Mughal war of succession 1657-58
Also called: Battle of Samugarh · Topic: The Mughal Empire: Babur to Aurangzeb · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The Mughal war of succession was the fight for the throne among Shah Jahan's four sons. It began in 1657, when Shah Jahan fell ill. He wanted his eldest son, Dara Shikoh, to rule after him. Aurangzeb won through a series of battles. He crowned himself in 1658 as 'Alamgir', which means 'conqueror of the world'. The war matters because it shows how violent Mughal successions were, and that violence later helped weaken the empire.
Example
In 1658, Aurangzeb and his brother Murad defeated the imperial army at Dharmat. They then defeated Dara Shikoh at Samugarh, near Agra. Aurangzeb later executed Dara and sent his severed head to their father. Murad was arrested and executed, and Shuja was driven into exile. Shah Jahan was imprisoned in the Agra Fort until he died.
Don't confuse with
- Second Battle of Panipat: this was a fight between Akbar and Hemu for Delhi, not a fight among Mughal brothers.