| Dara Shikoh | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shahzada of theMughal Empire Padshahzada-i-Buzurg Martaba Shah-e-Buland Iqbal Timurid Prince Mirza[1] | |||||
 Prince Dara Shikoh by Chitarman,c. 1654 | |||||
| Heir apparent ofMughal Empire | |||||
| Reign | 1633 – 31 July 1658 | ||||
| Subahdar of Multan | |||||
| Reign | 1652–1658 | ||||
| Badshah | Shah Jahan | ||||
| Subahdar of Kabul | |||||
| Reign | 1652–1658 | ||||
| Badshah | Shah Jahan | ||||
| Subahdar of Gujrat | |||||
| Reign | 1648–1658 | ||||
| Badshah | Shah Jahan | ||||
| Subahdar of Allahabad | |||||
| Reign | 1645–1658 | ||||
| Badshah | Shah Jahan | ||||
| Born | (1615-03-20)20 March 1615[2] Ajmer,Rajputana,Mughal Empire | ||||
| Died | 30 August 1659(1659-08-30) (aged 44)[3] Delhi, Mughal Empire | ||||
| Burial | |||||
| Spouse | |||||
| Issue |
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| |||||
| House | House of Babur | ||||
| Dynasty |  Timurid dynasty | ||||
| Father | Shah Jahan | ||||
| Mother | Mumtaz Mahal | ||||
| Religion | Sunni Islam | ||||
Dara Shikoh (20 March 1615 – 30 August 1659),[2][4] also transliterated asDara Shukoh, was the eldest son andheir-apparent of the Mughal emperorShah Jahan.[5] Dara was designated with the titlePadshahzada-i-Buzurg Martaba (lit. 'Prince of High Rank')[6] and was favoured as a successor by his father and his elder sister, PrincessJahanara Begum. He had been given the title of'Shah-e-Buland Iqbal' byShah Jahan. In the war of succession which ensued after Shah Jahan's illness in 1657, Dara was defeated by his younger brother Prince Muhiuddin (later, the EmperorAurangzeb). He was executed in 1659 on Aurangzeb's orders in a bitter struggle for the imperial throne.[7]
Dara was a liberal-minded unorthodoxMuslim as opposed to the orthodox Aurangzeb; he authored the workThe Confluence of the Two Seas, which argues for the harmony ofSufi philosophy in Islam andVedanta philosophy in Hinduism. A great patron of the arts, he was also more inclined towards philosophy andmysticism rather than military pursuits. The course of the history of theIndian subcontinent, had Dara Shikoh prevailed over Aurangzeb, has been a matter of some conjecture among historians.[8][9][10]
Muhammad Dara Shikoh was born on 20 March 1615[2] inAjmer,Rajasthan.[11] He was the first son and third child of Prince Shahib-ud-din Muhammad Khurram and his second wife,Mumtaz Mahal.[12] The prince was named by his father.[13] 'Dara' means owner of wealth or star inPersian while the second part of the prince's name is commonly spelled in two ways: Shikoh (terror) or Shukoh (majesty orgrandeur).[14] Thus, Dara's full name can be translated as "Of the Terror of Darius" or "Of the Grandeur of Darius", respectively.[14] HistorianEbba Koch favours 'Shukoh'.[14]
Dara Shikoh had thirteen siblings of whom six survived to adulthood:Jahanara Begum,Shah Shuja,Roshanara Begum,Aurangzeb,Murad Bakhsh, andGauhara Begum.[15] He shared a close relationship with his sister, Jahanara. As part of his formal education, Dara studied theQuran, history, Persian poetry and calligraphy.[16] He was a liberal-minded unorthodox Muslim unlike his father and his younger brother Aurangzeb.[16] Persian was Dara's native language, but he also learnedHindi,Arabic and laterSanskrit.[17]
In October 1627,[18] Dara's grandfather EmperorJahangir died, and his father ascended the throne in January 1628 taking the regnal name 'Shah Jahan'.[19] In 1633, Dara was appointed as theVali-ahad (heir-apparent) to his father.[20] He, along with his older sister Jahanara, were Shah Jahan's favourite children.[21]
During the life time of his mother Mumtaz Mahal, Dara Shikoh was betrothed to his half-cousin, PrincessNadira Banu Begum, the daughter of his paternal uncleSultan Parvez Mirza.[22] He married her on 1 February 1633 atAgra amidst great celebrations, pomp and grandeur.[23][22] By all accounts, Dara and Nadira were devoted to each other and Dara's love for Nadira was so profound that unlike the usual practice ofpolygyny prevalent at the time, he never contracted any other marriage.[23] The imperial couple had seven children together; among them three sons,Sulaiman Shikoh,Mumtaz Shikoh, andSipihr Shikoh, and a daughter,Jahanzeb Banu Begum, survived to play important roles in future events.[23]
