SAMUGARH, BATTLE OF

(May 29, 1658), decisive struggle in a contest for the throne between the sons of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan after the emperor's serious illness in September 1657. The battle was fought between the princes Aurangzeb and Murad Bakhsh, third and fourth sons of the emperor, on the one side, and the eldest son and heir apparent, Dara Shikoh, on the other. Dara had retreated to Samugarh about 10 miles (16 km) east of Agra (Shah Jahan's residence), south of the Yamuna River, after Aurangzeb had turned the line of the Chambal River by finding a little-known and unguarded ford. Dara's army of about 60,000 was the larger, but Aurangzeb's was more experienced. The battle was fought at the height of the North Indian hot weather and was decided by Dara's descent from his elephant at a critical moment, which his troops mistook to indicate his death. After the battle Aurangzeb imprisoned his brother Murad and Shah Jahan, while Dara, after a long pursuit and a second defeat, was executed in 1659.