The confluence of the two seas: India-Italy partnership over IMEEC and Mediterranean
Dara Shukoh, the favorite son and favored successor of the Mughal Emperor Shahjahan who built the Taj Mahal.It was the last text he wrote, published in 1655 circa, which led to his humiliation, defeat and eventual death. He was tortured and beheaded for blasphemy by his brother Aurangzeb, because of his “Confluence of two seas”, where he attempted to bring together Hinduism and Islam.
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With the assassination of Dara Shukoh, Aurangzeb took over the throne of Delhi and the Mughal empire. Aurangzeb’s salafi world view destroyed any hope of the confluence of two seas and changed India’s destiny.
It plunged the Indian subcontinent into wars of annexation which brought the Mughal empire to its zenith. India became the most important islamic political power of its time, contributing 25% of the world's GDP but this prosperity did not make up for the suffering of its Hindu majority.
Hundreds of years later in 2007, The Confluence of the Two Seas was the title of a speech by Shinzo Abe, the Prime Minister of Japan, which was his appeal to the parliament of India to work together to counter China in the south China seas.
That speech in 2007 inspired the concept of two seas and four powers, brought together the United States, India, Japan and Australia to form the Quad, to guarantee a free and open Indo-Pacific. This very speech of Shinzo Abe, propelled India eventually into the political center of Asia Pacific, changing India’s destiny once more giving rise to the Indo-Pacific, with India at its political center where it finds itself today.
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