A great patron of the arts, Dara ordered for the compilation of some refined artwork into an album which is now famous by the name of 'Dara Shikhoh Album.'[24] This album was presented by Dara to his "dearest intimate friend" Nadira in 1641.[25] Dara had at least two concubines, Gul Safeh (also known as Rana Dil) andUdaipuri Mahal (aGeorgian orArmenian slave girl).[26] Udaipuri later became a part of Aurangzeb's harem after her master's defeat.[27]
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On 10 September 1642, Shah Jahan formally confirmed Dara Shikoh as his heir, granting him the title ofShahzada-e-Buland Iqbal ("Prince of High Fortune") and promoting him to command of 20,000-foot and 20,000 horse.[citation needed] In 1645, he was appointed assubahdar (governor) ofAllahabad. He was promoted to a command of 30,000-foot and 20,000 horse on 18 April 1648, and was appointed Governor of the province ofGujarat on 3 July.[28]
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On 6 September 1657, the illness of emperor Shah Jahan triggered a desperate struggle for power among the four Mughal princes, though realistically only Dara Shikoh and Aurangzeb had a chance of emerging victorious.[29]Shah Shuja was the first to make his move, declaring himselfMughal Emperor inBengal and marched towardsAgra from the east.Murad Baksh allied himself withAurangzeb.
Dara Shikoh is widely renowned[30] as an enlightened paragon of the harmonious coexistence ofheterodox traditions on the Indian subcontinent. He was an erudite champion of mystical religious speculation and a poetic diviner of syncretic cultural interaction among people of all faiths. This made him a heretic in the eyes of his orthodox younger brother and a suspect eccentric in the view of many of the worldly power brokers swarming around the Mughal throne. Dara Shikoh was a follower of theArmenianSufi-perennialist mysticSarmad Kashani,[31] as well asLahore's famousQadiriSufi saintMian Mir,[32] whom he was introduced to byMullah Shah Badakhshi (Mian Mir's spiritual disciple and successor). Mian Mir was so widely respected among all communities that he was invited to lay the foundation stone of the Golden Temple in Amritsar by the Sikhs.
Dara Shikoh subsequently developed a friendship with the seventh Sikh Guru,Guru Har Rai. Dara Shikoh devoted much effort towards finding a common mystical language between Islam andHinduism. Towards this goal he completed the translation of fiftyUpanishads from their originalSanskrit intoPersian in 1657 so that they could be studied by Muslim scholars.[33][34] His translation is often calledSirr-i-Akbar ("The Greatest Mystery"), where he states boldly, in the introduction, his speculative hypothesis that the work referred to in theQur'an as the "Kitab al-maknun" or thehidden book, is none other than theUpanishads.[35] His most famous work,Majma-ul-Bahrain ("The Confluence of the Two Seas"), was also devoted to a revelation of the mystical and pluralistic affinities betweenSufic andVedantic speculation.[36] The book was authored as a short treatise in Persian in 1654–55.[37]
In 1006 A.H, the prince had commissioned a translation ofYoga Vasistha, after bothVasistha andRama appeared before Dara Shikoh and embraced him in his dream.[38] Translation was undertaken by Nizam al-Din Panipati this translation came to be known as theJug-Basisht, which has since become popular inPersia among intellectuals interested inIndo-Persian culture. TheSafavid-era mysticMir Findiriski (d. 1641) commented on selected passages ofJug-Basisht.[39]
The library established by Dara Shikoh still exists on the grounds ofGuru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University,Kashmiri Gate,Delhi, and is now run as a museum byArchaeological Survey of India after being renovated.[40][41]
He was also a patron of fine arts, music and dancing, a trait frowned upon by his younger sibling Muhiuddin, later the Emperor Aurangzeb. The 'Dara Shikoh' is a collection of paintings and calligraphy assembled from the 1630s until his death. It was presented to his wifeNadira Banu in 1641–42[42] and remained with her until her death after which the album was taken into the royal library and the inscriptions connecting it with Dara Shikoh were deliberately erased; however not everything was vandalised and manycalligraphy scripts and paintings still bear his mark.
