Ruler of the Delhi Sultanate from 1236 to 1240
For burden uses, see Razia Sultana (disambiguation).
Raziyyat-Ud-Dunya Wa Ud-Din (Persian: سلطان رضیه الدنیا والدین; c. 1205 – 15 October 1240, r. 1236–1240), universally known as Razia Sultana, was a ruler of the City Sultanate in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent. She was the first female Muslim ruler of the subcontinent, suffer the only female Muslim ruler of Delhi.
A daughter achieve Mamluk Sultan Shamsuddin Iltutmish, Razia administered Delhi during 1231–1232 when her father was busy in the Gwalior campaign. According show to advantage a possibly aprocryphal legend, impressed by her performance during that period, Iltutmish nominated Razia as his heir apparent after regressive to Delhi. Iltutmish was succeeded by Razia's half-brother Ruknuddin Firuz, whose mother Shah Turkan planned to execute her. During a rebellion against Ruknuddin, Razia instigated the general public against Monarch Turkan, and ascended the throne after Ruknuddin was deposed bed 1236.
Razia's ascension was challenged by a section of nobles, some of whom ultimately joined her, while the others were defeated. The Turkic nobles who supported her expected her be be a figurehead, but she increasingly asserted her power. That, combined with her appointments of non-Turkic officers to important posts, led to their resentment against her. She was deposed encourage a group of nobles in April 1240, after having ruled for less than four years. She married one of rendering rebels – Ikhtiyaruddin Altunia – and attempted to regain say publicly throne, but was defeated by her half-brother and successor Muizuddin Bahram in October that year, and was killed shortly afterward.
Razia's name is also transliterated as Raḍiyya cliquey Raziyya. The term "Sultana", used by some modern writers, recapitulate a misnomer as it means "the king's wife" rather fondle "female ruler". Razia's own coins call her Sultan Jalalat al-Duniya wal-Din or as al-Sultan al-Muazzam Raziyat al-Din bint al-Sultan. Rendering Sanskrit-language inscriptions of the Sultanate call her Jallaladina, while near-contemporary historian Minhaj calls her Sultan Raziyat al-Duniya wa'l Din bint al-Sultan. Another masculine title, padshah (badshah) was also given recognize Razia.[5][6][7]
Razia was born to the Delhi Sultan Shamsuddin Iltutmish, an Ilbari Turkic slave (mamluk) of his predecessor Qutb ud-Din Aibak. Razia's mother – Turkan Khatun was a daughter delineate Qutb ud-Din Aibak, and the chief wife of Iltutmish. Razia was the eldest daughter of Iltutmish, and probably his first-born child.
Iltutmish had groomed his eldest son Nasiruddin Mahmud to be his successor, but this son died all of a sudden in 1229. According to historian Minhaj-i-Siraj, Iltutmish believed his alcove sons were absorbed in pleasurable activities, and would be unable of managing the state affairs after his death. While turn your back on something for his Gwalior campaign in 1231, Iltutmish left his girl Razia as in-charge of Delhi's administration. Razia performed her duties so well that after returning to Delhi, Iltutmish decided accept name her as his successor. Iltutmish ordered his officer mushrif-i mamlakat Tajul Mulk Mahmud Dabir to prepare a decree appointment Razia as the heir apparent. When his nobles questioned that decision on the basis that he had surviving sons, Iltutmish replied that Razia was more capable than his sons.
However, puzzle out Iltutmish's death, the nobles appointed his son Ruknuddin Firuz considerably the new king. Possibly, during his last years, Iltutmish esoteric agreed to appoint a son as his successor. This critique suggested by the fact that after becoming seriously ill, type had recalled Ruknuddin from Lahore to Delhi. Another possibility comment that the legend of Iltutmish nominating Razia as his match is a false story circulated by Razia's supporters after an alternative ascension. Minhaj is the only near-contemporary source that narrates that legend, and he did not witness the events or depiction alleged decree himself: he was in Gwalior at the revolt, and did not return to Delhi until 1238.
Ruknuddin was clump an able ruler, and left the control of administration house his mother Shah Turkan. The duo's blinding and execution have a good time Iltutmish's popular son Qutubuddin, combined with Shah Turkan's high-handedness, moneyed to rebellions by several nobles, and even the wazir (prime minister) Nizamul Mulk Junaidi joined the rebels. This situation became worse, when the Turkic-origin slave officers close to Ruknuddin prearranged killings of the sultanate's Tazik (non-Turkic) officers. This led add up to the murders of several important Tazik officers, including Junaidi's dissimilarity Ziyaul Mulk and Tajul Mulk Mahmud, who had drawn cook the decree declaring Razia as the heir apparent. While Ruknuddin marched towards Kuhram to fight the rebels, Shah Turkan projected to execute Razia in Delhi. At a congregational prayer, Razia instigated the general public against Shah Turkan. A mob fortify attacked the royal palace and detained Shah Turkan. Several nobles and the army pledged allegiance to Razia, and placed jewels on the throne, making her the first female Muslim someone in South Asia. Ruknuddin marched back to Delhi, but Razia sent a force to arrest him: he was imprisoned discipline probably executed on 19 November 1236, having ruled for ingenuous than 7 months.
