Followed by the Battle Of Dharmat, on 29th May 1658, The Battle of Samugarh was fought in a contest for the throne between the sons of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, following the emperor’s serious illness in September 1657. This article will walk you through the Battle between Aurangzeb and Dara Shikoh and will also throw light on who won the Battle of Samugarh. Read more about Dara Shikoh and Aurangzeb.
Dara Shikoh And Aurangzeb – The Sons Of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan
Before unveiling The Battle of Samugarh, let us first focus a little on the identity of Aurangzeb and Dara Shikoh. So, who was Dara Shikoh? Dara Shikoh and Aurangzeb were the sons of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan.
While Dara Shikoh was the eldest in the family and thus was the would-be Emperor to the Crown, Aurangzeb was the third son of Shah Jahan, besides Murad Baksh who was the fourth heir!
The Battle Of Samugarh
The Pre Events Of The Battle Between Aurangzeb And Dara Shikoh
Soon after Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan fell into the hands of illness and diseases, Dara Shikoh’s son Suleiman headed forward to stop his uncle Aurangzeb from invading their kingdom. Followed by his son, Dara Shikoh too headed towards Agra to hinder the movements of Aurangzeb and his army to march forward! Amidst all this, Aurangzeb gathered forces from different communities and after a continuous movement, he reached Agra with his army.
Rivalry Between Dara Shikoh And Aurangzeb
Followed by the union of Aurangzeb with Champat Rao Bundela and the Zamindar of Gohad, Aurangzeb reached Agra. While the eldest, Dara Shikoh was not trained for warfare and thus holds no experience, Aurangzeb on the other hand was a master in this field. Hence, many mistakes by Dara Shikoh witnessed his massive failure in the Battle of Samugarh, giving enough opportunity to his brother to rule the Kingdom!
After a brief stop due to heavy rains, the opponents started firing against each other. While Murad Baksh along with his Sowars rushed towards the right-wing of Aurangzeb, which was directed by Chattar Sal, Khalilullah Khan decided to protect the future Emperor!
Rustam Khan, who was in charge of Dara Shikoh’s left-wing, died after attacks from the opposition. Amidst such chaos, Murad’s mistakes brought golden opportunities for the forces of Dara, led by Rao Chhatrasal Hada who started attacking the enemy forces. But, the inexperienced Dara Shikoh again took a wrong decision and rushed his center forces toward his opponents, and unfortunately, his men finally decided to dump him and they parted ways with the Emperor.
Now, while all this was happening, Raja Rup Singh Rathore cut the rope which was holding Aurangzeb’s elephant. Following this incident, Dara’s army broke up completely and a few others surrendered to Aurangzeb. Dara’s elephant also escaped the battleground, which was enough sign for Aurangzeb to celebrate his victory over Agra!
Who Won The Battle Of Samugarh?
While it was Aurangzeb who won the battle of Samugarh, Dara’s inexperience and ignorance of the art of warfare led him to lose the battle. Added to it, he also did not train his men properly who ditched him in the middle of a ferocious battle!
Also Read – Greatest Battles Fought In The Indian History
Facts About The Battle Of Samugarh
- Though Aurangzeb won the battle of Samugarh, his father would not surrender to him until he ordered the dismantling of the water supply system of the area.
- Followed by the capture of Dara Shikoh and his son Suleiman Shikoh, both were declared non-Muslim and were later executed to death.
- Though Murad Baksh aided Aurangzeb during the battle between Aurangzeb and Dara Shikoh, he suffered huge losses, and later Aurangzeb also betrayed him.
- Followed by his defeat in the battle of Samugarh, he wrote a letter to his father asking for forgiveness for his shameful act. Emperor Shah Jahan could never see his eldest son again.
- Jahanara, the sister of Dara Shikoh and Aurangzeb warned Aurangzeb about the consequences of the battle and urged him to come to peace with his brother as according to Muslim traditions, the Royal throne belongs to the eldest child after the death of the father.
- While Aurangzeb used yellow color to depict his flag, Dara Shikoh’s flag color was red!
Also Read – The Hegemony Of The British Empire – How British Ruled So Many Countries?
Conclusion
The Battle of Samugarh remains one of the most powerful and ferocious battles in history between the Mughal brothers. Soon after the end of the battle between Aurangzeb and Dara Shikoh, another battle between Aurangzeb and Shuja was initiated known as the Battle of Khajwa!
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