Among the existing paintings from the Dara Shikoh Album, are two facing pages, compiled in the early 1630s just before his marriage, showing two ascetics in yogic postures, probably meant to be a pair of yogis, Vaishnava and Shaiva. These paintings are attributed to the artist Govardhan. The album also contains numerous pictures of Muslim ascetics and divines and the pictures obviously reflect Dara Shikoh's interest in religion and philosophy.[43]
Dara Shikoh is also credited with the commissioning of several exquisite, still extant, examples of Mughal architecture – among them thetomb of his wife Nadira Begum in Lahore,[44] theShrine of Mian Mir also in Lahore,[45] the Dara Shikoh Library in Delhi,[46] theAkhund Mullah Shah Masjid in Srinagar in Kashmir[47] and thePari Mahal garden palace (also in Srinagar in Kashmir).[citation needed]
After the defeat, Dara Shikoh retreated from Agra to Delhi and thence to Lahore. His next destination wasMultan and then toThatta (Sindh). From Sindh, he crossed theRann of Kachchh and reachedKathiawar, where he met Shah Nawaz Khan, the governor of the province ofGujarat who opened the treasury to Dara Shikoh and helped him to recruit a new army.[48] He occupied Surat and advanced towards Ajmer. Foiled in his hopes of persuading the fickle but powerful Rajput feudatory,Maharaja Jaswant Singh of Marwar, to support his cause, Dara Shikoh decided to make a stand and fight the relentless pursuers sent by Aurangzeb, but was once again comprehensively routed in the battle of Deorai (near Ajmer) on 11 March 1659. After this defeat he fled to Sindh and sought refuge under Malik Jeevan (Junaid Khan Barozai), an Afghan chieftain, whose life had on more than one occasion been saved by the Mughal prince from the wrath ofShah Jahan.[49][50] However, Junaid held Dara Shikoh by his wrist and seized him. Then he gave the news to Aurangzeb that he has captured Dara Shikoh. Aurangzeb sent his army to Malik Jeevan's place. Aurangzeb's army captured Dara Shikoh on 10 June 1659.[51]
Dara Shikoh was brought to Delhi, placed on a filthy elephant and paraded through the streets of the capital in chains.[52][53] Dara Shikoh's fate was decided by the political threat he posed as a prince popular with the common people – a convocation of nobles and clergy, called by Aurangzeb in response to the perceived danger of insurrection in Delhi, declared him a threat to the public peace and an apostate from Islam. He was killed by four of Aurangzeb's henchmen in front of his terrified son on the night of 30 August 1659 (9 September Gregorian). After death the remains of Dara Shikoh were buried in an unidentified grave in Humayun's tomb in Delhi at the age of 44.[54][55]
Niccolao Manucci, the Venetian traveler who worked in the Mughal court, has written down the details of Dara Shikoh's death. According to him, upon Dara's capture, Aurangzeb ordered his men to have his head brought up to him and he inspected it thoroughly to ensure that it was Dara indeed. He then further mutilated the head with his sword three times. After which, he ordered the head to be put in a box and presented to his ailing father, Shah Jahan, with clear instructions to be delivered only when the old King sat for his dinner in his prison. The guards were also instructed to inform Shah Jahan that,"King Aurangzeb, your son, sends this plate to let him (Shah Jahan) see that he does not forget him". Shah Jahan instantly became happy (not knowing what was in store in the box) and uttered,“Blessed be God that my son still remembers me".Upon opening the box, Shah Jahan became horrified and fell unconscious.[56]
The exact burial location of Dara Shikoh remained a mystery for over two centuries until 2020, when Sanjeev Kumar Singh, an engineer at the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), identified the grave among several marked and unmarked graves in Humayun’s Tomb in Delhi. Singh's discovery has garnered attention from the likes ofIrfan Habib, B.R. Mani, andK. K. Muhammed.[57]
After four years of research, Singh concluded that one of the three unmarked cenotaphs in the north-western chamber beneath the dome of Humayun’s Tomb marks Dara Shikoh's grave.
