Who built the Moti Masjid (Pearl Mosque) located inside the Red Fort complex in Delhi during the Mughal period?

Introduction / Context:
The Moti Masjid, or Pearl Mosque, inside the Red Fort at Delhi, is a famous example of Mughal architecture. Many exam questions ask you to match monuments with the Mughal emperors who commissioned them. While Shah Jahan is well known for the Taj Mahal and for the main Red Fort complex, this particular small but elegant mosque was actually built by a different emperor.

Given Data / Assumptions:

- The structure in question is the Moti Masjid inside the Red Fort at Delhi. - The options are Akbar, Jahangir, Shah Jahan, and Aurangzeb. - We assume standard chronology of Mughal building activities.

Concept / Approach:
While Shah Jahan built the Red Fort at Delhi and many other marble monuments, his son Aurangzeb later added the Moti Masjid inside the fort. The mosque is known for its white marble and compact design, giving it the name Pearl Mosque. Students often mistakenly attribute all marble structures of the later Mughal period to Shah Jahan, so it is important to remember that Aurangzeb also commissioned important buildings, including this mosque.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that the Red Fort complex itself was built mainly by Shah Jahan in the seventeenth century. Step 2: Recognise that the Moti Masjid inside the fort was constructed later under Aurangzeb. Step 3: Akbar and Jahangir belonged to earlier phases of the Mughal Empire and did not build this particular mosque in the Delhi Red Fort. Step 4: Shah Jahan is famous for the Taj Mahal and several other mosques and palaces, but the Moti Masjid of the Red Fort is usually attributed specifically to Aurangzeb. Step 5: Therefore, the correct answer is Aurangzeb.

Verification / Alternative check:
Architectural histories of the Red Fort describe how Aurangzeb added the Moti Masjid within the complex as a private place of worship. The mosque is smaller than Shah Jahan’s grand Friday mosque, Jama Masjid, which stands outside the fort. This separation of authorship between the builder of the fort and the builder of the later mosque is emphasised in most reliable sources, confirming Aurangzeb as the correct emperor for exam purposes.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Akbar: He built important structures at Fatehpur Sikri and elsewhere, but the Moti Masjid in the Delhi Red Fort is not his work.
Jahangir: Known more for his interest in gardens and painting, his reign does not include construction of this mosque inside the Red Fort.
Shah Jahan: Builder of the Red Fort itself and of the Taj Mahal and Jama Masjid, but not of the Moti Masjid inside the fort, which is an Aurangzeb addition.

Common Pitfalls:
Because Shah Jahan is associated with many marble monuments, candidates often assume that any white marble mosque of the Mughal period must be his creation. Another pitfall is to ignore the fact that later emperors also contributed to the architectural landscape. A simple memory trick is that the Red Fort is Shah Jahan’s, while the small Pearl Mosque inside it belongs to Aurangzeb.

Final Answer:
The Moti Masjid inside the Red Fort at Delhi was built by Aurangzeb.