Execution of Dara Shikoh by Aurangzeb | Rakkt - Full Episode 5 | Indian History | Epic 

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Something that I find very interesting is the way so many people glorify Dara Shikoh because of their hatred towards Alamgir I (more commonly known as Aurangzeb). This is something that Indians seem to do far too often. Glorify and praise some historical figures even if they are incompetent, not because they love them, but because they were opponents of other historical figures that they don't like... Now, getting back to the question. Dara Shikoh also had a dark side. Here are some of the negative characteristics that we know of regarding Dara Shikoh : 1 - Alienation of the nobility : There are actually a few examples of Dara Shikoh’s poor treatment of powerful men within the Mughal administration and military. Dara Shikoh once told Jai Singh I, the Raja of Amber and a powerful Mughal ally, that he looked like a musician. An insult for any Rajput ruler. He mocked the millitary genius Mir Jumla II, a Mughal general, in public for the way he walked. He also turned Shaista Khan, the governor of Bengal, against him. Dara Shikoh even once beated Khalilullah Khan, a powerful Mughal general, with a shoe in public. 2 - Lack of real world experience : The blame for this lies on Shah Jahan I just as much as Dara Shikoh himself. In the 1630's, Alamgir I and his 2 brothers, Murad Baksh and Shah Shuja, were sent to the far reaches of the Mughal Empire to govern and wage wars in the name of their father. However, Shah Jahan I did not send his eldest and favorite son (Dara Shikoh) to any far province to learn governance and war. Instead, he decided to keep Dara Shikoh close to himself in the capital. According to a contemperary account : "The Emperor, from excessive love and partiality, did not allow Dara Shikoh to go away from him..." The end result of this was that Dara Shikoh spent about three decades in the capital, lived a life of luxury and faced no hardships, using the state treasury for his personnal futile expenditures. All the while, his 3 brothers gained experience in terms of war and governance. They built up alliances and friendships with the nobility and generals, awaiting the right moment. Dara Shikoh, on the other hand, never learnt any of this. He was dependent of his father's support. 3 - Overconfidence and inability to take criticism : This is actually mentioned a few times by the accounts of the era as one of the main criticisms against Dara Shikoh. Dara Shikoh was extremely arrogant and overconfident in his own abilities. Even in matters where he had no experience or talent. The prince had been surrounded by nobles who always praised him in the hope of getting his favours for decades within the capital and it seems that he actually started to view himself as an exceptional man, one who had no need to rely on the advice of others. It is also mentioned that Dara Shikoh did not react kindly to criticism. However, that's to be expected of a man in his position who has been surrounded by nobles for years who did nothing but glorify and praise him for their own sake. One example is when the respected mughal prime minister Ali Mardan Khan made a remark about his huge personnal expenditures, he was publicaly humiliated. Shah Jahan I himself saw the scene. So we end up with a man who believes that he is better than others at everything and does not require the advice of those who are far more experienced than him in such matters. He was surrounded by nobles who further reinforced this view of himself by always praising and gloryfing him. Anyone who criticized him was dealt with harshly. Dara Shikoh was essentially a man living in a bubble of his own imagination. "The first born son of King Shah Jahan I is a man of dignified manners, of a comely countenance, joyous and polite in conversation, confident and gracious in speech, of the most extraordinary liberality, kindness and compassion. But over-confident in his opinion of himself, considering himself competent in all things and having no need for advisers..." - Niccolao Manucci’s description of Dara Shikoh (Niccolao Mannucci is a venetian traveler, physician and writer who worked for the mughal empire)... 4 - Initiation of the conflict : From the accounts of the era, it seems that Dara Shikoh was no different from his brothers. The 3 brothers rose against the heir apparent because it was clear to them that their lives would be over if they did not remove him. While many like to believe Dara Shikoh was a peace-loving hippie, this was simply not the case. Dara Shikoh was every bit as ruthless as his 3 brothers. According to a contemporary account written in 1652 : "Dara Shikoh is a wolf, thirsty for the blood of his brothers..." Any complaints by the 3 brothers to their father Shah Jahan I were ignored. Dara Shikoh had begun to make moves against his brothers to remove them, which ultimately caused them to rebel, thus beggining the succession war that would lead to his downfall. "The power of the eldest Prince [Dara Shikoh] over the affairs of the State is beyond all description. He is without any doubt thirsty for our innocent blood !" - A letter that Alamgir I sent to Shah Jahan I a few years before the succession war... At the battle of Samurgarh where Dara Shikoh faced an alliance composed of his 2 younger brothers Alamgir I and Murad Baksh. Shah Jahan I, who had recovered from his illness, arrived and stood between the 2 armies to prevent his 3 sons from fighting each other. Upon seeing this, Dara Shikoh ordered his men to remove him so that he, Alamgir I and Murad Baksh could begin fighting. So you see, if he really was the peace-lover that people portray him to be, he wouldn't have wasted such an opportunity to reconcile with his younger brothers. 6 - Rivalry between Alamgir I and Dara Shikoh : This is another thing in which far too many people want to put all of the blame only on Alamgir I. The hatred between Alamgir I and Dara Shikoh had almost nothing to do with religious differences. The brothers had hated each other long before such differences arose. The hatred was also not only one-sided from Alamgir I to Dara Shikoh like many like to believe. Dara Shikoh hated Alamgir I as much as Alamgir I hated him... Dara Shikoh took advantage of his place in the capital and Mughal court as well as his better relationship with Shah Jahan I to constantly undermine Alamgir I's achievements and make fun of him. This is the reason why Alamgir I ended up blaming Dara Shikoh for everything that went wrong in his relationship with their father Shah Jahan I. Dara Shikoh constantly mocked his younger brother for being religious and for his austerity. For decades, Alamgir I was in no position to respond to his brother. But the illness of Shah Jahan I finally presented Alamgir I with an opportunity, now that his older brother was no longer protected by their father. Dara Shikoh would have treated Alamgir I no better than Alamgir I treated him if the outcome of the war was reversed. After Dara Shikoh was captured and brought to Alamgir I, he was asked by him what he would have done if their roles were reversed. Dara Shikoh's answer was that he would have had Alamgir I's body cut into 4 pieces while he was still alive and each part would be displayed on one of the main gates of Delhi. What we have to realize is that if Dara Shikoh had been victorious and became the Mughal Emperor, Alamgir I would have been treated just as poorly as Dara Shikoh was. 7 - In conclusion : Dara Shikoh is often glorified as the great emperor that never was because of Alamgir I. What people fail to look at are the very reasons why he lost the succession war. Dara Shikoh was incompetent and lacked any real world experience. While his 3 brothers Murad Baksh, Shah Shuja and Alamgir I worked endlessly to wage wars and govern in the name of the Mughal Empire, Dara Shikoh spent decades enjoying living in luxury inside the capital. He also had a tendency to make enemies out of men in powerful positions. Here we see an incompetent man being glorified, without any accomplishments of his own, and who caused his own downfall by trying to remove his brothers...

@@History_Teller1250tere faltu baat se much nhi hoga. Koi bhi Karan ho par usne apne bhai ko mara

@@unitytechnologies1224Dara Shikoh would have treated Alamgir I no better than Alamgir I treated him if the outcome of the war was reversed. After Dara Shikoh was captured and brought to Alamgir I, he was asked by him what he would have done if their roles were reversed. Dara Shikoh's answer was that he would have had Alamgir I's body cut into 4 pieces while he was still alive and each part would be displayed on one of the main gates of Delhi. What we have to realize is that if Dara Shikoh had been victorious and became the Mughal Emperor, Alamgir I would have been treated just as poorly as Dara Shikoh was.

@@History_Teller1250That little anecdote sounds convenient in trying to justify what Aurangzeb did to his brother. Even if we accept that Dara Shikoh spoke those words we’ll never know if they were spoken out of fear, anger, or pride. We’ll never know if Dara Shikoh might have forgiven his brother, exiled him, or even reconciled. What we do know is Aurangzeb viciously murdered his own brother.

@@CiceroXVXAll Mughal succession disputes before and after this one ended in a bloodbath so don't try to make me believe this one would have been an exception. And you're just giving theories without proofs while i gave plenty of examples and sources. Stop with the historical denialism and accept the fact that your little Dara Shikoh and Alamgir I were no different from each other...

The mountain rat 🐀

Something that I find very interesting is the way so many people glorify Dara Shikoh because of their hatred towards Alamgir I (more commonly known as Aurangzeb). This is something that Indians seem to do far too often. Glorify and praise some historical figures even if they are incompetent, not because they love them, but because they were opponents of other historical figures that they don't like... Now, getting back to the question. Dara Shikoh also had a dark side. Here are some of the negative characteristics that we know of regarding Dara Shikoh : 1 - Alienation of the nobility : There are actually a few examples of Dara Shikoh’s poor treatment of powerful men within the Mughal administration and military. Dara Shikoh once told Jai Singh II, the Maharaja Sawai of Amber and a powerful Mughal ally, that he looked like a musician. An insult for any Rajput ruler. He mocked the millitary genius Mir Jumla II, a Mughal general, in public for the way he walked. He also turned Shaista Khan, the governor of Bengal, against him. Dara Shikoh even once beated Khalilullah Khan, a powerful Mughal general, with a shoe in public. 2 - Lack of real world experience : The blame for this lies on Shah Jahan I just as much as Dara Shikoh himself. In the 1630's, Alamgir I and his 2 brothers, Murad Baksh and Shah Shuja, were sent to the far reaches of the Mughal Empire to govern and wage wars in the name of their father. However, Shah Jahan I did not send his eldest and favorite son (Dara Shikoh) to any far province to learn governance and war. Instead, he decided to keep Dara Shikoh close to himself in the capital. According to a contemperary account : "The Emperor, from excessive love and partiality, did not allow Dara Shikoh to go away from him..." The end result of this was that Dara Shikoh spent about three decades in the capital, lived a life of luxury and faced no hardships, using the state treasury for his personnal futile expenditures. All the while, his 3 brothers gained experience in terms of war and governance. They built up alliances and friendships with the nobility and generals, awaiting the right moment. Dara Shikoh, on the other hand, never learnt any of this. He was dependent of his father's support. 3 - Overconfidence and inability to take criticism : This is actually mentioned a few times by the accounts of the era as one of the main criticisms against Dara Shikoh. Dara Shikoh was extremely arrogant and overconfident in his own abilities. Even in matters where he had no experience or talent. The prince had been surrounded by nobles who always praised him in the hope of getting his favours for decades within the capital and it seems that he actually started to view himself as an exceptional man, one who had no need to rely on the advice of others. It is also mentioned that Dara Shikoh did not react kindly to criticism. However, that's to be expected of a man in his position who has been surrounded by nobles for years who did nothing but glorify and praise him for their own sake. One example is when the respected mughal prime minister Ali Mardan Khan made a remark about his huge personnal expenditures, he was publicaly humiliated. Shah Jahan I himself saw the scene. So we end up with a man who believes that he is better than others at everything and does not require the advice of those who are far more experienced than him in such matters. He was surrounded by sycophants who further reinforced this view of himself and anyone who criticized him was dealt with harshly. Dara Shikoh was essentially a man living in a bubble of his own imagination. "The first born son of King Shah Jahan I is a man of dignified manners, of a comely countenance, joyous and polite in conversation, confident and gracious in speech, of the most extraordinary liberality, kindness and compassion. But over-confident in his opinion of himself, considering himself competent in all things and having no need for advisers..." - Niccolao Manucci’s description of Dara Shikoh (Niccolao Mannucci is a venetian traveler, physician and writer who worked for the mughal empire)... 4 - Initiation of the conflict : From the accounts of the era, it seems that Dara Shikoh was no different from his brothers. The 3 brothers rose against the heir apparent because it was clear to them that their lives would be over if they did not remove him. While many like to believe Dara Shikoh was a peace-loving hippie, this was simply not the case. Dara Shikoh was every bit as ruthless as his 3 brothers. According to a contemporary account written in 1652 : "Dara Shikoh is a wolf, thirsty for the blood of his brothers..." Any complaints by the 3 brothers to their father Shah Jahan I were ignored. Dara Shikoh had begun to make moves against his brothers to remove them, which ultimately caused them to rebel, thus beggining the succession war that would lead to his downfall. "The power of the eldest Prince [Dara Shikoh] over the affairs of the State is beyond all description. He is without any doubt thirsty for our innocent blood !" - A letter that Alamgir I sent to Shah Jahan I a few years before the succession war... At the battle of Samurgarh where Dara Shikoh faced an alliance composed of his 2 younger brothers Alamgir I and Murad Baksh. Shah Jahan I, who had recovered from his illness, arrived and stood between the 2 armies to prevent his 3 sons from fighting each other. Upon seeing this, Dara Shikoh ordered his men to remove him so that he, Alamgir I and Murad Baksh could begin fighting. So you see, if he really was the peace-lover that people portray him to be, he wouldn't have wasted such an opportunity to reconcile with his younger brothers. 6 - Rivalry between Alamgir I and Dara Shikoh : This is another thing in which far too many people want to put all of the blame only on Alamgir I. The hatred between Alamgir I and Dara Shikoh had almost nothing to do with religious differences. The brothers had hated each other long before such differences arose. The hatred was also not only one-sided from Alamgir I to Dara Shikoh like many like to believe. Dara Shikoh hated Alamgir I as much as Alamgir I hated him... Dara Shikoh took advantage of his place in the capital and Mughal court as well as his better relationship with Shah Jahan I to constantly undermine Alamgir I's achievements and make fun of him. This is the reason why Alamgir I ended up blaming Dara Shikoh for everything that went wrong in his relationship with their father Shah Jahan I. Dara Shikoh constantly mocked his younger brother for being religious and for his austerity. For decades, Alamgir I was in no position to respond to his brother. But the illness of Shah Jahan I finally presented Alamgir I with an opportunity, now that his older brother was no longer protected by their father. Dara Shikoh would have treated Alamgir I no better than Alamgir I treated him if the outcome of the war was reversed. After Dara Shikoh was captured and brought to Alamgir I, he was asked by him what he would have done if their roles were reversed. Dara Shikoh's answer was that he would have had Alamgir I's body cut into 4 pieces while he was still alive and each part would be displayed on one of the main gates of Delhi. What we have to realize is that if Dara Shikoh had been victorious and became the Mughal Emperor, Alamgir I would have been treated just as poorly as Dara Shikoh was. 7 - In conclusion : Dara Shikoh is often glorified as the great emperor that never was because of Alamgir I. What people fail to look at are the very reasons why he lost the succession war. Dara Shikoh was incompetent and lacked any real world experience. While his 3 brothers Murad Baksh, Shah Shuja and Alamgir I worked endlessly to wage wars and govern in the name of the Mughal Empire, Dara Shikoh spent decades enjoying living in luxury inside the capital. He also had a tendency to make enemies out of men in powerful positions. Here we see an incompetent man being glorified, without any accomplishments of his own, and who caused his own downfall by trying to remove his brothers...

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Don't forget the Maharana of Mewar at that time, Maharana Raj Singh Ji... Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj called Maharana Raj Singh the "Head of Hindus".

@@vedanthrao5879 true💯

Kothimbire?? Khatik???

Thank you for recognising the battles of Ahom kingdom against the imperialist Mughals

Mughal actually conquered ahom but they can't hold it long

Not different from what is the history now.. Mullahs in mughal court always played great role in fueling anti hindu, non muslim belief.. They did the same to every mughal ruler and including aurangzeb.. Aurangzrb in his beginning of millitary career was also similar like dara shikoh, inclusive in nature secular minded.. Later extremists in mughal court spoiled him .

He might have changed whole islam.. bcz we never observed such free thinker muslim ever.. so he would've got chance to manipulate of mix beliefs would've impacted lot today and terr0rism wouldn't have that much as we see today❤

Something that I find very interesting is the way so many people glorify Dara Shikoh because of their hatred towards Alamgir I (more commonly known as Aurangzeb). This is something that Indians seem to do far too often. Glorify and praise some historical figures even if they are incompetent, not because they love them, but because they were opponents of other historical figures that they don't like... Now, getting back to the question. Dara Shikoh also had a dark side. Here are some of the negative characteristics that we know of regarding Dara Shikoh : 1 - Alienation of the nobility : There are actually a few examples of Dara Shikoh’s poor treatment of powerful men within the Mughal administration and military. Dara Shikoh once told Jai Singh I, the Raja of Amber and a powerful Mughal ally, that he looked like a musician. An insult for any Rajput ruler. He mocked the millitary genius Mir Jumla II, a Mughal general, in public for the way he walked. He also turned Shaista Khan, the governor of Bengal, against him. Dara Shikoh even once beated Khalilullah Khan, a powerful Mughal general, with a shoe in public. 2 - Lack of real world experience : The blame for this lies on Shah Jahan I just as much as Dara Shikoh himself. In the 1630's, Alamgir I and his 2 brothers, Murad Baksh and Shah Shuja, were sent to the far reaches of the Mughal Empire to govern and wage wars in the name of their father. However, Shah Jahan I did not send his eldest and favorite son (Dara Shikoh) to any far province to learn governance and war. Instead, he decided to keep Dara Shikoh close to himself in the capital. According to a contemperary account : "The Emperor, from excessive love and partiality, did not allow Dara Shikoh to go away from him..." The end result of this was that Dara Shikoh spent about three decades in the capital, lived a life of luxury and faced no hardships, using the state treasury for his personnal futile expenditures. All the while, his 3 brothers gained experience in terms of war and governance. They built up alliances and friendships with the nobility and generals, awaiting the right moment. Dara Shikoh, on the other hand, never learnt any of this. He was dependent of his father's support. 3 - Overconfidence and inability to take criticism : This is actually mentioned a few times by the accounts of the era as one of the main criticisms against Dara Shikoh. Dara Shikoh was extremely arrogant and overconfident in his own abilities. Even in matters where he had no experience or talent. The prince had been surrounded by nobles who always praised him in the hope of getting his favours for decades within the capital and it seems that he actually started to view himself as an exceptional man, one who had no need to rely on the advice of others. It is also mentioned that Dara Shikoh did not react kindly to criticism. However, that's to be expected of a man in his position who has been surrounded by nobles for years who did nothing but glorify and praise him for their own sake. One example is when the respected mughal prime minister Ali Mardan Khan made a remark about his huge personnal expenditures, he was publicaly humiliated. Shah Jahan I himself saw the scene. So we end up with a man who believes that he is better than others at everything and does not require the advice of those who are far more experienced than him in such matters. He was surrounded by sycophants who further reinforced this view of himself and anyone who criticized him was dealt with harshly. Dara Shikoh was essentially a man living in a bubble of his own imagination. "The first born son of King Shah Jahan I is a man of dignified manners, of a comely countenance, joyous and polite in conversation, confident and gracious in speech, of the most extraordinary liberality, kindness and compassion. But over-confident in his opinion of himself, considering himself competent in all things and having no need for advisers..." - Niccolao Manucci’s description of Dara Shikoh (Niccolao Mannucci is a venetian traveler, physician and writer who worked for the mughal empire)... 4 - Initiation of the conflict : From the accounts of the era, it seems that Dara Shikoh was no different from his brothers. The 3 brothers rose against the heir apparent because it was clear to them that their lives would be over if they did not remove him. While many like to believe Dara Shikoh was a peace-loving hippie, this was simply not the case. Dara Shikoh was every bit as ruthless as his 3 brothers. According to a contemporary account written in 1652 : "Dara Shikoh is a wolf, thirsty for the blood of his brothers..." Any complaints by the 3 brothers to their father Shah Jahan I were ignored. Dara Shikoh had begun to make moves against his brothers to remove them, which ultimately caused them to rebel, thus beggining the succession war that would lead to his downfall. "The power of the eldest Prince [Dara Shikoh] over the affairs of the State is beyond all description. He is without any doubt thirsty for our innocent blood !" - A letter that Alamgir I sent to Shah Jahan I a few years before the succession war... At the battle of Samurgarh where Dara Shikoh faced an alliance composed of his 2 younger brothers Alamgir I and Murad Baksh. Shah Jahan I, who had recovered from his illness, arrived and stood between the 2 armies to prevent his 3 sons from fighting each other. Upon seeing this, Dara Shikoh ordered his men to remove him so that he, Alamgir I and Murad Baksh could begin fighting. So you see, if he really was the peace-lover that people portray him to be, he wouldn't have wasted such an opportunity to reconcile with his younger brothers. 6 - Rivalry between Alamgir I and Dara Shikoh : This is another thing in which far too many people want to put all of the blame only on Alamgir I. The hatred between Alamgir I and Dara Shikoh had almost nothing to do with religious differences. The brothers had hated each other long before such differences arose. The hatred was also not only one-sided from Alamgir I to Dara Shikoh like many like to believe. Dara Shikoh hated Alamgir I as much as Alamgir I hated him... Dara Shikoh took advantage of his place in the capital and Mughal court as well as his better relationship with Shah Jahan I to constantly undermine Alamgir I's achievements and make fun of him. This is the reason why Alamgir I ended up blaming Dara Shikoh for everything that went wrong in his relationship with their father Shah Jahan I. Dara Shikoh constantly mocked his younger brother for being religious and for his austerity. For decades, Alamgir I was in no position to respond to his brother. But the illness of Shah Jahan I finally presented Alamgir I with an opportunity, now that his older brother was no longer protected by their father. Dara Shikoh would have treated Alamgir I no better than Alamgir I treated him if the outcome of the war was reversed. After Dara Shikoh was captured and brought to Alamgir I, he was asked by him what he would have done if their roles were reversed. Dara Shikoh's answer was that he would have had Alamgir I's body cut into 4 pieces while he was still alive and each part would be displayed on one of the main gates of Delhi. What we have to realize is that if Dara Shikoh had been victorious and became the Mughal Emperor, Alamgir I would have been treated just as poorly as Dara Shikoh was. 7 - In conclusion : Dara Shikoh is often glorified as the great emperor that never was because of Alamgir I. What people fail to look at are the very reasons why he lost the succession war. Dara Shikoh was incompetent and lacked any real world experience. While his 3 brothers Murad Baksh, Shah Shuja and Alamgir I worked endlessly to wage wars and govern in the name of the Mughal Empire, Dara Shikoh spent decades enjoying living in luxury inside the capital. He also had a tendency to make enemies out of men in powerful positions. Here we see an incompetent man being glorified, without any accomplishments of his own, and who caused his own downfall by trying to remove his brothers...