His claim is based on the Alamgirnama, a biography of Aurangzeb, which mentions that Dara Shikoh was buried below the dome of Humayun’s Tomb, alongsideAkbar’s sons,Danyal andMurad. The relevant passage from the Alamgirnama was translated for Singh by Prof. Aleem Ashraf Khan, Head of the Persian Department at Delhi University. Additionally, Singh has studied the architectural style of the cenotaphs, which he argues aligns with the period of Dara Shikoh’s death.[58]
On 26 February 2020, the Government of India, through theArchaeological Survey of India (ASI), initiated a project to identify Dara Shikoh’s grave from among the 140 graves in the 120 chambers inside Humayun's Tomb. The effort is considered challenging due to the absence of identifying inscriptions on the graves. At least five of the seven members have acknowledged and supported Sanjeev Kumar Singh’s research, agreeing that he has correctly identified the grave of Dara Shikoh. The members supporting Singh's findings include retired ASI Additional Director General Dr. B.R. Mani, retired ASI Joint Director General Dr. K.N. Dikshit, retired ASI Director Northern Region Padma ShriK. K. Muhammed, retired ASI Director of the School of Archaeology B.M. Pande, and retired ASI Director of Epigraphy (Arabic and Persian) Dr. G.S. Khwaja. These experts have recognized Singh's research as credible, aligning with historical and architectural evidence.[59]
Comments from other members, except for Former ASI Director (Archaeology) Syed Jamal Hassan, are not publicly known as the report has not yet been released. Dr. Hassan has expressed doubts, citing the lack of inscriptions and confirming references.[60] Following aRight to Information query in 2021, the ASI responded that it had not yet found Dara Shikoh's grave. In March 2021, the then culture Minister Mr. Prahlad Sigh Patel stated in the Rajya Sabha that the committee was studying Dara Shikoh’s heritage, but the final report is still awaited. However, Senior Archaeologist and former Director of the School of Archaeology of Archaeological Survey of India, Shri B.M. Pande has said that "Dara's grave has been identified."[61]
Several internationally renowned historians specializing in medieval Mughal India have also supported Singh’s claim. Padma BhushanIrfan Habib, Professor Emeritus at Aligarh Muslim University, stated, "I am not an archaeologist or indeed an architect myself, but as far as I can comprehend, the identification of Dara Shikoh's grave seems to be quite definitive and should secure general acceptance."[62]
Former Head of the History Department at Jawaharlal Nehru University, Prof.Harbans Mukhia, commented, "He appears to have definitively and decisively located the grave of Dara Shikoh, which was always known to be located in Humayun's Tomb. He has examined his quarry from every angle—the textual evidence, the architectural features, the meaning of the exact placement of the tomb—and visited the site several times to be certain of his search. At the end of it, he has given proof of the grave's location with no reasonable doubt left."
Farhat Nasreen, Head of the Department of History at Jamia Millia Islamia, praised the research, saying, "His research is very fascinating; it is remarkable that through his relentless hard work, he has solved one of the biggest mysteries."[63]
Prof. S.H. Qasemi, former Head of the Department of Persian at the University of Delhi, expressed his agreement with Singh's findings, stating, "I have myself gone through the reference to Dara Shukoh's burial in the Alamgirnama and also saw the location identified by Sanjeev in Humayun's Tomb. I can confirm that the location of the grave identified by him completely matches the description of Dara Shukoh’s burial place in the Alamgirnama."
Singh has delivered lectures on his findings and research regarding the grave of Dara Shikoh at various esteemed institutions, includingJamia Millia Islamia (JMI), theIndia International Centre (IIC),[64][65] and theIndira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts.[66]
His research paper, "दारा शुकोह की क़ब्र की खोज - एक अध्ययन" (In the Search of Dara Shukoh’s Tomb - A Study), has been published in Purapravah, an international journal of archaeology and history published in Hindi by theIndian Archaeological Society.
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jahangir october 1627.
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