Dara Shikoh was finally defeated by Aurangzeb in March 1659 in the Battle of:

Dara Shikoh was finally defeated by Aurangzeb in the Battle of Deorai, near Ajmer (Rajasthan), in March 1659.

Background - the war of succession:

• When Shah Jahan fell ill in 1657, his four sons fought for the throne.
• Dara had already lost a major battle in 1658, after which Aurangzeb took the capital and imprisoned Shah Jahan.
• Dara fled to Lahore, then to Multan, Sindh and Gujarat, trying to raise new armies.

The Battle of Deorai:

• In Gujarat, Dara gathered a new army and marched towards Ajmer, hoping for Rajput support, which did not come.
• Dara took up a position in the pass of Deorai, near Ajmer.
• Aurangzeb attacked, and after fighting for some days, Dara's army was defeated.
• Dara fled towards Sindh and Afghanistan.

Dara's end:

• He sought shelter with Malik Jiwan, an Afghan chief of Dadar, whose life he had once saved.
• Malik Jiwan betrayed him and handed him over to Aurangzeb's forces.
• Dara was brought to Delhi, paraded through the streets in humiliation, and tried by a council of ulema for heresy.
• He was executed in August 1659, and buried in Humayun's Tomb.

Other battles of the war of succession:

• Bahadurpur (near Banaras, 1658): Shah Shuja was defeated by an imperial army led by Dara's son, Sulaiman Shikoh.
• Dharmat (near Ujjain, April 1658): Aurangzeb and Murad defeated an imperial army.
• Khajwa (near Allahabad, January 1659): Aurangzeb defeated Shah Shuja.

Results:

• Aurangzeb became the undisputed emperor.
• Shah Shuja fled to Arakan (Burma) and died there.
• Murad was imprisoned and later executed.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Dharmat was fought earlier, in 1658.
• ✗Khajwa and Bahadurpur were fought against Shah Shuja.