Read the passage and answer the questions.
Shah Jahan pursued sound fiscal policies and accumulated enough money to indulge his passion for building. Building activity in the monarchical cultures, as in the case of earlier rulers, was the most visible and tangible sign of dynastic power, wealth and prestige. In the case of Muslim rulers, it was also considered an act of piety. 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, Jama Masjid, a tree-lined esplanade with Chandni Chowk.
Building activity under Shah Jahan was the most visible sign of __________.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Dynastic Power
The passage calls building activity in the monarchical cultures the most visible and tangible sign of dynastic power, wealth and prestige. A grand building showed everyone the strength and standing of the ruling family.
Option (1) Fiscal Policies — Incorrect. Sound fiscal policies were the means: they gave Shah Jahan the money he spent on building. The buildings displayed the dynasty, not the policies behind the money.
Option (2) Dynastic Power — Correct. The passage names dynastic power first among the things that building made visible.
Option (3) Concentration of Wealth — Incorrect. The passage does say that buildings were a sign of wealth, but it says nothing about wealth being concentrated in a few hands. The option adds an idea the passage does not have.
Option (4) Army apparatus — Incorrect. The army is mentioned only as moving with the court and household to the new capital; buildings are not linked with the army.
Note 1: The given answer is as per the NTA answer key. Since the passage lists wealth beside dynastic power, one can argue for Option (3). However, ‘concentration of wealth’ is a different idea from ‘wealth’, and dynastic power is the option the passage itself names. Therefore, it is the most appropriate answer.
Note 2: The passage of 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.
NCERT (Pre-rationalised): “6.1 Capital cities … Shah Jahan pursued sound fiscal policies and accumulated enough money to indulge his passion for building. Building activity in monarchical cultures, as you have seen in the case of earlier rulers, was the most visible and tangible sign of dynastic power, wealth and prestige. In the case of Muslim rulers it was also considered an act of piety. 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. Shah Jahan’s new city was appropriate to a more formal vision of a grand monarchy.…” |