Book Review - Supriya Gandhi’s Biography of Dara Shukoh Separates the Man From the Myth

By Dilip -

Dara Shukoh, along with Akbar, remains among the two well-loved personalities of Mughal India. In the case of Dara, he finds appeal even among Hindu nationalists. As the figure of Dara is inscribed with modern labels of liberal and secular, the nuances and complexities in the personality of Shah Jahan’s eldest son remain hidden. The newest biography of the Mughal-era personality by Supriya Gandhi, The Emperor Who Never Was: Dara Shukoh in Mughal India ,is an excellent attempt at uncovering these hidden aspects of the life of Dara Shukoh while placing him in the context of seventeenth century Mughal India. 

The Emperor Who Never Was - Reviewed by Anuraag Khaund

The book begins from the reign of Jahangir, Dara Shukoh’s grandfather and also the time when the princes Khurram (later Shah Jahan), Parvez and Shahryr began competing for the Mughal throne. The focus on the princely struggle (1622-1628), which also encompasses the early childhood years of Dara as he travelled along with his parents Khurram and Arjumand Bano (later Mumtaz Mahal), brings to light a salient feature of Mughal politics – wars of succession and competition among brothers.

Given the absence of primogeniture in Timurid tradition, all sons of the reigning emperor had equal right to the throne and the winner from these princely struggles ascended the throne while being forced to kill his other siblings due to political expediency….

https://www.eleventhcolumn.com/2020/11/08/book-review-supriya-gandhis-biography-of-dara-shukoh-separates-the-man-from-the-myth/?fbclid=IwAR3ZLQ9JqrWZe24_-qJ9VN1ebnVFwG1NH2r9SCo7m0mgAztIz5o7WV_RC5c

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