@@History_Teller1250 also if dara sikoh would've been the king ,the map of mughal empire would've very different, there wouldn't be maratha or sikh empire as there weren't sikh genocide to be done by orangseb, and ultimately india will get back to it's track to strengthen economy and living class with uniting people, which definitely didn't happened in real bcz of orangeseb , instead people got raged and revenge took place which not only stopped india to grow but invited more players like brits and afghans in this game. This teaches us how a strong game can be changed with barbaric things. Giving priority to natives is always beneficial for any superpower ,india was historically like that, first aryans came ,they had to mix their original Indo-European vedic beliefs into indic tribal cultures like worshipping nature, idols and crazy customs and everyone eventually who invaded india followed indic culture only , these muggals tried to do different barbaric thing and got what they deserve.

​@@_Bappu_I am not trying to say that Alamgir I was a great emperor. I'm just explaining why it's absurd to say that Dara Shikoh would have been a better emperor...

Exactly... I was also thinking the same.

Aurangzeb Alamgir was the greatest ruler🇦🇫🇧🇩🇵🇰🇮🇳💪💪

@@kaustubharolkar5098 Alamghir was Emperor while Darak sikoh was a loser prince

​@@shehrozrajput9174Ghnta rajput ho tum change your surname

@mobinmitul3822 Fanatic tyrant emperor who murdered his own brothers... Even if we dont consider that still Both of them deserves the same respect..

छत्रपति शिवाजी महाराज ने औरंगजेब और उसके आगे के मुगलों की वाट लगाई थी। बाबर, हुमायु और अकबर की वाट राजपूतों ने लगाई थी। जय भवानी, जय महाराणा जय शिवाजी ।।

Dara was a true secular

Something that I find very interesting is the way so many people glorify Dara Shikoh because of their hatred towards Alamgir I (more commonly known as Aurangzeb). This is something that Indians seem to do far too often. Glorify and praise some historical figures even if they are incompetent, not because they love them, but because they were opponents of other historical figures that they don't like... Now, getting back to the question. Dara Shikoh also had a dark side. Here are some of the negative characteristics that we know of regarding Dara Shikoh : 1 - Alienation of the nobility : There are actually a few examples of Dara Shikoh’s poor treatment of powerful men within the Mughal administration and military. Dara Shikoh once told Jai Singh I, the Raja of Amber and a powerful Mughal ally, that he looked like a musician. An insult for any Rajput ruler. He mocked the millitary genius Mir Jumla II, a Mughal general, in public for the way he walked. He also turned Shaista Khan, the governor of Bengal, against him. Dara Shikoh even once beated Khalilullah Khan, a powerful Mughal general, with a shoe in public. 2 - Lack of real world experience : The blame for this lies on Shah Jahan I just as much as Dara Shikoh himself. In the 1630's, Alamgir I and his 2 brothers, Murad Baksh and Shah Shuja, were sent to the far reaches of the Mughal Empire to govern and wage wars in the name of their father. However, Shah Jahan I did not send his eldest and favorite son (Dara Shikoh) to any far province to learn governance and war. Instead, he decided to keep Dara Shikoh close to himself in the capital. According to a contemperary account : "The Emperor, from excessive love and partiality, did not allow Dara Shikoh to go away from him..." The end result of this was that Dara Shikoh spent about three decades in the capital, lived a life of luxury and faced no hardships, using the state treasury for his personnal futile expenditures. All the while, his 3 brothers gained experience in terms of war and governance. They built up alliances and friendships with the nobility and generals, awaiting the right moment. Dara Shikoh, on the other hand, never learnt any of this. He was dependent of his father's support. 3 - Overconfidence and inability to take criticism : This is actually mentioned a few times by the accounts of the era as one of the main criticisms against Dara Shikoh. Dara Shikoh was extremely arrogant and overconfident in his own abilities. Even in matters where he had no experience or talent. The prince had been surrounded by nobles who always praised him in the hope of getting his favours for decades within the capital and it seems that he actually started to view himself as an exceptional man, one who had no need to rely on the advice of others. It is also mentioned that Dara Shikoh did not react kindly to criticism. However, that's to be expected of a man in his position who has been surrounded by nobles for years who did nothing but glorify and praise him for their own sake. One example is when the respected mughal prime minister Ali Mardan Khan made a remark about his huge personnal expenditures, he was publicaly humiliated. Shah Jahan I himself saw the scene. So we end up with a man who believes that he is better than others at everything and does not require the advice of those who are far more experienced than him in such matters. He was surrounded by nobles who further reinforced this view of himself by always praising and gloryfing him. Anyone who criticized him was dealt with harshly. Dara Shikoh was essentially a man living in a bubble of his own imagination. "The first born son of King Shah Jahan I is a man of dignified manners, of a comely countenance, joyous and polite in conversation, confident and gracious in speech, of the most extraordinary liberality, kindness and compassion. But over-confident in his opinion of himself, considering himself competent in all things and having no need for advisers..." - Niccolao Manucci’s description of Dara Shikoh (Niccolao Mannucci is a venetian traveler, physician and writer who worked for the mughal empire)... 4 - Initiation of the conflict : From the accounts of the era, it seems that Dara Shikoh was no different from his brothers. The 3 brothers rose against the heir apparent because it was clear to them that their lives would be over if they did not remove him. While many like to believe Dara Shikoh was a peace-loving hippie, this was simply not the case. Dara Shikoh was every bit as ruthless as his 3 brothers. According to a contemporary account written in 1652 : "Dara Shikoh is a wolf, thirsty for the blood of his brothers..." Any complaints by the 3 brothers to their father Shah Jahan I were ignored. Dara Shikoh had begun to make moves against his brothers to remove them, which ultimately caused them to rebel, thus beggining the succession war that would lead to his downfall. "The power of the eldest Prince [Dara Shikoh] over the affairs of the State is beyond all description. He is without any doubt thirsty for our innocent blood !" - A letter that Alamgir I sent to Shah Jahan I a few years before the succession war... At the battle of Samurgarh where Dara Shikoh faced an alliance composed of his 2 younger brothers Alamgir I and Murad Baksh. Shah Jahan I, who had recovered from his illness, arrived and stood between the 2 armies to prevent his 3 sons from fighting each other. Upon seeing this, Dara Shikoh ordered his men to remove him so that he, Alamgir I and Murad Baksh could begin fighting. So you see, if he really was the peace-lover that people portray him to be, he wouldn't have wasted such an opportunity to reconcile with his younger brothers. 6 - Rivalry between Alamgir I and Dara Shikoh : This is another thing in which far too many people want to put all of the blame only on Alamgir I. The hatred between Alamgir I and Dara Shikoh had almost nothing to do with religious differences. The brothers had hated each other long before such differences arose. The hatred was also not only one-sided from Alamgir I to Dara Shikoh like many like to believe. Dara Shikoh hated Alamgir I as much as Alamgir I hated him... Dara Shikoh took advantage of his place in the capital and Mughal court as well as his better relationship with Shah Jahan I to constantly undermine Alamgir I's achievements and make fun of him. This is the reason why Alamgir I ended up blaming Dara Shikoh for everything that went wrong in his relationship with their father Shah Jahan I. Dara Shikoh constantly mocked his younger brother for being religious and for his austerity. For decades, Alamgir I was in no position to respond to his brother. But the illness of Shah Jahan I finally presented Alamgir I with an opportunity, now that his older brother was no longer protected by their father. Dara Shikoh would have treated Alamgir I no better than Alamgir I treated him if the outcome of the war was reversed. After Dara Shikoh was captured and brought to Alamgir I, he was asked by him what he would have done if their roles were reversed. Dara Shikoh's answer was that he would have had Alamgir I's body cut into 4 pieces while he was still alive and each part would be displayed on one of the main gates of Delhi. What we have to realize is that if Dara Shikoh had been victorious and became the Mughal Emperor, Alamgir I would have been treated just as poorly as Dara Shikoh was. 7 - In conclusion : Dara Shikoh is often glorified as the great emperor that never was because of Alamgir I. What people fail to look at are the very reasons why he lost the succession war. Dara Shikoh was incompetent and lacked any real world experience. While his 3 brothers Murad Baksh, Shah Shuja and Alamgir I worked endlessly to wage wars and govern in the name of the Mughal Empire, Dara Shikoh spent decades enjoying living in luxury inside the capital. He also had a tendency to make enemies out of men in powerful positions. Here we see an incompetent man being glorified, without any accomplishments of his own, and who caused his own downfall by trying to remove his brothers...

​@taj-eddinemoustabchir1250 Excellent article based on facts. No comments on your well researched article by anyone shows they cannot face the truth.

@@user-td8hw3mc9t Thank you 👍

Siyasaat aur mazhab ek bana liya aplogo ne..

जय

Jai Jai Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Raje ki Jai Jai Bhavani , Jai Shivaji 🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Aurangjeb 😂

😂😂 आगरा की गर्मी बर्दाश्त नहीं हुई। वीर बेहोश हो गया था😂😂😂😂

Ha isi liye to Aurangzeb ne kabhi Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Raje ko Raha nehi Paya .

Hi Madhu, Thank you for your appreciation

Hi Ankit, Thank you for your kind words. We really appreciate your feedback.

@@EpicChannelIndia I love your channel... It has amazing and entirely different content...

Something that I find very interesting is the way so many people glorify Dara Shikoh because of their hatred towards Alamgir I (more commonly known as Aurangzeb). This is something that Indians seem to do far too often. Glorify and praise some historical figures even if they are incompetent, not because they love them, but because they were opponents of other historical figures that they don't like... Now, getting back to the question. Dara Shikoh also had a dark side. Here are some of the negative characteristics that we know of regarding Dara Shikoh : 1 - Alienation of the nobility : There are actually a few examples of Dara Shikoh’s poor treatment of powerful men within the Mughal administration and military. Dara Shikoh once told Jai Singh I, the Raja of Amber and a powerful Mughal ally, that he looked like a musician. An insult for any Rajput ruler. He mocked the millitary genius Mir Jumla II, a Mughal general, in public for the way he walked. He also turned Shaista Khan, the governor of Bengal, against him. Dara Shikoh even once beated Khalilullah Khan, a powerful Mughal general, with a shoe in public. 2 - Lack of real world experience : The blame for this lies on Shah Jahan I just as much as Dara Shikoh himself. In the 1630's, Alamgir I and his 2 brothers, Murad Baksh and Shah Shuja, were sent to the far reaches of the Mughal Empire to govern and wage wars in the name of their father. However, Shah Jahan I did not send his eldest and favorite son (Dara Shikoh) to any far province to learn governance and war. Instead, he decided to keep Dara Shikoh close to himself in the capital. According to a contemperary account : "The Emperor, from excessive love and partiality, did not allow Dara Shikoh to go away from him..." The end result of this was that Dara Shikoh spent about three decades in the capital, lived a life of luxury and faced no hardships, using the state treasury for his personnal futile expenditures. All the while, his 3 brothers gained experience in terms of war and governance. They built up alliances and friendships with the nobility and generals, awaiting the right moment. Dara Shikoh, on the other hand, never learnt any of this. He was dependent of his father's support. 3 - Overconfidence and inability to take criticism : This is actually mentioned a few times by the accounts of the era as one of the main criticisms against Dara Shikoh. Dara Shikoh was extremely arrogant and overconfident in his own abilities. Even in matters where he had no experience or talent. The prince had been surrounded by nobles who always praised him in the hope of getting his favours for decades within the capital and it seems that he actually started to view himself as an exceptional man, one who had no need to rely on the advice of others. It is also mentioned that Dara Shikoh did not react kindly to criticism. However, that's to be expected of a man in his position who has been surrounded by nobles for years who did nothing but glorify and praise him for their own sake. One example is when the respected mughal prime minister Ali Mardan Khan made a remark about his huge personnal expenditures, he was publicaly humiliated. Shah Jahan I himself saw the scene. So we end up with a man who believes that he is better than others at everything and does not require the advice of those who are far more experienced than him in such matters. He was surrounded by nobles who further reinforced this view of himself by always praising and gloryfing him. Anyone who criticized him was dealt with harshly. Dara Shikoh was essentially a man living in a bubble of his own imagination. "The first born son of King Shah Jahan I is a man of dignified manners, of a comely countenance, joyous and polite in conversation, confident and gracious in speech, of the most extraordinary liberality, kindness and compassion. But over-confident in his opinion of himself, considering himself competent in all things and having no need for advisers..." - Niccolao Manucci’s description of Dara Shikoh (Niccolao Mannucci is a venetian traveler, physician and writer who worked for the mughal empire)... 4 - Initiation of the conflict : From the accounts of the era, it seems that Dara Shikoh was no different from his brothers. The 3 brothers rose against the heir apparent because it was clear to them that their lives would be over if they did not remove him. While many like to believe Dara Shikoh was a peace-loving hippie, this was simply not the case. Dara Shikoh was every bit as ruthless as his 3 brothers. According to a contemporary account written in 1652 : "Dara Shikoh is a wolf, thirsty for the blood of his brothers..." Any complaints by the 3 brothers to their father Shah Jahan I were ignored. Dara Shikoh had begun to make moves against his brothers to remove them, which ultimately caused them to rebel, thus beggining the succession war that would lead to his downfall. "The power of the eldest Prince [Dara Shikoh] over the affairs of the State is beyond all description. He is without any doubt thirsty for our innocent blood !" - A letter that Alamgir I sent to Shah Jahan I a few years before the succession war... At the battle of Samurgarh where Dara Shikoh faced an alliance composed of his 2 younger brothers Alamgir I and Murad Baksh. Shah Jahan I, who had recovered from his illness, arrived and stood between the 2 armies to prevent his 3 sons from fighting each other. Upon seeing this, Dara Shikoh ordered his men to remove him so that he, Alamgir I and Murad Baksh could begin fighting. So you see, if he really was the peace-lover that people portray him to be, he wouldn't have wasted such an opportunity to reconcile with his younger brothers. 6 - Rivalry between Alamgir I and Dara Shikoh : This is another thing in which far too many people want to put all of the blame only on Alamgir I. The hatred between Alamgir I and Dara Shikoh had almost nothing to do with religious differences. The brothers had hated each other long before such differences arose. The hatred was also not only one-sided from Alamgir I to Dara Shikoh like many like to believe. Dara Shikoh hated Alamgir I as much as Alamgir I hated him... Dara Shikoh took advantage of his place in the capital and Mughal court as well as his better relationship with Shah Jahan I to constantly undermine Alamgir I's achievements and make fun of him. This is the reason why Alamgir I ended up blaming Dara Shikoh for everything that went wrong in his relationship with their father Shah Jahan I. Dara Shikoh constantly mocked his younger brother for being religious and for his austerity. For decades, Alamgir I was in no position to respond to his brother. But the illness of Shah Jahan I finally presented Alamgir I with an opportunity, now that his older brother was no longer protected by their father. Dara Shikoh would have treated Alamgir I no better than Alamgir I treated him if the outcome of the war was reversed. After Dara Shikoh was captured and brought to Alamgir I, he was asked by him what he would have done if their roles were reversed. Dara Shikoh's answer was that he would have had Alamgir I's body cut into 4 pieces while he was still alive and each part would be displayed on one of the main gates of Delhi. What we have to realize is that if Dara Shikoh had been victorious and became the Mughal Emperor, Alamgir I would have been treated just as poorly as Dara Shikoh was. 7 - In conclusion : Dara Shikoh is often glorified as the great emperor that never was because of Alamgir I. What people fail to look at are the very reasons why he lost the succession war. Dara Shikoh was incompetent and lacked any real world experience. While his 3 brothers Murad Baksh, Shah Shuja and Alamgir I worked endlessly to wage wars and govern in the name of the Mughal Empire, Dara Shikoh spent decades enjoying living in luxury inside the capital. He also had a tendency to make enemies out of men in powerful positions. Here we see an incompetent man being glorified, without any accomplishments of his own, and who caused his own downfall by trying to remove his brothers...

@@History_Teller1250 nice and interesting copy paste... But I don't get it why you did that? I agree Dara was not a better king but he was far more better and intelligent person than Alamgir. His knowledge, his love for his family and other communities are sufficient enough for people to admire him over that pathetic, dumb and conservative Alamgir who was nothing without power of Rajputs behind him. He is probably the last person whom any sensible or ethical person would glorify. 🤷‍♂ Shah Jahan never visited the battle ground. He stayed in the capital. That battle was lost not because of bravery of Alamgir but his treachery and betrayal of jai singh and later captured due to his own friend's greediness. Dara indeed lacked vision of a great emperor but he had every reason to consider him better over his other brothers. Shah shuja was never a good leader, murad was a fool and Alamgir was a snake who was only waiting for the right moment. Fate was against Dara. His sister Roshan Ara played an important role in this hatred of Alamgir. People in madieval world only followed power but still people of delhi supported and loved Dara till the very end. Even Manuchi always admired the man when he narrated about his brutal murder along with his son. Alamgir was the worst of Mughals. He was over glorified by biased Muslim scholars and pathetic congress rule. Alamgir killed two of his bros and Shah shuja also doomed because of him yet you are calling Dara as blood thirsty. Lol it's obvious you are also a biased Muslim who can't accept the reality. Dara's contribution is so much important in our culture and linguistic study. On the other hand Alamgir betrayed his own people. Even Jai singh paid the price of his loyalty towards this cruel Alamgir. I am glad that his death was well deserved in complete loneliness although it came very late. Alamgir is not only hated by non muslims but also by all those liberal Muslims as well. He had no comparison with well educated man like Dara.