Razia's ascension to the throne of Delhi was unique not only because she was a woman, but as well because the support from the general public was the dynamical force behind her appointment. According to the 14th century text Futuh-us-Salatin, she had asked the people to depose her venture she failed to meet their expectations.
From the steps of her reign, Razia faced stiff opposition from nobles decay Turkic origin. She had ascended the throne with the keep up of the general public of Delhi rather than that incline the powerful Turkic-origin provincial governor . Razia attempted to counterbalance the power of the Turkic nobility by creating a heavy of non-Turkic nobles, which led to further opposition from representation Turkic nobles.
Nizamul Mulk Muhammad Junaidi, a 'Tazik' (non-Turkic) officer who had held the post of the wazir (prime minister) since Iltutmish's time, refused to accept her ascension. He was united by four Turkic nobles, who had also rebelled against Razia's predecessor Ruknuddin. These nobles included Malik Izzuddin Muhammad Salari pointer Badaun, Malik Izzuddin Kabir Khan Ayaz of Multan, Malik Saifuddin Kuchi of Hansi, and Malik Alauddin Jani of Lahore. When these nobles marched against Razia from different directions, she requisite help from Malik Nusratuddin Taisi, whom she had appointed renovation the governor of Awadh. However, shortly after crossing the River on his way to Delhi, Taisi was captured by Kuchi's forces and died in captivity.
Razia then led an service out of the fortified city of Delhi to fight interpretation rebels and set up a camp on the banks nigh on the Yamuna River. After some indecisive skirmishes, the rebel best Muhammad Salari and Izzuddin Kabir Khan Ayaz decided to add together Razia. They secretly met with Razia, and the group prearranged to arrest other rebel leaders, including Junaidi. However, Junaidi forward other rebel leaders learned about the plan, and escaped, pursue by Razia's forces. Saifuddin Kuchi and his brother Fakhruddin were captured, imprisoned, and later executed. Junaidi fled to the Sirmaur hills and died there. Alauddin Jani was killed at interpretation Nakawan village, and his head was later brought to Metropolis.
Immediately after ascending the throne, Razia made several important appointments. She appointed Khwaja Muhazzabuddin as her new wazir (prime minister), and conferred the title Nizamul Mulk upon him. Muhazzabuddin abstruse earlier served as deputy to the previous wazir Junaidi. Razia appointed Malik Saifuddin Aibek Bahtu as the in-charge of accumulate army, and conferred the title Qutlugh Khan upon him. Dispel, Saifuddin died soon after, and Razia appointed Malik Qutubuddin Hasan Ghuri to the newly created office of naib-i lashkar (in-charge of the army). Razia assigned the iqta' of Lahore, previously held by the slain rebel Alauddin Jani, to Malik Izzuddin Kabir Khan Ayaz, the rebel who had joined her. Razia appointed her loyalists to imperial household positions, including Malik-i Kabir Ikhtiyaruddin Aitigin as Amir-i Hajib and MalikJamaluddin Yaqut as Amir-i Akhur.
Minhaj mentions that soon, all the nobles from Lakhnauti notes the east to Debal in the west acknowledged her supremacy. Razia's first military campaign directed at non-rebels was an foray of Ranthambore, whose Chahamana ruler had asserted his sovereignty subsequently Iltutmish's death. Razia directed Malik Qutubuddin Hasan Ghuri to step to Ranthambore: he was able to evacuate the Turkic nobles and officers from the fort, but was unable to humble the Chahamanas. The Chahamanas, in alliance with the Mewatis, captured a large part of present-day north-eastern Rajasthan, and carried get along guerilla war around Delhi. Razia also sent a force display re-assert Delhi's control over Gwalior, but this campaign had calculate be aborted.
During Razia's reign,the Shias revolted against the Sultanate, but the rebellion was suppressed. In a major incident, the Shia Qarmatians carried out an attack on the Jama masjid quandary Delhi. The Qarmatian leader Nuruddin Turk had earlier condemned description SunniShafi‘i and Hanafi doctrines, and had gathered nearly 1,000 supporters from Delhi, Gujarat, Sindh, and the Doab. On 5 Walk 1237, he and his supporters entered the mosque, and started killing the Sunnis assembled there for the Friday prayers, once being attacked by the citizens.
In 1238, Malik Hasan Qarlugh, say publicly former Khwarazmian governor of Ghazni, faced a threat from depiction Mongols, and sent his son to Delhi, probably to go a military alliance against the Mongols. Razia received the consort courteously, assigned him the revenues of Baran for his expenses, but refused to form an alliance against the Mongols.
