, 22 Apr 2026]
- (A) Red Fort
- (B) Jama Masjid
- (C) Humayun’s Tomb
- (D) Taj Mahal
Answer: (A) Red Fort
Explanation: Shah Jahan built the Red Fort as the royal citadel of his new capital, Shahjahanabad. Inside stood audience halls, private apartments, water channels and decorated pavilions. Its architectural planning combined ceremonial display with residential and administrative functions.
Q85. Which seventeenth-century Agra monument commissioned by Shah Jahan is a UNESCO World Heritage Site?
[RRB NTPC Graduate CBT-I, 25 Mar 2026 (Shift 3)]
- (A) Jama Masjid, Delhi
- (B) Safdarjung’s Tomb
- (C) Taj Mahal
- (D) Akbar’s Tomb
Answer: (C) Taj Mahal
Explanation: The Taj Mahal is a seventeenth-century marble mausoleum constructed for Mumtaz Mahal under Shah Jahan. UNESCO inscribed it on the World Heritage List in 1983. Its artistic programme integrates symmetrical design, garden planning, inscriptions and gemstone inlay.
Q84. Which planned Mughal capital near Agra was commissioned by Akbar?
[RRB NTPC Graduate CBT-I, 25 Mar 2026 (Shift 2)]
- (A) Agra Fort
- (B) Fatehpur Sikri
- (C) Taj Mahal
- (D) Akbar’s Tomb
Answer: (B) Fatehpur Sikri
Explanation: Akbar developed Fatehpur Sikri as an imperial capital during the 1570s. Its palaces, gateways, mosques and courtyards demonstrate experimentation with regional Indian and Persian forms. Although the court later shifted, the ensemble survives as a landmark of Mughal architecture.
Q83. Who authored the Akbarnama, the Persian chronicle of Akbar’s reign?
[RRB NTPC Graduate CBT-I, 25 Mar 2026 (Shift 1)]
- (A) Ziauddin Barani
- (B) Minhaj-i-Siraj
- (C) Firishta
- (D) Abul Fazl
Answer: (D) Abul Fazl
Explanation: Abul Fazl wrote the Akbarnama as an official history of Akbar and his dynasty. Its third volume, the Ain-i-Akbari, surveys imperial institutions and society. Lavishly illustrated versions also made the work a landmark of Mughal literary and pictorial culture.
Q82. Ustad Ahmad Lahori is widely credited as the chief architect associated with which monument?
[RRB NTPC Graduate CBT-I, 17 Mar 2026 (Shift 3)]
- (A) Fatehpur Sikri
- (B) Humayun’s Tomb
- (C) Taj Mahal
- (D) Jaisalmer Fort
Answer: (C) Taj Mahal
Explanation: Ustad Ahmad Lahori is frequently identified as a leading architect of the Taj Mahal project under Shah Jahan. The monument was also the product of many designers and artisans. Its carefully unified composition reflects the sophisticated organization of Mughal imperial building workshops.
Q81. Which Mughal monument built for Mumtaz Mahal is included on UNESCO’s World Heritage List?
[DSSSB PRT, 19 Feb 2026]
- (A) Red Fort
- (B) Taj Mahal
- (C) Qutb Minar
- (D) Humayun’s Tomb
Answer: (B) Taj Mahal
Explanation: The Taj Mahal, commissioned by Shah Jahan, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Agra. Its setting beside the Yamuna, dazzling marble, monumental dome and meticulously controlled ornament distinguish it as an outstanding work of seventeenth-century Mughal architecture.
