1. What was the root of the dispute between the Shah of Iran and the Mughal rulers?
(a) Kabul
(b) Qandahar
(c) Kunduz
(d) Ghazni
[39th B.P.S.C. (Pre) 1994]
Ans. (b) Qandahar
- The Shah of Iran and the Mughal rulers of Qandahar had a disagreement because Qandahar was very important to both of their empires.
- The power of both empires was largely based on who controlled Qandahar.
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2. The loss of Qandahar was a big blow to the Mughal empire from the viewpoint of :
(a) Natural resources
(b) Buffer territory
(c) Communication
(d) Strategic stronghold
[I.A.S. (Pre) 1998]
Ans. (d) Strategic stronghold
- The Mughal Empire suffered a major setback when they lost Qandahar.
- This made them vulnerable to external threats.
- The Mughals were unable to keep Qandahar during the reign of Shah Jahan.
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3. The motive behind Shah Jahan’s Balkh campaign was to :
(a) Secure a friendly ruler in Balkh and Badakshan which bordered Kabul
(b) Conquer Samarqand and Ferghana, the Mughal homelands
(c) Fix the Mughal frontier on the ‘scientific line’ the Amu Daria
(d) Expand the Mughal Empire beyond the sub-continent
[I.A.S. (Pre) 2002]
Ans. (a) Secure a friendly ruler in Balkh and Badakshan which bordered Kabul
- Shah Jahan’s goal in his Balkh and Badakshan campaign was not to take over Samarqand and Ferghana, his ancestral home, but to get rid of the Persian representative and put in a friendly leader in the two regions bordering Kabul.
- This was a way to stop the Afghan tribes living near Ghazni and Khyber from rebelling.
- This way, it would function as a buffer zone between the Mughals and Persians.
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4. Who had led a deputation of Banaras pandits before the Mughal emperor to seek the abolition of the pilgrim tax on Benaras and Allahabad?
(a) Haranth
(b) Jagannath
(c) Kavindracharya
(d) Kavi Hariram
[U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2000]
Ans. (c) Kavindracharya
- Kavindracharya took a group of holy men from Banaras and Allahabad to visit the Mughal Emperor in order to ask him to get rid of the tax that was imposed on pilgrims.
- Kavindracharya was a poet who was supported by Shah Jahan and he was skilled in both Awadhi and Braaj in his language.
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5. Who was the ‘Poet-Laureate’ of Shah Jahan’s reign?
(a) Kaleem
(b) Kashi
(c) Qudsi
(d) Munir
[U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2015]
Ans. (a) Kaleem
- Kaleem (Abu Jalih), a poet, joined the court of Shah Jahan.
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6. The actual name of Mumtaz Mahal was –
(a) Arjumand Bano Begum
(b) Ladli Begum
(c) Mehrunnisa
(d) Roshan Ara
[Jharkhand P.C.S. (Pre) 2003]
Ans. (a) Arjumand Bano Begum
- Arjumand Bano Begum, the daughter of Asaf Khan, married Prince Khurram, the son of Mughal Emperor Jahangir.
- After the marriage, Arjumand Bano Begum was given as Mumtaz Mahal.
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7. The coordination of Hindu and Iranian architecture can be seen in –
(a) Taj Mahal
(b) Red Fort
(c) Panch Mahal
(d) Tomb of Sher Shah
[R.A.S./R.T.S. (Pre) 1992]
Ans. (a) Taj Mahal
- Shah Jahan hired experts from India, Persia, and Central Asia to build the Taj Mahal, which is a perfect blend of Indian, Persian, and Central Asian styles of architecture.
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8. Which of the following among Mughal emperors constructed the Jama Masjid of Delhi?
(a) Akbar
(b) Jahangir
(c) Shah Jahan
(d) Aurangzeb
[U.P. Lower Sub. (Pre) 2004]
Ans. (c) Shah Jahan
- Shah Jahan, ruler of Delhi, built the Jama Masjid.
- He left behind many structures he had constructed during his rule, such as Diwan-iAam, Diwan-i-Khas, Shish Mahal, Moti Masjid, Khas Mahal, Musamman Burj, Nagina Masjid, Jama Masjid, Taj Mahal and Red Fort.
