SSC
The tomb of Itimad-ud-Daulah, often called the 'Baby Taj', is located at:
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Answer: Option A — Agra
Detailed Solution
The tomb of Itimad-ud-Daulah, often called the "Baby Taj", is located on the left (eastern) bank of the Yamuna river in Agra, Uttar Pradesh.
About the tomb:
- It was built between 1622 and 1628 by Nur Jahan for her father, Mirza Ghiyas Beg, who had the title "Itimad-ud-Daulah" (Pillar of the State), and her mother, Asmat Begum.
- It was one of the first Mughal tombs to be built entirely of white marble (on the outside), instead of red sandstone.
- It is famous for its extensive use of "pietra dura" (inlay of coloured precious and semi-precious stones in marble), with designs of flowers, cypress trees, wine cups and geometric patterns.
- It has fine marble lattice screens (jalis).
- It stands in a char bagh garden, with water channels and walkways.
- It has four octagonal towers at the corners, and a small pavilion on the roof instead of a large dome.
Why it is called the "Baby Taj":
- It is often regarded as a forerunner of the Taj Mahal, because of its white marble and pietra dura decoration.
- It marks the transition from the red sandstone architecture of Akbar's time to the white marble architecture of Shah Jahan's time.
About Itimad-ud-Daulah:
- He was a Persian noble who came to India during Akbar's reign.
- Jahangir made him his chief minister (Wazir) and gave him the title "Itimad-ud-Daulah".
- He was the father of Nur Jahan and Asaf Khan, and the grandfather of Mumtaz Mahal.
- He died in 1622.
Other monuments of Agra:
- The Taj Mahal.
- The Agra Fort.
- The Chini ka Rauza (tomb of Afzal Khan, decorated with glazed tiles).
- The Aram Bagh (Ram Bagh).
- The Mehtab Bagh.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Delhi, Lahore and Fatehpur Sikri have other Mughal monuments.
Quick tip
Remember: tomb of Itimad-ud-Daulah ("Baby Taj") = Agra (built by Nur Jahan, 1622-28; white marble with pietra dura; forerunner of the Taj Mahal).
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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.