Q40. In which year was the Taj Mahal inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site?
[2026 — RRB NTPC (UG) CBT-I — 20 June 2026, Shift 3]
(A) 1981
(B) 1984
(C) 1980
(D) 1983
Answer: (D) 1983
Explanation: The Taj Mahal, commissioned by Shah Jahan in memory of Mumtaz Mahal, entered the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1983. It is situated beside the Yamuna River in Agra.
Q39. Which structure in Agra Fort, distinguished by white marble arches, was used by Shah Jahan to view the Taj Mahal?
[2026 — SSC GD Constable — 31 May 2026, Shift 1]
(A) Musamman Burj
(B) Moti Masjid
(C) Nagina Masjid
(D) Diwan-i-Khas
Answer: (A) Musamman Burj
Explanation: Musamman Burj is an octagonal, marble pavilion within Agra Fort. Tradition associates it with Shah Jahan’s confinement under Aurangzeb, when he could look towards the Taj Mahal.
Q38. Which statement best describes governance and cultural developments under Jahangir and Shah Jahan?
[2026 — UP PGT History — 9 May 2026]
(A) The period witnessed administrative consolidation, political stability, prosperity and cultural activity.
(B) Weak central control caused immediate fragmentation and sustained decline.
(C) Established imperial institutions disappeared under both rulers.
(D) Cultural patronage ceased because military spending absorbed all resources.
Answer: (A) The period witnessed administrative consolidation, political stability, prosperity and cultural activity.
Explanation: Both reigns broadly continued the administrative framework inherited from Akbar. Courtly arts, Persian literature and architecture flourished, although military campaigns and succession struggles also strained imperial resources.
Q37. Which Delhi monument built under Shah Jahan became the principal residence of Mughal emperors?
[2026 — DSSSB MTS — 22 April 2026, Shift 1]
(A) Red Fort
(B) Jama Masjid
(C) Humayun’s Tomb
(D) Taj Mahal
Answer: (A) Red Fort
Explanation: Shah Jahan commissioned the Red Fort as the palace-fortress of his new capital, Shahjahanabad. Completed in 1648, it remained a key seat of Mughal authority for generations.
Q36. Which seventeenth-century monument in Agra, built by Shah Jahan, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site?
[2026 — RRB NTPC (Graduate) CBT-I — 25 March 2026, Shift 3]
(A) Jama Masjid, Delhi
(B) Safdarjung’s Tomb
(C) Taj Mahal
(D) Akbar’s Tomb at Sikandra
Answer: (C) Taj Mahal
Explanation: The Taj Mahal is a white marble mausoleum commissioned by Shah Jahan for Mumtaz Mahal. Its symmetrical plan and stone inlay exemplify the mature Mughal architectural style.
Q35. The Taj Mahal, constructed during Shah Jahan’s reign, is in which Indian state?
[2026 — RRB NTPC (Graduate) CBT-I — 22 March 2026, Shift 1]
(A) Uttar Pradesh
(B) Delhi
(C) Rajasthan
(D) Madhya Pradesh
Answer: (A) Uttar Pradesh
Explanation: The Taj Mahal stands in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, on the Yamuna’s southern bank. Shah Jahan ordered the mausoleum after the death of Mumtaz Mahal in 1631.
Q34. Which monument built by Shah Jahan in memory of Mumtaz Mahal is recognised by UNESCO?
[2026 — DSSSB PRT — 19 February 2026, Shift 1]
(A) Red Fort
(B) Taj Mahal
(C) Qutub Minar
(D) Humayun’s Tomb
Answer: (B) Taj Mahal
Explanation: Shah Jahan commissioned the Taj Mahal as a funerary monument for his wife Mumtaz Mahal. Its marble dome, charbagh garden and finely balanced composition made it internationally celebrated.
Q33. According to the stated dates 1639–1648, the Red Fort took how many years to construct?
[2026 — SSC MTS 2025 cycle — held 10 February 2026, Shift 3]
(A) 3
(B) 5
(C) 9
(D) 14
Answer: (C) 9
Explanation: Using the dates specified in the question, 1648 minus 1639 equals nine years. Shah Jahan built the Delhi fort for his newly developed imperial capital, Shahjahanabad.
