Move over Bollywood—these royal brother feuds were the original blockbusters!
What happens when a throne is at stake and love between brothers turns into a battle for power? We get high-stakes drama, palace whispers, and enough betrayal to fill ten seasons of your favourite Netflix series.
Yes, we’re talking about real-life royal sibling rivalries from India’s rich and wild history — stories packed with ambition, conspiracy, sword fights, and sometimes… heartbreaking regret. This isn’t your average history lesson. This is full-blown, blood-soaked drama — royal edition.
The Mughal dynasty didn’t exactly believe in “family first.” When Shah Jahan fell ill, his four sons — Dara Shikoh, Aurangzeb, Murad, and Shuja — turned on each other faster than you could say “succession.”
Dara, the eldest and Shah Jahan’s favourite, was a liberal thinker and deeply spiritual. But Aurangzeb? He was cunning, calculating, and militarily sharp. He defeated his brothers one by one, beheaded Dara, and even imprisoned their father to seize the throne.
Tipu Sultan, the Tiger of Mysore, was a fearless leader and a nightmare for the British. But not everyone in his own family agreed with his ambitions — especially his own brother-in-law and cousin, Karim Sahib, who betrayed him by passing on secrets to the enemy.
While it wasn’t a direct brother-on-brother clash, it was a royal betrayal that stung deeply. Imagine fighting a war for your kingdom, only to be stabbed in the back by your own bloodline. Classic twist, right?
Now this one’s complicated. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj had two sons: Sambhaji and Rajaram. After Shivaji’s death, the nobles didn’t immediately crown Sambhaji, the elder son. Politics, fear, and mistrust led them to try placing Rajaram on the throne.
But Sambhaji wasn’t having it. He stormed in, took the throne by force, and later imprisoned his stepmother and other conspirators. While Rajaram didn’t fight back directly, the seeds of mistrust led to future divisions after Sambhaji’s brutal death at the hands of the Mughals.
In the 18th century, Jaipur’s throne became the bone of contention between two brothers: Ishwari Singh and Madho Singh. After their father, Maharaja Jai Singh II, died, Ishwari Singh was crowned king. But Madho Singh wasn’t ready to settle for a royal backup role.
Madho built alliances, waged war against his brother, and besieged Jaipur with a huge army. Ishwari eventually died — some say by suicide — and Madho claimed the throne.
Imagine your sibling throwing a literal army at your house because they want your room. That’s royal drama on another level.
The Peshwas of Pune were the power behind the Maratha throne. But when Peshwa Narayanrao became too powerful too quickly, his uncle Raghunathrao plotted his downfall. With help from his wife, Raghunath orchestrated one of the most chilling murders in royal India.
In 1773, Narayanrao was killed by palace guards, reportedly under the order “dharaa” (hold him) — but thanks to a tampered message, it was read as “maaraa” (kill him). The entire plan unfolded like a criminal thriller.
From the opulence of the Mughal courts to the fortresses of Rajasthan, power didn’t pass peacefully in India. Being royal didn’t just mean you were born into privilege — it meant you had a target on your back, sometimes painted by your own brother.
Thrones were seen as divine, and ambition ran in the blood. So, betrayal was never far behind. Every palace corridor echoed with schemes, and every royal dinner might just have been someone’s last.
