In the history of the Mughal dynasty, which ruler was the son and immediate successor of Babur?

Introduction / Context:
Understanding the succession of Mughal emperors is a basic requirement in medieval Indian history. Babur founded the Mughal Empire in India after the first battle of Panipat. His son who directly succeeded him faced many challenges and temporarily lost the empire before it was consolidated by the next generation. This question asks you to identify that son and immediate successor.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- Babur is the founding emperor of the Mughal dynasty in India.
- We need to name his son who directly succeeded him as emperor.
- The options list Humayun, Shah Jahan, Akbar, Bahadur Shah, and Jahangir.

Concept / Approach:
The standard Mughal succession line in the early phase is Babur, then his son Humayun, followed later by Akbar, Jahangir, Shah Jahan, and Aurangzeb. Humayun came to the throne immediately after Babur and reigned in two phases because of his temporary defeat and exile. The approach is to recall this sequence and pick the correct name.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that Babur established Mughal power in India in 1526.
Step 2: After Baburs death, his son Humayun inherited the throne as the second Mughal emperor.
Step 3: Later, Akbar, Humayuns son, became the third emperor.
Step 4: Shah Jahan and Bahadur Shah belong to even later generations.
Step 5: Therefore, the son and immediate successor of Babur is Humayun.

Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, think of the famous emperor Akbar and remember that he was the grandson of Babur. This means there was a generation in between, which is Humayun. The later emperors Jahangir and Shah Jahan followed in sequence, confirming that none of them could be the immediate successor to Babur.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option b is wrong because Shah Jahan ruled in the seventeenth century and was a descendant of Akbar, not Baburs direct successor.
Option c is wrong since Akbar is Baburs grandson and third in the line, not the direct successor.
Option d is wrong because Bahadur Shah refers to much later Mughal rulers in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
Option e is wrong as Jahangir came after Akbar and is therefore far removed from Baburs time.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes confuse the relative order of Akbar and Humayun or generalise from the more famous reign of Akbar. Another error is to lump together late Mughal names without remembering their chronological positions. Learning the sequence Babur, Humayun, Akbar, Jahangir, Shah Jahan, Aurangzeb is an effective way to answer many related questions.

Final Answer:
The son and immediate successor of Babur was Humayun.