The walled city of Old Delhi, founded in the seventeenth century, was originally named after which Mughal emperor?

Introduction / Context:
Delhi has been the capital of many kingdoms and empires, and different rulers built new cities or extended existing ones. The walled city commonly referred to today as Old Delhi was established by a Mughal emperor who shifted his capital there and constructed magnificent structures such as the Red Fort and Jama Masjid. This city had a formal name based on the ruler who founded it. Knowing this original name and the emperor associated with it is an important part of Mughal history and urban geography.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The subject is the walled city of Old Delhi.
• It was founded in the seventeenth century by a Mughal emperor.
• We are asked after which emperor the city was originally named.
• The options list several Mughal rulers: Akbar, Humayun, Shahjahan, Jahangir and Aurangzeb.

Concept / Approach:
The walled city known as Old Delhi was originally called Shahjahanabad. It was founded by the Mughal emperor Shahjahan when he shifted his capital from Agra to this new site. He constructed the Red Fort and arranged the city as a planned capital. The name itself, Shahjahanabad, literally means the city of Shahjahan. Therefore, among the given options, Shahjahan is clearly the emperor after whom the walled city was named. Other emperors built important monuments elsewhere but did not lend their names to this particular city.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that the Mughal capital was moved from Agra to a new city near Delhi under the rule of Emperor Shahjahan. Step 2: Remember that this new city, with the Red Fort as its centrepiece, came to be known as Shahjahanabad. Step 3: Understand that Shahjahanabad corresponds to the area that we now generally call Old Delhi or the walled city. Step 4: Look at the options and identify Shahjahan as the emperor whose name appears in the term Shahjahanabad. Step 5: Select Shahjahan as the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
History textbooks and guides on Delhi clearly state that Shahjahan founded Shahjahanabad in the seventeenth century. This city became the Mughal capital and is now known as Old Delhi. Akbar and Humayun built and ruled from Agra and other cities, Jahangir continued from existing centres, and Aurangzeb later ruled from different places without founding a new city that replaced the name Shahjahanabad. This confirms that Shahjahan is uniquely associated with the original name of Old Delhi.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Akbar: Although he built Fatehpur Sikri and developed Agra, the walled city of Old Delhi was not named after him. Humayun: He ruled before Akbar and did not establish Shahjahanabad. Jahangir: He reigned between Akbar and Shahjahan and did not found a new walled city named after himself in Delhi. Aurangzeb: He came later and is associated with a different phase of Mughal rule, not with the naming of Old Delhi as a new city.

Common Pitfalls:
Students may confuse various Mughal capitals, mixing up cities like Agra, Fatehpur Sikri and Delhi. Another pitfall is to think that Akbar, being one of the greatest Mughal rulers, must be associated with all major developments, including Old Delhi. To avoid confusion, remember the specific association: Shahjahan founded Shahjahanabad, which is the walled city we now call Old Delhi, and built iconic monuments like the Red Fort there.

Final Answer:
The walled city of Old Delhi was originally named Shahjahanabad after the emperor Shahjahan.