Shah Jahan's Illness and Aurangzeb's Rise
- When
- 1657–1658
- Where
- Mughal Empire
- Episodes
- 2
In September 1657, Shah Jahan's illness led him to appoint his eldest son, Dara Shikoh, as successor. Aurangzeb repudiated this decision and later proclaimed himself emperor in February 1658, initiating a direct challenge to the established succession.
Episodes
- Shah Jahan's Illness
Shah Jahan fell ill in 1657, prompting him to name his eldest son Dara Shikoh as successor in September of that year.
- Aurangzeb's Proclamation
Aurangzeb repudiated his brother's succession and proclaimed himself emperor in February 1658, initiating a direct challenge to the established order.
Background and detail
Succession Crisis. In September 1657, the ailing Shah Jahan appointed Dara Shikoh as his successor. This move was repudiated by Aurangzeb, who subsequently proclaimed himself emperor in February 1658, directly challenging his brother's designation.
People involved
- Shah Jahan · Fifth Mughal Emperor
- Aurangzeb · Sixth Mughal Emperor
- Dara Shikoh · Eldest son of Shah Jahan
Sources
- Shah Jahan Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-14
- Aurangzeb Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-26
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.