Dara Shikoh, aka Dara Shukoh, (1615 - 1659) was the eldest son and heir apparent of the fifth Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. He was officially appointed as his successor. However, Dara was defeated by his brother Aurangzeb in the War of Succession following Shah Jahan's illness. Thus he was executed on the orders of Aurangzeb under a fatwa issued by his clerics stating that he had apostatised from Islam.

Compared to the orthodox Aurangzeb, Dara sits on the very opposite end of the spectrum. He held liberal and unorthodox views. He was inclined towards philosophy and mysticism since young age, and his endeavours in this field were evident, perhaps the most important of which is the book Majma' Ul-Bahrain, which highlights the harmonious unity between Sufi philosophy in Islam and Vedanta philosophy in Hinduism. Many historians to this day still argue about a different future for the Indian subcontinent if Dara Shikoh defeated Aurangzeb.