Dara Shikoh’s Expeditions and Mughal Campaigns — UPSC Prelims PYQ 1998

Consider the following statements:

1. Assertion (A): During the reign of Shahjahan, Dara Sikoh was sent on expedition to Balkh, Badakhshan and Qandahar.
2. Reason (R): The expedition sent by Shahjahan to the Middle East was a marvellous success.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

1. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A
2. Both A and R are true, but R is NOT a correct explanation of A
3. A is true, but R is false
4. A is false, but R is true

Explanation

Option (c) is correct

• During Shah Jahan’s reign, his eldest son Dara Shikoh led military expeditions on the northwestern frontier, including the 1653 campaign to recapture Qandahar, and was involved in planning operations in Balkh and Badakhshan. The Mughal campaigns in Central Asia and Qandahar were unsuccessful. Though Balkh and Badakhshan were briefly occupied, they were abandoned due to harsh conditions and resistance, and repeated attempts to recover Qandahar from the Safavids failed.

Answer: (c) A is true, but R is false