☀️SHAMS UD-DIN ILTUTMISH (r. June 1211 to April 1226 CE)- the slave of a slave
ILTUTMISH was sold into slavery as a young boy, and had many masters during his time in Central Asia (Bukhara and GHAZNI). Finally QUTB AL-DIN AIBAK (who was GHORI's Mamluk slave-general) became his new master. Aibak was a kind master and even married his youngest daughter, Turkan Khatun to ILTUTMISH.
Disagreements with other Mamluk generals
AIBAK's untimely death caused many dissidents and in-fighting amongst GHORI'S other Mamluk generals such as~ Tal al-Din Yildiz, Nasir ad-Din Qabacha and a number of amirs thereby making ILTUTMISH's position rather precarious. It was only after quelling these oppositions in the most brutal way where required, did he manage to consolidate his own dominion.
The contest for LAHORE and annexation of Indus valley region
ILTUTMISH had to contend himself in a major struggle with Qabacha and Taj Ud-din Yildiz for the control of LAHORE. Probably that is why he transferred the capital city to DELHI.
In another incident (1228 CE), he led a successful campaign against Qabacha for the control of the Indus valley region (Multan, Punjab and Sind) and was successful in bringing these territories into the Delhi Sultanate fold.
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| This lofty archway overseeing the Iron pillar is a later addition to the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque. Construction began in 1210 CE, progressed during the reign of Iltutmish and completed in 1235 CE. The archway is beautifully carved in arabesque design |
Ali Mardan breaks away from the Delhi Sultanate
Ali Mardan was a Khalji amir whome Aibak had appointed as the governor of Lakhnauti in Bengal in 1206. But he broke off his allegiance to the Delhi Sultanate and took on the title Sultan Ala Ud-din KHILJI.
Rebellion by Rajputs
Ranthambore, Jalore, Gwalior Bayana and Kalinjar Rajputs put up a joint rebellion and came victorious. In 1226 ILTUTMISH started a war with them and recaptured Ranthambore, Jalore, Gwalior and Bayana, but was unable to get back Gujarat and some areas. The unity of Hindu Rajputs had started to bring in some results as they took back a vast area surrounding Delhi.
Tomb of Iltutmish, son and successor of Qutb-ud-din Aibak. The tomb was built by Iltutmish himself in 1235 CE. The interior inscriptions are in Kufri and Naskh letters, plus geometric and arabesque patterns in saracenic tradition. Location: Mehrauli, New Delhi
By and large ILTUTMISH had been a strong ruler and consolidated much of his empire. He was effective in governance and brought about changes by dividing the empire into iqtas* and assigning them to the officers in charge for collection of taxes etc. There are a number of monuments built during his reign.
Iqta- is a common Islamic practice of farming and taxation.
☀️ Sultana Raziya to the rescue
Sultan Jalâlat-al-Duniya wal-Din (r. 1236 to 1240 CE) or popularly known as Razia Sultana became the first woman muslim Sultan of Delhi Sultanate. She ruled for only 4 years before being losing her life on 13 Oct 1240.
Read more about Raziya Sultana
The Chihalgani [The Forty]
The Chihalgani or The powerful Forty were an elite group of Turkic nobility that wielded considerable influence over the DELHI SULTANATE rulers. They had previously assisted Iltutmish in defeating Aram Shah and then later helped Mirza Altunia in bringing Raziya to the throne.
When the assertive Raziya Sultana proved to be a thorn by their side, they propped up Raziya's half-brother Muiz ud-din Bahram as a contender to the throne.
☀️Muiz ud-din Bahram (r. 1240 to 15 May 1242), and a period of unrest
Raziya Sultana was assasinated on 13 Nov 1240 and Muiz ud-din Bahram became the new Sultan under the given circumstances.
The powerful 40 [Chihalgani] now changed into The restless 40. It was amidst this constant bickering amongst themselves that the Mongols invaded Punjab and ransacked it's most important city LAHORE. The new king Bahram proved powerless and the army he sent from Delhi to fight the Mongols instead turned against him. The Chihalgani who were a discontent lot by now imprisoned him in the White fort* at Delhi, and later put him to death on 15 May 1242.
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| The White fort (interior) central dome. The fort got changed into Red fort during the reign of Mughal emperor Shahjahan |
* The present Red Fort in Delhi was originally white in color prior to the Mughals ie. reign of Emperor Shah Jahan in 1648.
☀️Ala-ud-Din Masud Shah (r. May 1242 to 10 June 1246)
He was a son of Bahram's half-brother Rukh ud-din Firuz. Within just 6 years, the Delhi Sultanate had 2 Sultans who came to the throne but were assassinated; and it was during this period of unrest that the now disorderly 40 Chihalgani chose him as the next 'yes-man' Sultan to do with him as they please. As expected when he attempted to exert some power, by year 1246, they replaced him with another Sultan in his place.
