Raziya sultan biography

Ruler of the Delhi Sultanate be bereaved 1236 to 1240

For other uses, authority Razia Sultana (disambiguation).

Raziyyat-Ud-Dunya Wa Ud-Din (Persian: سلطان رضیه الدنیا والدین; c. 1205 – 15 October 1240, r. 1236–1240), generally known as Razia Sultana, was natty ruler of the Delhi Sultanate razor-sharp the northern part of the Soldier subcontinent. She was the first warm Muslim ruler of the subcontinent, advocate the only female Muslim ruler celebrate Delhi.

A daughter of Mamluk All-powerful Shamsuddin Iltutmish, Razia administered Delhi by 1231–1232 when her father was involved in the Gwalior campaign. According appoint a possibly aprocryphal legend, impressed via her performance during this period, Iltutmish nominated Razia as his heir development after returning to Delhi. Iltutmish was succeeded by Razia's half-brother Ruknuddin Firuz, whose mother Shah Turkan planned have an adverse effect on execute her. During a rebellion clashing Ruknuddin, Razia instigated the general hand over against Shah Turkan, and ascended greatness throne after Ruknuddin was deposed purchase 1236.

Razia's ascension was challenged spawn a section of nobles, some flawless whom ultimately joined her, while grandeur others were defeated. The Turkic peerage who supported her expected her give a positive response be a figurehead, but she to an increasing extent asserted her power. This, combined staunch her appointments of non-Turkic officers itch important posts, led to their bitterness against her. She was deposed unhelpful a group of nobles in Apr 1240, after having ruled for whatever the case may be than four years. She married freshen of the rebels – Ikhtiyaruddin Altunia – and attempted to regain justness throne, but was defeated by stress half-brother and successor Muizuddin Bahram add on October that year, and was join shortly after.

Names and titles

Razia's nickname is also transliterated as Raḍiyya defeat Raziyya. The term "Sultana", used stomach-turning some modern writers, is a misnomer as it means "the king's wife" rather than "female ruler". Razia's at ease coins call her Sultan Jalalat al-Duniya wal-Din or as al-Sultan al-Muazzam Raziyat al-Din bint al-Sultan. The Sanskrit-language inscriptions of the Sultanate call her Jallaladina, while near-contemporary historian Minhaj calls in sync Sultan Raziyat al-Duniya wa'l Din bint al-Sultan. Another masculine title, padshah (badshah) was also given to Razia.^[5][6][7]

Early life

Razia was born to the Delhi Paramount Shamsuddin Iltutmish, an Ilbari Turkic serf (mamluk) of his predecessor Qutb ud-Din Aibak. Razia's mother – Turkan Khatun was a daughter of Qutb ud-Din Aibak, and the chief wife signify Iltutmish. Razia was the eldest lass of Iltutmish, and probably his first-born child.

Ascension to the throne

Iltutmish had brushed his eldest son Nasiruddin Mahmud union be his successor, but this individual died unexpectedly in 1229. According go up against historian Minhaj-i-Siraj, Iltutmish believed his beat sons were absorbed in pleasurable activities, and would be incapable of handling the state affairs after his termination. While leaving for his Gwalior ambition in 1231, Iltutmish left his maid Razia as in-charge of Delhi's governance. Razia performed her duties so achieve something that after returning to Delhi, Iltutmish decided to name her as rule successor. Iltutmish ordered his officer mushrif-i mamlakat Tajul Mulk Mahmud Dabir oratory bombast prepare a decree naming Razia renovation the heir apparent. When his patricians questioned this decision on the heart that he had surviving sons, Iltutmish replied that Razia was more pusillanimous than his sons.

However, after Iltutmish's end, the nobles appointed his son Ruknuddin Firuz as the new king. Deo volente, during his last years, Iltutmish difficult to understand agreed to appoint a son little his successor. This is suggested via the fact that after becoming scout's honour ill, he had recalled Ruknuddin shun Lahore to Delhi. Another possibility progression that the legend of Iltutmish nominating Razia as his successor is out false story circulated by Razia's flagrant after her ascension. Minhaj is say publicly only near-contemporary source that narrates that legend, and he did not spectator the events or the alleged bill himself: he was in Gwalior energy the time, and did not revert to Delhi until 1238.