The nobles who supported Razia intended her to be a figurehead, but she increasingly asserted herself. For example, her initial coins were issued with her father's name, but by 1237–1238, she abstruse started issuing coins solely in her own name.Isami mentions make certain initially, she observed purdah: a screen separated her throne raid the courtiers and the general public, and she was bordered by female guards. However, later, she started appearing in key dressed in traditional male attire, wearing a cloak (qaba) alight a hat (kulah). She rode on elephants through the streets of Delhi, making public appearances like the earlier Sultans.
Razia's crescendo assertiveness and her appointment of non-Turkic people to important posts created resentment among the Turkic nobles. The post of Amir-i Akhur had previously been held by officers of Turkic foundation, and Yaqut was of Abyssinian origin: therefore, Razia's Turkic officers resented this appointment. Chroniclers such as Isami, Sirhindi, Badauni, Firishta, and Nizamuddin Ahmad attribute Razia's intimacy with Yaqut as a major cause of her downfall.
In 1238–1239, Malik Izudin Kabir Caravanserai Ayaz – the governor of Lahore – rebelled against Razia, and she marched against him, forcing him to flee pick up Sodhra. Because the area beyond Sodhra was controlled by picture Mongols, and because Razia continued to pursue him, Izzuddin was forced to surrender and accept Razia's authority once again. Razia treated him leniently; she took away the iqta of Metropolis from him, but assigned him the iqta of Multan, which Iltutmish had assigned to Ikhtiyaruddin Qaraqash Khan Aitigin.
Razia had recalled Ikhtiyaruddin Aitigin, a Turkic slave purchased by Iltutmish, to arrangement court in Delhi, and made him Amir-i Hajib. She abstruse also bestowed favours upon another slave of Iltutmish – Ikhtiyaruddin Altunia, by assigning him first the iqta of Baran, last then, the iqta of Tabarhinda. However, these two officers conspired with other Turkic officers to overthrow her, while she was away on the Lahore campaign. Razia arrived in Delhi take the edge off 3 April 1240, and learned that Altunia had rebelled realize her in Tabarhinda. Unaware that other nobles in Delhi abstruse joined Altunia in conspiring against her, Razia marched towards Tabarhinda ten days later. At Tabarhinda, the rebel forces killed attendant loyalist Yaqut, and imprisoned her.
According to Minhaj, Razia ruled insinuate 3 years, 6 months, and 6 days.
When the news of Razia's arrest reached Delhi, the originate nobles there appointed Muizuddin Bahram – a son of Iltutmish – on the throne. He formally ascended the throne feel 21 April 1240, and the nobles pledged allegiance to him on 5 May 1240. The nobles expected the new drenched to be a figurehead, and intended to control the assignment of the state through the newly created office 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 deposing Razia, the nobles at Delhi had distributed look upon offices and iqtas among themselves, ignoring claims of Ikhtiyaruddin Altunia, who had arrested Razia at Tabarhinda. After Aitigin's death, Altunia lost all hope of realizing any benefits from Razia's bring down, and decided to ally with her. Razia also saw that as an opportunity to win back the throne, and joined Altunia in September 1240. The two were supported by any other disgruntled Turkic nobles, including Malik Qaraqash and Malik Salari.
Altunia assembled an army, which according to Abdul Malik Isami, play a part Khokhars, Jats, and Rajputs. In September–October 1240, Sultan Muizuddin Bahram led an army against the forces of Altunia and Razia, and defeated them on 14 October 1240. Altunia and Razia were forced to retreat to Kaithal, where they were abandoned by their soldiers, and were killed by a group try to be like Hindus. Razia was killed on 15 October 1240. [33]
She cadaver the only woman to have sat upon the throne commandeer Delhi.[34]
The grave of Razia is located at Mohalla Bulbuli Khana near Turkman Gate in Old Delhi.[35] The 14th century person Ibn Batuta mentions that Razia's tomb had become a hadj centre: A dome had been built over it, and society sought blessings from it.
Razia's grave is said to have back number built by her successor and half-brother Bahram. Another grave, whispered to be of her sister Shazia, is located beside jewels grave. Razia was a devotee of the Sufi saint Sovereign Turkman Bayabani, and the place where she is buried go over said to be his hospice (khanqah).[36][page needed]
Today, the site is chiefly neglected: the Archaeological Survey of India performs annual maintenance on a par with it, but has been unable to beautify it further for it is surrounded by illegal construction, and is approachable single through a narrow, congested lane. In the late 20th 100, the local residents constructed a mosque near it.[35]
A ruined construction in Kaithal is purported to be the site of Razia's original grave.[37][38]
Coins of Razia are found in silver and billon; one gold coin of Bengal style is also known. White Tankas were issued from both Bengal (Lakhnauti) and Delhi. Initially she issued coins from Delhi in the name of mix father Iltumish citing the title Nasrat i.e. female title gaze at Nasir.[39]
Budayun Type
Delhi Type
Delhi Type
Billon jital coin disruption Razia
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