Which Mughal emperor was imprisoned by his son Aurangzeb and kept in captivity for the rest of his life?

Introduction / Context:
Succession struggles were common in the Mughal empire, and conflicts between fathers and sons sometimes led to imprisonment or deposition. One of the most famous such episodes involved Aurangzeb, who rebelled against his father and eventually became emperor. Understanding which emperor he deposed and kept under house arrest is a standard point of Mughal history.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The question asks which Mughal emperor was imprisoned by Aurangzeb for the rest of his life.
• The options include Akbar, Shah Jahan, Jahangir, Babur and Humayun.
• We must recall the chronology of the Mughal dynasty and the specific war of succession in the mid seventeenth century.

Concept / Approach:
Aurangzeb was one of the sons of Shah Jahan, the emperor who built the Taj Mahal. After a bitter war of succession among Shah Jahan's sons, Aurangzeb emerged victorious. He then deposed Shah Jahan and kept him under house arrest, traditionally said to be in the Agra Fort, until Shah Jahan's death in 1666. None of the other emperors in the options were contemporaries of Aurangzeb in the same father son relationship.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
History books, biographies of Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb, and even popular accounts of the Taj Mahal all mention that Shah Jahan spent his final years in captivity, looking at the Taj Mahal from his quarters in Agra Fort. They consistently attribute his imprisonment to Aurangzeb, his son and successor. No such narrative exists linking Aurangzeb to the imprisonment of Akbar, Jahangir, Babur or Humayun, which confirms that Shah Jahan is the correct choice.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Akbar: Lived generations earlier and died long before Aurangzeb was born; he was not imprisoned by Aurangzeb.
• Jahangir: Father of Shah Jahan and also died before Aurangzeb's rise to power.
• Babur: Founder of the Mughal dynasty, several generations earlier, with no connection to Aurangzeb's actions.
• Humayun: Second Mughal emperor, father of Akbar, again not a contemporary of Aurangzeb.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes misplace Aurangzeb in the chronology of emperors or confuse which emperor built which monument. Another confusion arises between the various father son pairs in Mughal history. To avoid this, it helps to remember the simple sequence of kings and the key relationship: Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal, and his son Aurangzeb imprisoned him during the power struggle.

Final Answer:
Correct answer: Shah Jahan.