What was the sequence of the wars of succession that took place in the last years of Shah Jahan’s reign?
The correct sequence of the major battles in the War of Succession (1658-1659) is: Bahadurpur (Shuja vs. Dara’s forces, Feb 1658), Dharmat (Aurangzeb/Murad vs. Imperial, Apr 1658), Samugarh (Aurangzeb vs. Dara, May 1658), Khajwa (Aurangzeb vs. Shuja, Jan 1659) and Deorai (Aurangzeb vs. Dara, Apr 1659). The correct answer is (A) Bahadurpur-Dharmat-Samugarh-Khajwa-Deorai.
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The sequence of the wars of succession was: Bahadurpur (Feb 1658), where Shuja’s advance was checked; Dharmat (Apr 1658), the first major victory for Aurangzeb and Murad over the imperial army; Samugarh (May 1658), the decisive defeat of Dara Shikoh; Khajwa (Jan 1659), where Aurangzeb defeated Shah Shuja; and finally, Deorai (Apr 1659), where Dara Shikoh was defeated one last time. [Image illustrating the major battles of the War of Succession] This sequence of battles demonstrates Aurangzeb’s calculated, relentless and ultimate rise to power.