Family blood for the Mughal throne

This day marks the death of one brother at the hands of another. Prince Mu'azzam defeats Kambaksh at Hyderabad in his quest for the Mughal throne.

Prince Mu'azzam in his youth

One of the most stable empires of its time, and comparatively the wealthiest, the Mughal empire, like all others had already been a witness to the greed for power and the thirst for the throne had cost much of family blood.

Padshah Aurangzeb had been effectively controlling the administration but his continuous involvement in the war with the Deccan had depleted the royal treasury as well as tired the army. Although he was busy in war, his administration was still stable and consolidated. The death of Aurangzeb brought with itself many events which were not anticipated.

After Aurangzeb, there were three contenders for the imperial throne. Although Aurangzeb had been pretty clear with his will and his distribution of property, none of his sons seems to have been on the same page as him.

History repeated itself. A generation before, the sons of Shah Jahan; Dara and Aurangzeb had proclaimed themselves the sovereign and then went on wars to claim the empire. Now each son of Aurangzeb proclaimed himself as the Padshah and marched against another.

Prince Mu'zzam or later Shah Alam first defeated his brother Azam at Agra and gained control of Agra. The threat remaining now was his brother in the Deccan camp. After a fierce battle where rallied forces of both the contenders clashed, Prince Mu'azzam emerged victorious after killing his brother on this day.

After another generation of bloody warfare, the throne of Delhi was bestowed upon Shah Alam I. Also known as Bahadur Shah I, his reign was short and mostly focused on reconciliation with Rajputs, severed by his father Aurangzeb. He looked over the rise of the Sikh Empire and the initial Maratha Empire. Historians often cite the inability of Shah Alam and his successors and their indulgence in luxury, women and wine as a cause for the downfall of the mighty Mughal Empire.