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9. Who built the famous Jama Masjid of Delhi?
(a) Humayun
(b) Shah Jahan
(c) Akbar
(d) Ibrahim Lodi
[R.A.S./R.T.S. (Pre) 1997]
Ans. (b) Shah Jahan
- Shah Jahan constructed the Jama Masjid of Delhi, leaving behind a lot of structures built during his rule.
- Examples of his work are Diwan-iAam, Diwan-i-Khas, Shish Mahal, Moti Masjid, Khas Mahal, Musamman Burj, Nagina Masjid, Jama Masjid, Taj Mahal and Red Fort.
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10. Who among the following shifted the capital of the Empire from Agra to Delhi?
(a) Akbar
(b) Jahangir
(c) Shah Jahan
(d) Aurangzeb
[U.P.P.C.S. (Spl) (Mains) 2008]
Ans. (c) Shah Jahan
- In 1638, Shah Jahan changed the main city from Agra to Delhi.
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11. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the List :
List-I |
List-II |
(Monuments) |
(Builders) |
A. Alai Darwaza, Delhi |
1. Alauddin Khalji |
B. Buland Darwaza, Fatehpur Sikri |
2. Akbar |
C. Moti Masjid, Agra |
3. Shah Jahan |
D. Moti Masjid, Delhi |
4. Aurangzeb |
Code :
A B C D
(a) 4 3 2 1
(b) 1 4 2 3
(c) 1 2 3 4
(d) 4 2 3 1
[U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2006]
Ans. (c) 1 2 3 4
- The correctly matched list is as follows:
(Monuments) (Builders)
(Monuments) |
(Builders) |
A. Alai Darwaza, Delhi |
1. Alauddin Khalji |
B. Buland Darwaza, Fatehpur Sikri |
2. Akbar |
C. Moti Masjid, Agra |
3. Shah Jahan |
D. Moti Masjid, Delhi |
4. Aurangzeb |
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12. Who made the Red Fort in Delhi?
(a) Akbar
(b) Nur Jahan
(c) Jahangir
(d) Shah Jahan
[42nd B.P.S.C. (Pre) 1997]
Ans. (d) Shah Jahan
- In 1638, Shah Jahan moved his headquarters from Agra to Delhi and created a city that was named after him – Shahjahanabad.
- The Red Fort, built in 1648, is a monument that is linked to him.
- It is shaped oddly with two main sides on the west and east and two main entrances, one on the west and the other on the south – called Lahori and Delhi gates.
- It is a beautiful, unique structure.
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13. Who among the following deserves the credit for the construction of ‘Lal Qila’
(a) Sikandar Lodi
(b) Akbar
(c) Jahangir
(d) Shah Jahan
[U.P.P.S.C.(GIC) 2010, U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2002]
Ans. (d) Shah Jahan
- In 1638, Shah Jahan moved his capital from Agra to Delhi and named it after himself.
- He also built the Red Fort in 1648.
- It’s an eight-sided structure with two main entrances, the Lahori Gate on the west and the Delhi Gate on the south.
- It’s a remarkable building with amazing architecture.
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14. Upanishads were translated into Persian during the reign of :
(a) Shah Jahan
(a) Akbar
(c) Jahangir
(d) Aurangzeb
[U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2009, U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2006, U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 1992]
Ans. (a) Shah Jahan
- During Shah Jahan’s reign, his son Dara Shukoh translated the Upanishads into Persian, which he named “Sirr-i-Akbar”.
- This book included 52 Upanishads. People called Dara Shukoh “Little Akbar” as a tribute to his generosity and tolerance.
- He also created the Majma-ul-Bahrain.
- Shah Jahan honored him with the title of “Shh Buland Iqbal”.
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15. Who among the following was given the title of ‘Shah Buland Iqbal’ by Shah Jahan?
(a) Dara Shukoh
(b) Shuja
(c) Aurangzeb
(d) Murad
[U.P.R.O./A.R.O (Pre) 2014]
Ans. (a) Dara Shukoh
- During the time of Shah Jahan, his son Dara Shukoh translated the Upanishads into Persian and named the book “Sirr-i-Akbar”.
- This book contained 52 Upanishads and people called him “Little Akbar” because of his kindness and generosity.
