| Murad Baksh | |
|---|---|
| Mughal Prince | |
| House | Timurid |
| Father | Shah Jahan |
| Mother | Mumtaz Mahal |
| Died | 1661 |
| Religion | Islam |
Murad Baksh (died 1661) was the youngest son of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan and empress Mumtaz Mahal[1], he was the Subedar of Balkh until he was replaced by his brother Aurangzeb in the year 1647.
In 1657 he proclaimed himself emperor after reports that his father had died, during the same year he received the Ottoman ambassador Manzada Husain Agha, who arrived in the port of Surat and was on his way to meet Shah Jahan in Agra. Manzada Husain Agha mentions his disappointed regarding the wars between Shah Jahans sons.[2]
Murad Baksh joined hands with Aurangzeb to defeat Dara Shikhoh, the eldest son of Shah Jahan. In fact it was the ferocious charge led by Murad Baksh and his Sowars that eventually turned the outcome of the battle in favor of Aurangzeb during the Battle of Samugarh. The following year while he was in a tent with his brother Aurangzeb, he was intoxicated and was secretly sent to the prison in Gwalior Fort where he faced a trial that sentenced him to death for having murdered former Diwan clerk named Ali Naqi, in 1661. Aurangzeb then replaced Murad Baksh as the Subedar of Gujarat and placed Inayat Khan as the new Mughal commander of Surat.
In 1661, after 3 years in prison, he was executed.[3][4] With the last of his brothers now dead, Aurangzeb soon became the undisputed emperor of the Mughal Empire.