​​​​@@AnkitpndTolerance without ability is nothing, and Dara Shikoh had no ability whatsoever. I am not biased, it's just that i don't blindly believe that someone who is interested in Hinduism is automaticly a better Emperor like you seem to think. But if you believe that Dara Shikoh was better than Alamgir I, then could you please give me at least 2 remarkable non-religious achievments (Meaning that debating scholars, building temples, translating religious works etc... don't count) that Dara Shikoh accomplished along with at least 1 source backing each claim along the author's name and the page's number ? If you can't, then that means that YOU ARE the biased Hindu who can't digest the truth because you believe that an incompetent, overconfident and arrogant man without any achievements is better than an able administrator and general with 3 decades of experience under his belt just because he liked Hinduism... (If you respond to me with insults, then that means you don't have any arguments. As there is a famous quote that says : "When they can't disprove, they disrespect..." So if you have what i asked you for (Non-Religious achievements that Dara Shikoh accomplished along with sources backing your claim), then send it to me. But if you don't, then don't respond to me. Don't give me theories of what Dara Shikoh could have accomplished, because it's baseless arguments which will only proof your bias and preference for Dara Shikoh over Alamgir I just because he was more interested in Hinduism than the latter and he thus appeals more to you even tought he was incompetent, overconfident and arrogant...)

He deserves respect more than chuhaji ....you dont know the proper history so called mandir chap ...that's why brainwashed by former british and now mudiji

Hazrat Aurangzeb alamgir zindabaad💪

@@starfootball6478 oranggayb murdabad 😊

@@MdTausif1978 atankwadi terrorist Aurangzeb ko tum jaise log hi respect de sakate baki nahi

@@starfootball6478 terrorist orangya murdabad

Something that I find very interesting is the way so many people glorify Dara Shikoh because of their hatred towards Alamgir I (more commonly known as Aurangzeb). This is something that Indians seem to do far too often. Glorify and praise some historical figures even if they are incompetent, not because they love them, but because they were opponents of other historical figures that they don't like... Now, getting back to the question. Dara Shikoh also had a dark side. Here are some of the negative characteristics that we know of regarding Dara Shikoh : 1 - Alienation of the nobility : There are actually a few examples of Dara Shikoh’s poor treatment of powerful men within the Mughal administration and military. Dara Shikoh once told Jai Singh II, the Maharaja Sawai of Amber and a powerful Mughal ally, that he looked like a musician. An insult for any Rajput ruler. He mocked the millitary genius Mir Jumla II, a Mughal general, in public for the way he walked. He also turned Shaista Khan, the governor of Bengal, against him. Dara Shikoh even once beated Khalilullah Khan, a powerful Mughal general, with a shoe in public. 2 - Lack of real world experience : The blame for this lies on Shah Jahan I just as much as Dara Shikoh himself. In the 1630's, Alamgir I and his 2 brothers, Murad Baksh and Shah Shuja, were sent to the far reaches of the Mughal Empire to govern and wage wars in the name of their father. However, Shah Jahan I did not send his eldest and favorite son (Dara Shikoh) to any far province to learn governance and war. Instead, he decided to keep Dara Shikoh close to himself in the capital. According to a contemperary account : "The Emperor, from excessive love and partiality, did not allow Dara Shikoh to go away from him..." The end result of this was that Dara Shikoh spent about three decades in the capital, lived a life of luxury and faced no hardships, using the state treasury for his personnal futile expenditures. All the while, his 3 brothers gained experience in terms of war and governance. They built up alliances and friendships with the nobility and generals, awaiting the right moment. Dara Shikoh, on the other hand, never learnt any of this. He was dependent of his father's support. 3 - Overconfidence and inability to take criticism : This is actually mentioned a few times by the accounts of the era as one of the main criticisms against Dara Shikoh. Dara Shikoh was extremely arrogant and overconfident in his own abilities. Even in matters where he had no experience or talent. The prince had been surrounded by nobles who always praised him in the hope of getting his favours for decades within the capital and it seems that he actually started to view himself as an exceptional man, one who had no need to rely on the advice of others. It is also mentioned that Dara Shikoh did not react kindly to criticism. However, that's to be expected of a man in his position who has been surrounded by nobles for years who did nothing but glorify and praise him for their own sake. One example is when the respected mughal prime minister Ali Mardan Khan made a remark about his huge personnal expenditures, he was publicaly humiliated. Shah Jahan I himself saw the scene. So we end up with a man who believes that he is better than others at everything and does not require the advice of those who are far more experienced than him in such matters. He was surrounded by sycophants who further reinforced this view of himself and anyone who criticized him was dealt with harshly. Dara Shikoh was essentially a man living in a bubble of his own imagination. "The first born son of King Shah Jahan I is a man of dignified manners, of a comely countenance, joyous and polite in conversation, confident and gracious in speech, of the most extraordinary liberality, kindness and compassion. But over-confident in his opinion of himself, considering himself competent in all things and having no need for advisers..." - Niccolao Manucci’s description of Dara Shikoh (Niccolao Mannucci is a venetian traveler, physician and writer who worked for the mughal empire)... 4 - Initiation of the conflict : From the accounts of the era, it seems that Dara Shikoh was no different from his brothers. The 3 brothers rose against the heir apparent because it was clear to them that their lives would be over if they did not remove him. While many like to believe Dara Shikoh was a peace-loving hippie, this was simply not the case. Dara Shikoh was every bit as ruthless as his 3 brothers. According to a contemporary account written in 1652 : "Dara Shikoh is a wolf, thirsty for the blood of his brothers..." Any complaints by the 3 brothers to their father Shah Jahan I were ignored. Dara Shikoh had begun to make moves against his brothers to remove them, which ultimately caused them to rebel, thus beggining the succession war that would lead to his downfall. "The power of the eldest Prince [Dara Shikoh] over the affairs of the State is beyond all description. He is without any doubt thirsty for our innocent blood !" - A letter that Alamgir I sent to Shah Jahan I a few years before the succession war... At the battle of Samurgarh where Dara Shikoh faced an alliance composed of his 2 younger brothers Alamgir I and Murad Baksh. Shah Jahan I, who had recovered from his illness, arrived and stood between the 2 armies to prevent his 3 sons from fighting each other. Upon seeing this, Dara Shikoh ordered his men to remove him so that he, Alamgir I and Murad Baksh could begin fighting. So you see, if he really was the peace-lover that people portray him to be, he wouldn't have wasted such an opportunity to reconcile with his younger brothers. 6 - Rivalry between Alamgir I and Dara Shikoh : This is another thing in which far too many people want to put all of the blame only on Alamgir I. The hatred between Alamgir I and Dara Shikoh had almost nothing to do with religious differences. The brothers had hated each other long before such differences arose. The hatred was also not only one-sided from Alamgir I to Dara Shikoh like many like to believe. Dara Shikoh hated Alamgir I as much as Alamgir I hated him... Dara Shikoh took advantage of his place in the capital and Mughal court as well as his better relationship with Shah Jahan I to constantly undermine Alamgir I's achievements and make fun of him. This is the reason why Alamgir I ended up blaming Dara Shikoh for everything that went wrong in his relationship with their father Shah Jahan I. Dara Shikoh constantly mocked his younger brother for being religious and for his austerity. For decades, Alamgir I was in no position to respond to his brother. But the illness of Shah Jahan I finally presented Alamgir I with an opportunity, now that his older brother was no longer protected by their father. Dara Shikoh would have treated Alamgir I no better than Alamgir I treated him if the outcome of the war was reversed. After Dara Shikoh was captured and brought to Alamgir I, he was asked by him what he would have done if their roles were reversed. Dara Shikoh's answer was that he would have had Alamgir I's body cut into 4 pieces while he was still alive and each part would be displayed on one of the main gates of Delhi. What we have to realize is that if Dara Shikoh had been victorious and became the Mughal Emperor, Alamgir I would have been treated just as poorly as Dara Shikoh was. 7 - In conclusion : Dara Shikoh is often glorified as the great emperor that never was because of Alamgir I. What people fail to look at are the very reasons why he lost the succession war. Dara Shikoh was incompetent and lacked any real world experience. While his 3 brothers Murad Baksh, Shah Shuja and Alamgir I worked endlessly to wage wars and govern in the name of the Mughal Empire, Dara Shikoh spent decades enjoying living in luxury inside the capital. He also had a tendency to make enemies out of men in powerful positions. Here we see an incompetent man being glorified, without any accomplishments of his own, and who caused his own downfall by trying to remove his brothers...

@@milindpanho pehi baat to ae ki aapke abbu ko aap hee padhe aur rahi dusri baat ki hum hamari family aur maa behno ki raksha karte thee tumhare abbu ki tarah nahi kee apni family ko hee maar dete thee aur rahi dusri baat to tumhare abbu neto apne hee father ko prison me daal diya thaa to zara uspe dhyan do

Hi Santhosh, We are happy to know that you liked our explanation. Dont forget to share this video with all your family and friends. 😊

What happened to suleman shikoh who helped his father against aurangjeb and shuja. He was betrayed and killed by Aurangjeb.

Well said

So what? What does that information add here?

Hi, Hamein khushi hai ki aapko hamara show pasand aaya. Shukriya.

Something that I find very interesting is the way so many people glorify Dara Shikoh because of their hatred towards Alamgir I (more commonly known as Aurangzeb). This is something that Indians seem to do far too often. Glorify and praise some historical figures even if they are incompetent, not because they love them, but because they were opponents of other historical figures that they don't like... Now, getting back to the question. Dara Shikoh also had a dark side. Here are some of the negative characteristics that we know of regarding Dara Shikoh : 1 - Alienation of the nobility : There are actually a few examples of Dara Shikoh’s poor treatment of powerful men within the Mughal administration and military. Dara Shikoh once told Jai Singh I, the Raja of Amber and a powerful Mughal ally, that he looked like a musician. An insult for any Rajput ruler. He mocked the millitary genius Mir Jumla II, a Mughal general, in public for the way he walked. He also turned Shaista Khan, the governor of Bengal, against him. Dara Shikoh even once beated Khalilullah Khan, a powerful Mughal general, with a shoe in public. 2 - Lack of real world experience : The blame for this lies on Shah Jahan I just as much as Dara Shikoh himself. In the 1630's, Alamgir I and his 2 brothers, Murad Baksh and Shah Shuja, were sent to the far reaches of the Mughal Empire to govern and wage wars in the name of their father. However, Shah Jahan I did not send his eldest and favorite son (Dara Shikoh) to any far province to learn governance and war. Instead, he decided to keep Dara Shikoh close to himself in the capital. According to a contemperary account : "The Emperor, from excessive love and partiality, did not allow Dara Shikoh to go away from him..." The end result of this was that Dara Shikoh spent about three decades in the capital, lived a life of luxury and faced no hardships, using the state treasury for his personnal futile expenditures. All the while, his 3 brothers gained experience in terms of war and governance. They built up alliances and friendships with the nobility and generals, awaiting the right moment. Dara Shikoh, on the other hand, never learnt any of this. He was dependent of his father's support. 3 - Overconfidence and inability to take criticism : This is actually mentioned a few times by the accounts of the era as one of the main criticisms against Dara Shikoh. Dara Shikoh was extremely arrogant and overconfident in his own abilities. Even in matters where he had no experience or talent. The prince had been surrounded by nobles who always praised him in the hope of getting his favours for decades within the capital and it seems that he actually started to view himself as an exceptional man, one who had no need to rely on the advice of others. It is also mentioned that Dara Shikoh did not react kindly to criticism. However, that's to be expected of a man in his position who has been surrounded by nobles for years who did nothing but glorify and praise him for their own sake. One example is when the respected mughal prime minister Ali Mardan Khan made a remark about his huge personnal expenditures, he was publicaly humiliated. Shah Jahan I himself saw the scene. So we end up with a man who believes that he is better than others at everything and does not require the advice of those who are far more experienced than him in such matters. He was surrounded by nobles who further reinforced this view of himself by always praising and gloryfing him. Anyone who criticized him was dealt with harshly. Dara Shikoh was essentially a man living in a bubble of his own imagination. "The first born son of King Shah Jahan I is a man of dignified manners, of a comely countenance, joyous and polite in conversation, confident and gracious in speech, of the most extraordinary liberality, kindness and compassion. But over-confident in his opinion of himself, considering himself competent in all things and having no need for advisers..." - Niccolao Manucci’s description of Dara Shikoh (Niccolao Mannucci is a venetian traveler, physician and writer who worked for the mughal empire)... 4 - Initiation of the conflict : From the accounts of the era, it seems that Dara Shikoh was no different from his brothers. The 3 brothers rose against the heir apparent because it was clear to them that their lives would be over if they did not remove him. While many like to believe Dara Shikoh was a peace-loving hippie, this was simply not the case. Dara Shikoh was every bit as ruthless as his 3 brothers. According to a contemporary account written in 1652 : "Dara Shikoh is a wolf, thirsty for the blood of his brothers..." Any complaints by the 3 brothers to their father Shah Jahan I were ignored. Dara Shikoh had begun to make moves against his brothers to remove them, which ultimately caused them to rebel, thus beggining the succession war that would lead to his downfall. "The power of the eldest Prince [Dara Shikoh] over the affairs of the State is beyond all description. He is without any doubt thirsty for our innocent blood !" - A letter that Alamgir I sent to Shah Jahan I a few years before the succession war... At the battle of Samurgarh where Dara Shikoh faced an alliance composed of his 2 younger brothers Alamgir I and Murad Baksh. Shah Jahan I, who had recovered from his illness, arrived and stood between the 2 armies to prevent his 3 sons from fighting each other. Upon seeing this, Dara Shikoh ordered his men to remove him so that he, Alamgir I and Murad Baksh could begin fighting. So you see, if he really was the peace-lover that people portray him to be, he wouldn't have wasted such an opportunity to reconcile with his younger brothers. 6 - Rivalry between Alamgir I and Dara Shikoh : This is another thing in which far too many people want to put all of the blame only on Alamgir I. The hatred between Alamgir I and Dara Shikoh had almost nothing to do with religious differences. The brothers had hated each other long before such differences arose. The hatred was also not only one-sided from Alamgir I to Dara Shikoh like many like to believe. Dara Shikoh hated Alamgir I as much as Alamgir I hated him... Dara Shikoh took advantage of his place in the capital and Mughal court as well as his better relationship with Shah Jahan I to constantly undermine Alamgir I's achievements and make fun of him. This is the reason why Alamgir I ended up blaming Dara Shikoh for everything that went wrong in his relationship with their father Shah Jahan I. Dara Shikoh constantly mocked his younger brother for being religious and for his austerity. For decades, Alamgir I was in no position to respond to his brother. But the illness of Shah Jahan I finally presented Alamgir I with an opportunity, now that his older brother was no longer protected by their father. Dara Shikoh would have treated Alamgir I no better than Alamgir I treated him if the outcome of the war was reversed. After Dara Shikoh was captured and brought to Alamgir I, he was asked by him what he would have done if their roles were reversed. Dara Shikoh's answer was that he would have had Alamgir I's body cut into 4 pieces while he was still alive and each part would be displayed on one of the main gates of Delhi. What we have to realize is that if Dara Shikoh had been victorious and became the Mughal Emperor, Alamgir I would have been treated just as poorly as Dara Shikoh was. 7 - In conclusion : Dara Shikoh is often glorified as the great emperor that never was because of Alamgir I. What people fail to look at are the very reasons why he lost the succession war. Dara Shikoh was incompetent and lacked any real world experience. While his 3 brothers Murad Baksh, Shah Shuja and Alamgir I worked endlessly to wage wars and govern in the name of the Mughal Empire, Dara Shikoh spent decades enjoying living in luxury inside the capital. He also had a tendency to make enemies out of men in powerful positions. Here we see an incompetent man being glorified, without any accomplishments of his own, and who caused his own downfall by trying to remove his brothers...

