Arrange the following capital cities of the Mughals according to the timeline. (from first to the last)
(A) Fatehpur Sikri
(B) Shahjahanabad
(C) Agra
(D) Lahore
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → (C), (A), (D), (B)
(C) Agra — Babur took over the Lodi capital of Agra, and in the 1560s Akbar built the fort of Agra.
(A) Fatehpur Sikri — in the 1570s Akbar decided to build a new capital at Fatehpur Sikri, on the direct road to Ajmer.
(D) Lahore — in 1585 the capital was moved to Lahore, to bring the north-west under greater control.
(B) Shahjahanabad — in 1648 the court, army and household moved from Agra to Shah Jahan’s newly completed capital, Shahjahanabad.
Note: This question is taken from the chapter ‘Kings and Chronicles’ which was there in the pre-rationalised NCERT and has been deleted from subsequent editions of NCERT, including the NCERT book (2026-27).
NCERT (Pre-rationalised): “6.1 Capital cities … The heart of the Mughal Empire was its capital city, where the court assembled. The capital cities of the Mughals frequently shifted during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Babur took over the Lodi capital of Agra, though during the four years of his reign the court was frequently on the move. During the 1560s Akbar had the fort of Agra constructed with red sandstone quarried from the adjoining regions. In the 1570s he decided to build a new capital, Fatehpur Sikri.… 6.1 Capital cities … In 1585 the capital was transferred to Lahore to bring the north-west under greater control and Akbar closely watched the frontier for thirteen years.… 6.1 Capital cities … In 1648 the court, army and household moved from Agra to the newly completed imperial capital, Shahjahanabad. It was a new addition to the old residential city of Delhi, with the Red Fort, the Jama Masjid, a tree-lined esplanade with bazaars (Chandni Chowk) and spacious homes for the nobility.…” |