Conference throws light on Sufism during Mughal era

A conference on Dara Shukoh and Aurangzeb was conducted by FACT and the Incredible Bharat Foundation on Saturday at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA).

The conference, inaugurated on Friday, proceeded in the set continuum where speakers belonging to different backgrounds discussed the relevance as well as contribution of Dara Shukoh to Sufism and Science alike. His life and times were discussed from every possible perspective, be it social, political, religious or scientific. Further, several debates emerged and questions were asked by the audience. 

One side to the topic that was unraveled was that of Dar Shukoh’s pantheism as well as his translation of the Upanishads. The audience was also enlightened about his conflict with Aurangzeb and his eventual death.

Through the seminar, light was cast on the Mughal Dynasty’s contributions to the enrichment and propagation of the local culture. Through the example of Dara Shukoh, the idea of a ‘composite society’, that takes along with it whoever joins it which was very much present during the Mughal era, was reinstated.