The rulers who ruled substantial parts of the
North India between AD1200 to AD1526 were
termed as Sultans and the period of their rule as
the Delhi Sultanate. These rulers were of Turkish
and Afghan origin. They established their rule
in India after defeating the Indian ruling
dynasties which were mainly Rajputs in
northern India. The main ruler who was
overthrown by the invading Turk Muhammad
Ghori from Delhi was Prithvi Raj Chauhan.
These Sultans ruled for more than 300 years (from
around AD 1200 to AD 1526). The last of the
Delhi Sultan, Ibrahim Lodi was defeated by the
Mughals under the leadership of Babur in
AD1526 who established the Mughal Empire in
India. During this period of around three
hundred years five different dynasties ruled
Delhi. These were the Mamluks (AD 1206–AD
1290) (popularly known as slave dynasty), the
Khaljis (AD 1290–AD 1320), the Tughlaqs (AD
1320–AD 1412), the Sayyids (AD 1412–AD 1451)
and the Lodis (AD 1451– AD 1526). All these
dynasties are collectively referred as the Delhi
Sultanate.
THE MAMLUK SULTANS
With Qutbuddin Aibak, begins the period of
Mamluk Sultans or the slave dynasty. Mamluk
is an Arabic word meaning “owned”. It was
used to distinguish the imported Turkish slaves
meant for military service from the lower slaves
used as domestic labour or artisan. The Mamluk
Sultans ruled from AD 1206 to 1290.
• Qutbuddin Aibak (AD 1206–1210)
Qutbuddin Aibak was a Turkish slave who
had risen to high rank in Muhammad Ghori’s
army. After Muhammad Ghori’s death in AD
1206, the control of his Indian possessions was
passed on to Qutbuddin Aibak. Aibak was the
first independent Muslim ruler of Northern
India, the founder of Delhi Sultanate.
Aibak had to face many revolts from Rajputs
and other Indian chiefs. Tajuddin Yaldauz, the
ruler of Ghazni, claimed his rule over Delhi.
Nasiruddin Qabacha, the governor of Multan
and Uchch aspired for independence. Aibak was
able to win over his enemies by conciliatory
measures as well as a display of power. He
defeated Yaldauz and occupied Ghazni. The
successor of Jaichand, Harishchandra had
driven out the Turks from Badayun and
Farukhabad. Aibak re-conquered both Badayun
and Farukhabad.
Qutbuddin Aibak was brave, faithful and
generous. Due to his generosity he was known
as “Lakh Baksh”. Most of the scholars consider
Aibak as the real founder of Mulsim rule in India.
• Iltutmish (AD 1210–1236)
In AD 1210, Aibak died of injuries received
in a fall from his horse while playing chaugan
(Polo). After his death a few amirs raised his son
Aram Shah to the throne in Lahore. But Aram
Shah was incapable ruler and the Turkish amirs
opposed him. The Turkish chiefs of Delhi invited
the governor of Badayun (son-in-law of
Qutbuddin Aibak) “Iltutmish” to come to Delhi.
Aram Shah proceeded against him at the head
of the army from Lahore to Delhi but Iltutmish
defeated him and became the Sultan with the
name of Shamsuddin. The credit of consolidating
the Delhi Sultanate lies largely with him. When
Iltutmish ascended the throne, he found himself
surrounded with many problems. Other
commanders of Muhammad Ghori like Yaldauz,
Qubacha and Ali Mardan rose in defiance again.
The chief of Jalor and Ranthambore joined
Gwalior and Kalinjar in declaring their
independence. Apart from this, the rising power
of Mongols under Chenghiz Khan threatened
the North West Frontier of the Sultanate.
Iltutmish took up the task of consolidating
his position. He defeated Yaldauz in AD 1215
in the battle of Tarain. In AD 1217 he drove away
Qabacha from Punjab. In AD 1220, when
Chenghiz Khan destroyed the Khwarizm expire,
Iltutmish realised the rpolitical necessity of
avoiding a confrontation with the Mongols. Thus
when Jalaluddin Mangbarani, the son of the
Shah of Khwarizm, while escaping from the
Mongols, sought shelter at Iltutmish’s court,
Iltutmish turned him away. He thus saved the
Sultanate from destruction by the Mongols.
From AD 1225 onwards, Iltutmish engaged
his armies in suppressing the disturbances in the
East. In AD 1226–27 Iltutmish sent a large army
under his son Nasiruddin Mahmud which
defeated Iwaz Khan and brought Bengal and
Bihar back into the Delhi Sultanate. Similarly a
campaign was also launched against the Rajput
chiefs. Ranthambore was captured in AD 1226
and by AD 1231 Iltutmish had established his
authority over Mandor, Jalore, Bayana and
Gwalior.
There is no doubt that Iltutmish completed
the unfinished work of Aibak. The Delhi
Sultanate now covered a sizeable territory.
Besides this, he also organised his trusted nobles
or officers into a group of “Forty” (Turkan-i-
Chahalgani). He was a farsighted ruler and he
consolidated and organised the newly formed
Turkish Sultanate in Delhi. Iltutmish established
‘Group of Forty’ (Turkan-i-Chahalgani). These
were Turkish amirs (nobles) who advised and
helped the Sultan in administering the Sultanate.
After the death of Iltutmish, this group assumed
great power in its hands. For a few years they
decided on the selection of Sultans one after the
other. The group was finally eliminated by
Balban.
Iltutmish effectively suppressed the defiant
amirs of Delhi. He separated the Delhi Sultanate
from Ghazni, Ghor and Central Asian politics.
Iltutmish also obtained a ‘Letter of Investiture’
in AD 1229 from the Abbasid Caliph of Baghdad
to gain legitimacy. Iltutmish made a significant
contribution in giving shape to administrative
institution such as iqtas, army and currency
system. He gave the Sultanate two of its basic
coins– the silver ‘Tanka’ and the copper ‘Jittal’.
To affect greater control over the conquered
areas Iltutmish granted iqtas (land assignments
in lieu of cash salaries) to his Turkish officers on
a large scale. The recipients of “iqtas” called the
“iqtadars” collected the land revenue from the
territories under them. Out of this they
maintained an armed contingent for the service
of the state, enforced law and order and met
their own expenses. Iltutmish realized the
economic potentiality of the Doab and the iqtas
were distributed mainly in this region. This
secured for Iltutmish the financial and
administrative control over one of the most
prestigious regions of North India. (You will read
details of administration in lesson 12)
• Raziya (AD 1236–40)
The problem of successor troubled Iltutmish
during his last days. Iltutmish did not consider
any of his sons worthy of the throne. His own
choice was his daughter Raziya hence he
nominated her as his successor. But after his
death his son Ruknuddin Firoz ascended the
throne with the help of army leaders. However
with the support of the people of Delhi and some
military leaders, Raziya soon ascended the
throne. Despite her obvious qualities, Raziya did
not fare significantly better primarily because of
her attempts to create a counter nobility of non-
Turks and invited the wrath of the Turkish
amirs. They were particularly incensed over her
decision to appoint the Abyssinian, Malik
Jamaluddin Yaqut, as the amir-i-akhur (master
of the horses); the recruitment of a few other
non-Turks to important posts further inflamed
matters. The nobility realized that, though a
woman, Raziya was not willing to be a puppet
in their hands, therefore the nobles started
revolting against her in the provinces. They
accused her of violating feminine modesty and
being too friendly to an Abbyssinian noble,
Yaqut. She got killed after she was defeated by
the nobles. Thus her reign was a brief one and
came to end in AD 1240.
