Aurangzeb’s Birthplace

Among the surprises of Dahod’s history is that this tribal town in eastern Gujarat was the birthplace of Aurangzeb — the sixth and one of the most powerful (and controversial) Mughal emperors — born here in 1618. At the time, Dahod lay on an important route, and the Mughal prince Shah Jahan (then governor of Gujarat) was passing through when his son Muhi-ud-din, the future Aurangzeb, was born in the town. Aurangzeb would go on to rule the Mughal Empire at its greatest territorial extent for nearly fifty years. This connection gives Dahod an unexpected place in the grand sweep of Indian imperial history, and the town preserves the memory of the event. For a district otherwise defined by its vivid tribal culture, the Aurangzeb link is an intriguing historical footnote — a reminder of the many layers of India’s past that even small towns can hold, and of Dahod’s location on the old routes between Gujarat and the north. For the visitor interested in history, the Aurangzeb connection adds a distinctive thread to a Dahod visit — best appreciated as part of the town’s story. (Dahod as the 1618 birthplace of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb; a historical heritage note of the town.)