The mosque-the Khayr-ul-manzil opposite to the Purana Qila in Delhi was constructed by whom?

The correct answer is D) Maham Anga. The Khayr-ul-Manazil mosque, built in 1561 opposite the Purana Qila, was commissioned by Maham Anga, the foster mother (dai) of Akbar. Her name appears in the inscription, which is the strongest evidence for the attribution, and it is also the reason the question tests the building's patron rather than its architecture.

• A) Hamida Banu Begum is wrong. She was Akbar's mother and a major figure at court, but the mosque is not linked to her patronage. She is the most common wrong pick because she is the better-known woman of the family.
• B) Salima Sultan Begum is wrong. She was a Timurid princess connected to Bairam Khan's household and had no role in this building.
• C) Jiji Anga is wrong. She was another of Akbar's nurses and is associated with other Mughal-period monuments, not this mosque.

The core concept is patronage in early Mughal architecture. Under Humayun and early Akbar, Delhi saw building activity around Dinpanah and the Purana Qila, and Maham Anga's mosque shows how powerful court women could finance religious structures. For Mains, this fits the theme of women's agency and political influence in the Mughal court.

Trap: Choosing Hamida Banu because she is the most familiar name among Akbar's female relatives. Always go by the inscription or the specific monument's record, not by which name you remember best.