Q32. Which Mughal emperor commissioned Delhi’s Jama Masjid, a mosque built mainly with red sandstone and marble?
[2026 — Delhi Police Constable (Executive) — 3 January 2026, Shift 2]
(A) Akbar
(B) Shah Jahan
(C) Humayun
(D) Jahangir
Answer: (B) Shah Jahan
Explanation: Shah Jahan commissioned the Jama Masjid of Delhi, also called Masjid-i-Jahan-Numa. Completed in 1656, its enormous courtyard and three marble domes dominate Old Delhi’s skyline.
Q31. Which Mughal emperor commissioned the Taj Mahal as a mausoleum for Mumtaz Mahal?
[2026 — Delhi Police Constable (Executive) — 3 January 2026, Shift 2]
(A) Akbar
(B) Jahangir
(C) Shah Jahan
(D) Aurangzeb
Answer: (C) Shah Jahan
Explanation: The fifth Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, ordered construction of the Taj Mahal after Mumtaz Mahal’s death. Its central tomb and associated garden complex developed through the seventeenth century.
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.
Q20. Which Mughal emperor built the Sheesh Mahal in Agra Fort?
[2023 — SSC MTS 2022 cycle — held 9 May 2023, Shift 1]
(A) Shah Jahan
(B) Humayun
(C) Babur
(D) Akbar
Answer: (A) Shah Jahan
Explanation: Shah Jahan’s Sheesh Mahal is a celebrated mirrored chamber inside Agra Fort. Its ornamented surfaces reflect the artistic refinement and elaborate interior decoration associated with his reign.
Q19. Which Mughal ruler patronised Kavindra Acharya Saraswati of Banaras, a notable Sanskrit and Hindi scholar?
[2022 — UPPSC/UPPCS Preliminary GS-I — 12 June 2022]
(A) Shah Jahan
(B) Jahangir
(C) Akbar
(D) Humayun
Answer: (A) Shah Jahan
Explanation: Kavindra Acharya Saraswati was an influential Sanskrit intellectual supported by Shah Jahan. His scholarship and petitions illustrate interactions between learned Hindu communities and the imperial court.
Q18. Arrange these events of the Mughal succession struggle chronologically: 1. Battle of Deorai; 2. Defeat of Shuja near Banaras; 3. Battle of Samugarh; 4. Battle of Dharmat.
[2022 — UPPSC/UPPCS Preliminary GS-I — 12 June 2022]
(A) 1, 3, 4, 2
(B) 4, 2, 1, 3
(C) 2, 4, 3, 1
(D) 3, 4, 2, 1
Answer: (C) 2, 4, 3, 1
Explanation: Shuja’s defeat at Bahadurpur occurred in February 1658, Dharmat in April and Samugarh in May. Dara Shikoh was defeated again at Deorai in 1659.
Q17. Who arranged for the translation of the Upanishads into Persian under the Mughal Empire?
[2022 — WBCS (Executive) Preliminary — 2022]
(A) Babur
(B) Akbar
(C) Shah Jahan
(D) Dara Shikoh
Answer: (D) Dara Shikoh
Explanation: Dara Shikoh, Shah Jahan’s eldest son, sponsored a Persian translation of the Upanishads called Sirr-i-Akbar. His studies explored perceived philosophical connections between Hindu and Islamic mysticism.
Q16. Which statement about Shah Jahan’s Deccan policy is NOT correct?
[2021 — RPSC Assistant Professor, History Paper I — 24 September 2021]
(A) Ahmadnagar was absorbed into the Mughal Empire by 1633.
(B) Bijapur and Golconda accepted Mughal supremacy through treaties in 1636.
(C) Aurangzeb served as viceroy in the Deccan during Shah Jahan’s reign.
(D) Shah Jahan completely annexed Bijapur and Golconda in 1656.
Answer: (D) Shah Jahan completely annexed Bijapur and Golconda in 1656.
