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Dara Shikoh (20 March 1615 – 30 August 1659), also transliterated as Dara Shukoh, was the eldest son and heir-apparent of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. (2025). 9781598849011, ABC-CLIO. ISBN 9781598849011 Dara was designated with the title Padshahzada-i-Buzurg Martaba () and was favoured as a successor by his father and his elder sister, Princess Jahanara Begum. He had been given the title of
Dara was a liberal-minded unorthodox Muslim as opposed to the orthodox Aurangzeb; he authored the work The Confluence of the Two Seas, which argues for the harmony of Sufi philosophy in Islam and Vedanta philosophy in Hinduism. A great patron of the arts, he was also more inclined towards philosophy and mysticism rather than military pursuits. The course of the history of the Indian subcontinent, had Dara Shikoh prevailed over Aurangzeb, has been a matter of some conjecture among historians."India was at a crossroads in the mid-seventeenth century; it had the potential of moving forward with Dara Shikoh, or of turning back to medievalism with Aurangzeb".
"Poor Dara Shikoh!....thy generous heart and enlightened mind had reigned over this vast empire, and made it, perchance, the garden it deserves to be made". William Sleeman (1844), E-text of Rambles and Recollections of an Indian Official p.272
Dara Shikoh had thirteen siblings of whom six survived to adulthood: Jahanara Begum, Shah Shuja, Roshanara Begum, Aurangzeb, Murad Bakhsh, and Gauharara Begum. He shared a close relationship with his sister, Jahanara. As part of his formal education, Dara studied the Quran, history, Persian poetry and calligraphy. He was a liberal-minded unorthodox Muslim unlike his father and his younger brother Aurangzeb. Persian was Dara's native language, but he also learned Hindi, Arabic and later Sanskrit.
In October 1627, Dara's grandfather Emperor Jahangir died, and his father ascended the throne in January 1628 taking the regnal name 'Shah Jahan'.9789352863525, Pearson Education India. . ISBN 9789352863525 In 1633, Dara was appointed as the Vali-ahad (heir-apparent) to his father. He and his older sister Jahanara were Shah Jahan's favourite children. (1998). 9789998272521, Freer Gallery of Art, Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution. . ISBN 9789998272521
A great patron of the arts, Dara ordered for the compilation of some refined artwork into an album which is now famous by the name of 'Dara Shikhoh Album.' (1998). 9789998272521, Freer Gallery of Art, Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution. . ISBN 9789998272521 This album was presented by Dara to his "dearest intimate friend" Nadira in 1641. Dara had at least two concubines, Gul Safeh (also known as Rana Dil) and Udaipuri Mahal (a Georgian or slave girl). Udaipuri later became a part of Aurangzeb's harem after her master's defeat. (1988). 9788185179032, Aditya Prakashan. ISBN 9788185179032
On 10 September 1642, Shah Jahan formally confirmed Dara Shikoh as his heir, granting him the title of ''Shahzada-e-Buland Iqbal'' ("Prince of High Fortune") and promoting him to command of 20,000-foot and 20,000 horse. In 1645, he was appointed as ''[[subahdar]]'' (governor) of [[Allahabad]]. He was promoted to a command of 30,000-foot and 20,000 horse on 18 April 1648, and was appointed Governor of the province of [[Gujarat]] on 3 July.
Dara Shikoh subsequently developed a friendship with the seventh Sikh Guru, Guru Har Rai. Dara Shikoh devoted much effort towards finding a common mystical language between Islam and Hinduism. Towards this goal he completed the translation of fifty Upanishads from their original Sanskrit into Persian language in 1657 so that they could be studied by Muslim scholars.Dr. Amartya Sen notes in his book The Argumentative Indian that it was Dara Shikoh's translation of the Upanishads that attracted William Jones, a Western scholar of Indian literature, to the Upanishads, having read them for the first time in a Persian translation by Dara Shikoh. His translation is often called Sirr-i-Akbar ("The Greatest Mystery"), where he states boldly, in the introduction, his speculative hypothesis that the work referred to in the Qur'an as the " Kitab al-maknun" or the hidden book, is none other than the Upanishads. Gyani Brahma Singh 'Brahma', Dara Shikoh – The Prince who turned Sufi in The Sikh Review"the reference in Al Qur’an to the hidden books – ummaukund-Kitab – was to the Upanishads, because they contain the essence of unity and they are the secrets which had to be kept hidden, the most ancient books." His most famous work, Majma-ul-Bahrain ("The Confluence of the Two Seas"), was also devoted to a revelation of the mystical and pluralistic affinities between Sufism and Vedanta speculation. The book was authored as a short treatise in Persian in 1654–55.
In 1006 A.H, the prince had commissioned a translation of Yoga Vasistha, after both Vasistha and Rama appeared in his dream. Translation was undertaken by Nizam al-Din Panipati and came to be known as the Jug-Basisht, which has since become popular in Persia among intellectuals interested in Indo-Persian culture. The Safavid-era mystic Mir Findiriski (d. 1641) commented on selected passages of Jug-Basisht.Juan R.I. Cole in Iran and the surrounding world by Nikki R. Keddie, Rudolph P. Matthee, 2002, pp. 22–23
The library established by Dara Shikoh still exists on the grounds of Ambedkar University, Kashmiri Gate, Delhi, and is now run as a museum by Archaeological Survey of India after being renovated.
