Why did
Aurangzeb fight with Shuja?
The fight with
Shuja is very surprising. This was
the first battle Aurangzeb wanted to
avoid and only faught in self
defense. Before the succession the
only brother Aurangzeb was known to
be intimate with was Shuja. After
the defeat of Shuja by the forces of
Raja Jai Singh and Suleiman Shikoh
near Bahadurpur opposite Benaras
they pursued him to Mungir. On the
news of the victory of Murad and
Aurangzeb at Dharmat, Dara panicked
and called back Suleiman Shikoh.
This let Shuja to escape to Bengal
the adobe of his refuge.
- Aurangzeb
was busy in pursuing Dara when
news reached him of the imminent
and hostile intentions of Shuja
from Bengal.
- In a
departure from the norm
Aurangzeb was not anxious to
fight Shuja and genuinely
intended to overlook his conduct
as far as possible.
- But when
Shuja audaciously advanced to
Benaras he was determined to
fight.
- Aurangzeb
ordered Prince Muhammad Sultan
to march out of Agra.
- Aurangzeb
considered it politic to go to
the hunting lodge of Soron and
wait for the news about Shuja so
incase he turned back towards
Patna the emperor would recall
his troops.
- For the
first time Aurangzeb made a
genuine effort to settle issue
peacefully with Shuja by sending
him a letter full of good
counsels.
- But when
he learnt for certain that
gentles ness and mercy would be
thrown away on him he set out
from Soron to put him down.
- Orders
were sent to Prince Sultan not
to force an encounter but wait
for junction with the Emperor.
- The fate
of Shuja would be sealed by the
Battle of Khajwa in which he
lost to Aurangzeb.
- Prince
Sultan was sent off in pursuing
him however Shuja managed to
escape out of Mughal territories
and died at the hands of
inhospitable hosts.
