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RAS question

Arrange the following Mughal architectural masterpieces in chronological order of their construction (earliest first): (1) Taj Mahal (2) Humayun's Tomb (3) Buland Darwaza at Fatehpur Sikri (4) Red Fort Delhi

Correct answer: (B) 2 → 3 → 4 → 1.

The chronological order of these Mughal monuments is Humayun's Tomb, Buland Darwaza at Fatehpur Sikri, Red Fort Delhi, and then the Taj Mahal.

  1. (A)

    2 → 3 → 1 → 4

  2. (B)

    2 → 3 → 4 → 1

  3. (C)

    3 → 2 → 4 → 1

  4. (D)

    1 → 2 → 3 → 4

Explanation

The sequence turns on completion chronology, not only on when a project began. Humayun's Tomb comes first in the supplied timeline, followed by Buland Darwaza at Fatehpur Sikri. The Red Fort then comes before the Taj Mahal because ASI records that Shah Jahan's Red Fort was begun in 1639 and completed after nine years, while the Agra district source states that the Taj Mahal complex was completed in its entirety in 1653. That makes option B the only order that keeps the early Mughal tomb first, places Akbar's Fatehpur Sikri gateway next, and correctly puts Shah Jahan's Delhi fort before the final completion of the Taj Mahal.

Why the other options are wrong

  • (A) This order wrongly places the Taj Mahal before the Red Fort even though the Red Fort was completed before the Taj Mahal's final completion in 1653.
  • (C) This order starts with Buland Darwaza, but Humayun's Tomb predates it in the supplied chronology.
  • (D) This order treats the Taj Mahal as the earliest monument, whereas the supplied chronology makes it the latest of the four by completion.

Concept

This tests the Mughal architecture chronology within medieval Indian history. It recurs in RAS because monument questions often hinge on ruler-period sequencing and on distinguishing commencement dates from completion dates.

Source

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