Dara Shikoh
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Dara Shikoh (1615–1659) was the eldest son of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan and his wife Mumtaz Mahal. His name is from Persian داراشكوه meaning "The possessor of Glory". He was favored as a successor by his father and his sister Jahanara Begum, but was defeated and beheaded by his younger brother Aurangzeb in a bitter struggle for the Mughal throne.
In 1657, the illness of emperor Shah Jahan triggered a fierce and desperate battle for power among the four Mughal princes, though realistically only Dara and Aurangzeb had a chance to emerge victorious. Shah Shuja declared himself emperor in Bengal. Despite strong support from Shah Jahan, who had recovered enough from his illness to remain a strong factor in the struggle for supremacy, and victories over Shah Shuja, Dara was defeated by Aurangzeb at the battlefield of Samogarh, 13 kms from Agra on 8 June 1658. He attempted to rally support after this defeat, but was betrayed and turned over to his brother. Marched through the streets of the capital in chains, he was at first held prisoner, and then cruelly killed by men seeking the favor of his brother. It is said that Aurangzeb beheaded the corpse of Dara Shikoh and had his severed head taken to their father.
Dara Shikoh was a gentle and pious Sufi intellectual, he favored religious tolerance, and religious coexistence between Hindus and Muslims. Many historians have speculated how different India would have been had he prevailed over his fierce fundamentalist brother Aurangzeb.
External links
- What if Dara had become the emperor instead of Aurangazeb (http://www.gautamindia.com/MAR2K2/editorial.htm)