Poet/Sufi
Dārā Šukūh was the eldest son of Mughal Emperor Šāh Jahān and Mumtāz Maḥal. Though his father bestowed various military and political responsibilities upon him, essentially grooming him as his successor, Dārā Šukūh never had great success in political or military endeavors. His greatest passion lay in religious exploration and mysticism while his greatest ability was in writing. He was a prolific writer, focusing on topics such as Sufism, mysticism, and philosophy, not only in Islam but in other religions as well. Later in life, he had a great interest in Hindū mysticism and sought to reconcile Hinduism and Islam. For this reason, among others, “Dārā occupies a pre-eminent place among those who stood for the concept of universal toleration and who desired that the state should be based on the support of both Muslims and Hindus, and remain essentially above religion”. Due to political and military weakness, Dārā did not ascend the throne when Šāh Jahān fell ill and the battle for succession began. His enemies cited that he was unfit to rule due to his “pantheistic” tendencies and non-conformity to “orthodox” Islam. He was executed on the count of the heresy in 1069/1659.
Majmaʿ al-baḥrayn
Majmaʿ al-baḥrayn is a comparative study between Sufism and the Vendānta (strand of thought in Hinduism), with a particular focus on the technical terms shared by both. It is testament to Dārā Šukūh’s idea of compatibility between Islam and Hinduism as it “underscores his intention to prove that on the level of monistic thought the ‘two oceans’ of Islam and Hinduism become indistinguishable. Majmaʿ al-baḥrayn was completed in 1065/1654–5.
Risālah-yi Ḥaqq-numā (completed 1055–6/1645–6)
Risālah-yi Ḥaqq-numā is a Sufi treatise in which Dārā tried to explain the four planes of being.
Safīnaħ al-ʾawlīyāʾ (completed 1049–50/1640)
Safīnaħ al-ʾawlīyāʾ is a compendium of biographies. It includes biographies of major saints, the first three caliphs, the twelve Shīʿī Imāms and the founders of the four schools of Islamic law. It was completed in 1049–50/1645–6.