Razia Sultan was the only woman to have occupied the Delhi throne and the first Muslim woman to rule India. She was the fifth empress of the Delhi Sultanate’s Mamluk Dynasty. She ruled for three years, six months, and six days, from 1236 to 1240. She was a gifted, knowledgeable, courageous, superior administrator, and a formidable warrior.
Razia was a kind and understanding monarch. Along with the Qur’an and other Islamic sciences, she established public libraries, research institutes, schools, academies, and centers for study. In addition to Islam, other religions were studied at the schools she founded. Among them, the works of philosophy, astronomy, the sciences, and literature took center stage.
Early years
Iltutamish and Turkan Khatun welcomed their only daughter Razia Sultan into the world around 1205 in Badaun, which is now in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Iltutamish was the governor of Badaun and a former slave of Qutb al-Din Aibak. Iltutamish’s diligence so impressed Qutb al-Din Aibak that he ultimately gave him his daughter Turkan Khatun in marriage.
This image shows a scene in which Razia Sultan was attacked by her enemy while performing a routine tour of her kingdom. Razia was able to defeat the opposition by herself despite lacking proper military equipment and being unprepared. At that time, she was unrivaled in terms of power, vigor, strength, and genius.
Razia has three brothers, Iltutamish, however, regarded them all equally. All of his kids, including Razia, received quality instruction in martial arts and management as a result. He soon learned that Razia was extremely talented and brave, while his sons were incompetent. As a result, it is claimed that he designated his daughter Razia as his heir apparent, breaking with royal tradition.
Background:
Because he had lost all faith in his family members and the tribal chiefs of Ghor, Muizz al-Din Muhammad of Ghor, also known as Muhammad Ghori, could only have relied on his slaves to uphold his extensive conquests.
Ghiyath al-Din Mahmud succeeded to the throne at Ghor after Muizz al-murder, Din’s but his slaves Qutb al-Din Aibak, Taj al-Din Yildiz, Nasir al-Din Qabacha, and Muhammad Bakhtiyar Khilji were in charge of the majority of the conquests in the Ganga Valley.
When Muizz al-Din died in 1206, the people of Lahore invited Qutb al-Din Aibak from Delhi to take over as ruler. Aibak soon received a manumission, which released him from his slave status and acknowledged his position as a sovereign, sometime around 1208 or 1209. (as legally a slave could not be a sovereign).
The same to Muizz al-Din, Qutb al-Din Aibak was unable to name his heir. As a result, the maliks and amirs of Turkey elevated Aram Shah, a mysterious figure, to the throne. Aram Shah was opposed by the other Turkish nobility throughout the Sultanate, and the Khalji nobility in Bengal rose up in rebellion. Iltutmish was additionally invited to the throne by a group of nobles.
Iltutamish was the ruler of Badaun and a former slave of Qutb al-Din Aibak. He was also Aibak’s son-in-law. He marched from Badaun to Delhi as soon as he heard the call because Delhi was a strategic location for protecting his interests.
Aram Shah, on the other hand, assembled a sizable force in Amroha and advanced toward Delhi. Aram Shah was defeated and killed in the conflict. Now, Iltutamish took over control of the territory that Aibak had previously ruled.
Razia is a candidate:
Sultan Iltutamish’s daughter was named Razia. In 1231 and 1232, she oversaw Delhi while her father was preoccupied with the Gwalior campaign. She possessed all the admirable qualities and credentials required of kings. Iltutmish is said to have chosen Razia as his heir apparent because of her abilities rather than his incompetent sons who were more concerned with wine and music than with the operations of the empire.
Rukn al-Din, Razia’s stepbrother, was elevated to the throne by the Turkish aristocracy in 1236 CE after Iltutamish passed away. Due to his obsession with pleasure, Rukn al-Din was a total failure and lost all of his supporters. Shah Turkan’s mother, the widow of Iltutamish, thus had control over the government. She took advantage of her position to exact revenge on those who had formerly despised her.
Unsurprisingly, Rukn al-Din had to deal with a sizable uprising as a result of his failures. Rukn al-Din was opposed by a sizable group of Turkish salve officers (also known as the Corp of Forty, an elite Corps established by Iltutamish). Shah Turkan had intended to have Razia put to death in Delhi while Rukn al-Din marched toward Kuhram to confront the rebels.
Rise of Razia to the throne:
Razia took advantage of the opportunity to visit Jama Masjid and ask Delhi residents for their support while Rukn al-Din was occupied battling the rebels outside. She recalled that during his lifetime, her father Iltutamish had designated her as his successor, which furthered her justification for the throne. Delhi’s commoners demonstrated their innate love of fair play.
