Dharema is a small, typical town of Punjab in the district Sargodha, about 10 kilometers from Sargodha city on Shahpur Road. There is nothing particularly significant about it except for one fact — there is a grave that attracts the attention of many students of history. This grave is said to be that of Shah Shuja, a Mughal prince and brother of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. It is located inside the mausoleum of a saint, Mian Habib Sultan Nangiana, who died in 1088 AH, corresponding to 1677 AD. His mausoleum is located at 32° 9'19.97"N, 72°35'37.31"E.
Shah Shuja was born in 1616 in Ajmer. Emperor Shah Jahan and his wife Mumtaz Mahal had four sons: Dara Shikoh, Shah Shuja, Aurangzeb, and Murad Bakhsh. Dara Shikoh was the eldest and the favourite of his father, and was also made heir apparent. In 1657, the health of Shah Jahan declined, and rumours spread about his death. This was a signal to his sons to start their struggle to capture the throne of Delhi, in line with Mughal traditions.
The four brothers were holding important positions in the four corners of the Empire — Dara Shikoh in the north in Delhi, Shah Shuja in the east in Bengal, Aurangzeb in the south in the Deccan, and Murad Bakhsh in the west in Gujarat. All four advanced towards Delhi and fought one of the most famous civil wars in the history of India. Eventually, Aurangzeb won this desperate and bloody struggle between the real brothers, and all three losers lost their lives.
Aurangzeb killed his two brothers, Dara Shikoh and Murad Bakhsh, in captivity. However, the fate of Shah Shuja is uncertain. He twice attempted to march on Delhi. In his first attempt, he was defeated by Dara Shikoh near Banares in May 1658 and retreated towards Bengal. He made a second attempt in January 1659, this time against Aurangzeb, who had in the meantime defeated Dara Shikoh. Shah Shuja failed again and again took shelter in Bengal. But this time Aurangzeb’s army was in hot pursuit. After many battles, he decided to leave Bengal and seek refuge in Arakan, a region in present-day Myanmar.
He arrived there with his family and entourage in August 1660. His plan was to migrate to Makkah and spend his life in peace with his family. But fate had something else in store for him. The immense wealth he carried became a source of trouble. The ruler of Arakan made his life miserable, and he met a tragic end. The following account is given on Wikipedia about his last days.
Shuja and his entourage arrived in Arakan on 26 August 1660, and were greeted at the capital, Mrauk U, with courtesy. The Arakanese king, the powerful Sanda Thudhamma, had previously agreed to provide ships for Shuja and his family to travel to Mecca, where the prince had planned to spend the remainder of his life. The half a dozen camel-loads of gold and jewels that the Mughal royals had brought with them was beyond anything that had previously been seen in Arakan.
After eight months and numerous excuses however, Sanda Thudhamma's promise of ships had not materialised. Finally, the latter demanded the hand of Shuja's daughter in marriage, which the prince refused. Sanda Thudhamma responded by ordering the Mughals to leave within three days. Unable to move and being refused provisions at the bazars, Shuja resolved to attempt to overthrow the king. The prince had two hundred soldiers with him, as well as the support of the local Muslims, giving him a good chance of success. However, Sanda Thudhamma was forewarned of the coup attempt. Shuja was therefore forced to set fire to the city in the hopes of cutting his way out in the confusion. Much of his entourage was captured, and though he himself initially escaped into the jungle, he was later captured and executed.
Shuja's wealth was taken and melted down by Sanda Thudhamma, who took the Mughal princesses into his harem. He married the eldest, an event that was subsequently celebrated in song and poetry. The following year however, suspicious of another coup, Sanda Thudhamma had Shuja's sons decapitated and his daughters (including the pregnant eldest) starved to death. Aurangzeb, angered by the deaths, ordered a campaign against the kingdom. After an intensive siege, the Mughals captured Chittagong and thousands of Arakanese were taken into slavery. Arakan was unable to return to its previous dominance and Sanda Thudhamma's eventual death was followed by a century of chaos.
Now, the story goes that somehow Shah Shuja survived all the calamities that befell him and his family and reached this little-known place, spending the last two decades of his life praying and serving the holy man who lived here. However, it defies reason and logic to believe that a man so hotly pursued could travel all the way from Arakan to Dharema, almost 2,500 kilometers, passing through the heart of the empire ruled by a brother who thirsted for the blood of any potential claimant to the throne.
It is equally difficult to imagine that he remained hidden from the spies of an energetic ruler like Aurangzeb. Given Aurangzeb’s nature, never forgetting or forgiving, it is hard to believe he would have allowed Shah Shuja to live in peace. Therefore, it cannot be said with certainty who Sultan Shuja really was or how he came to be identified as a Mughal prince. Perhaps the similarity of names caused confusion, and over time, a legend took shape and spread in the region. In any case, it remains an intriguing subject for anyone with an interest in history.