Among the existing paintings from the Dara Shikoh Album, are two facing pages, compiled in the early 1630s just before his marriage, showing two ascetics in yogic postures, probably meant to be a pair of yogis, Vaishnava and Shaiva. These paintings are attributed to the artist Govardhan. The album also contains numerous pictures of Muslim ascetics and divines and the pictures obviously reflect Dara Shikoh's interest in religion and philosophy.
Dara Shikoh is also credited with the commissioning of several exquisite, still extant, examples of Mughal architecture – among them the tomb of his wife Nadira Begum in Lahore, the Shrine of Mian Mir also in Lahore, the Dara Shikoh Library in Delhi, the Akhund Mullah Shah Masjid in Srinagar in Kashmir and the Pari Mahal garden palace (also in Srinagar in Kashmir).
Dara Shikoh was brought to Delhi, placed on a filthy elephant and paraded through the streets of the capital in chains."The captive heir to the richest throne in the world, the favourite and pampered son of the most magnificent of the Great Mughals, was now clad in a travel-tainted dress of the coarsest cloth, with a dark dingy-coloured turban, such as only the poorest wear, on his head, and no necklace or jewel adorning his person." Dara Shikoh's fate was decided by the political threat he posed as a prince popular with the common people – a convocation of nobles and clergy, called by Aurangzeb in response to the perceived danger of insurrection in Delhi, declared him a threat to the public peace and an apostate from Islam. He was killed by four of Aurangzeb's henchmen in front of his terrified son on the night of 30 August 1659 (9 September Gregorian). After his death at the age of 44, the remains of Dara Shikoh were buried in an unidentified grave in Humayun's tomb in Delhi.
Niccolao Manucci, the Venetian traveler who worked in the Mughal court, has written down the details of Dara Shikoh's death. According to him, upon Dara's capture, Aurangzeb ordered his men to have his head brought up to him and he inspected it thoroughly to ensure that it was Dara indeed. He then further mutilated the head with his sword three times. After which, he ordered the head to be put in a box and presented to his ailing father, Shah Jahan, with clear instructions to be delivered only when the old King sat for his dinner in his prison. The guards were also instructed to inform Shah Jahan that, "King Aurangzeb, your son, sends this plate to let you (Shah Jahan) see that he does not forget you". Shah Jahan instantly became happy (not knowing what was in store in the box) and uttered, “Blessed be God that my son still remembers me". Upon opening the box, Shah Jahan became horrified and fell unconscious .
After four years of research, Singh concluded that one of the three unmarked cenotaphs in the north-western chamber beneath the dome of Humayun’s Tomb marks Dara Shikoh's grave.
His claim is based on the Alamgirnama, a biography of Aurangzeb, which mentions that Dara Shikoh was buried below the dome of Humayun’s Tomb, alongside Akbar’s sons, Daniyal Mirza and Murad. The relevant passage from the Alamgirnama was translated for Singh by Prof. Aleem Ashraf Khan, Head of the Persian Department at Delhi University. Additionally, Singh has studied the architectural style of the cenotaphs, which he argues aligns with the period of Dara Shikoh’s death.
Comments from other members, except for Former ASI Director (Archaeology) Syed Jamal Hassan, are not publicly known as the report has not yet been released. Dr. Hassan has expressed doubts, citing the lack of inscriptions and confirming references. Following a Right to Information query in 2021, the ASI responded that it had not yet found Dara Shikoh's grave. In March 2021, the then culture Minister Mr. Prahlad Sigh Patel stated in the Rajya Sabha that the committee was studying Dara Shikoh’s heritage, but the final report is still awaited. However, Senior Archaeologist and former Director of the School of Archaeology of Archaeological Survey of India, Shri B.M. Pande has said that "Dara's grave has been identified."
Former Head of the History Department at Jawaharlal Nehru University, Prof. Harbans Mukhia, commented, "He appears to have definitively and decisively located the grave of Dara Shikoh, which was always known to be located in Humayun's Tomb. He has examined his quarry from every angle—the textual evidence, the architectural features, the meaning of the exact placement of the tomb—and visited the site several times to be certain of his search. At the end of it, he has given proof of the grave's location with no reasonable doubt left."
Farhat Nasreen, Head of the Department of History at Jamia Millia Islamia, praised the research, saying, "His research is very fascinating; it is remarkable that through his relentless hard work, he has solved one of the biggest mysteries."
Prof. S.H. Qasemi, former Head of the Department of Persian at the University of Delhi, expressed his agreement with Singh's findings, stating, "I have myself gone through the reference to Dara Shukoh's burial in the Alamgirnama and also saw the location identified by Sanjeev in Humayun's Tomb. I can confirm that the location of the grave identified by him completely matches the description of Dara Shukoh’s burial place in the Alamgirnama."
Singh has delivered lectures on his findings and research regarding the grave of Dara Shikoh at various esteemed institutions, including Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI), the India International Centre (IIC), and the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts.
His research paper, "दारा शुकोह की क़ब्र की खोज - एक अध्ययन" (In the Search of Dara Shukoh’s Tomb - A Study), has been published in Purapravah, an international journal of archaeology and history published in Hindi by the Indian Archaeological Society.
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