Something that I find very interesting is the way so many people glorify Dara Shikoh because of their hatred towards Alamgir I (more commonly known as Aurangzeb). This is something that Indians seem to do far too often. Glorify and praise some historical figures even if they are incompetent, not because they love them, but because they were opponents of other historical figures that they don't like... Now, getting back to the question. Dara Shikoh also had a dark side. Here are some of the negative characteristics that we know of regarding Dara Shikoh : 1 - Alienation of the nobility : There are actually a few examples of Dara Shikoh’s poor treatment of powerful men within the Mughal administration and military. Dara Shikoh once told Jai Singh II, the Maharaja Sawai of Amber and a powerful Mughal ally, that he looked like a musician. An insult for any Rajput ruler. He mocked the millitary genius Mir Jumla II, a Mughal general, in public for the way he walked. He also turned Shaista Khan, the governor of Bengal, against him. Dara Shikoh even once beated Khalilullah Khan, a powerful Mughal general, with a shoe in public. 2 - Lack of real world experience : The blame for this lies on Shah Jahan I just as much as Dara Shikoh himself. In the 1630's, Alamgir I and his 2 brothers, Murad Baksh and Shah Shuja, were sent to the far reaches of the Mughal Empire to govern and wage wars in the name of their father. However, Shah Jahan I did not send his eldest and favorite son (Dara Shikoh) to any far province to learn governance and war. Instead, he decided to keep Dara Shikoh close to himself in the capital. According to a contemperary account : "The Emperor, from excessive love and partiality, did not allow Dara Shikoh to go away from him..." The end result of this was that Dara Shikoh spent about three decades in the capital, lived a life of luxury and faced no hardships, using the state treasury for his personnal futile expenditures. All the while, his 3 brothers gained experience in terms of war and governance. They built up alliances and friendships with the nobility and generals, awaiting the right moment. Dara Shikoh, on the other hand, never learnt any of this. He was dependent of his father's support. 3 - Overconfidence and inability to take criticism : This is actually mentioned a few times by the accounts of the era as one of the main criticisms against Dara Shikoh. Dara Shikoh was extremely arrogant and overconfident in his own abilities. Even in matters where he had no experience or talent. The prince had been surrounded by nobles who always praised him in the hope of getting his favours for decades within the capital and it seems that he actually started to view himself as an exceptional man, one who had no need to rely on the advice of others. It is also mentioned that Dara Shikoh did not react kindly to criticism. However, that's to be expected of a man in his position who has been surrounded by nobles for years who did nothing but glorify and praise him for their own sake. One example is when the respected mughal prime minister Ali Mardan Khan made a remark about his huge personnal expenditures, he was publicaly humiliated. Shah Jahan I himself saw the scene. So we end up with a man who believes that he is better than others at everything and does not require the advice of those who are far more experienced than him in such matters. He was surrounded by sycophants who further reinforced this view of himself and anyone who criticized him was dealt with harshly. Dara Shikoh was essentially a man living in a bubble of his own imagination. "The first born son of King Shah Jahan I is a man of dignified manners, of a comely countenance, joyous and polite in conversation, confident and gracious in speech, of the most extraordinary liberality, kindness and compassion. But over-confident in his opinion of himself, considering himself competent in all things and having no need for advisers..." - Niccolao Manucci’s description of Dara Shikoh (Niccolao Mannucci is a venetian traveler, physician and writer who worked for the mughal empire)... 4 - Initiation of the conflict : From the accounts of the era, it seems that Dara Shikoh was no different from his brothers. The 3 brothers rose against the heir apparent because it was clear to them that their lives would be over if they did not remove him. While many like to believe Dara Shikoh was a peace-loving hippie, this was simply not the case. Dara Shikoh was every bit as ruthless as his 3 brothers. According to a contemporary account written in 1652 : "Dara Shikoh is a wolf, thirsty for the blood of his brothers..." Any complaints by the 3 brothers to their father Shah Jahan I were ignored. Dara Shikoh had begun to make moves against his brothers to remove them, which ultimately caused them to rebel, thus beggining the succession war that would lead to his downfall. "The power of the eldest Prince [Dara Shikoh] over the affairs of the State is beyond all description. He is without any doubt thirsty for our innocent blood !" - A letter that Alamgir I sent to Shah Jahan I a few years before the succession war... At the battle of Samurgarh where Dara Shikoh faced an alliance composed of his 2 younger brothers Alamgir I and Murad Baksh. Shah Jahan I, who had recovered from his illness, arrived and stood between the 2 armies to prevent his 3 sons from fighting each other. Upon seeing this, Dara Shikoh ordered his men to remove him so that he, Alamgir I and Murad Baksh could begin fighting. So you see, if he really was the peace-lover that people portray him to be, he wouldn't have wasted such an opportunity to reconcile with his younger brothers. 6 - Rivalry between Alamgir I and Dara Shikoh : This is another thing in which far too many people want to put all of the blame only on Alamgir I. The hatred between Alamgir I and Dara Shikoh had almost nothing to do with religious differences. The brothers had hated each other long before such differences arose. The hatred was also not only one-sided from Alamgir I to Dara Shikoh like many like to believe. Dara Shikoh hated Alamgir I as much as Alamgir I hated him... Dara Shikoh took advantage of his place in the capital and Mughal court as well as his better relationship with Shah Jahan I to constantly undermine Alamgir I's achievements and make fun of him. This is the reason why Alamgir I ended up blaming Dara Shikoh for everything that went wrong in his relationship with their father Shah Jahan I. Dara Shikoh constantly mocked his younger brother for being religious and for his austerity. For decades, Alamgir I was in no position to respond to his brother. But the illness of Shah Jahan I finally presented Alamgir I with an opportunity, now that his older brother was no longer protected by their father. Dara Shikoh would have treated Alamgir I no better than Alamgir I treated him if the outcome of the war was reversed. After Dara Shikoh was captured and brought to Alamgir I, he was asked by him what he would have done if their roles were reversed. Dara Shikoh's answer was that he would have had Alamgir I's body cut into 4 pieces while he was still alive and each part would be displayed on one of the main gates of Delhi. What we have to realize is that if Dara Shikoh had been victorious and became the Mughal Emperor, Alamgir I would have been treated just as poorly as Dara Shikoh was. 7 - In conclusion : Dara Shikoh is often glorified as the great emperor that never was because of Alamgir I. What people fail to look at are the very reasons why he lost the succession war. Dara Shikoh was incompetent and lacked any real world experience. While his 3 brothers Murad Baksh, Shah Shuja and Alamgir I worked endlessly to wage wars and govern in the name of the Mughal Empire, Dara Shikoh spent decades enjoying living in luxury inside the capital. He also had a tendency to make enemies out of men in powerful positions. Here we see an incompetent man being glorified, without any accomplishments of his own, and who caused his own downfall by trying to remove his brothers...

व्हॅटप्प युनिव्हर्सिटी से पढाई कि हॊ क्या ???

@@ajitKumar-zk1yx Narada Purana I.14.17 “If, out of wickedness, a woman does not render physical service to her husband, she must be punished by abandoning her for twelve years, without giving her financial assistance.”

@@missionaryavart113 Hanuman, the fierce exterminator, targeted unsuspecting victims in Lanka.

@@missionaryavart113 Shiva, the master beheader, beheaded Ganesha and an elephant's son to revive his own.

@@ajitKumar-zk1yx Parshuram took honor killing to new heights, slaying Kshatriyas 21 times.

Hi, Hamein khushi hai ki aapko hamara show pasand aaya. Shukriya.

kaha se pada ye history whatsapp university ka naya history course mei kya

​@@MdTausif1978मदरसा छाप, कुरान छोड़कर इतिहास पड़ वरना हैवान बन जायेगा./

Bus Kardo Ghobarbhakt 😂😂😂

​@@shehrozrajput9174chuslim, andhnamazi pahle apna khud ka sirname to laga le

@@ayushkumarsingh251 Ghobarbhakt Mai Rajput hi hn

Something that I find very interesting is the way so many people glorify Dara Shikoh because of their hatred towards Alamgir I (more commonly known as Aurangzeb). This is something that Indians seem to do far too often. Glorify and praise some historical figures even if they are incompetent, not because they love them, but because they were opponents of other historical figures that they don't like... Now, getting back to the question. Dara Shikoh also had a dark side. Here are some of the negative characteristics that we know of regarding Dara Shikoh : 1 - Alienation of the nobility : There are actually a few examples of Dara Shikoh’s poor treatment of powerful men within the Mughal administration and military. Dara Shikoh once told Jai Singh I, the Raja of Amber and a powerful Mughal ally, that he looked like a musician. An insult for any Rajput ruler. He mocked the millitary genius Mir Jumla II, a Mughal general, in public for the way he walked. He also turned Shaista Khan, the governor of Bengal, against him. Dara Shikoh even once beated Khalilullah Khan, a powerful Mughal general, with a shoe in public. 2 - Lack of real world experience : The blame for this lies on Shah Jahan I just as much as Dara Shikoh himself. In the 1630's, Alamgir I and his 2 brothers, Murad Baksh and Shah Shuja, were sent to the far reaches of the Mughal Empire to govern and wage wars in the name of their father. However, Shah Jahan I did not send his eldest and favorite son (Dara Shikoh) to any far province to learn governance and war. Instead, he decided to keep Dara Shikoh close to himself in the capital. According to a contemperary account : "The Emperor, from excessive love and partiality, did not allow Dara Shikoh to go away from him..." The end result of this was that Dara Shikoh spent about three decades in the capital, lived a life of luxury and faced no hardships, using the state treasury for his personnal futile expenditures. All the while, his 3 brothers gained experience in terms of war and governance. They built up alliances and friendships with the nobility and generals, awaiting the right moment. Dara Shikoh, on the other hand, never learnt any of this. He was dependent of his father's support. 3 - Overconfidence and inability to take criticism : This is actually mentioned a few times by the accounts of the era as one of the main criticisms against Dara Shikoh. Dara Shikoh was extremely arrogant and overconfident in his own abilities. Even in matters where he had no experience or talent. The prince had been surrounded by nobles who always praised him in the hope of getting his favours for decades within the capital and it seems that he actually started to view himself as an exceptional man, one who had no need to rely on the advice of others. It is also mentioned that Dara Shikoh did not react kindly to criticism. However, that's to be expected of a man in his position who has been surrounded by nobles for years who did nothing but glorify and praise him for their own sake. One example is when the respected mughal prime minister Ali Mardan Khan made a remark about his huge personnal expenditures, he was publicaly humiliated. Shah Jahan I himself saw the scene. So we end up with a man who believes that he is better than others at everything and does not require the advice of those who are far more experienced than him in such matters. He was surrounded by nobles who further reinforced this view of himself by always praising and gloryfing him. Anyone who criticized him was dealt with harshly. Dara Shikoh was essentially a man living in a bubble of his own imagination. "The first born son of King Shah Jahan I is a man of dignified manners, of a comely countenance, joyous and polite in conversation, confident and gracious in speech, of the most extraordinary liberality, kindness and compassion. But over-confident in his opinion of himself, considering himself competent in all things and having no need for advisers..." - Niccolao Manucci’s description of Dara Shikoh (Niccolao Mannucci is a venetian traveler, physician and writer who worked for the mughal empire)... 4 - Initiation of the conflict : From the accounts of the era, it seems that Dara Shikoh was no different from his brothers. The 3 brothers rose against the heir apparent because it was clear to them that their lives would be over if they did not remove him. While many like to believe Dara Shikoh was a peace-loving hippie, this was simply not the case. Dara Shikoh was every bit as ruthless as his 3 brothers. According to a contemporary account written in 1652 : "Dara Shikoh is a wolf, thirsty for the blood of his brothers..." Any complaints by the 3 brothers to their father Shah Jahan I were ignored. Dara Shikoh had begun to make moves against his brothers to remove them, which ultimately caused them to rebel, thus beggining the succession war that would lead to his downfall. "The power of the eldest Prince [Dara Shikoh] over the affairs of the State is beyond all description. He is without any doubt thirsty for our innocent blood !" - A letter that Alamgir I sent to Shah Jahan I a few years before the succession war... At the battle of Samurgarh where Dara Shikoh faced an alliance composed of his 2 younger brothers Alamgir I and Murad Baksh. Shah Jahan I, who had recovered from his illness, arrived and stood between the 2 armies to prevent his 3 sons from fighting each other. Upon seeing this, Dara Shikoh ordered his men to remove him so that he, Alamgir I and Murad Baksh could begin fighting. So you see, if he really was the peace-lover that people portray him to be, he wouldn't have wasted such an opportunity to reconcile with his younger brothers. 6 - Rivalry between Alamgir I and Dara Shikoh : This is another thing in which far too many people want to put all of the blame only on Alamgir I. The hatred between Alamgir I and Dara Shikoh had almost nothing to do with religious differences. The brothers had hated each other long before such differences arose. The hatred was also not only one-sided from Alamgir I to Dara Shikoh like many like to believe. Dara Shikoh hated Alamgir I as much as Alamgir I hated him... Dara Shikoh took advantage of his place in the capital and Mughal court as well as his better relationship with Shah Jahan I to constantly undermine Alamgir I's achievements and make fun of him. This is the reason why Alamgir I ended up blaming Dara Shikoh for everything that went wrong in his relationship with their father Shah Jahan I. Dara Shikoh constantly mocked his younger brother for being religious and for his austerity. For decades, Alamgir I was in no position to respond to his brother. But the illness of Shah Jahan I finally presented Alamgir I with an opportunity, now that his older brother was no longer protected by their father. Dara Shikoh would have treated Alamgir I no better than Alamgir I treated him if the outcome of the war was reversed. After Dara Shikoh was captured and brought to Alamgir I, he was asked by him what he would have done if their roles were reversed. Dara Shikoh's answer was that he would have had Alamgir I's body cut into 4 pieces while he was still alive and each part would be displayed on one of the main gates of Delhi. What we have to realize is that if Dara Shikoh had been victorious and became the Mughal Emperor, Alamgir I would have been treated just as poorly as Dara Shikoh was. 7 - In conclusion : Dara Shikoh is often glorified as the great emperor that never was because of Alamgir I. What people fail to look at are the very reasons why he lost the succession war. Dara Shikoh was incompetent and lacked any real world experience. While his 3 brothers Murad Baksh, Shah Shuja and Alamgir I worked endlessly to wage wars and govern in the name of the Mughal Empire, Dara Shikoh spent decades enjoying living in luxury inside the capital. He also had a tendency to make enemies out of men in powerful positions. Here we see an incompetent man being glorified, without any accomplishments of his own, and who caused his own downfall by trying to remove his brothers...

Something that I find very interesting is the way so many people glorify Dara Shikoh because of their hatred towards Alamgir I (more commonly known as Aurangzeb). This is something that Indians seem to do far too often. Glorify and praise some historical figures even if they are incompetent, not because they love them, but because they were opponents of other historical figures that they don't like... Now, getting back to the question. Dara Shikoh also had a dark side. Here are some of the negative characteristics that we know of regarding Dara Shikoh : 1 - Alienation of the nobility : There are actually a few examples of Dara Shikoh’s poor treatment of powerful men within the Mughal administration and military. Dara Shikoh once told Jai Singh I, the Raja of Amber and a powerful Mughal ally, that he looked like a musician. An insult for any Rajput ruler. He mocked the millitary genius Mir Jumla II, a Mughal general, in public for the way he walked. He also turned Shaista Khan, the governor of Bengal, against him. Dara Shikoh even once beated Khalilullah Khan, a powerful Mughal general, with a shoe in public. 2 - Lack of real world experience : The blame for this lies on Shah Jahan I just as much as Dara Shikoh himself. In the 1630's, Alamgir I and his 2 brothers, Murad Baksh and Shah Shuja, were sent to the far reaches of the Mughal Empire to govern and wage wars in the name of their father. However, Shah Jahan I did not send his eldest and favorite son (Dara Shikoh) to any far province to learn governance and war. Instead, he decided to keep Dara Shikoh close to himself in the capital. According to a contemperary account : "The Emperor, from excessive love and partiality, did not allow Dara Shikoh to go away from him..." The end result of this was that Dara Shikoh spent about three decades in the capital, lived a life of luxury and faced no hardships, using the state treasury for his personnal futile expenditures. All the while, his 3 brothers gained experience in terms of war and governance. They built up alliances and friendships with the nobility and generals, awaiting the right moment. Dara Shikoh, on the other hand, never learnt any of this. He was dependent of his father's support. 3 - Overconfidence and inability to take criticism : This is actually mentioned a few times by the accounts of the era as one of the main criticisms against Dara Shikoh. Dara Shikoh was extremely arrogant and overconfident in his own abilities. Even in matters where he had no experience or talent. The prince had been surrounded by nobles who always praised him in the hope of getting his favours for decades within the capital and it seems that he actually started to view himself as an exceptional man, one who had no need to rely on the advice of others. It is also mentioned that Dara Shikoh did not react kindly to criticism. However, that's to be expected of a man in his position who has been surrounded by nobles for years who did nothing but glorify and praise him for their own sake. One example is when the respected mughal prime minister Ali Mardan Khan made a remark about his huge personnal expenditures, he was publicaly humiliated. Shah Jahan I himself saw the scene. So we end up with a man who believes that he is better than others at everything and does not require the advice of those who are far more experienced than him in such matters. He was surrounded by nobles who further reinforced this view of himself by always praising and gloryfing him. Anyone who criticized him was dealt with harshly. Dara Shikoh was essentially a man living in a bubble of his own imagination. "The first born son of King Shah Jahan I is a man of dignified manners, of a comely countenance, joyous and polite in conversation, confident and gracious in speech, of the most extraordinary liberality, kindness and compassion. But over-confident in his opinion of himself, considering himself competent in all things and having no need for advisers..." - Niccolao Manucci’s description of Dara Shikoh (Niccolao Mannucci is a venetian traveler, physician and writer who worked for the mughal empire)... 4 - Initiation of the conflict : From the accounts of the era, it seems that Dara Shikoh was no different from his brothers. The 3 brothers rose against the heir apparent because it was clear to them that their lives would be over if they did not remove him. While many like to believe Dara Shikoh was a peace-loving hippie, this was simply not the case. Dara Shikoh was every bit as ruthless as his 3 brothers. According to a contemporary account written in 1652 : "Dara Shikoh is a wolf, thirsty for the blood of his brothers..." Any complaints by the 3 brothers to their father Shah Jahan I were ignored. Dara Shikoh had begun to make moves against his brothers to remove them, which ultimately caused them to rebel, thus beggining the succession war that would lead to his downfall. "The power of the eldest Prince [Dara Shikoh] over the affairs of the State is beyond all description. He is without any doubt thirsty for our innocent blood !" - A letter that Alamgir I sent to Shah Jahan I a few years before the succession war... At the battle of Samurgarh where Dara Shikoh faced an alliance composed of his 2 younger brothers Alamgir I and Murad Baksh. Shah Jahan I, who had recovered from his illness, arrived and stood between the 2 armies to prevent his 3 sons from fighting each other. Upon seeing this, Dara Shikoh ordered his men to remove him so that he, Alamgir I and Murad Baksh could begin fighting. So you see, if he really was the peace-lover that people portray him to be, he wouldn't have wasted such an opportunity to reconcile with his younger brothers. 6 - Rivalry between Alamgir I and Dara Shikoh : This is another thing in which far too many people want to put all of the blame only on Alamgir I. The hatred between Alamgir I and Dara Shikoh had almost nothing to do with religious differences. The brothers had hated each other long before such differences arose. The hatred was also not only one-sided from Alamgir I to Dara Shikoh like many like to believe. Dara Shikoh hated Alamgir I as much as Alamgir I hated him... Dara Shikoh took advantage of his place in the capital and Mughal court as well as his better relationship with Shah Jahan I to constantly undermine Alamgir I's achievements and make fun of him. This is the reason why Alamgir I ended up blaming Dara Shikoh for everything that went wrong in his relationship with their father Shah Jahan I. Dara Shikoh constantly mocked his younger brother for being religious and for his austerity. For decades, Alamgir I was in no position to respond to his brother. But the illness of Shah Jahan I finally presented Alamgir I with an opportunity, now that his older brother was no longer protected by their father. Dara Shikoh would have treated Alamgir I no better than Alamgir I treated him if the outcome of the war was reversed. After Dara Shikoh was captured and brought to Alamgir I, he was asked by him what he would have done if their roles were reversed. Dara Shikoh's answer was that he would have had Alamgir I's body cut into 4 pieces while he was still alive and each part would be displayed on one of the main gates of Delhi. What we have to realize is that if Dara Shikoh had been victorious and became the Mughal Emperor, Alamgir I would have been treated just as poorly as Dara Shikoh was. 7 - In conclusion : Dara Shikoh is often glorified as the great emperor that never was because of Alamgir I. What people fail to look at are the very reasons why he lost the succession war. Dara Shikoh was incompetent and lacked any real world experience. While his 3 brothers Murad Baksh, Shah Shuja and Alamgir I worked endlessly to wage wars and govern in the name of the Mughal Empire, Dara Shikoh spent decades enjoying living in luxury inside the capital. He also had a tendency to make enemies out of men in powerful positions. Here we see an incompetent man being glorified, without any accomplishments of his own, and who caused his own downfall by trying to remove his brothers...