☀️ Nasir ud din Mahmud Shah (r. 1246 to 1265 CE)
He is ILTUTMISH's youngest son. Nasir ud din became the next Sultan on 10 June 1246. Just like his sister Raziya, he too defied Islamic doctrine, whereby he preferred monogamy instead of polygamy. He also followed a very austere and down-to-earth lifestyle and conducted all his personal work himself, while his wife cooked food for the family.
Clearly disinterested in royalty or power, he left the affairs of the state to his father-in-law Ghiasuddin Balban, while he himself wrote copies of the Qur'an and sold these as a means of livelihood.
☀️ Ghiasuddin Balban (r. 1266 to 1286): the two-sided nutcracker
Since Nasir ud-din Mahmud Shah had no surviving children, his father-in-law Ghiasuddin Balban became the next ruler after him. He was the 9th Sultan of the Delhi Sultanate. Ghiasuddin Balban, born 1216 CE was of Turkic origin. As a child he was captured by the Mongols and sold to a Sufi Khwaja named Jamal ud-din from Basra (Iraq). The Sufi got him to Delhi in 1232 CE, who sold him to ILTUTMISH alongwith many other slaves.
Balban started from a humble background working as a water carrier, to assisting the Sultan in personal matters and later he went on to become one among the 40 Chihalgani (Turkic slave nobles of ILTUTMISH). It was his idea to overthrow Ala al-Din Masud and install his own son-in-law Nasir ud-din Mahmud instead. Alongwith that he placed a few of his family members in important positions. Naturally, he earned resentment from his own cabal of 40 (ie. Chihalgani).
Towards the end-reign of MAMLUK DYNASTY, swaths of Mongol invasions had begun to sweep across West Asia and North-west India. In addition; there was always the constant internal threat of the infamous Chihalgani. To combat both would take tremendous amount of grit.
BALBAN V/Z CHIHALGANI
In dealing with the Chihalgani, he adopted a strategy of acknowledging them, while also building a strong force of about 2 lakh soldiers of non-Turkic orgin plus a contingent of commandos. He ruled with an iron fist and had an efficient intelligence and espionage system, whose officials were answerable only to the Sultan. Any excessive behaviour or over-handedness by nobles was now dealt with severely.. During his 20 year reign he had broken down the Chihalgani and brought stability, earning him a prominent place with other Delhi Sultanate rulers.
BALBAN V/Z MONGOLS
Balban built a well-organized army. The Mongols who were not yet fully acclimatised to Indian conditions, now got a taste of BALBAN's military expertise. His cavalry of Indian-bred horses were better suited to the conditions that those of the Mongols. He even lost his eldest son in a battle with the Mongols (1285 CE).
In terms of general military aggressions, just as his predecessors, the suppression of Rajputs continued during his reign. Conversions to Islam were full-scale in Punjab. He had also carried out some sucessful campaigns against Bengal, and exterminated almost a million Mewatis* who it is claimed engaged in lawlessness (probably out of bitterness revenge).
*Mewatis were Hindu Rajputs who became Muslims.during the course of Muslim invasions. They still maintain their Hindu cultural identity.
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| Tomb of Ghiyasuddin Balban at Mehrauli, Delhi |
It's curtains down for the MAMLUK DYNASTY
Ghiasuddin Balban's only surviving son, Bughra Khan, the ruler of Bengal showed no interest in taking on the throne after his father. So Balban nominated his grandson Kaikhasrau, son of Prince Mohammad Khan whom he had lost in battle with the Mongols. But when Balban died in 1287 CE at the ripe old age of 71, the nobles instead placed QAIQABAD, Bughra Khan's son on the throne. QAIQABAD (r. 1287-1290 CE), sadly could not perform. He eventually died of a paralytic stroke, passing on the responsibility of the kingdom to his toddler son Shams ud-Din Kayaumar (r. 1290 CE).
A Khalji nobleman named Jalal ud-din Firuz Khalji stood as guardian for the 3 year old king Shams ud-Din Kayaumar. This innocent life was snuffed out almost immediately by the ambitious Firuz Khalji who did not wish to face any competition at a later date, thus bringing the MAMLUK DYNASTY to a standstill...
LIST OF KHALJI DYNASTY KINGS
(r. 1290 to 1320 CE)
As the Mongols lay siege on West Asia, many nobles, artists and traders from Afghanistan and Persia began to migrate towards India. As such, while the Mamluk dynasty was dominated by Turkic nobility, the KHALJI DYNASTY now comprised Turkics+Afghans. As expected Jalal ud-din Firuz Khalji's ascension to the throne was frowned upon by the Turkic nobility.
Qalāt-e Ġilzay is a city in Afghanistan whose inhabitants are mainly Pashtuns from the sheep-grazing GHILJI TRIBE. They are referred to as GHILJI/ KHALJI/ KHILJI/ GHILZAY. Historians state they migrated from the Central Asian steppes into Afghanistan and over the course of time adopted Afghan customs and habits, hence they were now considered Afghans.
