SSC Selection Post 2025 PYQ — Question 16

Correct Answer

Babur

Explanation

The Charbagh style of layout was introduced to India by the first Mughal emperor, Babur. He was deeply passionate about structured gardens and detailed his love for them in his autobiography, the Baburnama. The word Charbagh literally translates to four gardens. This layout style is defined by a quadrilateral garden divided into four smaller, symmetrical parts or quadrants by walkways or flowing water channels. This design concept was brought from Persia and is meant to symbolize the Islamic description of paradise, which features four flowing rivers of water, milk, wine, and honey. Babur built the first formal Charbagh in India at Agra, known as the Aram Bagh (originally called Ram Bagh).

Key Points

While Babur brought the foundational concept to the subcontinent, the style was evolved and scaled massively by his descendants. Emperor Akbar integrated the Charbagh layout directly with grand tomb architecture, as beautifully seen in Humayun's Tomb in Delhi.

The style reached its peak of artistic perfection during the reign of Shah Jahan, who adjusted the traditional layout for the Taj Mahal by placing the main mausoleum at the edge of the four-part garden rather than exactly in its center.

Jahangir and Shah Jahan also built iconic terraced versions of the Charbagh layout in Kashmir, famously known as the Shalimar Bagh and Nishat Bagh.

Important Questions and Answers

Question: Which is considered the oldest surviving Mughal garden in India built by Babur in the Charbagh style?

Answer: Aram Bagh (originally built as Ram Bagh) in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, is the oldest surviving Mughal garden.

Question: Which UNESCO World Heritage site was the first distinct example of a tomb-garden layout in India?

Answer: Humayun's Tomb in Delhi was the first major example where a tomb was placed at the center of a large Charbagh garden framework.