Mughal and Delhi Sultanate was the best dynasty in India...you should be very grateful to muslim ....Agr Allauddin was not there , then you lindu marathas and rajputs those so called brave gamdus would have F*** up by the mongols and end of the Tanatanis

The Mughals did : 50% good 50% bad Don't exagerate

Kyuki wo terrorism ko support karte

​@@Peaceful_World130Something that I find very interesting is the way so many people glorify Dara Shikoh because of their hatred towards Alamgir I (more commonly known as Aurangzeb). This is something that Indians seem to do far too often. Glorify and praise some historical figures even if they are incompetent, not because they love them, but because they were opponents of other historical figures that they don't like... Now, getting back to the question. Dara Shikoh also had a dark side. Here are some of the negative characteristics that we know of regarding Dara Shikoh : 1 - Alienation of the nobility : There are actually a few examples of Dara Shikoh’s poor treatment of powerful men within the Mughal administration and military. Dara Shikoh once told Jai Singh I, the Raja of Amber and a powerful Mughal ally, that he looked like a musician. An insult for any Rajput ruler. He mocked the millitary genius Mir Jumla II, a Mughal general, in public for the way he walked. He also turned Shaista Khan, the governor of Bengal, against him. Dara Shikoh even once beated Khalilullah Khan, a powerful Mughal general, with a shoe in public. 2 - Lack of real world experience : The blame for this lies on Shah Jahan I just as much as Dara Shikoh himself. In the 1630's, Alamgir I and his 2 brothers, Murad Baksh and Shah Shuja, were sent to the far reaches of the Mughal Empire to govern and wage wars in the name of their father. However, Shah Jahan I did not send his eldest and favorite son (Dara Shikoh) to any far province to learn governance and war. Instead, he decided to keep Dara Shikoh close to himself in the capital. According to a contemperary account : "The Emperor, from excessive love and partiality, did not allow Dara Shikoh to go away from him..." The end result of this was that Dara Shikoh spent about three decades in the capital, lived a life of luxury and faced no hardships, using the state treasury for his personnal futile expenditures. All the while, his 3 brothers gained experience in terms of war and governance. They built up alliances and friendships with the nobility and generals, awaiting the right moment. Dara Shikoh, on the other hand, never learnt any of this. He was dependent of his father's support. 3 - Overconfidence and inability to take criticism : This is actually mentioned a few times by the accounts of the era as one of the main criticisms against Dara Shikoh. Dara Shikoh was extremely arrogant and overconfident in his own abilities. Even in matters where he had no experience or talent. The prince had been surrounded by nobles who always praised him in the hope of getting his favours for decades within the capital and it seems that he actually started to view himself as an exceptional man, one who had no need to rely on the advice of others. It is also mentioned that Dara Shikoh did not react kindly to criticism. However, that's to be expected of a man in his position who has been surrounded by nobles for years who did nothing but glorify and praise him for their own sake. One example is when the respected mughal prime minister Ali Mardan Khan made a remark about his huge personnal expenditures, he was publicaly humiliated. Shah Jahan I himself saw the scene. So we end up with a man who believes that he is better than others at everything and does not require the advice of those who are far more experienced than him in such matters. He was surrounded by nobles who further reinforced this view of himself by always praising and gloryfing him. Anyone who criticized him was dealt with harshly. Dara Shikoh was essentially a man living in a bubble of his own imagination. "The first born son of King Shah Jahan I is a man of dignified manners, of a comely countenance, joyous and polite in conversation, confident and gracious in speech, of the most extraordinary liberality, kindness and compassion. But over-confident in his opinion of himself, considering himself competent in all things and having no need for advisers..." - Niccolao Manucci’s description of Dara Shikoh (Niccolao Mannucci is a venetian traveler, physician and writer who worked for the mughal empire)... 4 - Initiation of the conflict : From the accounts of the era, it seems that Dara Shikoh was no different from his brothers. The 3 brothers rose against the heir apparent because it was clear to them that their lives would be over if they did not remove him. While many like to believe Dara Shikoh was a peace-loving hippie, this was simply not the case. Dara Shikoh was every bit as ruthless as his 3 brothers. According to a contemporary account written in 1652 : "Dara Shikoh is a wolf, thirsty for the blood of his brothers..." Any complaints by the 3 brothers to their father Shah Jahan I were ignored. Dara Shikoh had begun to make moves against his brothers to remove them, which ultimately caused them to rebel, thus beggining the succession war that would lead to his downfall. "The power of the eldest Prince [Dara Shikoh] over the affairs of the State is beyond all description. He is without any doubt thirsty for our innocent blood !" - A letter that Alamgir I sent to Shah Jahan I a few years before the succession war... At the battle of Samurgarh where Dara Shikoh faced an alliance composed of his 2 younger brothers Alamgir I and Murad Baksh. Shah Jahan I, who had recovered from his illness, arrived and stood between the 2 armies to prevent his 3 sons from fighting each other. Upon seeing this, Dara Shikoh ordered his men to remove him so that he, Alamgir I and Murad Baksh could begin fighting. So you see, if he really was the peace-lover that people portray him to be, he wouldn't have wasted such an opportunity to reconcile with his younger brothers. 6 - Rivalry between Alamgir I and Dara Shikoh : This is another thing in which far too many people want to put all of the blame only on Alamgir I. The hatred between Alamgir I and Dara Shikoh had almost nothing to do with religious differences. The brothers had hated each other long before such differences arose. The hatred was also not only one-sided from Alamgir I to Dara Shikoh like many like to believe. Dara Shikoh hated Alamgir I as much as Alamgir I hated him... Dara Shikoh took advantage of his place in the capital and Mughal court as well as his better relationship with Shah Jahan I to constantly undermine Alamgir I's achievements and make fun of him. This is the reason why Alamgir I ended up blaming Dara Shikoh for everything that went wrong in his relationship with their father Shah Jahan I. Dara Shikoh constantly mocked his younger brother for being religious and for his austerity. For decades, Alamgir I was in no position to respond to his brother. But the illness of Shah Jahan I finally presented Alamgir I with an opportunity, now that his older brother was no longer protected by their father. Dara Shikoh would have treated Alamgir I no better than Alamgir I treated him if the outcome of the war was reversed. After Dara Shikoh was captured and brought to Alamgir I, he was asked by him what he would have done if their roles were reversed. Dara Shikoh's answer was that he would have had Alamgir I's body cut into 4 pieces while he was still alive and each part would be displayed on one of the main gates of Delhi. What we have to realize is that if Dara Shikoh had been victorious and became the Mughal Emperor, Alamgir I would have been treated just as poorly as Dara Shikoh was. 7 - In conclusion : Dara Shikoh is often glorified as the great emperor that never was because of Alamgir I. What people fail to look at are the very reasons why he lost the succession war. Dara Shikoh was incompetent and lacked any real world experience. While his 3 brothers Murad Baksh, Shah Shuja and Alamgir I worked endlessly to wage wars and govern in the name of the Mughal Empire, Dara Shikoh spent decades enjoying living in luxury inside the capital. He also had a tendency to make enemies out of men in powerful positions. Here we see an incompetent man being glorified, without any accomplishments of his own, and who caused his own downfall by trying to remove his brothers...

Something that I find very interesting is the way so many people glorify Dara Shikoh because of their hatred towards Alamgir I (more commonly known as Aurangzeb). This is something that Indians seem to do far too often. Glorify and praise some historical figures even if they are incompetent, not because they love them, but because they were opponents of other historical figures that they don't like... Now, getting back to the question. Dara Shikoh also had a dark side. Here are some of the negative characteristics that we know of regarding Dara Shikoh : 1 - Alienation of the nobility : There are actually a few examples of Dara Shikoh’s poor treatment of powerful men within the Mughal administration and military. Dara Shikoh once told Jai Singh I, the Raja of Amber and a powerful Mughal ally, that he looked like a musician. An insult for any Rajput ruler. He mocked the millitary genius Mir Jumla II, a Mughal general, in public for the way he walked. He also turned Shaista Khan, the governor of Bengal, against him. Dara Shikoh even once beated Khalilullah Khan, a powerful Mughal general, with a shoe in public. 2 - Lack of real world experience : The blame for this lies on Shah Jahan I just as much as Dara Shikoh himself. In the 1630's, Alamgir I and his 2 brothers, Murad Baksh and Shah Shuja, were sent to the far reaches of the Mughal Empire to govern and wage wars in the name of their father. However, Shah Jahan I did not send his eldest and favorite son (Dara Shikoh) to any far province to learn governance and war. Instead, he decided to keep Dara Shikoh close to himself in the capital. According to a contemperary account : "The Emperor, from excessive love and partiality, did not allow Dara Shikoh to go away from him..." The end result of this was that Dara Shikoh spent about three decades in the capital, lived a life of luxury and faced no hardships, using the state treasury for his personnal futile expenditures. All the while, his 3 brothers gained experience in terms of war and governance. They built up alliances and friendships with the nobility and generals, awaiting the right moment. Dara Shikoh, on the other hand, never learnt any of this. He was dependent of his father's support. 3 - Overconfidence and inability to take criticism : This is actually mentioned a few times by the accounts of the era as one of the main criticisms against Dara Shikoh. Dara Shikoh was extremely arrogant and overconfident in his own abilities. Even in matters where he had no experience or talent. The prince had been surrounded by nobles who always praised him in the hope of getting his favours for decades within the capital and it seems that he actually started to view himself as an exceptional man, one who had no need to rely on the advice of others. It is also mentioned that Dara Shikoh did not react kindly to criticism. However, that's to be expected of a man in his position who has been surrounded by nobles for years who did nothing but glorify and praise him for their own sake. One example is when the respected mughal prime minister Ali Mardan Khan made a remark about his huge personnal expenditures, he was publicaly humiliated. Shah Jahan I himself saw the scene. So we end up with a man who believes that he is better than others at everything and does not require the advice of those who are far more experienced than him in such matters. He was surrounded by nobles who further reinforced this view of himself by always praising and gloryfing him. Anyone who criticized him was dealt with harshly. Dara Shikoh was essentially a man living in a bubble of his own imagination. "The first born son of King Shah Jahan I is a man of dignified manners, of a comely countenance, joyous and polite in conversation, confident and gracious in speech, of the most extraordinary liberality, kindness and compassion. But over-confident in his opinion of himself, considering himself competent in all things and having no need for advisers..." - Niccolao Manucci’s description of Dara Shikoh (Niccolao Mannucci is a venetian traveler, physician and writer who worked for the mughal empire)... 4 - Initiation of the conflict : From the accounts of the era, it seems that Dara Shikoh was no different from his brothers. The 3 brothers rose against the heir apparent because it was clear to them that their lives would be over if they did not remove him. While many like to believe Dara Shikoh was a peace-loving hippie, this was simply not the case. Dara Shikoh was every bit as ruthless as his 3 brothers. According to a contemporary account written in 1652 : "Dara Shikoh is a wolf, thirsty for the blood of his brothers..." Any complaints by the 3 brothers to their father Shah Jahan I were ignored. Dara Shikoh had begun to make moves against his brothers to remove them, which ultimately caused them to rebel, thus beggining the succession war that would lead to his downfall. "The power of the eldest Prince [Dara Shikoh] over the affairs of the State is beyond all description. He is without any doubt thirsty for our innocent blood !" - A letter that Alamgir I sent to Shah Jahan I a few years before the succession war... At the battle of Samurgarh where Dara Shikoh faced an alliance composed of his 2 younger brothers Alamgir I and Murad Baksh. Shah Jahan I, who had recovered from his illness, arrived and stood between the 2 armies to prevent his 3 sons from fighting each other. Upon seeing this, Dara Shikoh ordered his men to remove him so that he, Alamgir I and Murad Baksh could begin fighting. So you see, if he really was the peace-lover that people portray him to be, he wouldn't have wasted such an opportunity to reconcile with his younger brothers. 6 - Rivalry between Alamgir I and Dara Shikoh : This is another thing in which far too many people want to put all of the blame only on Alamgir I. The hatred between Alamgir I and Dara Shikoh had almost nothing to do with religious differences. The brothers had hated each other long before such differences arose. The hatred was also not only one-sided from Alamgir I to Dara Shikoh like many like to believe. Dara Shikoh hated Alamgir I as much as Alamgir I hated him... Dara Shikoh took advantage of his place in the capital and Mughal court as well as his better relationship with Shah Jahan I to constantly undermine Alamgir I's achievements and make fun of him. This is the reason why Alamgir I ended up blaming Dara Shikoh for everything that went wrong in his relationship with their father Shah Jahan I. Dara Shikoh constantly mocked his younger brother for being religious and for his austerity. For decades, Alamgir I was in no position to respond to his brother. But the illness of Shah Jahan I finally presented Alamgir I with an opportunity, now that his older brother was no longer protected by their father. Dara Shikoh would have treated Alamgir I no better than Alamgir I treated him if the outcome of the war was reversed. After Dara Shikoh was captured and brought to Alamgir I, he was asked by him what he would have done if their roles were reversed. Dara Shikoh's answer was that he would have had Alamgir I's body cut into 4 pieces while he was still alive and each part would be displayed on one of the main gates of Delhi. What we have to realize is that if Dara Shikoh had been victorious and became the Mughal Emperor, Alamgir I would have been treated just as poorly as Dara Shikoh was. 7 - In conclusion : Dara Shikoh is often glorified as the great emperor that never was because of Alamgir I. What people fail to look at are the very reasons why he lost the succession war. Dara Shikoh was incompetent and lacked any real world experience. While his 3 brothers Murad Baksh, Shah Shuja and Alamgir I worked endlessly to wage wars and govern in the name of the Mughal Empire, Dara Shikoh spent decades enjoying living in luxury inside the capital. He also had a tendency to make enemies out of men in powerful positions. Here we see an incompetent man being glorified, without any accomplishments of his own, and who caused his own downfall by trying to remove his brothers...

Something that I find very interesting is the way so many people glorify Dara Shikoh because of their hatred towards Alamgir I (more commonly known as Aurangzeb). This is something that Indians seem to do far too often. Glorify and praise some historical figures even if they are incompetent, not because they love them, but because they were opponents of other historical figures that they don't like... Now, getting back to the question. Dara Shikoh also had a dark side. Here are some of the negative characteristics that we know of regarding Dara Shikoh : 1 - Alienation of the nobility : There are actually a few examples of Dara Shikoh’s poor treatment of powerful men within the Mughal administration and military. Dara Shikoh once told Jai Singh I, the Raja of Amber and a powerful Mughal ally, that he looked like a musician. An insult for any Rajput ruler. He mocked the millitary genius Mir Jumla II, a Mughal general, in public for the way he walked. He also turned Shaista Khan, the governor of Bengal, against him. Dara Shikoh even once beated Khalilullah Khan, a powerful Mughal general, with a shoe in public. 2 - Lack of real world experience : The blame for this lies on Shah Jahan I just as much as Dara Shikoh himself. In the 1630's, Alamgir I and his 2 brothers, Murad Baksh and Shah Shuja, were sent to the far reaches of the Mughal Empire to govern and wage wars in the name of their father. However, Shah Jahan I did not send his eldest and favorite son (Dara Shikoh) to any far province to learn governance and war. Instead, he decided to keep Dara Shikoh close to himself in the capital. According to a contemperary account : "The Emperor, from excessive love and partiality, did not allow Dara Shikoh to go away from him..." The end result of this was that Dara Shikoh spent about three decades in the capital, lived a life of luxury and faced no hardships, using the state treasury for his personnal futile expenditures. All the while, his 3 brothers gained experience in terms of war and governance. They built up alliances and friendships with the nobility and generals, awaiting the right moment. Dara Shikoh, on the other hand, never learnt any of this. He was dependent of his father's support. 3 - Overconfidence and inability to take criticism : This is actually mentioned a few times by the accounts of the era as one of the main criticisms against Dara Shikoh. Dara Shikoh was extremely arrogant and overconfident in his own abilities. Even in matters where he had no experience or talent. The prince had been surrounded by nobles who always praised him in the hope of getting his favours for decades within the capital and it seems that he actually started to view himself as an exceptional man, one who had no need to rely on the advice of others. It is also mentioned that Dara Shikoh did not react kindly to criticism. However, that's to be expected of a man in his position who has been surrounded by nobles for years who did nothing but glorify and praise him for their own sake. One example is when the respected mughal prime minister Ali Mardan Khan made a remark about his huge personnal expenditures, he was publicaly humiliated. Shah Jahan I himself saw the scene. So we end up with a man who believes that he is better than others at everything and does not require the advice of those who are far more experienced than him in such matters. He was surrounded by sycophants who further reinforced this view of himself and anyone who criticized him was dealt with harshly. Dara Shikoh was essentially a man living in a bubble of his own imagination. "The first born son of King Shah Jahan I is a man of dignified manners, of a comely countenance, joyous and polite in conversation, confident and gracious in speech, of the most extraordinary liberality, kindness and compassion. But over-confident in his opinion of himself, considering himself competent in all things and having no need for advisers..." - Niccolao Manucci’s description of Dara Shikoh (Niccolao Mannucci is a venetian traveler, physician and writer who worked for the mughal empire)... 4 - Initiation of the conflict : From the accounts of the era, it seems that Dara Shikoh was no different from his brothers. The 3 brothers rose against the heir apparent because it was clear to them that their lives would be over if they did not remove him. While many like to believe Dara Shikoh was a peace-loving hippie, this was simply not the case. Dara Shikoh was every bit as ruthless as his 3 brothers. According to a contemporary account written in 1652 : "Dara Shikoh is a wolf, thirsty for the blood of his brothers..." Any complaints by the 3 brothers to their father Shah Jahan I were ignored. Dara Shikoh had begun to make moves against his brothers to remove them, which ultimately caused them to rebel, thus beggining the succession war that would lead to his downfall. "The power of the eldest Prince [Dara Shikoh] over the affairs of the State is beyond all description. He is without any doubt thirsty for our innocent blood !" - A letter that Alamgir I sent to Shah Jahan I a few years before the succession war... At the battle of Samurgarh where Dara Shikoh faced an alliance composed of his 2 younger brothers Alamgir I and Murad Baksh. Shah Jahan I, who had recovered from his illness, arrived and stood between the 2 armies to prevent his 3 sons from fighting each other. Upon seeing this, Dara Shikoh ordered his men to remove him so that he, Alamgir I and Murad Baksh could begin fighting. So you see, if he really was the peace-lover that people portray him to be, he wouldn't have wasted such an opportunity to reconcile with his younger brothers. 6 - Rivalry between Alamgir I and Dara Shikoh : This is another thing in which far too many people want to put all of the blame only on Alamgir I. The hatred between Alamgir I and Dara Shikoh had almost nothing to do with religious differences. The brothers had hated each other long before such differences arose. The hatred was also not only one-sided from Alamgir I to Dara Shikoh like many like to believe. Dara Shikoh hated Alamgir I as much as Alamgir I hated him... Dara Shikoh took advantage of his place in the capital and Mughal court as well as his better relationship with Shah Jahan I to constantly undermine Alamgir I's achievements and make fun of him. This is the reason why Alamgir I ended up blaming Dara Shikoh for everything that went wrong in his relationship with their father Shah Jahan I. Dara Shikoh constantly mocked his younger brother for being religious and for his austerity. For decades, Alamgir I was in no position to respond to his brother. But the illness of Shah Jahan I finally presented Alamgir I with an opportunity, now that his older brother was no longer protected by their father. Dara Shikoh would have treated Alamgir I no better than Alamgir I treated him if the outcome of the war was reversed. After Dara Shikoh was captured and brought to Alamgir I, he was asked by him what he would have done if their roles were reversed. Dara Shikoh's answer was that he would have had Alamgir I's body cut into 4 pieces while he was still alive and each part would be displayed on one of the main gates of Delhi. What we have to realize is that if Dara Shikoh had been victorious and became the Mughal Emperor, Alamgir I would have been treated just as poorly as Dara Shikoh was. 7 - In conclusion : Dara Shikoh is often glorified as the great emperor that never was because of Alamgir I. What people fail to look at are the very reasons why he lost the succession war. Dara Shikoh was incompetent and lacked any real world experience. While his 3 brothers Murad Baksh, Shah Shuja and Alamgir I worked endlessly to wage wars and govern in the name of the Mughal Empire, Dara Shikoh spent decades enjoying living in luxury inside the capital. He also had a tendency to make enemies out of men in powerful positions. Here we see an incompetent man being glorified, without any accomplishments of his own, and who caused his own downfall by trying to remove his brothers...

Hi, Hamein khushi hai ki aapko hamara show pasand aaya. Shukriya.

