Mumtaz Mahal’s Children

Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan had 14 children together. Unfortunately, only seven survived to adulthood. Beyond Dara Shikoh, Jahanara Begum, and Aurangzeb, there were several other children, though information about them is limited.

The Mumtaz Mahal’s children included Jahanara Begum, who was the favored daughter of Shah Jahan, as well as the Crown Prince Dara Shikoh, the designated heir. Dara Shikoh was appointed by his father and briefly held power until he was overthrown by Aurangzeb, the sixth child of Mumtaz Mahal. Aurangzeb ultimately ascended to the throne as the sixth Mughal emperor in 1658.

Mumtaz Mahal passed away in 1631 in Burhanpur, located in the Deccan region (currently known as Madhya Pradesh), while giving birth to her 14th child, a daughter who was named Gauhar Ara Begum.

Aurangzeb

Aurangzeb served as the sixth Mughal emperor from 1658 until his death in 1707. During his reign, the Mughal Empire achieved its maximum territorial expansion, encompassing almost the entire Indian subcontinent.

Aurangzeb, a member of the Timurid dynasty, held various administrative and military roles under his father, Shah Jahan, who ruled from 1628 to 1658. He distinguished himself as a skilled military leader. In September 1657, Shah Jahan appointed his eldest son, Dara Shikoh, known for his liberal views, as his successor. This decision was contested by Aurangzeb, who declared himself emperor in February 1658. In April of the same year, he triumphed over the forces allied with Shikoh at the battle of Dharmat. Following Shah Jahan’s recovery from illness in July 1658, Aurangzeb deemed him unfit to govern and subsequently imprisoned him in the Agra Fort.

During Aurangzeb’s rule, the Mughal Empire reached its zenith, with territories covering nearly the entire Indian subcontinent. Additionally, the Mughals surpassed Qing China, becoming the largest economy and foremost manufacturing power in the world.

Dara Shikoh

Dara Shikoh, the eldest son and designated heir of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, was favored for succession by both his father and his elder sister, Princess Jahanara Begum. Following Shah Jahan’s illness in 1657, a war of succession erupted, resulting in Dara’s defeat at the hands of his younger brother, Aurangzeb. In 1659, he was executed on Aurangzeb’s orders amid a fierce struggle for the imperial throne.

During the lifetime of his mother, Mumtaz Mahal, Dara Shikoh was engaged to his half-cousin, Princess Nadira Banu Begum. The bond between Dara and Nadira was strong, and his affection for her was so deep that he refrained from taking additional wives, which was customary at the time. Together, they had seven children, of whom two sons, Sulaiman Shikoh and Sipihr Shikoh, along with a daughter, Jahanzeb Banu Begum, survived to play significant roles in subsequent historical events.

Jahanara Begum

Shah Shuja

Mirza Shah Shuja (23 June 1616 – 7 February 1661) was the second son of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan and his consort, Empress Mumtaz Mahal. He served as the governor of Bengal and Odisha, with his administrative center located in Dhaka.

Shah Shuja was born on 23 June 1616, in Ajmer. As the second son and fourth offspring of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal, he was notably adopted by his stepmother, Empress Nur Jahan, shortly after his birth. This adoption was a result of her elevated status, significant political influence, and the affection that Jahangir, her husband, held for her.

Murad Baksh

Mirza Muhammad Murad Bakhsh (9 October 1624 – 14 December 1661) was a Mughal prince and the youngest surviving son of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan and Empress Mumtaz Mahal. He served as the Subahdar of Balkh until he was succeeded by his elder brother Aurangzeb in 1647. Murad Bakhsh allied with Aurangzeb to defeat Dara Shikoh, the eldest son of Shah Jahan. Notably, it was Murad Bakhsh’s fierce cavalry charge that significantly influenced the outcome of the Battle of Samugarh in favor of Aurangzeb.

On 7 July 1658, while in a tent with Aurangzeb, he became intoxicated and was secretly imprisoned, later being transferred to Gwalior Fort in January 1659. He underwent a trial that resulted in a death sentence for the murder of a former Diwan clerk named Ali Naqi in 1661. Ultimately, on 14 December 1661, after three years of imprisonment, he was executed at Gwalior Fort. With the demise of his last remaining brother, Aurangzeb emerged as the uncontested emperor of the Mughal Empire.

Roshanara Begum:

Roshanara Begum born on 3 September 1617 and passing on 11 September 1671, was a Mughal princess, recognized as the third daughter of Emperor Shah Jahan and his consort, Mumtaz Mahal. Renowned for her intellect and poetic talent, Roshanara was a staunch supporter of her younger brother, Aurangzeb, during the succession conflict that arose following Shah Jahan’s illness in 1657.

In contemporary times, Roshanara is primarily remembered for the Roshanara Bagh, a pleasure garden situated in what is now northern Delhi. Additionally, the Roshanara Club, established by the British in the late 19th century, originally formed part of the Roshanara Bagh and now serves as a country club.

Gauhar Ara Begum

Gauhar Ara Begum, a Mughal princess, was the youngest and fourteenth offspring of Emperor Shah Jahan and his consort Mumtaz Mahal. Born in 1631, she entered the world as her mother tragically passed away during childbirth. Despite this, Gauhar Ara survived and lived for approximately seventy-five more years. Information regarding her life remains scarce, particularly concerning her potential involvement in the succession conflict for her father’s empire. She passed away in 1706 at the age of around seventy-five.