Battle of Samugarh

Timeline

1. 1658Plains of Samugarh · Uttar PradeshDara Shikoh led the imperial guard and provincial reinforcements south from Delhi, drawing up his lines near Samugarh. Aurangzeb allied with Murad, placing heavy artillery at the front and deploying flank cavalry for envelopment. Both sides fought for the throne.
2. 1658Battlefield of Samugarh · Uttar PradeshAurangzeb's forces disrupted Dara's formation with dense artillery fire, then launched a cavalry charge. Dara's ambush troops failed in their sortie, and his line wavered. Dara himself directed from an elephant, becoming an obvious target, and morale suffered.
3. 1658From Samugarh toward Delhi · Uttar PradeshAfter Dara's army routed, it retreated toward Delhi; the defeat at Samugarh eliminated Shah Jahan's favorite heir's chance of recovery. Aurangzeb subsequently placed his father under house arrest, eliminated rivals, and formally ascended the throne in 1659, ushering the Mughal Empire into the era of Aurangzeb.