6. Aurangzeb, the ruler of the Mughal Empire, deposed his ill father and ordered the deaths of two of his brothers in the pursuit of power
Muhi-ud-Din Muhammad, more commonly known as Aurangzeb, reigned as the sixth Mughal Emperor from 1658 until his death in 1707. Often regarded as the last successful emperor of his kingdom, Aurangzeb successfully expanded the Mughal Empire to encompass nearly all of the Indian subcontinent and ruled over an estimated 158 million subjects. During his tenure, the Mughals enjoyed an annual revenue more than ten times that of the French monarchs, whilst the empire surpassed China as the world’s largest economy, representing almost one-quarter of the world’s GDP as of 1700. However, despite these accomplishments, the reign of Aurangzeb was marred by a distinctly authoritarian streak.
Determined to succeed his father, Shah Jahan, Aurangzeb entered into a deadly feud with his brothers. His eldest brother, Dara Shikoh, remained the favored heir, and Aurangzeb preemptively marched on his brother in 1658 as their father fell ill. Defeating him at the Battle of Samugarh, after which Aurangzeb formally deposed his ailing father, Dara was captured and executed by his brother. Similarly, another brother, Murad, who originally allied himself with Aurangzeb, fell foul of his brother’s ambition. Intoxicated, Murad was kidnapped on his brother’s orders in the same year, imprisoned for three years, before finally being executed.