‘Razia addressed the army from the mosque on one Friday, reminded them of her father’s good reign and ‘will’, promised to relieve them from the oppressive regime and resolved to abdicate the throne is she failed to keep her promise.’ Sudha Sharma, former Chairperson of India’s Central Board of Direct Taxes who is also a trained historian and the author of the book ‘The Status of Muslim Women in Medieval India’ writes that: Razia is said to have led a mass protest against them. However the incapable ruler and his mother Shah Turkan soon got on the wrong side of the people and the nobles. Things got ugly within days of Illtutmish’s death in 1236, the Turkish nobles and council disregarded his wishes and set up one of his sons, Ruknuddin Firuz Shah on the throne. Not surprisingly, this caused a furore among the Delhi nobles. When he returned, Iltutmish decided to formally nominate Razia as his successor. Razia is said to have managed the state affairs so well, that an impressed father was quick to make up his mind.
During his Gwalior campaign in 1231-32 CE, Illtutmish made Razia in charge of the administration of Delhi. This was his way of testing who would be best suited to succeed him.
But Iltutmish was a man way ahead of his times.Īccording to Historian Rukhsana Iftikhar who has published the book Indian Feminism: Class, Gender & Identity in Medieval Ages Iltutmish is said to have decided to test his children after the untimely death of his eldest son Nasir-Ud Din Muhammad in 1229 CE. Blessed with 3 sons and one daughter, few imagined that his choice of heir would be so controversial. He was Delhi’s Sultan from 1211 to 1236 CE. Map showing Delhi Sultanate under Aibak and Iltutmish | Neha ParabĪfter the death of Aibak in 1206, a brief battle of succession ensued before his son-in-law Iltutmish took charge. In a world of self-made men and monarchs, succession was naturally based on merit and there were oftentimes, multiple claimants. The Delhi court was dominated by Turkic generals, who were born slaves, but had risen up the ranks based on their talent and brute force. It was his general, Qutubuddin Aibak who would become the first Sultan of Delhi and establish what would be called the Slave or Mamluk Dynasty. In 1192, Mu’izz ad-Din Muhammad of Ghor defeated Delhi’s ruler Prithviraj Chauhan in the Second Battle of Tarain and opened the chapter of Islamic rule over Delhi. To understand Razia, we need to understand the society that she was born in. This seems to sum up the life and struggles of Razia Sultan. Miraj further went on to say that her only tragic flaw was that she was born a woman. ‘ She was a great monarch, wise, just, generous, benefactor to her realm, dispenser of justice, protector of her people and leader of her armies and endowed with all the admirable attributes and qualifications necessary for a king.’ Romanticized often – what do we really know of her?Ī contemporary 13th-century Persian historian, Miraj-i-Siraj, an authority on the history of the Slave dynasty, wrote about her in his work Tabaquat-i-Nasiri. In the staunchly patriarchal society of medieval India, the short four-year reign of Razia (1236-40 CE) is a significant milestone that makes her shine through the pages of history – not just here, but across the world. The story of Razia Sultan the only woman to sit on the throne of Delhi is confounding even today. The battles for power and the fierce warriors who had come from the far reaches of present-day Afghanistan and Turkmenistan and then imagine, a woman ruling over them. Razia must now chose between her crown and her love for Yakut.Imagine 13th century Delhi.
The problem is that Yakut is a dark-skinned man, who was the emperor's slave at one time, but set free and inducted in the army. After her succession, the court officials start to gossip about her personal life, and her affair with a Yakut Jamaluddin. Razia proves herself to the people by showing herself as much caring, compassionate, and dedicated as her dad, earning the respect of all, and she is accepted as the first ever female emperor of the land. This decision raises a hue and cry against the emperor, as many are opposed to a woman ruling over them. The apple of Sultan's eye is his daughter, Razia, and he would like her to succeed him as Emperor. He takes swift action when he comes to know that his very son has violated the peace, and broken the law, and has him severely and publicly whipped, incurring his wife's displeasure. Emperor Sultan Iltames is known for his fairness, compassion, and sense of justice.