Dārā Shikūh (1024-69/1615-59) was the eldest son of Mughal emperor Shāh Jahān (r. 1037-68/1628-58) and a Qādirī Ṣūfī adept, who sought to combine duties of rulership with a project of spiritual self-cultivation that culminated in a sustained pursuit of Indic religious knowledge. Dārā Shikūh's execution after a struggle for imperial succession in which his brother Awrangzīb (r. 1068-1118/1658-1707) prevailed, cut short his activities of authorship, translation, and patronage of art and letters. As heir to the throne, Dārā Shikūh