All that Remains of Dara Shikoh 20 March 1615 – 30 August 1659
All that Remains of Dara Shikoh 20 March 1615 – 30 August 1659 Manoj Dani June 7th 2019 SHARE What is the most romantic gift a husband can give his wife? Correction. What is so precious that it is fit for a prince to gift his beloved? Think ‘Mughal era’ and the obvious answer is – an album of miniature paintings. And, mind you, this was no ordinary prince. Dara Shikoh was the eldest son of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan and one of the most tragic characters in Indian history. A great scholar and an aesthete, a beloved son, a doting father and a loving husband, Dara Shikoh met his tragic end in 1659 when he lost the war of succession to his brother Aurangzeb. One of the most interesting possessions of this doomed prince that survives to this day is the ‘Dara Shikoh Album’ of miniatures, now in the possession of the British Library, London. The Dara Shikoh album is unique as it is one of the most complete miniature albums of its kind. During the lifetime of his mother Mumta...