The motive behind Shahjahan’s Balkh campaign was to
- Asecure a friendly ruler in Balkh and Badakhshan which bordered Kabul
- Bconquer Samarqand and Farghana, the Mughal homelandsCorrect
- Cfix the Mughal frontier on the ‘scientific line’, the Amu Daria
- Dexpand the Mughal Empire beyond the sub-continent
Explanation
The correct option is B because the primary motivation for Shah Jahan's Balkh and Badakhshan campaign was an emotional and ancestral desire to recover the lost territories of his forefathers. Samarqand and Farghana were the original homelands of Babur, the founder of the Mughal Empire. Shah Jahan aimed to re-establish Mughal authority over these Central Asian regions to fulfill the long standing dynastic dream of ruling their ancestral seat. While strategic interests existed, the sentimental drive to reclaim the Timurid heartland was the driving force behind the expedition.
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