Dara Shikoh finally lost the war of succession to Aurangzeb in the battle of—

The Battle of Samugarh, fought on May 29, 1658, was the decisive struggle in the Mughal war of succession between the sons of Shah Jahan [t1][t2]. Following a preliminary victory at the Battle of Dharmat in April 1658, the combined forces of Aurangzeb and Murad Bakhsh faced the larger army of the heir apparent, Dara Shikoh, near Agra [t1][t4][t6]. Despite Dara's numerical superiority, Aurangzeb's superior tactics and battle-hardened troops led to a total rout of the imperial forces [t3][t4]. A critical moment occurred when Dara descended from his elephant, causing his soldiers to believe he had been killed and leading to a mass surrender or flight [t3]. This victory effectively ended Dara Shikoh's chances for the throne, allowing Aurangzeb to seize control of the capital and eventually execute his brother [t2][t4]. The Battle of Deorai (1659) was the final military engagement, but Samugarh is historically recognized as the battle where Dara effectively lost the war and the throne.

Sources

1. [1] https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Samugarh