Explanation: Bijapur and Golconda were not completely annexed by Shah Jahan in 1656. The kingdoms survived his reign and were conquered by Aurangzeb in 1686 and 1687 respectively.
Q15. In 1653, which Mughal prince was assigned a campaign to recover Kandahar?
[2021 — RPSC Assistant Professor, History Paper I — 24 September 2021]
(A) Aurangzeb
(B) Murad Baksh
(C) Dara Shikoh
(D) Shah Shuja
Answer: (C) Dara Shikoh
Explanation: Shah Jahan entrusted Dara Shikoh with an expedition against Safavid-held Kandahar in 1653. The siege failed, continuing a series of expensive but unsuccessful Mughal attempts to recover it.
Q14. Who wrote Chahar Chaman, an account describing Mughal elite and courtly life during Shah Jahan’s reign?
[2021 — SSC CGL 2020 cycle — held 16 August 2021, Shift 2]
(A) Abul Fazl
(B) Chandra Bhan Brahman
(C) Gulbadan Begum
(D) Muhammad Waris
Answer: (B) Chandra Bhan Brahman
Explanation: Chandra Bhan Brahman was a Persian prose writer and secretary at the Mughal court. His Chahar Chaman provides valuable descriptions of Shah Jahan’s administration and court culture.
Q13. Which traveller–reign pair is NOT correctly matched?
[2021 — RRB NTPC CBT-I — 5 April 2021, Shift 2]
(A) John Jourdain — Shah Jahan
(B) Marco Polo — Pandya kingdom
(C) Abdur Razzaq — Deva Raya II
(D) Ralph Fitch — Akbar
Answer: (A) John Jourdain — Shah Jahan
Explanation: John Jourdain travelled in India during Jahangir’s reign, not Shah Jahan’s. The other pairs represent commonly cited historical associations between visitors and rulers or ruling dynasties.
Q12. François Bernier served as physician to which member of Shah Jahan’s family?
[2021 — UPSC CDS (I), General Knowledge — 7 February 2021]
(A) Prince Murad
(B) Princess Jahanara
(C) Emperor Shah Jahan
(D) Prince Dara Shikoh
Answer: (D) Prince Dara Shikoh
Explanation: François Bernier, the French physician and traveller, was associated with Prince Dara Shikoh. His writings offer observations on seventeenth-century Mughal society, wealth, politics and religious debates.
Q11. In which year was Delhi’s Jama Masjid completed under Shah Jahan?
[2021 — RRB NTPC CBT-I — 4 January 2021, Shift 2]
(A) 1652
(B) 1656
(C) 1655
(D) 1653
Answer: (B) 1656
Explanation: The construction of Shah Jahan’s Jama Masjid at Delhi concluded in 1656. The monumental mosque formed a focal point of religious life in his newly built capital, Shahjahanabad.
Q10. Which Mughal emperor developed the city of Shahjahanabad, now associated with Old Delhi?
[2019 — RPF Constable 2018 cycle — held 17 February 2019]
(A) Humayun
(B) Babur
(C) Aurangzeb
(D) Shah Jahan
Answer: (D) Shah Jahan
Explanation: Shah Jahan laid out Shahjahanabad as a new imperial capital. Its principal landmarks included the Red Fort, Jama Masjid, markets and planned streets linking court and city.
Q9. Which ruler commissioned the Jama Masjid of Delhi?
[2019 — RPF Constable 2018 cycle — held 10 February 2019, Shift 2]
(A) Babur
(B) Humayun
(C) Shah Jahan
(D) Aurangzeb
Answer: (C) Shah Jahan
Explanation: The Jama Masjid in Delhi was built on Shah Jahan’s orders and completed in the 1650s. It remains a major surviving monument of his imperial urban programme.
Q8. Construction of which monument began in 1632 and was substantially completed by the late 1640s?
[2018 — RRB Group D — 6 December 2018, Shift 2]
(A) Taj Mahal
(B) Qutub Minar
(C) Red Fort, Delhi
(D) Moti Mahal
Answer: (A) Taj Mahal
Explanation: Work on Shah Jahan’s Taj Mahal commenced around 1632 following Mumtaz Mahal’s death. The principal tomb was finished earlier than the full complex, whose works continued afterwards.
