ABSTRACT
Introduction Born in 1615 ce, Dara Shikuh is remembered not so much as an emperor’s son but as a mystic philosopher. The great dream of his life-a dream shattered by his untimely death-was the brotherhood of all faiths and the unity of mankind. Despite being the son of the mighty Mughal ruler Shah Jahan (r. 1628-58 ce), his lifelong passion was directed towards broadening of his understanding of different religions. He wrote extensively and all his writings are a reflection of his journey as a Sufi, from a novice who wrote hagiographies to a full fledged mystic thinker who tried to tackle some very complex and vital issues related to religion in his later works. Traversing through his various works an attempt has been made to comprehend how he evolved as a ‘Sufi thinker’.
