Mirza Muhammad Kam Bakhsh, the youngest and most rebellious son of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, lived a life marked by ambition, intrigue, and a violent end in a war of succession. Born on March 7, 1667, to Aurangzeb and his wife Udaipuri Mahal, he was destined for a life of privilege but found himself in perpetual conflict with the empire’s power structures.
The Siege of Ginjee and His Downfall
Kam Bakhsh’s life took a dramatic turn during the Siege of Gingee (or Ginjee), a long and difficult military campaign by the Mughals to capture the fort from the Marathas. In 1691, he was sent with reinforcements to aid the Mughal forces led by Zulfiqar Khan, who was besieging the fort where the Maratha king, Rajaram, was based.
The relationship between the young, impetuous prince and the experienced commander was tense. The siege was prolonged and brutal, with the Mughals facing strong Maratha resistance and logistical nightmares. Kam Bakhsh became frustrated with the slow progress and, in a moment of reckless ambition, was accused of conspiring with the Marathas to betray his own army. He allegedly made contact with the Marathas, promising to defect in exchange for their support.
When his plot was discovered in December 1692, Zulfiqar Khan and his father, Asad Khan, arrested Kam Bakhsh and imprisoned him. The incident was a major scandal and deeply embarrassed Emperor Aurangzeb. While Aurangzeb considered executing his son, he was persuaded by his daughter to spare his life. Kam Bakhsh was sent to his father in chains, and the event highlighted the deep-seated rivalry and lack of trust within the Mughal command, which many historians believe was a key reason for the prolonged siege.
The War of Succession and Death
After Aurangzeb’s death in 1707, a bloody war of succession erupted among his three surviving sons: Mu’azzam (later Bahadur Shah I), Azam, and Kam Bakhsh. Kam Bakhsh quickly marched to Bijapur, where he declared himself emperor with the title of Padshah Kam Bakhsh-i-Dinpanah and even minted coins in his own name. He took control of key territories in the Deccan.
His reign, however, was brief and chaotic. Kam Bakhsh grew paranoid, alienating his most loyal supporters. He had his chief general, Ahsan Khan, arrested on baseless suspicions. This internal conflict severely weakened his army and his political standing.
Bahadur Shah I, having already defeated and killed their brother Azam, turned his attention to Kam Bakhsh. With a large, well-equipped army, Bahadur Shah’s forces confronted Kam Bakhsh’s much smaller and less disciplined army near Hyderabad on January 14, 1709. Outnumbered and with many of his soldiers defecting, Kam Bakhsh fought fiercely but was severely wounded. He was captured and brought to his brother’s camp, where he was treated with respect and attended to by Bahadur Shah himself. Kam Bakhsh succumbed to his wounds the following day. His body was sent to Delhi and buried in Humayun’s Tomb.