Q30. Which Mughal emperor was responsible for constructing the Red Fort in Delhi?
[2025 — SSC CGL — 26 September 2025, Shift 3]
(A) Babur
(B) Akbar
(C) Shah Jahan
(D) Aurangzeb
Answer: (C) Shah Jahan
Explanation: Shah Jahan initiated the Red Fort as the fortified royal residence of Shahjahanabad. Begun in 1638, the project was substantially completed in 1648 under Mughal supervision.
Q29. Which Mughal emperor is particularly associated with the popularity of pietra dura stone inlay and refined marble architecture?
[2025 — SSC CGL — 21 September 2025, Shift 3]
(A) Babur
(B) Akbar
(C) Shah Jahan
(D) Aurangzeb
Answer: (C) Shah Jahan
Explanation: Pietra dura uses carefully cut coloured stones set into a stone surface to form ornamental patterns. The technique was spectacularly developed in Shah Jahan’s monuments, especially the Taj Mahal.
Q28. The Red Fort in Delhi was constructed under which Mughal emperor?
[2025 — RRB NTPC (UG) CBT-I — 12 August 2025, Shift 3]
(A) Babur
(B) Shah Jahan
(C) Aurangzeb
(D) Akbar
Answer: (B) Shah Jahan
Explanation: Shah Jahan selected Delhi for a new imperial capital and commissioned its Red Fort. The massive red sandstone walls enclosed palaces, audience halls and administrative spaces.
Q27. The Battle of Samugarh was fought between Aurangzeb and which Mughal prince?
[2025 — SSC Stenographer — 7 August 2025, Shift 1]
(A) Jahangir
(B) Murad Baksh
(C) Shah Jahan
(D) Dara Shikoh
Answer: (D) Dara Shikoh
Explanation: At Samugarh in May 1658, Aurangzeb and Murad confronted the forces of Dara Shikoh. Dara’s defeat decisively weakened his claim to succeed their ailing father Shah Jahan.
Q26. Match each monument with its builder: A. Jama Masjid, Delhi; B. Allahabad Fort; C. Qila-i-Kuhna Mosque; D. Jama Masjid, Sambhal. Builders: 1. Babur; 2. Sher Shah; 3. Shah Jahan; 4. Akbar.
[2024 — SSC MTS — 30 October 2024, Shift 2]
(A) A-4, B-1, C-2, D-3
(B) A-3, B-4, C-2, D-1
(C) A-3, B-2, C-4, D-1
(D) A-2, B-1, C-3, D-4
Answer: (B) A-3, B-4, C-2, D-1
Explanation: Shah Jahan built Delhi’s Jama Masjid; Akbar built Allahabad Fort; Sher Shah is associated with Qila-i-Kuhna Mosque; and Babur commissioned the early mosque at Sambhal.
Q25. Who constructed the Moti Masjid in the Agra Fort complex?
[2024 — SSC MTS — 9 October 2024, Shift 1]
(A) Aurangzeb
(B) Jahangir
(C) Akbar
(D) Shah Jahan
Answer: (D) Shah Jahan
Explanation: The Moti Masjid, or Pearl Mosque, was built by Shah Jahan inside Agra Fort. White marble surfaces and elegant arches illustrate his preference for refined architectural finishes.
Q24. Which Mughal emperor built the Taj Mahal?
[2024 — SSC MTS — 1 October 2024, Shift 2]
(A) Babur
(B) Jahangir
(C) Shah Jahan
(D) Akbar
Answer: (C) Shah Jahan
Explanation: Shah Jahan commissioned the Taj Mahal at Agra as the resting place of Mumtaz Mahal. It incorporates Persianate garden planning, monumental symmetry, white marble and decorative stone inlay.
Q23. Which Mughal emperor built the Moti Masjid within Agra Fort?
[2023 — SSC CHSL Tier-I — 9 August 2023, Shift 2]
(A) Shah Jahan
(B) Jahangir
(C) Akbar
(D) Aurangzeb
Answer: (A) Shah Jahan
Explanation: The Agra Fort Moti Masjid was constructed during Shah Jahan’s reign in the mid-seventeenth century. Its extensive use of white marble contrasts with earlier red sandstone construction.
Q22. During whose reign did the decorative stone-inlay technique known as pietra dura become particularly popular?
[2023 — SSC CGL Tier-I — 19 July 2023, Shift 4]
(A) Jahangir
(B) Sher Shah Suri
(C) Shah Jahan
(D) Akbar
Answer: (C) Shah Jahan
Explanation: Shah Jahan’s court favoured pietra dura, setting polished coloured stones into marble to depict flowers and geometric designs. The Taj Mahal preserves celebrated examples of this craftsmanship.
Q21. Who built the Jama Masjid in Delhi?
[2023 — SSC MTS 2022 cycle — held 11 May 2023, Shift 1]
(A) Shah Jahan
(B) Alauddin Khalji
(C) Akbar
(D) Sikandar Lodi
Answer: (A) Shah Jahan
Explanation: Delhi’s Jama Masjid was commissioned by Shah Jahan and completed in 1656. It stands in Shahjahanabad, the imperial city he developed around the Red Fort.