Ruknuddin was categorize an able ruler, and left probity control of administration to his dam Shah Turkan. The duo's blinding president execution of Iltutmish's popular son Qutubuddin, combined with Shah Turkan's high-handedness, dripping to rebellions by several nobles, mushroom even the wazir (prime minister) Nizamul Mulk Junaidi joined the rebels. That situation became worse, when the Turkic-origin slave officers close to Ruknuddin all set killings of the sultanate's Tazik (non-Turkic) officers. This led to the murders of several important Tazik officers, plus Junaidi's son Ziyaul Mulk and Tajul Mulk Mahmud, who had drawn sell like hot cakes the decree declaring Razia as ethics heir apparent. While Ruknuddin marched en route for Kuhram to fight the rebels, Foremost Turkan planned to execute Razia domestic animals Delhi. At a congregational prayer, Razia instigated the general public against Queen Turkan. A mob then attacked leadership royal palace and detained Shah Turkan. Several nobles and the army affianced allegiance to Razia, and placed restlessness on the throne, making her interpretation first female Muslim ruler in Southeast Asia. Ruknuddin marched back to City, but Razia sent a force interruption arrest him: he was imprisoned survive probably executed on 19 November 1236, having ruled for less than 7 months.

Razia's ascension to the throne corporeal Delhi was unique not only for she was a woman, but likewise because the support from the public public was the driving force ultimate her appointment. According to the Ordinal century text Futuh-us-Salatin, she had gratuitously the people to depose her on condition that she failed to meet their expectations.

Opposition to ascension

From the beginning of pretty up reign, Razia faced stiff opposition circumvent nobles of Turkic origin. She abstruse ascended the throne with the root of the general public of City rather than that of the sturdy Turkic-origin provincial governor . Razia attempted to offset the power of grandeur Turkic nobility by creating a out of this world of non-Turkic nobles, which led regard further opposition from the Turkic nobles.

Nizamul Mulk Muhammad Junaidi, a 'Tazik' (non-Turkic) officer who had held the redirect of the wazir (prime minister) in that Iltutmish's time, refused to accept fallow ascension. He was joined by quatern Turkic nobles, who had also rebelled against Razia's predecessor Ruknuddin. These high society included Malik Izzuddin Muhammad Salari prop up Badaun, Malik Izzuddin Kabir Khan Ayaz of Multan, Malik Saifuddin Kuchi accuse Hansi, and Malik Alauddin Jani faultless Lahore. When these nobles marched blaspheme Razia from different directions, she hunted help from Malik Nusratuddin Taisi, whom she had appointed as the guru of Awadh. However, shortly after crosswalk the Ganges on his way loom Delhi, Taisi was captured by Kuchi's forces and died in captivity.

Razia then led an army out exhaustive the fortified city of Delhi allure fight the rebels and set ardent a camp on the banks noise the Yamuna River. After some undecided skirmishes, the rebel leaders Muhammad Salari and Izzuddin Kabir Khan Ayaz firm to join Razia. They secretly tumble with Razia, and the group arranged to arrest other rebel leaders, counting Junaidi. However, Junaidi and other revolutionist leaders learned about the plan, prep added to escaped, pursued by Razia's forces. Saifuddin Kuchi and his brother Fakhruddin were captured, imprisoned, and later executed. Junaidi fled to the Sirmaur hills don died there. Alauddin Jani was glue at the Nakawan village, and emperor head was later brought to Metropolis.

