SSC
The Bibi ka Maqbara in Aurangabad (Maharashtra) was built in imitation of the:
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Answer: Option D — Taj Mahal
Detailed Solution
The Bibi ka Maqbara ("Tomb of the Lady") in Aurangabad (now Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar), Maharashtra, was built in imitation of the Taj Mahal in Agra. It is often called the "Taj of the Deccan".
About the Bibi ka Maqbara:
It was built in 1660-1661 by Prince Azam Shah, the son of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb.
It is the tomb of Azam Shah's mother, Dilras Banu Begum, the first and chief wife of Aurangzeb. She was given the posthumous title "Rabia-ud-Daurani" ("Rabia of the Age").
It was designed by the architect Ata-ullah, who was the son of Ustad Ahmad Lahauri, the chief architect of the Taj Mahal, and by the engineer Hanspat Rai.
It follows the plan of the Taj Mahal, with a central domed tomb on a raised platform, four minarets at the corners, a charbagh (four-part) garden, water channels and fountains.
However, it is much smaller, and only the dome and lower parts are made of marble. The rest is built of basalt and finished with fine plaster (stucco) to look like marble. This was partly because of cost.
It is regarded as the most important Mughal monument in the Deccan.
Aurangzeb himself is buried in a simple, open-air grave at Khuldabad, near Aurangabad, following his wish for a plain tomb.
Other famous tombs:
- Taj Mahal, Agra: built by Shah Jahan for Mumtaz Mahal; completed in about 1653; UNESCO World Heritage Site (1983).
- Humayun's Tomb, Delhi: built by Humayun's widow Bega Begum (Haji Begum); completed in about 1570; the first garden tomb on the Indian subcontinent and an inspiration for the Taj Mahal; UNESCO World Heritage Site (1993).
- Gol Gumbaz, Vijayapura (Bijapur), Karnataka: tomb of Muhammad Adil Shah; famous for its huge dome and "whispering gallery".
- Itimad-ud-Daulah's Tomb, Agra: called the "Baby Taj".
Other monuments near Aurangabad:
- Ajanta Caves and Ellora Caves (UNESCO World Heritage Sites, 1983).
- Daulatabad Fort (Devagiri), where Muhammad bin Tughlaq shifted his capital in 1327.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Humayun's Tomb is in Delhi and inspired the Taj Mahal.
- ✗Gol Gumbaz is in Vijayapura, Karnataka.
- ✗Itimad-ud-Daulah's Tomb in Agra is called the "Baby Taj".
Quick tip
Remember: Bibi ka Maqbara = "Taj of the Deccan", Aurangabad (built by Azam Shah for his mother Dilras Banu Begum, 1660-61; architect Ata-ullah); Itimad-ud-Daulah = "Baby Taj".
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Monuments & Religious Places — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Monuments & Religious Places, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers India's important monuments, temples, mosques, churches, gurudwaras and pilgrimage sites, who built them and when, their architectural styles, and India's UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Questions ask who built a monument, where it is located, or which dynasty or style it belongs to. For example, the Qutub Minar was begun by Qutbuddin Aibak, and the Sun Temple at Konark was built by the Eastern Ganga king Narasimhadeva I. Revise the UNESCO World Heritage Sites as a list, noting the most recent additions. Practise the monuments and religious places questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.