- Dara Shukoh also created something called Majma-ul-Bahrain and Shah Jahan gave him the title of “Shah Buland Iqbal”.
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16. The Upanishads were translated into Persian by Dara Shikoh under the title:
(a) Al-Fihrist
(b) Kitab-ul-Bayan
(c) Majma-ul-Bahrain
(d) Sirr-i-Akbar
[U.P. Lower Sub. (Spl) (Pre) 2004, U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2000]
Ans. (d) Sirr-i-Akbar
- During the rule of Shah Jahan, his son Dara Shukoh translated the Upanishads into Persian and named them “Sirr-i-Akbar”.
- He included 52 Upanishads in this book.
- People nicknamed him “Little Akbar” due to his generosity and open-mindedness.
- Dara Shukoh wrote the book Majma-ul-Bahrain and Shah Jahan gave him the title of “Shah Buland Iqbal”.
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17. Who was the author of Sirr-i-Akbar?
(a) Abul Fazl
(b) Dara Shukoh
(c) Mullah Shah Badakhshi
(d) Shah Waliullah
[U.P. Lower Sub. (Pre) 2002]
Ans. (b) Dara Shukoh
- During the time of Shah Jahan, Dara Shukoh, his son, translated the Upanishads into Persian and called it “Sirr-i-Akbar”.
- He was given the title of “Shah Buland Iqbal” by Shah Jahan and was known as “Little Akbar” for his tolerance and generosity.
- Dara Shukoh also created the original work called Majma-ul-Bahrain.
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18. The First Muslim to study Hindu scriptures was :
(a) Amir Khusrau
(b) Dara Shukoh
(c) Amir Hasan
(d) Shuja
[U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2003]
Ans. (b) Dara Shukoh
- Dara Shukoh, the eldest son of Shah Jahan, was the first Muslim to study Hindu scriptures.
- He was an educated scholar and writer who translated books like Yogvashita and Bhagwat Gita into Persian language.
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19. Who among the following historians declared the regime of Shah Jahan to be the Golden Era of the Mughal period?
(a) V.A. Smith
(b) J.N. Sarkar
(c) A.L. Srivastava
(d) None of the above
[41st B.P.S.C. (Pre) 1996]
Ans. (c) A.L. Srivastava
- Dr. A.L. Srivastava’s book “Mughalkaleen Bharat” states that Shah Jahan’s reign was the best time in India’s medieval period, mainly due to its art and architecture.
- J.N. Sarkar and V.A. Smith disagree, but R.S. Sharma agrees, which makes option (c) the correct answer.
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20. The famous diamond ‘Kohinoor’ was presented to Shah Jahan by –
(a) Aurangzeb
(b) Murad
(c) Mir Jumla
(d) Abul Hasan Qutb Shah
[U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2015]
Ans. (c) Mir Jumla
- The Kohinoor Diamond, one of the most well-known diamonds in the world, was found in the Golconda mines.
- The Sultan of Golconda, Abdullah Qutub Shah, was not happy with Mir Jumla for accepting a job with King Shah Jahan, so he took away all his possessions.
- Shah Jahan sent Aurangzeb to Golconda to sort out the situation and a treaty was made.
- Mir Jumla was then brought back to Agra and given the title of “Muazzam Khan.” He went to Shah Jahan’s court and gave the Kohinoor diamond to him.
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21. Which Mughal Emperor abolished the Persian Court The custom of ‘Sijda’ which was begun by Balban?
(a) Akbar
(b) Jahangir
(c) Shah Jahan
(d) Aurangzeb
[U.P. P.C.S. (Mains) 2010, U.P. U.D.A./L.D.A. (Pre) 2010]
Ans. (c) Shah Jahan
- Shah Jahan, the Mughal emperor, got rid of the Persian court custom of Sijda that started with Balban (1636-37).
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22. Who among the following was the governor of Deccan for the major part of Shah Jahan’s Reign?
(a) Dara Shukoh
(b) Murad Baksh
(c) Shah Shuja
(d) Aurangzeb
[U.P.Lower Sub. (Pre) 2009]
Ans. (d) Aurangzeb
- Aurangzeb was the ruler of Deccan during the rule of Shah Jahan from 1636-44 and again in 1652.
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