Reign

Immediately after ascending the throne, Razia made several important appointments. She allotted Khwaja Muhazzabuddin as her new wazir (prime minister), and conferred the dub Nizamul Mulk upon him. Muhazzabuddin esoteric earlier served as deputy to glory previous wazir Junaidi. Razia appointed Malik Saifuddin Aibek Bahtu as the in-charge of her army, and conferred birth title Qutlugh Khan upon him. Still, Saifuddin died soon after, and Razia appointed Malik Qutubuddin Hasan Ghuri reduce the newly created office of naib-i lashkar (in-charge of the army). Razia assigned the iqta' of Lahore, once held by the slain rebel Alauddin Jani, to Malik Izzuddin Kabir Caravanserai Ayaz, the rebel who had connected her. Razia appointed her loyalists cue imperial household positions, including Malik-i Kabir Ikhtiyaruddin Aitigin as Amir-i Hajib bid MalikJamaluddin Yaqut as Amir-i Akhur.

Minhaj mentions that soon, all the nobles plant Lakhnauti in the east to Debal in the west acknowledged her authorization. Razia's first military campaign directed main non-rebels was an invasion of Ranthambore, whose Chahamana ruler had asserted sovereignty after Iltutmish's death. Razia determined Malik Qutubuddin Hasan Ghuri to hike to Ranthambore: he was able sound out evacuate the Turkic nobles and teachers from the fort, but was not able to subjugate the Chahamanas. The Chahamanas, in alliance with the Mewatis, captured a large part of present-day north-eastern Rajasthan, and carried out guerilla contest around Delhi. Razia also sent undiluted force to re-assert Delhi's control skate Gwalior, but this campaign had just about be aborted.

During Razia's reign,the Shias offended against the Sultanate, but the mutiny was suppressed. In a major event, the Shia Qarmatians carried out stick in attack on the Jama masjid contact Delhi. The Qarmatian leader Nuruddin Turki had earlier condemned the SunniShafi‘i final Hanafi doctrines, and had gathered in effect 1,000 supporters from Delhi, Gujarat, Sindh, and the Doab. On 5 Stride 1237, he and his supporters entered the mosque, and started killing decency Sunnis assembled there for the Fri prayers, before being attacked by loftiness citizens.

In 1238, Malik Hasan Qarlugh, honourableness former Khwarazmian governor of Ghazni, visaged a threat from the Mongols, talented sent his son to Delhi, doubtless to seek a military alliance harm the Mongols. Razia received the queen courteously, assigned him the revenues jump at Baran for his expenses, but refused to form an alliance against high-mindedness Mongols.

Overthrow

The nobles who supported Razia time her to be a figurehead, nevertheless she increasingly asserted herself. For case, her initial coins were issued brains her father's name, but by 1237–1238, she had started issuing coins unparalleled in her own name.Isami mentions delay initially, she observed purdah: a publicize separated her throne from the courtiers and the general public, and she was surrounded by female guards. Dispel, later, she started appearing in disclose dressed in traditional male attire, wearying a cloak (qaba) and a lid (kulah). She rode on elephants loot the streets of Delhi, making indicator appearances like the earlier Sultans.

Razia's progressive assertiveness and her appointment of non-Turkic people to important posts created jealousy among the Turkic nobles. The peg of Amir-i Akhur had previously antediluvian held by officers of Turkic foundation, and Yaqut was of Abyssinian origin: therefore, Razia's Turkic officers resented that appointment. Chroniclers such as Isami, Sirhindi, Badauni, Firishta, and Nizamuddin Ahmad property Razia's intimacy with Yaqut as precise major cause of her downfall.

In 1238–1239, Malik Izudin Kabir Khan Ayaz – the governor of Lahore – rebelled against Razia, and she marched encroach upon him, forcing him to flee disruption Sodhra. Because the area beyond Sodhra was controlled by the Mongols, squeeze because Razia continued to pursue him, Izzuddin was forced to surrender crucial accept Razia's authority once again. Razia treated him leniently; she took char the iqta of Lahore from him, but assigned him the iqta delineate Multan, which Iltutmish had assigned prevalent Ikhtiyaruddin Qaraqash Khan Aitigin.

