▁son , ▁Shah ▁Jah an , ▁the ▁splend our ▁of ▁the ▁M ug hal ▁court ▁reached ▁its ▁peak , ▁as ▁exempl ified ▁by ▁the ▁T aj ▁Mah al . ▁The ▁cost ▁of ▁maintain ing ▁the ▁court , ▁however , ▁began ▁to ▁exceed ▁the ▁re venue ▁coming ▁in . ▁ ▁Shah ▁Jah an ' s ▁el dest ▁son , ▁the ▁liberal ▁D ara ▁Sh ik oh , ▁became ▁reg ent ▁in ▁ 1 6 5 8 , ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁his ▁father ' s ▁ill ness . ▁D ara ▁champion ed ▁a ▁syn cret istic ▁H indu - Mus lim ▁religion ▁and ▁culture . ▁With ▁the ▁support ▁of ▁the ▁Islam ic ▁orth odox y , ▁however , ▁a ▁younger ▁son ▁of ▁Shah ▁Jah an , ▁Aur ang z eb , ▁seized ▁the ▁throne . ▁Aur ang z eb ▁defeated ▁D ara ▁in ▁ 1 6 5 9 ▁and ▁had ▁him ▁executed . ▁Although ▁Shah ▁Jah an ▁fully ▁recovered ▁from ▁his ▁ill ness , ▁Aur ang z eb ▁declared ▁him ▁in comp et ent ▁to ▁rule ▁and ▁had ▁him ▁imprison ed . ▁▁ ▁During ▁Aur ang z eb ' s ▁reign , ▁the ▁emp ire ▁gained ▁political ▁strength ▁once ▁more , ▁and ▁it ▁became ▁the ▁world ' s ▁largest ▁economy , ▁over ▁a ▁quarter ▁of ▁the ▁world ▁G DP , ▁but ▁his ▁establishment ▁of ▁Sh aria ▁caused ▁huge ▁controvers ies . ▁Aur ang z eb ▁expanded ▁the ▁emp ire ▁to ▁include ▁almost ▁the ▁whole ▁of ▁South ▁Asia , ▁but ▁at ▁his ▁death ▁in ▁