Muhammad Murad Bakhsh was a Mughal prince, provincial governor, and military commander. A son of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal, he governed several Mughal provinces, proclaimed himself emperor during the succession crisis of 1657, helped Aurangzeb defeat Dara Shikoh at Samugarh, and was executed at Gwalior Fort in 1661.
Background
Muhammad Murad Bakhsh was born on 9 October 1624 at Rohtasgarh Fort in Bihar, the youngest surviving son of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal. He belonged to the Mughal imperial family, whose court combined Timurid dynastic traditions with Persianate administrative culture in South Asia.
His siblings included Jahanara Begum, Roshanara Begum, Dara Shikoh, and Aurangzeb. The deaths and political prominence of these siblings placed Murad within the intensely competitive succession politics of Shah Jahan's later reign.
Career
Murad Bakhsh entered imperial service as a Mughal prince and provincial governor. The Mughal Empire administered its territories through governors known as subahdars, who represented the emperor in major provinces and exercised military and administrative authority. Murad was appointed subahdar of Multan in 1642 and later governed Balkh, Kashmir, the Deccan, Kabul, Gujarat, and Malwa.
His appointment to Balkh in 1646 connected his career with Mughal efforts to project power toward Central Asia, the historical homeland associated with the dynasty. He subsequently served in Kashmir and the Deccan, regions requiring the management of strategically important frontiers and provincial administration. His governorship of Kabul placed him in another major frontier province linking the Mughal heartland with Afghanistan and Central Asia.
In 1657, after reports that Shah Jahan was gravely ill, Murad proclaimed himself emperor at Ahmedabad. He allied with Aurangzeb against Dara Shikoh, the eldest surviving son and heir apparent. At the Battle of Samugarh on 29 May 1658, fought during the Mughal war of succession, Murad's cavalry participated in the defeat of Dara's army and helped clear the way for Aurangzeb's seizure of power.
The alliance with Aurangzeb soon collapsed. Murad was arrested in 1658, held first at Salimgarh, and later transferred to Gwalior Fort. He was tried for the murder of Ali Naqi, a former diwan's clerk, sentenced to death, and executed at Gwalior Fort on 14 December 1661 after approximately three years of imprisonment.
Achievements
Murad Bakhsh governed several strategically important Mughal provinces, including Multan, Balkh, Kashmir, the Deccan, Kabul, Gujarat, and Malwa, during the reign of Shah Jahan.
He joined Aurangzeb in the war of succession and commanded a major cavalry force at the Battle of Samugarh in 1658, where their coalition defeated Dara Shikoh's army.
He proclaimed himself emperor at Ahmedabad in 1657, becoming one of the principal contenders in the Mughal succession crisis that brought Aurangzeb to the throne.
Religion
Murad Bakhsh was a Muslim prince of the Mughal dynasty. The Mughal court was an Islamic imperial institution whose ruling family traced its political legitimacy through the Timurid tradition and governed a religiously diverse South Asian empire.
His religious affiliation was Sunni Islam, the tradition followed by the Mughal ruling house during the reign of Shah Jahan and the accession of Aurangzeb. Mughal political culture combined Islamic court practices with Persianate administration and accommodation of the empire's varied religious communities.
Politics
Murad Bakhsh was not associated with a modern political party. His political position arose from his place in the Mughal imperial dynasty, where princes governed provinces, commanded armies, and could assert claims to the throne during succession disputes.
His political career reflected the dynastic and military character of Mughal sovereignty. In 1657 he proclaimed himself emperor at Ahmedabad after Shah Jahan became seriously ill, then joined Aurangzeb against their elder brother Dara Shikoh in the war of succession. His conduct was shaped by competition within the imperial family rather than by a party program or representative electoral politics.
Connections
Murad Bakhsh was the son of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal and the brother of Dara Shikoh, Aurangzeb, Jahanara Begum, and Roshanara Begum. His relationships with his brothers were central to the Mughal succession crisis of 1657–1659.
In 1638 he married Sakina Banu Begum, a Safavid princess and daughter of Shah Nawaz Khan Safavi. Their children included Muhammad Yar Mirza, Izzat Bakhsh Mirza, Dostdar Banu Begum, Asaish Banu Begum, and Hamraz Banu Begum.
Father:
Shah Jahan
Mughal emperor and Murad Bakhsh's father.
Mother:
Mumtaz Mahal
Empress consort of Shah Jahan and Murad Bakhsh's mother.
Brother:
Aurangzeb
Murad's younger brother and later Mughal emperor; the two allied against Dara Shikoh before Aurangzeb arrested Murad.
Brother:
Dara Shikoh
Murad's elder brother and heir apparent, whom Murad and Aurangzeb defeated at Samugarh.
Sister:
Jahanara Begum
Mughal princess and daughter of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal.
Sister:
Roshanara Begum
Mughal princess and daughter of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal.
Wife:
Sakina Banu Begum
Safavid princess and daughter of Shah Nawaz Khan Safavi, whom Murad married in 1638.
Son:
Muhammad Yar Mirza
Son:
Izzat Bakhsh Mirza
Daughter:
Dostdar Banu Begum
Daughter:
Asaish Banu Begum
Daughter:
Hamraz Banu Begum
sister-in-law:
Banu Begum
References
Murad Bakhsh
Biographical account of Murad Bakhsh's birth, Mughal governorships, alliance with Aurangzeb, imprisonment, trial, and execution.
2026
Portrait of Prince Murad Baksh (1624–1661)
Museum record for a Mughal portrait of Murad Bakhsh made around 1655, during his years as an imperial prince and provincial governor.
History of Aurangzib, Volume 2
Historical account discussing Murad Bakhsh's imprisonment, execution, and burial at Gwalior Fort.