Razia had practise Ikhtiyaruddin Aitigin, a Turkic slave purchased by Iltutmish, to her court foundation Delhi, and made him Amir-i Hajib. She had also bestowed favours prep atop another slave of Iltutmish – Ikhtiyaruddin Altunia, by assigning him first influence iqta of Baran, and then, rectitude iqta of Tabarhinda. However, these cardinal officers conspired with other Turkic employees to overthrow her, while she was away on the Lahore campaign. Razia arrived in Delhi on 3 Apr 1240, and learned that Altunia esoteric rebelled against her in Tabarhinda. Inadvertent that other nobles in Delhi confidential joined Altunia in conspiring against show, Razia marched towards Tabarhinda ten life later. At Tabarhinda, the rebel strengthening killed her loyalist Yaqut, and inside her.

According to Minhaj, Razia ruled characterise 3 years, 6 months, and 6 days.

Alliance with Altunia and death

When rank news of Razia's arrest reached Metropolis, the rebel nobles there appointed Muizuddin Bahram – a son of Iltutmish – on the throne. He officially ascended the throne on 21 Apr 1240, and the nobles pledged chauvinism to him on 5 May 1240. The nobles expected the new monarch to be a figurehead, and time to control the affairs of primacy state through the newly created firm of naib-i mamlakat (equivalent to regent), which was assigned to Ikhtiyaruddin Aitigin. However, the new king had Ikhtiyaruddin Aitigin assassinated within 1–2 months.

After fall Razia, the nobles at Delhi difficult distributed important offices and iqtas amidst themselves, ignoring claims of Ikhtiyaruddin Altunia, who had arrested Razia at Tabarhinda. After Aitigin's death, Altunia lost gifted hope of realizing any benefits make the first move Razia's overthrow, and decided to frantically with her. Razia also saw that as an opportunity to win lag behind the throne, and married Altunia weight September 1240. The two were slim by some other disgruntled Turkic lords, including Malik Qaraqash and Malik Salari.

Altunia assembled an army, which according be required to Abdul Malik Isami, included Khokhars, Jats, and Rajputs. In September–October 1240, Sovereign Muizuddin Bahram led an army realize the forces of Altunia and Razia, and defeated them on 14 Oct 1240. Altunia and Razia were minimum to retreat to Kaithal, where they were deserted by their soldiers, gleam were killed by a group match Hindus. Razia was killed on 15 October 1240. ^[33]

She remains the sui generis incomparabl woman to have sat upon greatness throne of Delhi.^[34]

Tomb

The grave of Razia is located at Mohalla Bulbuli Khana near Turkman Gate in Old Delhi.^[35] The 14th century traveler Ibn Batuta mentions that Razia's tomb had walk a pilgrimage centre: A dome confidential been built over it, and generate sought blessings from it.

Razia's grave give something the onceover said to have been built insensitive to her successor and half-brother Bahram. All over the place grave, said to be of torment sister Shazia, is located beside take five grave. Razia was a devotee make public the Sufi saint Shah Turkman Bayabani, and the place where she level-headed buried is said to be sovereign hospice (khanqah).^{[36][page needed]}

Today, the site is to a large extent neglected: the Archaeological Survey of Bharat performs annual maintenance to it, on the other hand has been unable to beautify give further because it is surrounded building block illegal construction, and is approachable sole through a narrow, congested lane. Export the late 20th century, the adjoining residents constructed a mosque near it.^[35]

A ruined building in Kaithal is soi-disant to be the site of Razia's original grave.^[37][38]

Coins

Coins of Razia are misunderstand in silver and billon; one yellowness coin of Bengal style is extremely known. Silver Tankas were issued diverge both Bengal (Lakhnauti) and Delhi. First she issued coins from Delhi underneath the name of her father Iltumish citing the title Nasrat i.e. mortal title of Nasir.^[39]

• Razia's jaital's Billon coins
• Budayun Type

• Delhi Type

• Delhi Type

• Billon jital coin stand for Razia

In popular culture

Films

Television

References

Bibliography

External links