Why is Modi government searching for the tomb of Mughal prince Dara Shukoh?

Darashkoh was the eldest son of Shah Jahan and heir to the throne after his father according to Mughal tradition.

The Indian government is currently searching for the tomb of the 17th century Mughal prince Darius the Magnificent. 

The writings of historians of the time of Mughal King Shah Jahan and some documents show that Darashkoh was buried somewhere in Humayun's tomb in Delhi. The Modi government has formed a committee of archaeologists to identify Dara's tomb, which is trying to determine his tomb on the basis of literature, art and architecture.

Darashkoh was the eldest son of Shah Jahan and heir to the throne after his father according to Mughal tradition. But after Shah Jahan's illness, another prince, Aurangzeb, deposed his father and imprisoned him in Agra. 

Aurangzeb proclaimed himself king and defeated Darashkoh in the battle for the throne and was arrested and sent to prison.

Shah Jahan's royal historian Muhammad Saleh Kamboh Lahore has written in his book 'Shah Jahan Nama' that 'when Prince Dara Shukoh was arrested and brought to Delhi, Nazneen's body was covered with dirty clothes. From here he was taken to Khizrabad on an elephant in a state of extreme dizziness and lost fortune. He lived in a narrow and dark corner for some time and was ordered to be killed in a few days.

He further writes that "some executioners entered the prison to kill this Alijah and in a moment they stabbed him in the neck with a dagger and reduced this picture of beauty to dust." His body was buried in Humayun's tomb in the same bloody dress he was wearing. 

Humayun's tomb in Delhi where, according to historians, Darius the Great was buried

Another historian of this period, Muhammad Kazim Ibn Muhammad Amin Munshi in his book 'Alamgir Namah' has also shed light on the tomb of Darius. He writes, "Darius was buried under this dome in Humayun's tomb, where Daniel and Murad, the sons of Emperor Akbar, are buried." 

And where other Timurid princes and princesses were later buried. Ahmed Nabi Khan, a Pakistani scholar, had published a picture of Dara's tomb in Lahore in 1969 in an article called 'Dewan Dara Shukoh'. According to him, the three tombs in the northwest chamber belong to men and the tomb facing the doorway is that of Darius the Magnificent.

Why is it difficult to identify Darius' tomb?

Humayun's vast tomb contains several tombs besides Humayun's. And in the middle of the tomb there is only one of Humayun's tombs which has been identified. Professor Shereen Mousavi, a historian at Aligarh Muslim University, says, "Since there is no inscription on any of the tombs in Humayun's tomb, no one knows where he is buried."

The government has formed a team of archaeologists to identify Darius' tomb. The committee also includes Dr. Syed Jamal Hassan, former head of the Department of Archeology.

"There are about 150 unmarked graves here," he said. This is the first attempt at identification. He says, "We will inspect the tombs in the chambers that are under the main arch of Humayun's tomb. We will look at their designs. If there is any inscription, we will look for it. People will try to determine the tomb of Darius. 

He believes that this work is very difficult.

Nameless graves in Humayun's compound

Why is Modi government looking for Darius' grave?

Darashkoh was the heir of Shah Jahan. He dreamed of becoming a king of India who could transcend monarchy as well as philosophy, mysticism and spirituality.

According to sources, he used to discuss his religious views with leading Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, Christian and Muslim Sufis of his time. Along with Islam, he had a keen interest in Hinduism and viewed all religions equally.

He had summoned Pandits from Banaras and with their help translated dozens of philosophical books on Hinduism, the Upanishads, into Persian. These Persian translations of the Upanishads reached Europe and there they were translated into Latin, which gave the Upanishads international fame. 

In India, Darius the Magnificent is considered a moderate character. Hindu-leaning historians and intellectuals in India believe that if Aurangzeb had been replaced by Darius the Great, the situation in the country would have been very different.

 These historians consider Aurangzeb to be a 'hardcore, fundamentalist and fanatical' Muslim who, according to him, hated Hindus and who had demolished several temples. This notion has intensified in the current political discourse. 

Historians interviewed by the BBC believe that unlike Aurangzeb, Darius the Great was influenced by Hinduism and respected Hindu religious beliefs. 

The Hindu ideological organization RSS, Prime Minister Modi and his ruling party BJP interpret the nearly 700 years of Muslim rule in India as slavery to Hindus.

In modern times, especially during the Muslim rule, Mughal rulers and events have often been used to incite hatred against the Muslims of India. Attempts are now being made to create the statement that Darius was more immersed in Indian soil than the present Muslims.

Shirin Mousavi: Since no tombstone is inscribed in Humayun's tomb, no one knows where he is buried.

What will Modi government do with Dara's grave?

The Modi government considers Dara Shukoh to be an ideal, liberal Muslim character and that is why it wants to make Dara a role model for Muslims. To highlight their views, it is possible that an annual festival or program of religious harmony would be launched after the tomb of the Mughal prince was identified.

Ruling BJP leader Syed Zafar Islam says Dara Shukoh was a man who studied all religions and launched a peace campaign. He believed in bringing all religions together. He also had to suffer the consequences. In today's Muslim society, there is a great need for thinking and understanding like Darius.

The idea of ​​presenting Dara Shukoh as a role model for Muslims is based on the premise that Muslims have not been able to blend in and adapt to the religions and customs of India.

 

However, some critics also ask why Darashkoh should not be made the role model of the whole country for Muslims only for his ideas of moderation and religious unity.

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