As the ruler of Hindustan, Razia wasted no time in establishing her position of power. For the first time in the Delhi Sultanate’s history, the citizens of Delhi made a decision regarding succession on their own. Later, Razia’s strength came primarily from the backing of the Delhi population. No rising against her and no palace revolution against her were possible as long as she remained in Delhi. When she asked people to remove her if she didn’t live up to their expectations, she effectively gave her accession in the form of a contract, claims Muhammad Habib.
On November 10th, 1236, Razia officially ascended to the throne as Sultan Jalalat al-Duniya wa al-Din. She referred to herself as the time’s queen and the pillar of women. “Razia combated intrigues competently, demonstrated remarkable insight into military tactics, resourcefully implemented her independent decisions, and diplomatically mended the iqta (land) holders,” writes Saiyid Athar Abbas Rizvi. Her greatest accomplishment was overcoming the prejudices of her time.
She confidently exercised her authority by directing that coins bearing the inscription, “Pillar of Women, Queen of the Times, Sultana Razia, daughter of Shamsuddin Altumish,” be struck in her name. She gave up wearing traditional Muslim women’s clothing as a ruler and replaced it with clothing that was gender-neutral like that worn by male rulers before her. In order for the people to see their Sultan openly and directly, she gave up the veil, showed up in court, and rode out on an elephant. She also gained the support of the Delhi population as a result.
As a result, Razia is the only reigning Indian monarch to have sat on the Delhi throne. She was a vibrant, autonomous, fearless, vivacious, and independent queen. She struggled with her own brother in addition to outsiders.
Resistance to Razia’s authority:
Being a cunning politician, Razia was able to maintain control over the nobles while gaining the backing of the army and the general public. However, the well-known wazir of Iltutamish and a Tajik named Nizamul Mulk Junaidi opposed Razia’s accession first. He attempted to march on Delhi with other Turkish nobles but was thwarted by the city’s support for Razia. Later, Razia either defeated her adversaries or subjugated them. Junaidi left Delhi and later perished.
Malik Yakut, a Habshi (Abyssinian), was appointed by Razia as the stables’ manager, or amir akhur. The Turkish nobles objected to this appointment because only Turkish officers had previously held this position. One nobleman, Malik Ikhtiyar al-Din Aitigin, concocted the idea that Yakut and Razia had a romantic relationship. The main cause of the Turkish nobles’ discontent with Razia, however, was her assurance and determination to assert her power.
The uprisings start:
Kabir Khan, the governor of Lahore, led the first uprising against Razia. She took action quickly and put an end to the uprising. Soon after Razia left for Lahore and arrived in Delhi, provincial governors marched to overthrow her, sparking an effective rebellion. Malik Ikhtiyar al-Din Altunia had previously been appointed by Razia to the iqta of Baran and then to Tabarhinda (or Bhatinda).
Razia favored Altunia, so she had little reason to anticipate a revolt from him. But to her surprise, Altunia also rebelled against her when she got back from Lahore. Altunia was being pursued by her as she marched towards Tabarhinda to defeat him, but she was unaware that he was working with some Turkish nobles in Delhi. The Turkish nobility raised the red flag when Razia left Delhi, killing Yakut and imprisoning him in the Tabarhinda (or Bhatinda) fort. Another Iltutamish descendant, Muizz al-Din Bahram, was installed as king by the Turkish nobility in Delhi.
Powerful nobles in Delhi started allocating iqtas and court positions but completely disregarded Altunia’s claims. Due to Altunia’s irritation, Razia took advantage of the circumstance and wed him, creating a potential alliance that could help her regain her position of power.
Razia and Altunia marched toward Delhi with an army of Khokars, Jats, Rajputs, and some resentful Turkish nobles. To crush Razia and Altunia on the other side, Sultan Muizz al-Din Bahram marched from Delhi. Altunia and Razia were driven back to Kaithal after being defeated. On February 15, 1240, after their remaining forces deserted them, they were assassinated by dacoits while fleeing.
The tomb of Razia is located in Old Delhi’s Mohalla Bulbuli Khana, close to Turkman Gate.
The location of Razia Sultana’s grave is in question. One of the three claims states that Razia’s grave is in Old Delhi’s Mohalla Bulbuli Khana, close to Turkman Gate. Ibn Batuta, a traveler from the 14th century, mentions that Razia’s tomb has turned into a major pilgrimage site.