Something that I find very interesting is the way so many people glorify Dara Shikoh because of their hatred towards Alamgir I (more commonly known as Aurangzeb). This is something that Indians seem to do far too often. Glorify and praise some historical figures even if they are incompetent, not because they love them, but because they were opponents of other historical figures that they don't like... Now, getting back to the question. Dara Shikoh also had a dark side. Here are some of the negative characteristics that we know of regarding Dara Shikoh : 1 - Alienation of the nobility : There are actually a few examples of Dara Shikoh’s poor treatment of powerful men within the Mughal administration and military. Dara Shikoh once told Jai Singh I, the Raja of Amber and a powerful Mughal ally, that he looked like a musician. An insult for any Rajput ruler. He mocked the millitary genius Mir Jumla II, a Mughal general, in public for the way he walked. He also turned Shaista Khan, the governor of Bengal, against him. Dara Shikoh even once beated Khalilullah Khan, a powerful Mughal general, with a shoe in public. 2 - Lack of real world experience : The blame for this lies on Shah Jahan I just as much as Dara Shikoh himself. In the 1630's, Alamgir I and his 2 brothers, Murad Baksh and Shah Shuja, were sent to the far reaches of the Mughal Empire to govern and wage wars in the name of their father. However, Shah Jahan I did not send his eldest and favorite son (Dara Shikoh) to any far province to learn governance and war. Instead, he decided to keep Dara Shikoh close to himself in the capital. According to a contemperary account : "The Emperor, from excessive love and partiality, did not allow Dara Shikoh to go away from him..." The end result of this was that Dara Shikoh spent about three decades in the capital, lived a life of luxury and faced no hardships, using the state treasury for his personnal futile expenditures. All the while, his 3 brothers gained experience in terms of war and governance. They built up alliances and friendships with the nobility and generals, awaiting the right moment. Dara Shikoh, on the other hand, never learnt any of this. He was dependent of his father's support. 3 - Overconfidence and inability to take criticism : This is actually mentioned a few times by the accounts of the era as one of the main criticisms against Dara Shikoh. Dara Shikoh was extremely arrogant and overconfident in his own abilities. Even in matters where he had no experience or talent. The prince had been surrounded by nobles who always praised him in the hope of getting his favours for decades within the capital and it seems that he actually started to view himself as an exceptional man, one who had no need to rely on the advice of others. It is also mentioned that Dara Shikoh did not react kindly to criticism. However, that's to be expected of a man in his position who has been surrounded by nobles for years who did nothing but glorify and praise him for their own sake. One example is when the respected mughal prime minister Ali Mardan Khan made a remark about his huge personnal expenditures, he was publicaly humiliated. Shah Jahan I himself saw the scene. So we end up with a man who believes that he is better than others at everything and does not require the advice of those who are far more experienced than him in such matters. He was surrounded by nobles who further reinforced this view of himself by always praising and gloryfing him. Anyone who criticized him was dealt with harshly. Dara Shikoh was essentially a man living in a bubble of his own imagination. "The first born son of King Shah Jahan I is a man of dignified manners, of a comely countenance, joyous and polite in conversation, confident and gracious in speech, of the most extraordinary liberality, kindness and compassion. But over-confident in his opinion of himself, considering himself competent in all things and having no need for advisers..." - Niccolao Manucci’s description of Dara Shikoh (Niccolao Mannucci is a venetian traveler, physician and writer who worked for the mughal empire)... 4 - Initiation of the conflict : From the accounts of the era, it seems that Dara Shikoh was no different from his brothers. The 3 brothers rose against the heir apparent because it was clear to them that their lives would be over if they did not remove him. While many like to believe Dara Shikoh was a peace-loving hippie, this was simply not the case. Dara Shikoh was every bit as ruthless as his 3 brothers. According to a contemporary account written in 1652 : "Dara Shikoh is a wolf, thirsty for the blood of his brothers..." Any complaints by the 3 brothers to their father Shah Jahan I were ignored. Dara Shikoh had begun to make moves against his brothers to remove them, which ultimately caused them to rebel, thus beggining the succession war that would lead to his downfall. "The power of the eldest Prince [Dara Shikoh] over the affairs of the State is beyond all description. He is without any doubt thirsty for our innocent blood !" - A letter that Alamgir I sent to Shah Jahan I a few years before the succession war... At the battle of Samurgarh where Dara Shikoh faced an alliance composed of his 2 younger brothers Alamgir I and Murad Baksh. Shah Jahan I, who had recovered from his illness, arrived and stood between the 2 armies to prevent his 3 sons from fighting each other. Upon seeing this, Dara Shikoh ordered his men to remove him so that he, Alamgir I and Murad Baksh could begin fighting. So you see, if he really was the peace-lover that people portray him to be, he wouldn't have wasted such an opportunity to reconcile with his younger brothers. 6 - Rivalry between Alamgir I and Dara Shikoh : This is another thing in which far too many people want to put all of the blame only on Alamgir I. The hatred between Alamgir I and Dara Shikoh had almost nothing to do with religious differences. The brothers had hated each other long before such differences arose. The hatred was also not only one-sided from Alamgir I to Dara Shikoh like many like to believe. Dara Shikoh hated Alamgir I as much as Alamgir I hated him... Dara Shikoh took advantage of his place in the capital and Mughal court as well as his better relationship with Shah Jahan I to constantly undermine Alamgir I's achievements and make fun of him. This is the reason why Alamgir I ended up blaming Dara Shikoh for everything that went wrong in his relationship with their father Shah Jahan I. Dara Shikoh constantly mocked his younger brother for being religious and for his austerity. For decades, Alamgir I was in no position to respond to his brother. But the illness of Shah Jahan I finally presented Alamgir I with an opportunity, now that his older brother was no longer protected by their father. Dara Shikoh would have treated Alamgir I no better than Alamgir I treated him if the outcome of the war was reversed. After Dara Shikoh was captured and brought to Alamgir I, he was asked by him what he would have done if their roles were reversed. Dara Shikoh's answer was that he would have had Alamgir I's body cut into 4 pieces while he was still alive and each part would be displayed on one of the main gates of Delhi. What we have to realize is that if Dara Shikoh had been victorious and became the Mughal Emperor, Alamgir I would have been treated just as poorly as Dara Shikoh was. 7 - In conclusion : Dara Shikoh is often glorified as the great emperor that never was because of Alamgir I. What people fail to look at are the very reasons why he lost the succession war. Dara Shikoh was incompetent and lacked any real world experience. While his 3 brothers Murad Baksh, Shah Shuja and Alamgir I worked endlessly to wage wars and govern in the name of the Mughal Empire, Dara Shikoh spent decades enjoying living in luxury inside the capital. He also had a tendency to make enemies out of men in powerful positions. Here we see an incompetent man being glorified, without any accomplishments of his own, and who caused his own downfall by trying to remove his brothers...

Konsi?

Something that I find very interesting is the way so many people glorify Dara Shikoh because of their hatred towards Alamgir I (more commonly known as Aurangzeb). This is something that Indians seem to do far too often. Glorify and praise some historical figures even if they are incompetent, not because they love them, but because they were opponents of other historical figures that they don't like... Now, getting back to the question. Dara Shikoh also had a dark side. Here are some of the negative characteristics that we know of regarding Dara Shikoh : 1 - Alienation of the nobility : There are actually a few examples of Dara Shikoh’s poor treatment of powerful men within the Mughal administration and military. Dara Shikoh once told Jai Singh II, the Maharaja Sawai of Amber and a powerful Mughal ally, that he looked like a musician. An insult for any Rajput ruler. He mocked the millitary genius Mir Jumla II, a Mughal general, in public for the way he walked. He also turned Shaista Khan, the governor of Bengal, against him. Dara Shikoh even once beated Khalilullah Khan, a powerful Mughal general, with a shoe in public. 2 - Lack of real world experience : The blame for this lies on Shah Jahan I just as much as Dara Shikoh himself. In the 1630's, Alamgir I and his 2 brothers, Murad Baksh and Shah Shuja, were sent to the far reaches of the Mughal Empire to govern and wage wars in the name of their father. However, Shah Jahan I did not send his eldest and favorite son (Dara Shikoh) to any far province to learn governance and war. Instead, he decided to keep Dara Shikoh close to himself in the capital. According to a contemperary account : "The Emperor, from excessive love and partiality, did not allow Dara Shikoh to go away from him..." The end result of this was that Dara Shikoh spent about three decades in the capital, lived a life of luxury and faced no hardships, using the state treasury for his personnal futile expenditures. All the while, his 3 brothers gained experience in terms of war and governance. They built up alliances and friendships with the nobility and generals, awaiting the right moment. Dara Shikoh, on the other hand, never learnt any of this. He was dependent of his father's support. 3 - Overconfidence and inability to take criticism : This is actually mentioned a few times by the accounts of the era as one of the main criticisms against Dara Shikoh. Dara Shikoh was extremely arrogant and overconfident in his own abilities. Even in matters where he had no experience or talent. The prince had been surrounded by nobles who always praised him in the hope of getting his favours for decades within the capital and it seems that he actually started to view himself as an exceptional man, one who had no need to rely on the advice of others. It is also mentioned that Dara Shikoh did not react kindly to criticism. However, that's to be expected of a man in his position who has been surrounded by nobles for years who did nothing but glorify and praise him for their own sake. One example is when the respected mughal prime minister Ali Mardan Khan made a remark about his huge personnal expenditures, he was publicaly humiliated. Shah Jahan I himself saw the scene. So we end up with a man who believes that he is better than others at everything and does not require the advice of those who are far more experienced than him in such matters. He was surrounded by sycophants who further reinforced this view of himself and anyone who criticized him was dealt with harshly. Dara Shikoh was essentially a man living in a bubble of his own imagination. "The first born son of King Shah Jahan I is a man of dignified manners, of a comely countenance, joyous and polite in conversation, confident and gracious in speech, of the most extraordinary liberality, kindness and compassion. But over-confident in his opinion of himself, considering himself competent in all things and having no need for advisers..." - Niccolao Manucci’s description of Dara Shikoh (Niccolao Mannucci is a venetian traveler, physician and writer who worked for the mughal empire)... 4 - Initiation of the conflict : From the accounts of the era, it seems that Dara Shikoh was no different from his brothers. The 3 brothers rose against the heir apparent because it was clear to them that their lives would be over if they did not remove him. While many like to believe Dara Shikoh was a peace-loving hippie, this was simply not the case. Dara Shikoh was every bit as ruthless as his 3 brothers. According to a contemporary account written in 1652 : "Dara Shikoh is a wolf, thirsty for the blood of his brothers..." Any complaints by the 3 brothers to their father Shah Jahan I were ignored. Dara Shikoh had begun to make moves against his brothers to remove them, which ultimately caused them to rebel, thus beggining the succession war that would lead to his downfall. "The power of the eldest Prince [Dara Shikoh] over the affairs of the State is beyond all description. He is without any doubt thirsty for our innocent blood !" - A letter that Alamgir I sent to Shah Jahan I a few years before the succession war... At the battle of Samurgarh where Dara Shikoh faced an alliance composed of his 2 younger brothers Alamgir I and Murad Baksh. Shah Jahan I, who had recovered from his illness, arrived and stood between the 2 armies to prevent his 3 sons from fighting each other. Upon seeing this, Dara Shikoh ordered his men to remove him so that he, Alamgir I and Murad Baksh could begin fighting. So you see, if he really was the peace-lover that people portray him to be, he wouldn't have wasted such an opportunity to reconcile with his younger brothers. 6 - Rivalry between Alamgir I and Dara Shikoh : This is another thing in which far too many people want to put all of the blame only on Alamgir I. The hatred between Alamgir I and Dara Shikoh had almost nothing to do with religious differences. The brothers had hated each other long before such differences arose. The hatred was also not only one-sided from Alamgir I to Dara Shikoh like many like to believe. Dara Shikoh hated Alamgir I as much as Alamgir I hated him... Dara Shikoh took advantage of his place in the capital and Mughal court as well as his better relationship with Shah Jahan I to constantly undermine Alamgir I's achievements and make fun of him. This is the reason why Alamgir I ended up blaming Dara Shikoh for everything that went wrong in his relationship with their father Shah Jahan I. Dara Shikoh constantly mocked his younger brother for being religious and for his austerity. For decades, Alamgir I was in no position to respond to his brother. But the illness of Shah Jahan I finally presented Alamgir I with an opportunity, now that his older brother was no longer protected by their father. Dara Shikoh would have treated Alamgir I no better than Alamgir I treated him if the outcome of the war was reversed. After Dara Shikoh was captured and brought to Alamgir I, he was asked by him what he would have done if their roles were reversed. Dara Shikoh's answer was that he would have had Alamgir I's body cut into 4 pieces while he was still alive and each part would be displayed on one of the main gates of Delhi. What we have to realize is that if Dara Shikoh had been victorious and became the Mughal Emperor, Alamgir I would have been treated just as poorly as Dara Shikoh was. 7 - In conclusion : Dara Shikoh is often glorified as the great emperor that never was because of Alamgir I. What people fail to look at are the very reasons why he lost the succession war. Dara Shikoh was incompetent and lacked any real world experience. While his 3 brothers Murad Baksh, Shah Shuja and Alamgir I worked endlessly to wage wars and govern in the name of the Mughal Empire, Dara Shikoh spent decades enjoying living in luxury inside the capital. He also had a tendency to make enemies out of men in powerful positions. Here we see an incompetent man being glorified, without any accomplishments of his own, and who caused his own downfall by trying to remove his brothers...

Something that I find very interesting is the way so many people glorify Dara Shikoh because of their hatred towards Alamgir I (more commonly known as Aurangzeb). This is something that Indians seem to do far too often. Glorify and praise some historical figures even if they are incompetent, not because they love them, but because they were opponents of other historical figures that they don't like... Now, getting back to the question. Dara Shikoh also had a dark side. Here are some of the negative characteristics that we know of regarding Dara Shikoh : 1 - Alienation of the nobility : There are actually a few examples of Dara Shikoh’s poor treatment of powerful men within the Mughal administration and military. Dara Shikoh once told Jai Singh II, the Maharaja Sawai of Amber and a powerful Mughal ally, that he looked like a musician. An insult for any Rajput ruler. He mocked the millitary genius Mir Jumla II, a Mughal general, in public for the way he walked. He also turned Shaista Khan, the governor of Bengal, against him. Dara Shikoh even once beated Khalilullah Khan, a powerful Mughal general, with a shoe in public. 2 - Lack of real world experience : The blame for this lies on Shah Jahan I just as much as Dara Shikoh himself. In the 1630's, Alamgir I and his 2 brothers, Murad Baksh and Shah Shuja, were sent to the far reaches of the Mughal Empire to govern and wage wars in the name of their father. However, Shah Jahan I did not send his eldest and favorite son (Dara Shikoh) to any far province to learn governance and war. Instead, he decided to keep Dara Shikoh close to himself in the capital. According to a contemperary account : "The Emperor, from excessive love and partiality, did not allow Dara Shikoh to go away from him..." The end result of this was that Dara Shikoh spent about three decades in the capital, lived a life of luxury and faced no hardships, using the state treasury for his personnal futile expenditures. All the while, his 3 brothers gained experience in terms of war and governance. They built up alliances and friendships with the nobility and generals, awaiting the right moment. Dara Shikoh, on the other hand, never learnt any of this. He was dependent of his father's support. 3 - Overconfidence and inability to take criticism : This is actually mentioned a few times by the accounts of the era as one of the main criticisms against Dara Shikoh. Dara Shikoh was extremely arrogant and overconfident in his own abilities. Even in matters where he had no experience or talent. The prince had been surrounded by nobles who always praised him in the hope of getting his favours for decades within the capital and it seems that he actually started to view himself as an exceptional man, one who had no need to rely on the advice of others. It is also mentioned that Dara Shikoh did not react kindly to criticism. However, that's to be expected of a man in his position who has been surrounded by nobles for years who did nothing but glorify and praise him for their own sake. One example is when the respected mughal prime minister Ali Mardan Khan made a remark about his huge personnal expenditures, he was publicaly humiliated. Shah Jahan I himself saw the scene. So we end up with a man who believes that he is better than others at everything and does not require the advice of those who are far more experienced than him in such matters. He was surrounded by sycophants who further reinforced this view of himself and anyone who criticized him was dealt with harshly. Dara Shikoh was essentially a man living in a bubble of his own imagination. "The first born son of King Shah Jahan I is a man of dignified manners, of a comely countenance, joyous and polite in conversation, confident and gracious in speech, of the most extraordinary liberality, kindness and compassion. But over-confident in his opinion of himself, considering himself competent in all things and having no need for advisers..." - Niccolao Manucci’s description of Dara Shikoh (Niccolao Mannucci is a venetian traveler, physician and writer who worked for the mughal empire)... 4 - Initiation of the conflict : From the accounts of the era, it seems that Dara Shikoh was no different from his brothers. The 3 brothers rose against the heir apparent because it was clear to them that their lives would be over if they did not remove him. While many like to believe Dara Shikoh was a peace-loving hippie, this was simply not the case. Dara Shikoh was every bit as ruthless as his 3 brothers. According to a contemporary account written in 1652 : "Dara Shikoh is a wolf, thirsty for the blood of his brothers..." Any complaints by the 3 brothers to their father Shah Jahan I were ignored. Dara Shikoh had begun to make moves against his brothers to remove them, which ultimately caused them to rebel, thus beggining the succession war that would lead to his downfall. "The power of the eldest Prince [Dara Shikoh] over the affairs of the State is beyond all description. He is without any doubt thirsty for our innocent blood !" - A letter that Alamgir I sent to Shah Jahan I a few years before the succession war... At the battle of Samurgarh where Dara Shikoh faced an alliance composed of his 2 younger brothers Alamgir I and Murad Baksh. Shah Jahan I, who had recovered from his illness, arrived and stood between the 2 armies to prevent his 3 sons from fighting each other. Upon seeing this, Dara Shikoh ordered his men to remove him so that he, Alamgir I and Murad Baksh could begin fighting. So you see, if he really was the peace-lover that people portray him to be, he wouldn't have wasted such an opportunity to reconcile with his younger brothers. 6 - Rivalry between Alamgir I and Dara Shikoh : This is another thing in which far too many people want to put all of the blame only on Alamgir I. The hatred between Alamgir I and Dara Shikoh had almost nothing to do with religious differences. The brothers had hated each other long before such differences arose. The hatred was also not only one-sided from Alamgir I to Dara Shikoh like many like to believe. Dara Shikoh hated Alamgir I as much as Alamgir I hated him... Dara Shikoh took advantage of his place in the capital and Mughal court as well as his better relationship with Shah Jahan I to constantly undermine Alamgir I's achievements and make fun of him. This is the reason why Alamgir I ended up blaming Dara Shikoh for everything that went wrong in his relationship with their father Shah Jahan I. Dara Shikoh constantly mocked his younger brother for being religious and for his austerity. For decades, Alamgir I was in no position to respond to his brother. But the illness of Shah Jahan I finally presented Alamgir I with an opportunity, now that his older brother was no longer protected by their father. Dara Shikoh would have treated Alamgir I no better than Alamgir I treated him if the outcome of the war was reversed. After Dara Shikoh was captured and brought to Alamgir I, he was asked by him what he would have done if their roles were reversed. Dara Shikoh's answer was that he would have had Alamgir I's body cut into 4 pieces while he was still alive and each part would be displayed on one of the main gates of Delhi. What we have to realize is that if Dara Shikoh had been victorious and became the Mughal Emperor, Alamgir I would have been treated just as poorly as Dara Shikoh was. 7 - In conclusion : Dara Shikoh is often glorified as the great emperor that never was because of Alamgir I. What people fail to look at are the very reasons why he lost the succession war. Dara Shikoh was incompetent and lacked any real world experience. While his 3 brothers Murad Baksh, Shah Shuja and Alamgir I worked endlessly to wage wars and govern in the name of the Mughal Empire, Dara Shikoh spent decades enjoying living in luxury inside the capital. He also had a tendency to make enemies out of men in powerful positions. Here we see an incompetent man being glorified, without any accomplishments of his own, and who caused his own downfall by trying to remove his brothers...

