RAS question
The Mughal Emperor who banned music and dancing at court was:
Correct answer: (A) Aurangzeb.
Aurangzeb was the Mughal emperor associated with banning music and dancing at court as part of his orthodox religious policy.
Explanation
Aurangzeb, who ruled from 1658 to 1707, is the Mughal emperor linked with the ban on music and dancing at court. This measure belonged to his orthodox Islamic policies, and he dismissed court musicians, although music continued privately. Learn CBSE places bans on practices such as music under Aurangzeb alongside his reimposition of jizya and temple destruction. This is why the question points to Aurangzeb rather than the earlier Mughals, whose reigns are remembered more for cultural patronage or religious accommodation. For RAS purposes, the key is not a general dislike of art, but the specific court-level restriction associated with Aurangzeb's religious policy.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) Shah Jahan is wrong because he patronised the arts, which is the opposite of banning music and dancing at court.
- (C) Babur is wrong because he enjoyed the arts, not as the emperor associated with this court ban.
- (D) Akbar is wrong because he is described as liberal, while the ban is tied to Aurangzeb's orthodox policy.
Concept
This tests Mughal cultural and religious policy, especially the contrast between Akbar's accommodation, Shah Jahan's patronage, and Aurangzeb's orthodoxy. It recurs in RAS because medieval Indian history questions often ask candidates to connect rulers with distinctive administrative, religious, and cultural measures.