Q7. Which Mughal emperor introduced one-third and one-fourth service rules within the mansabdari system?
[2018 — RPSC Senior Teacher Grade II (Social Science) — 29 October 2018]
(A) Akbar
(B) Jahangir
(C) Shah Jahan
(D) Aurangzeb
Answer: (C) Shah Jahan
Explanation: Shah Jahan revised aspects of mansabdari obligations, including reducing prescribed troop contingents under certain conditions. Such adjustments connected nobles’ military commitments to their rank and assignments.
Q6. Which traveller criticised Mughal peasant conditions by observing that even dry bread was barely left to them?
[2018 — UPSC CDS (I), General Knowledge — 4 February 2018]
(A) Francisco Pelsaert
(B) François Bernier
(C) Jean-Baptiste Tavernier
(D) Niccolao Manucci
Answer: (A) Francisco Pelsaert
Explanation: The Dutch merchant Francisco Pelsaert observed agrarian hardship in early seventeenth-century Mughal India. His description highlights heavy extraction from rural producers around the opening years of Shah Jahan’s era.
Q5. Who authored the Badshah Nama, an official chronicle of Shah Jahan’s reign?
[2017 — UPSC NDA & NA (I), General Ability Test — April 2017]
(A) Abdul Hamid Lahori
(B) Abul Fazl
(C) Shah Jahan
(D) Saadullah Khan
Answer: (A) Abdul Hamid Lahori
Explanation: Abdul Hamid Lahori wrote a major portion of the Padshahnama, the official record of Shah Jahan’s reign. This richly documented Persian history describes court life, campaigns and imperial ceremonies.
Q4. Which European jeweller and traveller left a detailed description of Shah Jahan’s Peacock Throne?
[2017 — MPPSC Assistant Professor, History — 2017]
(A) François Bernier
(B) Niccolao Manucci
(C) Jean-Baptiste Tavernier
(D) None of these
Answer: (C) Jean-Baptiste Tavernier
Explanation: French jeweller Jean-Baptiste Tavernier described the spectacular Peacock Throne and Mughal luxury. Commissioned by Shah Jahan, the throne displayed exquisite craftsmanship and precious stones as symbols of sovereignty.
Q3. Which European traveller visited India during Shah Jahan’s reign?
[2011 — Chhattisgarh PSC Preliminary — 2011]
(A) William Hawkins
(B) Sir Thomas Roe
(C) Antonio Monserrate
(D) Peter Mundy
Answer: (D) Peter Mundy
Explanation: Peter Mundy, an English merchant and traveller, journeyed in Mughal India during Shah Jahan’s rule. Hawkins and Roe visited Jahangir’s court, while Monserrate was associated with Akbar.
Q2. What was the main objective of Shah Jahan’s Balkh campaign?
[2002 — UPSC CSE Preliminary, General Studies — 2002]
(A) Secure a friendly ruler in Balkh and Badakhshan, near Kabul
(B) Conquer Samarqand and Ferghana, the ancestral Mughal homelands
(C) Fix the frontier permanently at the Amu Darya
(D) Expand Mughal dominion throughout territories beyond South Asia
Answer: (A) Secure a friendly ruler in Balkh and Badakhshan, near Kabul
Explanation: The 1646–47 Balkh expedition sought a friendly government in Balkh and Badakhshan to shield Kabul and stabilize the northwestern frontier. The costly venture ultimately failed to establish lasting control.
Q1. Who led a deputation of Banaras pandits requesting abolition of the pilgrim tax at Banaras and Allahabad?
[2000 — UPPSC/UPPCS Preliminary — 2000]
(A) Haranth
(B) Jagannath
(C) Kavindracharya
(D) Kavi Hariram
Answer: (C) Kavindracharya
Explanation: Kavindracharya Saraswati led a scholarly delegation to petition the Mughal emperor over pilgrimage taxation. His intervention reflects the political influence sometimes exercised by leading Sanskrit scholars at Shah Jahan’s court.