Something that I find very interesting is the way so many people glorify Dara Shikoh because of their hatred towards Alamgir I (more commonly known as Aurangzeb). This is something that Indians seem to do far too often. Glorify and praise some historical figures even if they are incompetent, not because they love them, but because they were opponents of other historical figures that they don't like... Now, getting back to the question. Dara Shikoh also had a dark side. Here are some of the negative characteristics that we know of regarding Dara Shikoh : 1 - Alienation of the nobility : There are actually a few examples of Dara Shikoh’s poor treatment of powerful men within the Mughal administration and military. Dara Shikoh once told Jai Singh I, the Raja of Amber and a powerful Mughal ally, that he looked like a musician. An insult for any Rajput ruler. He mocked the millitary genius Mir Jumla II, a Mughal general, in public for the way he walked. He also turned Shaista Khan, the governor of Bengal, against him. Dara Shikoh even once beated Khalilullah Khan, a powerful Mughal general, with a shoe in public. 2 - Lack of real world experience : The blame for this lies on Shah Jahan I just as much as Dara Shikoh himself. In the 1630's, Alamgir I and his 2 brothers, Murad Baksh and Shah Shuja, were sent to the far reaches of the Mughal Empire to govern and wage wars in the name of their father. However, Shah Jahan I did not send his eldest and favorite son (Dara Shikoh) to any far province to learn governance and war. Instead, he decided to keep Dara Shikoh close to himself in the capital. According to a contemperary account : "The Emperor, from excessive love and partiality, did not allow Dara Shikoh to go away from him..." The end result of this was that Dara Shikoh spent about three decades in the capital, lived a life of luxury and faced no hardships, using the state treasury for his personnal futile expenditures. All the while, his 3 brothers gained experience in terms of war and governance. They built up alliances and friendships with the nobility and generals, awaiting the right moment. Dara Shikoh, on the other hand, never learnt any of this. He was dependent of his father's support. 3 - Overconfidence and inability to take criticism : This is actually mentioned a few times by the accounts of the era as one of the main criticisms against Dara Shikoh. Dara Shikoh was extremely arrogant and overconfident in his own abilities. Even in matters where he had no experience or talent. The prince had been surrounded by nobles who always praised him in the hope of getting his favours for decades within the capital and it seems that he actually started to view himself as an exceptional man, one who had no need to rely on the advice of others. It is also mentioned that Dara Shikoh did not react kindly to criticism. However, that's to be expected of a man in his position who has been surrounded by nobles for years who did nothing but glorify and praise him for their own sake. One example is when the respected mughal prime minister Ali Mardan Khan made a remark about his huge personnal expenditures, he was publicaly humiliated. Shah Jahan I himself saw the scene. So we end up with a man who believes that he is better than others at everything and does not require the advice of those who are far more experienced than him in such matters. He was surrounded by nobles who further reinforced this view of himself by always praising and gloryfing him. Anyone who criticized him was dealt with harshly. Dara Shikoh was essentially a man living in a bubble of his own imagination. "The first born son of King Shah Jahan I is a man of dignified manners, of a comely countenance, joyous and polite in conversation, confident and gracious in speech, of the most extraordinary liberality, kindness and compassion. But over-confident in his opinion of himself, considering himself competent in all things and having no need for advisers..." - Niccolao Manucci’s description of Dara Shikoh (Niccolao Mannucci is a venetian traveler, physician and writer who worked for the mughal empire)... 4 - Initiation of the conflict : From the accounts of the era, it seems that Dara Shikoh was no different from his brothers. The 3 brothers rose against the heir apparent because it was clear to them that their lives would be over if they did not remove him. While many like to believe Dara Shikoh was a peace-loving hippie, this was simply not the case. Dara Shikoh was every bit as ruthless as his 3 brothers. According to a contemporary account written in 1652 : "Dara Shikoh is a wolf, thirsty for the blood of his brothers..." Any complaints by the 3 brothers to their father Shah Jahan I were ignored. Dara Shikoh had begun to make moves against his brothers to remove them, which ultimately caused them to rebel, thus beggining the succession war that would lead to his downfall. "The power of the eldest Prince [Dara Shikoh] over the affairs of the State is beyond all description. He is without any doubt thirsty for our innocent blood !" - A letter that Alamgir I sent to Shah Jahan I a few years before the succession war... At the battle of Samurgarh where Dara Shikoh faced an alliance composed of his 2 younger brothers Alamgir I and Murad Baksh. Shah Jahan I, who had recovered from his illness, arrived and stood between the 2 armies to prevent his 3 sons from fighting each other. Upon seeing this, Dara Shikoh ordered his men to remove him so that he, Alamgir I and Murad Baksh could begin fighting. So you see, if he really was the peace-lover that people portray him to be, he wouldn't have wasted such an opportunity to reconcile with his younger brothers. 6 - Rivalry between Alamgir I and Dara Shikoh : This is another thing in which far too many people want to put all of the blame only on Alamgir I. The hatred between Alamgir I and Dara Shikoh had almost nothing to do with religious differences. The brothers had hated each other long before such differences arose. The hatred was also not only one-sided from Alamgir I to Dara Shikoh like many like to believe. Dara Shikoh hated Alamgir I as much as Alamgir I hated him... Dara Shikoh took advantage of his place in the capital and Mughal court as well as his better relationship with Shah Jahan I to constantly undermine Alamgir I's achievements and make fun of him. This is the reason why Alamgir I ended up blaming Dara Shikoh for everything that went wrong in his relationship with their father Shah Jahan I. Dara Shikoh constantly mocked his younger brother for being religious and for his austerity. For decades, Alamgir I was in no position to respond to his brother. But the illness of Shah Jahan I finally presented Alamgir I with an opportunity, now that his older brother was no longer protected by their father. Dara Shikoh would have treated Alamgir I no better than Alamgir I treated him if the outcome of the war was reversed. After Dara Shikoh was captured and brought to Alamgir I, he was asked by him what he would have done if their roles were reversed. Dara Shikoh's answer was that he would have had Alamgir I's body cut into 4 pieces while he was still alive and each part would be displayed on one of the main gates of Delhi. What we have to realize is that if Dara Shikoh had been victorious and became the Mughal Emperor, Alamgir I would have been treated just as poorly as Dara Shikoh was. 7 - In conclusion : Dara Shikoh is often glorified as the great emperor that never was because of Alamgir I. What people fail to look at are the very reasons why he lost the succession war. Dara Shikoh was incompetent and lacked any real world experience. While his 3 brothers Murad Baksh, Shah Shuja and Alamgir I worked endlessly to wage wars and govern in the name of the Mughal Empire, Dara Shikoh spent decades enjoying living in luxury inside the capital. He also had a tendency to make enemies out of men in powerful positions. Here we see an incompetent man being glorified, without any accomplishments of his own, and who caused his own downfall by trying to remove his brothers...

Something that I find very interesting is the way so many people glorify Dara Shikoh because of their hatred towards Alamgir I (more commonly known as Aurangzeb). This is something that Indians seem to do far too often. Glorify and praise some historical figures even if they are incompetent, not because they love them, but because they were opponents of other historical figures that they don't like... Now, getting back to the question. Dara Shikoh also had a dark side. Here are some of the negative characteristics that we know of regarding Dara Shikoh : 1 - Alienation of the nobility : There are actually a few examples of Dara Shikoh’s poor treatment of powerful men within the Mughal administration and military. Dara Shikoh once told Jai Singh I, the Raja of Amber and a powerful Mughal ally, that he looked like a musician. An insult for any Rajput ruler. He mocked the millitary genius Mir Jumla II, a Mughal general, in public for the way he walked. He also turned Shaista Khan, the governor of Bengal, against him. Dara Shikoh even once beated Khalilullah Khan, a powerful Mughal general, with a shoe in public. 2 - Lack of real world experience : The blame for this lies on Shah Jahan I just as much as Dara Shikoh himself. In the 1630's, Alamgir I and his 2 brothers, Murad Baksh and Shah Shuja, were sent to the far reaches of the Mughal Empire to govern and wage wars in the name of their father. However, Shah Jahan I did not send his eldest and favorite son (Dara Shikoh) to any far province to learn governance and war. Instead, he decided to keep Dara Shikoh close to himself in the capital. According to a contemperary account : "The Emperor, from excessive love and partiality, did not allow Dara Shikoh to go away from him..." The end result of this was that Dara Shikoh spent about three decades in the capital, lived a life of luxury and faced no hardships, using the state treasury for his personnal futile expenditures. All the while, his 3 brothers gained experience in terms of war and governance. They built up alliances and friendships with the nobility and generals, awaiting the right moment. Dara Shikoh, on the other hand, never learnt any of this. He was dependent of his father's support. 3 - Overconfidence and inability to take criticism : This is actually mentioned a few times by the accounts of the era as one of the main criticisms against Dara Shikoh. Dara Shikoh was extremely arrogant and overconfident in his own abilities. Even in matters where he had no experience or talent. The prince had been surrounded by nobles who always praised him in the hope of getting his favours for decades within the capital and it seems that he actually started to view himself as an exceptional man, one who had no need to rely on the advice of others. It is also mentioned that Dara Shikoh did not react kindly to criticism. However, that's to be expected of a man in his position who has been surrounded by nobles for years who did nothing but glorify and praise him for their own sake. One example is when the respected mughal prime minister Ali Mardan Khan made a remark about his huge personnal expenditures, he was publicaly humiliated. Shah Jahan I himself saw the scene. So we end up with a man who believes that he is better than others at everything and does not require the advice of those who are far more experienced than him in such matters. He was surrounded by sycophants who further reinforced this view of himself and anyone who criticized him was dealt with harshly. Dara Shikoh was essentially a man living in a bubble of his own imagination. "The first born son of King Shah Jahan I is a man of dignified manners, of a comely countenance, joyous and polite in conversation, confident and gracious in speech, of the most extraordinary liberality, kindness and compassion. But over-confident in his opinion of himself, considering himself competent in all things and having no need for advisers..." - Niccolao Manucci’s description of Dara Shikoh (Niccolao Mannucci is a venetian traveler, physician and writer who worked for the mughal empire)... 4 - Initiation of the conflict : From the accounts of the era, it seems that Dara Shikoh was no different from his brothers. The 3 brothers rose against the heir apparent because it was clear to them that their lives would be over if they did not remove him. While many like to believe Dara Shikoh was a peace-loving hippie, this was simply not the case. Dara Shikoh was every bit as ruthless as his 3 brothers. According to a contemporary account written in 1652 : "Dara Shikoh is a wolf, thirsty for the blood of his brothers..." Any complaints by the 3 brothers to their father Shah Jahan I were ignored. Dara Shikoh had begun to make moves against his brothers to remove them, which ultimately caused them to rebel, thus beggining the succession war that would lead to his downfall. "The power of the eldest Prince [Dara Shikoh] over the affairs of the State is beyond all description. He is without any doubt thirsty for our innocent blood !" - A letter that Alamgir I sent to Shah Jahan I a few years before the succession war... At the battle of Samurgarh where Dara Shikoh faced an alliance composed of his 2 younger brothers Alamgir I and Murad Baksh. Shah Jahan I, who had recovered from his illness, arrived and stood between the 2 armies to prevent his 3 sons from fighting each other. Upon seeing this, Dara Shikoh ordered his men to remove him so that he, Alamgir I and Murad Baksh could begin fighting. So you see, if he really was the peace-lover that people portray him to be, he wouldn't have wasted such an opportunity to reconcile with his younger brothers. 6 - Rivalry between Alamgir I and Dara Shikoh : This is another thing in which far too many people want to put all of the blame only on Alamgir I. The hatred between Alamgir I and Dara Shikoh had almost nothing to do with religious differences. The brothers had hated each other long before such differences arose. The hatred was also not only one-sided from Alamgir I to Dara Shikoh like many like to believe. Dara Shikoh hated Alamgir I as much as Alamgir I hated him... Dara Shikoh took advantage of his place in the capital and Mughal court as well as his better relationship with Shah Jahan I to constantly undermine Alamgir I's achievements and make fun of him. This is the reason why Alamgir I ended up blaming Dara Shikoh for everything that went wrong in his relationship with their father Shah Jahan I. Dara Shikoh constantly mocked his younger brother for being religious and for his austerity. For decades, Alamgir I was in no position to respond to his brother. But the illness of Shah Jahan I finally presented Alamgir I with an opportunity, now that his older brother was no longer protected by their father. Dara Shikoh would have treated Alamgir I no better than Alamgir I treated him if the outcome of the war was reversed. After Dara Shikoh was captured and brought to Alamgir I, he was asked by him what he would have done if their roles were reversed. Dara Shikoh's answer was that he would have had Alamgir I's body cut into 4 pieces while he was still alive and each part would be displayed on one of the main gates of Delhi. What we have to realize is that if Dara Shikoh had been victorious and became the Mughal Emperor, Alamgir I would have been treated just as poorly as Dara Shikoh was. 7 - In conclusion : Dara Shikoh is often glorified as the great emperor that never was because of Alamgir I. What people fail to look at are the very reasons why he lost the succession war. Dara Shikoh was incompetent and lacked any real world experience. While his 3 brothers Murad Baksh, Shah Shuja and Alamgir I worked endlessly to wage wars and govern in the name of the Mughal Empire, Dara Shikoh spent decades enjoying living in luxury inside the capital. He also had a tendency to make enemies out of men in powerful positions. Here we see an incompetent man being glorified, without any accomplishments of his own, and who caused his own downfall by trying to remove his brothers...

aurangazeb is far better thn dara.... @@History_Teller1250

​@@sayakchakraborty8988True

Wow😂😂😂

Atankwadi kabhi hero nahi hote

झाटू

Something that I find very interesting is the way so many people glorify Dara Shikoh because of their hatred towards Alamgir I (more commonly known as Aurangzeb). This is something that Indians seem to do far too often. Glorify and praise some historical figures even if they are incompetent, not because they love them, but because they were opponents of other historical figures that they don't like... Now, getting back to the question. Dara Shikoh also had a dark side. Here are some of the negative characteristics that we know of regarding Dara Shikoh : 1 - Alienation of the nobility : There are actually a few examples of Dara Shikoh’s poor treatment of powerful men within the Mughal administration and military. Dara Shikoh once told Jai Singh II, the Maharaja Sawai of Amber and a powerful Mughal ally, that he looked like a musician. An insult for any Rajput ruler. He mocked the millitary genius Mir Jumla II, a Mughal general, in public for the way he walked. He also turned Shaista Khan, the governor of Bengal, against him. Dara Shikoh even once beated Khalilullah Khan, a powerful Mughal general, with a shoe in public. 2 - Lack of real world experience : The blame for this lies on Shah Jahan I just as much as Dara Shikoh himself. In the 1630's, Alamgir I and his 2 brothers, Murad Baksh and Shah Shuja, were sent to the far reaches of the Mughal Empire to govern and wage wars in the name of their father. However, Shah Jahan I did not send his eldest and favorite son (Dara Shikoh) to any far province to learn governance and war. Instead, he decided to keep Dara Shikoh close to himself in the capital. According to a contemperary account : "The Emperor, from excessive love and partiality, did not allow Dara Shikoh to go away from him..." The end result of this was that Dara Shikoh spent about three decades in the capital, lived a life of luxury and faced no hardships, using the state treasury for his personnal futile expenditures. All the while, his 3 brothers gained experience in terms of war and governance. They built up alliances and friendships with the nobility and generals, awaiting the right moment. Dara Shikoh, on the other hand, never learnt any of this. He was dependent of his father's support. 3 - Overconfidence and inability to take criticism : This is actually mentioned a few times by the accounts of the era as one of the main criticisms against Dara Shikoh. Dara Shikoh was extremely arrogant and overconfident in his own abilities. Even in matters where he had no experience or talent. The prince had been surrounded by nobles who always praised him in the hope of getting his favours for decades within the capital and it seems that he actually started to view himself as an exceptional man, one who had no need to rely on the advice of others. It is also mentioned that Dara Shikoh did not react kindly to criticism. However, that's to be expected of a man in his position who has been surrounded by nobles for years who did nothing but glorify and praise him for their own sake. One example is when the respected mughal prime minister Ali Mardan Khan made a remark about his huge personnal expenditures, he was publicaly humiliated. Shah Jahan I himself saw the scene. So we end up with a man who believes that he is better than others at everything and does not require the advice of those who are far more experienced than him in such matters. He was surrounded by sycophants who further reinforced this view of himself and anyone who criticized him was dealt with harshly. Dara Shikoh was essentially a man living in a bubble of his own imagination. "The first born son of King Shah Jahan I is a man of dignified manners, of a comely countenance, joyous and polite in conversation, confident and gracious in speech, of the most extraordinary liberality, kindness and compassion. But over-confident in his opinion of himself, considering himself competent in all things and having no need for advisers..." - Niccolao Manucci’s description of Dara Shikoh (Niccolao Mannucci is a venetian traveler, physician and writer who worked for the mughal empire)... 4 - Initiation of the conflict : From the accounts of the era, it seems that Dara Shikoh was no different from his brothers. The 3 brothers rose against the heir apparent because it was clear to them that their lives would be over if they did not remove him. While many like to believe Dara Shikoh was a peace-loving hippie, this was simply not the case. Dara Shikoh was every bit as ruthless as his 3 brothers. According to a contemporary account written in 1652 : "Dara Shikoh is a wolf, thirsty for the blood of his brothers..." Any complaints by the 3 brothers to their father Shah Jahan I were ignored. Dara Shikoh had begun to make moves against his brothers to remove them, which ultimately caused them to rebel, thus beggining the succession war that would lead to his downfall. "The power of the eldest Prince [Dara Shikoh] over the affairs of the State is beyond all description. He is without any doubt thirsty for our innocent blood !" - A letter that Alamgir I sent to Shah Jahan I a few years before the succession war... At the battle of Samurgarh where Dara Shikoh faced an alliance composed of his 2 younger brothers Alamgir I and Murad Baksh. Shah Jahan I, who had recovered from his illness, arrived and stood between the 2 armies to prevent his 3 sons from fighting each other. Upon seeing this, Dara Shikoh ordered his men to remove him so that he, Alamgir I and Murad Baksh could begin fighting. So you see, if he really was the peace-lover that people portray him to be, he wouldn't have wasted such an opportunity to reconcile with his younger brothers. 6 - Rivalry between Alamgir I and Dara Shikoh : This is another thing in which far too many people want to put all of the blame only on Alamgir I. The hatred between Alamgir I and Dara Shikoh had almost nothing to do with religious differences. The brothers had hated each other long before such differences arose. The hatred was also not only one-sided from Alamgir I to Dara Shikoh like many like to believe. Dara Shikoh hated Alamgir I as much as Alamgir I hated him... Dara Shikoh took advantage of his place in the capital and Mughal court as well as his better relationship with Shah Jahan I to constantly undermine Alamgir I's achievements and make fun of him. This is the reason why Alamgir I ended up blaming Dara Shikoh for everything that went wrong in his relationship with their father Shah Jahan I. Dara Shikoh constantly mocked his younger brother for being religious and for his austerity. For decades, Alamgir I was in no position to respond to his brother. But the illness of Shah Jahan I finally presented Alamgir I with an opportunity, now that his older brother was no longer protected by their father. Dara Shikoh would have treated Alamgir I no better than Alamgir I treated him if the outcome of the war was reversed. After Dara Shikoh was captured and brought to Alamgir I, he was asked by him what he would have done if their roles were reversed. Dara Shikoh's answer was that he would have had Alamgir I's body cut into 4 pieces while he was still alive and each part would be displayed on one of the main gates of Delhi. What we have to realize is that if Dara Shikoh had been victorious and became the Mughal Emperor, Alamgir I would have been treated just as poorly as Dara Shikoh was. 7 - In conclusion : Dara Shikoh is often glorified as the great emperor that never was because of Alamgir I. What people fail to look at are the very reasons why he lost the succession war. Dara Shikoh was incompetent and lacked any real world experience. While his 3 brothers Murad Baksh, Shah Shuja and Alamgir I worked endlessly to wage wars and govern in the name of the Mughal Empire, Dara Shikoh spent decades enjoying living in luxury inside the capital. He also had a tendency to make enemies out of men in powerful positions. Here we see an incompetent man being glorified, without any accomplishments of his own, and who caused his own downfall by trying to remove his brothers...