☀️Jalal ud-din Firuz Khalji (r. 1290-1296 CE) : and the art of self-preservation
Jalal ud-din Firuz Khalji spent a significant amount of time as an officer of the Mamluk dynasty kings, during which he carried out successful campaigns against the Mongols invasions. When he learnt that two nobles were hatching a plot to kill him; he came up with a counter-strategy and got them killed instead. Thereafter it was only after eliminating his rivals, did Firuz Khalji finally became Sultan at the ripe old age of 70.
As a precautionary measure during the initial year, Firuz Khalji ruled from Kilokhri at the outskirts of DELHI, and avoided making any radical changes to the old Turkic systems, so as not to draw the ire of the remaining Turkic nobility. But he did however appoint his family members to crucial positions, one of whom was his nephew Ali Gurshasp. Yet another tactic he adopted was; to keep a low profile, and came across as a rather mild-mannered man before his subjects. He even refused to sit on the king's throne, and met his adversaries with lenient punishments unlike his predecessors.
Military campaigns
▶️ Jalal ud-din Firuz Khalji was popular with his subjects for his kind demeanor, but was despised by his rivals as a weak Sultan. A major revolt arose against him, which he crushed with the help of his eldest son Khan-i-Khanam.
▶️ There are other interesting stories about how diplomatically Sultan Firuz Khalji took care of his adversaries without spilling even a drop of blood.
▶️ The only instance he did so, was when a dervish named Sidi Maula conspired against him. In an ominous turn of events, Sidi Maula's death was followed by a severe famine throughout the kingdom, wherein many people preferred to commit suicide rather than die of starvation.
▶️ At another instance, he routed a Mongols invasion at north-west Delhi. Firuz Khalji's hostility towards Hindu kings was deplorable. After a victory he engaged in plunder and destruction of their temples and idols. The practical-minded would ideally term this as coincidental.
The big betrayal
There are also some tidbits about his personal life that might interest the reader. Read more - How Ala ud-din Khalji overthrew his uncle to become the Sultan
☀️Ala ud-din Khalji (r. 1296-1316 CE): the tyrant
Sultan Ala ud-din Khalji's early life and progress is closely entwined with that of his uncle and predecessor Jalal ud-din Firuz Khalji. But what also matters is; how he performed as the new Sultan of DELHI.
A time of peace and contentment
It took Sultan Ala ud-din Khalji about a year to consolidate his stronghold. During this time~ he made generous appeasements by granting favors and jobs, within the nobility, a fine balance of power between Mamluks and those appointed during the KHALJI reign and rewarding soldiers with a generous salary.
Jalal ud-din Khilji's family is wiped out
Multan was still under the control of Arkali Khan, Jalal ud-din Khilji's eldest son. He had been harbouring his own family, ie. his mother and siblings from Ala ud-din all this time. Plus he also had under his wings those fugitives who had fled Delhi.
The evil Nusrat Ali Jalesari
This general of Ala ud-din Khalji general was given the task to exterminate Jalal ud-din Khilji's family. And he did it in the most brutal way~
He captured Multan, imprisoned Arkali Khan and blinded his two sons, younger brother Qadr Khan and all the loyal officials. Arkali Khan's sons were later executed. All the surviving women (Jalal ud-din Khilji's widow etc.) were imprisoned.
Nusrat Ali Jalesari- was an Indian converted muslim who hails from Jalesari, a place in U.P. He was also married to Ala ud-din's sister even before his ascension to the throne. He was hated by all for the treatment he meted to Jalal ud-din Khilji's family and those loyal to him, and then taking away their wealth and property.
Siri ~ The third city of Delhi
As the Mongols got increasingly intimidating, Ala-ud-Din Khilji felt the need to build a new fortified city complex. So he created Siri between 1297 and 1307.
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Siri fort complex near Asian games village, New Delhi
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It was during this period that the Seljuk Turks facing persecution from the Mongols, migrated to Delhi and sought refuge within the walls of Siri. The Seljuk Turks being great patrons of Turkic-Persian arts and literature, their craftsmen contributed greatly towards building lavish monuments during this time. 
![Hauz-Khas [Royal water tank], Delhi](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Y_TGlYNzMkEZmW39y_bHOdVwYXu1kDDzkjapGvZNfJG3LOXLGWgu5Q7QVUlCVH7RHbLRwDFe5IljFGF7M_cVuYpswLXQfYHSP2DuHBSD4bpdFJw2IMb6F32qOVKC2jfb7DADcTSD5q8giGOuRMsMIZAtsAaQdP0CaO6n1Gvcwg2poAWvwzyF-lHM/s1920/png_20230316_183746_0000.png "Hauz-Khas [Royal water tank], Delhi")
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