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Dārā Shikōh was the eldest son of Mughal emperor Shah Jahān and was considered his heir apparent. Following Shah Jahān's serious illness in 1657, a war of succession broke out among his four sons: Dārā Shikōh, Shāh Shujāʿ, Aurangzeb, and Murād Bakhsh. Dārā Shikōh's forces were defeated by his brother Aurangzeb at the Battle of Samugarh on May 29, 1658. This decisive battle led to Aurangzeb imprisoning their father and eventually crowning himself emperor. Dārā Shikōh was pursued, defeated again, and executed in 1659.1

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