Atankwadi

Sare aatankwadiyo k dil m AURANGZEB AALAMGEER KA EK 😁DAR😁 H

Something that I find very interesting is the way so many people glorify Dara Shikoh because of their hatred towards Alamgir I (more commonly known as Aurangzeb). This is something that Indians seem to do far too often. Glorify and praise some historical figures even if they are incompetent, not because they love them, but because they were opponents of other historical figures that they don't like... Now, getting back to the question. Dara Shikoh also had a dark side. Here are some of the negative characteristics that we know of regarding Dara Shikoh : 1 - Alienation of the nobility : There are actually a few examples of Dara Shikoh’s poor treatment of powerful men within the Mughal administration and military. Dara Shikoh once told Jai Singh II, the Maharaja Sawai of Amber and a powerful Mughal ally, that he looked like a musician. An insult for any Rajput ruler. He mocked the millitary genius Mir Jumla II, a Mughal general, in public for the way he walked. He also turned Shaista Khan, the governor of Bengal, against him. Dara Shikoh even once beated Khalilullah Khan, a powerful Mughal general, with a shoe in public. 2 - Lack of real world experience : The blame for this lies on Shah Jahan I just as much as Dara Shikoh himself. In the 1630's, Alamgir I and his 2 brothers, Murad Baksh and Shah Shuja, were sent to the far reaches of the Mughal Empire to govern and wage wars in the name of their father. However, Shah Jahan I did not send his eldest and favorite son (Dara Shikoh) to any far province to learn governance and war. Instead, he decided to keep Dara Shikoh close to himself in the capital. According to a contemperary account : "The Emperor, from excessive love and partiality, did not allow Dara Shikoh to go away from him..." The end result of this was that Dara Shikoh spent about three decades in the capital, lived a life of luxury and faced no hardships, using the state treasury for his personnal futile expenditures. All the while, his 3 brothers gained experience in terms of war and governance. They built up alliances and friendships with the nobility and generals, awaiting the right moment. Dara Shikoh, on the other hand, never learnt any of this. He was dependent of his father's support. 3 - Overconfidence and inability to take criticism : This is actually mentioned a few times by the accounts of the era as one of the main criticisms against Dara Shikoh. Dara Shikoh was extremely arrogant and overconfident in his own abilities. Even in matters where he had no experience or talent. The prince had been surrounded by nobles who always praised him in the hope of getting his favours for decades within the capital and it seems that he actually started to view himself as an exceptional man, one who had no need to rely on the advice of others. It is also mentioned that Dara Shikoh did not react kindly to criticism. However, that's to be expected of a man in his position who has been surrounded by nobles for years who did nothing but glorify and praise him for their own sake. One example is when the respected mughal prime minister Ali Mardan Khan made a remark about his huge personnal expenditures, he was publicaly humiliated. Shah Jahan I himself saw the scene. So we end up with a man who believes that he is better than others at everything and does not require the advice of those who are far more experienced than him in such matters. He was surrounded by sycophants who further reinforced this view of himself and anyone who criticized him was dealt with harshly. Dara Shikoh was essentially a man living in a bubble of his own imagination. "The first born son of King Shah Jahan I is a man of dignified manners, of a comely countenance, joyous and polite in conversation, confident and gracious in speech, of the most extraordinary liberality, kindness and compassion. But over-confident in his opinion of himself, considering himself competent in all things and having no need for advisers..." - Niccolao Manucci’s description of Dara Shikoh (Niccolao Mannucci is a venetian traveler, physician and writer who worked for the mughal empire)... 4 - Initiation of the conflict : From the accounts of the era, it seems that Dara Shikoh was no different from his brothers. The 3 brothers rose against the heir apparent because it was clear to them that their lives would be over if they did not remove him. While many like to believe Dara Shikoh was a peace-loving hippie, this was simply not the case. Dara Shikoh was every bit as ruthless as his 3 brothers. According to a contemporary account written in 1652 : "Dara Shikoh is a wolf, thirsty for the blood of his brothers..." Any complaints by the 3 brothers to their father Shah Jahan I were ignored. Dara Shikoh had begun to make moves against his brothers to remove them, which ultimately caused them to rebel, thus beggining the succession war that would lead to his downfall. "The power of the eldest Prince [Dara Shikoh] over the affairs of the State is beyond all description. He is without any doubt thirsty for our innocent blood !" - A letter that Alamgir I sent to Shah Jahan I a few years before the succession war... At the battle of Samurgarh where Dara Shikoh faced an alliance composed of his 2 younger brothers Alamgir I and Murad Baksh. Shah Jahan I, who had recovered from his illness, arrived and stood between the 2 armies to prevent his 3 sons from fighting each other. Upon seeing this, Dara Shikoh ordered his men to remove him so that he, Alamgir I and Murad Baksh could begin fighting. So you see, if he really was the peace-lover that people portray him to be, he wouldn't have wasted such an opportunity to reconcile with his younger brothers. 6 - Rivalry between Alamgir I and Dara Shikoh : This is another thing in which far too many people want to put all of the blame only on Alamgir I. The hatred between Alamgir I and Dara Shikoh had almost nothing to do with religious differences. The brothers had hated each other long before such differences arose. The hatred was also not only one-sided from Alamgir I to Dara Shikoh like many like to believe. Dara Shikoh hated Alamgir I as much as Alamgir I hated him... Dara Shikoh took advantage of his place in the capital and Mughal court as well as his better relationship with Shah Jahan I to constantly undermine Alamgir I's achievements and make fun of him. This is the reason why Alamgir I ended up blaming Dara Shikoh for everything that went wrong in his relationship with their father Shah Jahan I. Dara Shikoh constantly mocked his younger brother for being religious and for his austerity. For decades, Alamgir I was in no position to respond to his brother. But the illness of Shah Jahan I finally presented Alamgir I with an opportunity, now that his older brother was no longer protected by their father. Dara Shikoh would have treated Alamgir I no better than Alamgir I treated him if the outcome of the war was reversed. After Dara Shikoh was captured and brought to Alamgir I, he was asked by him what he would have done if their roles were reversed. Dara Shikoh's answer was that he would have had Alamgir I's body cut into 4 pieces while he was still alive and each part would be displayed on one of the main gates of Delhi. What we have to realize is that if Dara Shikoh had been victorious and became the Mughal Emperor, Alamgir I would have been treated just as poorly as Dara Shikoh was. 7 - In conclusion : Dara Shikoh is often glorified as the great emperor that never was because of Alamgir I. What people fail to look at are the very reasons why he lost the succession war. Dara Shikoh was incompetent and lacked any real world experience. While his 3 brothers Murad Baksh, Shah Shuja and Alamgir I worked endlessly to wage wars and govern in the name of the Mughal Empire, Dara Shikoh spent decades enjoying living in luxury inside the capital. He also had a tendency to make enemies out of men in powerful positions. Here we see an incompetent man being glorified, without any accomplishments of his own, and who caused his own downfall by trying to remove his brothers...

@@History_Teller1250chal chadarmor

​@@unitytechnologies1224Speak english please. I don't understand Hindi...

@@History_Teller1250 why are you misleading people. In any circumstances killing a brother is not good. Your agreement are defending these things

@@unitytechnologies1224Dude, i am not misleading anyone. It's just that you are dumb enought to judge with the mentality of 2024. Stop with the pathetic excuse of : It DoESn'T MatteR If iT wAs NorMAl BacK ThEN. SOmeTHIng WrONg Is StiLL WrOng..."

Atankwadi

@@Peaceful_World130 thera baap 🤣🤣

😅🤣😂

Kabar ko bhi security Dena padri uske Maratho se dushmani maat Karo !!😂🚩🐯

Ghatiya admi aurangzeb

बारा बोडाचा

He was the most cruel and radical person in history. Don't glorify invaders

Stupid😂

Tumhare Upper waley se Duva karo ki Tumhara Bhai Aurangazeb jaisa nikle, aur ho sakhe to tumhara Beta Aurangazeb ki ZEHANIAT wala ho...Jo Aurangazeb ne uske baap k saat kia waise hi tumhaare saat ho

@@FreddieMurphy746 or Jo Ashoka nai apnai bhaiyo ko Marwa diya tha ???

@@shehrozrajput9174 Ashoka ke jitne bhi bhai the woh uske Soutele ( Half Brother) the aur uski Maa aur ko kabhi Respect nahi milli thi Royal Family mein. Jiski wajah se usne apne purey Soutele Bhaiyon ko marwa diya aur waise bhi Ashoka ko koi Hind celebrate nahi karta... Uske rivaval aur no war policy aur Aman ko celebrate karti hai indian govt issilea Ashok Chakra peace time gallantry award detee hai... Ashoka bhi kattar Bhuddist tha jiski wajah se uska decline ho gaya... aurangazeb ne apne kudh k hi bhaiyon ki gardan uttari woh bhi Zaleel karke... Shahjahan ko gift wrap kar Katta hua head gift kia tha... Socho jo apne kudh k family ki aissi halat kar sakta hai uske dil mein awaam k lea kya soch hogi... Usne kabhi Hajj nahi ki.. At least Bhai aur Baap Hajj behj sakta tha par usne tadpa tadpa kar sabki Kabr khodi

@@FreddieMurphy746 beta history parhlo Ghobarbhakto ki nahi balkai reality ki Dara shikoh nai Bohot bar marnai ki Koshish ki Aurangzeb ko yahi nahi balkai Gujarat k rastai band Kardiye Takai Aurangzeb wapas na aasakai . shah Jahan ko Aurangzeb k khilaf behkata tha Yaha tak k Dara shikoh ko talwar chalani b nahi aati thi Ak dafa Aurangzeb nai apnai bade Bhai Dara shikoh ko elephant sai bachaya tha . Dara shikoh k Hindu prince k sath g@y sexual relations thai wo atheist tha but best philosopher tha par wo Aurangzeb ko Marna Chahta tha or Kai bar kohsish ki ab Tum khud batao tmara bhai tmai marnai ki Koshish kare tou kia Tum usko chor dogai ??? Aurangzeb nai pucha b tha Dara shikoh sai k agar Tum Meri jagah hotai tou kia kartai ??? Tou dara shikoh nai kaha Mai tmara sir kaat laal qila(red forte) par lagata or thook diya Aurangzeb par . Aurangzeb k era Mai Ziada tar Hindu minister thai. Aurangzeb kyun k kattar Muslim Thai is liye tmarai Ghobarbhakt unsay nafrat kartai Hain . Agar Dara shikoh king ban jata tou Mughal empire katam hojati jabkai Aurangzeb nai baja di thi marratha and British ki .

@@FreddieMurphy746 beta shuja k sath Dara shikoh nai Galat Kiya tha kyun k wo Bada tha king banna Chahta tha par bilkul b talwar chalani even ladai b karni b nahi aati thi usay sazishai Dara shikoh nai ziada ki daccan sai Murad ka Rasta roka jabkai Gujarat sai Aurangzeb ka Takai Delhi tak pohoch na paye . History Mai first dafa Kisi Bhai nai Bhai ko nahi mara Ashoka nai apnai Sade Bhai ko Marwa diya Kyun k wo Khud Ashoka k against thai is Liye kehtai Hain kush naseeb hai wo prince jiska koi Bhai na ho agar hota hai tou bhaiyo Mai ladai hoti king bannai k Liye Jao jakar puri history parhlo har king ki Ghobarbhakt phir aana or Rahi bat Ghobarbhakt ki tou yeh Naam tmarai apnai logo nai diya hai .

Mughals and their badshah begums are washing dishes in todays bharat... ☺

Sula Diya usko maratho ne dakkhan mein 😂🚩

Where are they today?😅.. in Uzbekistan? Or Washing clothes of adiwasi's in indian jungles

@@_Bappu_ 🐀🐀🐀🤣🤣🤣

@@shubhampadghan286 🐀🤣

That's what modern Islam is all about ..Glorifying a bigot , sick , mass murderer

In Uzbekistan and Afghanistan*

L0wd@ aurangzeb

@@_Bappu_ in Islamic history

Hi Pallavi, Thank you for your appreciation.

Something that I find very interesting is the way so many people glorify Dara Shikoh because of their hatred towards Alamgir I (more commonly known as Aurangzeb). This is something that Indians seem to do far too often. Glorify and praise some historical figures even if they are incompetent, not because they love them, but because they were opponents of other historical figures that they don't like... Now, getting back to the question. Dara Shikoh also had a dark side. Here are some of the negative characteristics that we know of regarding Dara Shikoh : 1 - Alienation of the nobility : There are actually a few examples of Dara Shikoh’s poor treatment of powerful men within the Mughal administration and military. Dara Shikoh once told Jai Singh II, the Maharaja Sawai of Amber and a powerful Mughal ally, that he looked like a musician. An insult for any Rajput ruler. He mocked the millitary genius Mir Jumla II, a Mughal general, in public for the way he walked. He also turned Shaista Khan, the governor of Bengal, against him. Dara Shikoh even once beated Khalilullah Khan, a powerful Mughal general, with a shoe in public. 2 - Lack of real world experience : The blame for this lies on Shah Jahan I just as much as Dara Shikoh himself. In the 1630's, Alamgir I and his 2 brothers, Murad Baksh and Shah Shuja, were sent to the far reaches of the Mughal Empire to govern and wage wars in the name of their father. However, Shah Jahan I did not send his eldest and favorite son (Dara Shikoh) to any far province to learn governance and war. Instead, he decided to keep Dara Shikoh close to himself in the capital. According to a contemperary account : "The Emperor, from excessive love and partiality, did not allow Dara Shikoh to go away from him..." The end result of this was that Dara Shikoh spent about three decades in the capital, lived a life of luxury and faced no hardships, using the state treasury for his personnal futile expenditures. All the while, his 3 brothers gained experience in terms of war and governance. They built up alliances and friendships with the nobility and generals, awaiting the right moment. Dara Shikoh, on the other hand, never learnt any of this. He was dependent of his father's support. 3 - Overconfidence and inability to take criticism : This is actually mentioned a few times by the accounts of the era as one of the main criticisms against Dara Shikoh. Dara Shikoh was extremely arrogant and overconfident in his own abilities. Even in matters where he had no experience or talent. The prince had been surrounded by nobles who always praised him in the hope of getting his favours for decades within the capital and it seems that he actually started to view himself as an exceptional man, one who had no need to rely on the advice of others. It is also mentioned that Dara Shikoh did not react kindly to criticism. However, that's to be expected of a man in his position who has been surrounded by nobles for years who did nothing but glorify and praise him for their own sake. One example is when the respected mughal prime minister Ali Mardan Khan made a remark about his huge personnal expenditures, he was publicaly humiliated. Shah Jahan I himself saw the scene. So we end up with a man who believes that he is better than others at everything and does not require the advice of those who are far more experienced than him in such matters. He was surrounded by sycophants who further reinforced this view of himself and anyone who criticized him was dealt with harshly. Dara Shikoh was essentially a man living in a bubble of his own imagination. "The first born son of King Shah Jahan I is a man of dignified manners, of a comely countenance, joyous and polite in conversation, confident and gracious in speech, of the most extraordinary liberality, kindness and compassion. But over-confident in his opinion of himself, considering himself competent in all things and having no need for advisers..." - Niccolao Manucci’s description of Dara Shikoh (Niccolao Mannucci is a venetian traveler, physician and writer who worked for the mughal empire)... 4 - Initiation of the conflict : From the accounts of the era, it seems that Dara Shikoh was no different from his brothers. The 3 brothers rose against the heir apparent because it was clear to them that their lives would be over if they did not remove him. While many like to believe Dara Shikoh was a peace-loving hippie, this was simply not the case. Dara Shikoh was every bit as ruthless as his 3 brothers. According to a contemporary account written in 1652 : "Dara Shikoh is a wolf, thirsty for the blood of his brothers..." Any complaints by the 3 brothers to their father Shah Jahan I were ignored. Dara Shikoh had begun to make moves against his brothers to remove them, which ultimately caused them to rebel, thus beggining the succession war that would lead to his downfall. "The power of the eldest Prince [Dara Shikoh] over the affairs of the State is beyond all description. He is without any doubt thirsty for our innocent blood !" - A letter that Alamgir I sent to Shah Jahan I a few years before the succession war... At the battle of Samurgarh where Dara Shikoh faced an alliance composed of his 2 younger brothers Alamgir I and Murad Baksh. Shah Jahan I, who had recovered from his illness, arrived and stood between the 2 armies to prevent his 3 sons from fighting each other. Upon seeing this, Dara Shikoh ordered his men to remove him so that he, Alamgir I and Murad Baksh could begin fighting. So you see, if he really was the peace-lover that people portray him to be, he wouldn't have wasted such an opportunity to reconcile with his younger brothers. 6 - Rivalry between Alamgir I and Dara Shikoh : This is another thing in which far too many people want to put all of the blame only on Alamgir I. The hatred between Alamgir I and Dara Shikoh had almost nothing to do with religious differences. The brothers had hated each other long before such differences arose. The hatred was also not only one-sided from Alamgir I to Dara Shikoh like many like to believe. Dara Shikoh hated Alamgir I as much as Alamgir I hated him... Dara Shikoh took advantage of his place in the capital and Mughal court as well as his better relationship with Shah Jahan I to constantly undermine Alamgir I's achievements and make fun of him. This is the reason why Alamgir I ended up blaming Dara Shikoh for everything that went wrong in his relationship with their father Shah Jahan I. Dara Shikoh constantly mocked his younger brother for being religious and for his austerity. For decades, Alamgir I was in no position to respond to his brother. But the illness of Shah Jahan I finally presented Alamgir I with an opportunity, now that his older brother was no longer protected by their father. Dara Shikoh would have treated Alamgir I no better than Alamgir I treated him if the outcome of the war was reversed. After Dara Shikoh was captured and brought to Alamgir I, he was asked by him what he would have done if their roles were reversed. Dara Shikoh's answer was that he would have had Alamgir I's body cut into 4 pieces while he was still alive and each part would be displayed on one of the main gates of Delhi. What we have to realize is that if Dara Shikoh had been victorious and became the Mughal Emperor, Alamgir I would have been treated just as poorly as Dara Shikoh was. 7 - In conclusion : Dara Shikoh is often glorified as the great emperor that never was because of Alamgir I. What people fail to look at are the very reasons why he lost the succession war. Dara Shikoh was incompetent and lacked any real world experience. While his 3 brothers Murad Baksh, Shah Shuja and Alamgir I worked endlessly to wage wars and govern in the name of the Mughal Empire, Dara Shikoh spent decades enjoying living in luxury inside the capital. He also had a tendency to make enemies out of men in powerful positions. Here we see an incompetent man being glorified, without any accomplishments of his own, and who caused his own downfall by trying to remove his brothers...