RAS question
Which Mughal Emperor built the Taj Mahal?
Correct answer: (C) Shah Jahan.
Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal at Agra in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal.
Explanation
The Taj Mahal is linked specifically to Shah Jahan, whose reign ran from 1628 to 1658. The Archaeological Survey of India describes it as the pinnacle of Mughal architecture and states that it was built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his queen Arjumand Bano Begum, titled Mumtaz Mahal. The standard exam chronology places construction at Agra from 1632 to 1653, with Ustad Ahmad Lahori as the chief architect. This is why the monument is used as the clearest marker of Shah Jahan's architectural phase, often described in exam material as the Golden Age of Mughal Architecture, alongside works such as the Red Fort, Jama Masjid and the Peacock Throne.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Jahangir is associated with Shalimar Bagh and painting, not with commissioning the Taj Mahal.
- (B) Akbar is linked with Fatehpur Sikri and Agra Fort, while the Taj Mahal is attributed to Shah Jahan.
- (D) Aurangzeb is not identified by the Archaeological Survey of India as the builder of the Taj Mahal, and he was not a great builder.
Concept
This tests Mughal architecture, especially the emperor-monument association that RAS repeatedly asks through direct factual MCQs. The Taj Mahal recurs because it anchors Shah Jahan's reign and the high point of Mughal building activity.