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The Slave Dynasty
image source : https://iascurrent.com/medieval-history/delhi-sultanate/slave-dynasty/
- After Muhammad Ghori death all the Muslims rulers who ruled over India were either slaves or were descendants of the slave ruler. so the Dynasty is generally known as the Slave Dynasty.
- the dynasty also known as Ilbari Dynasty as all the rulers of this dynasty except Aibak belong to the Ilbari tribe of Turks
- Established by Qutb ud-Din Aibak.
- Dynasty lasted from 1206 to 1290.
- It was the first of the dynasties to rule as the Delhi Sultanate.
List of Slave dynasty Rulers
Qutb ud-Din Aibak (1206 – 1210AD)
- The first ruler of the Mamluk Dynasty.
- Born to a Turkish family in Central Asia.
- Sold as a slave to Muhammad Ghori, the ruler of Ghor in Afghanistan.
- Aibak rose up the ranks and became Ghori’s trusted general and commander.
- He was given the charge of Ghori’s Indian possessions after 1192.
- When Ghori was assassinated, Aibak declared himself Sultan of Delhi in 1206.
- Started construction of the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque in Delhi. This is one of the first Islamic monuments in northern India.
- He began the construction of Qutb Minar in Delhi.
- He was also known as Lakh Bash (Giver of Lakhs) for his generosity. However, he was also responsible for the destruction and desecration of many Hindu temples.
- He reigned till his death in 1210. He was said to have been trampled to death by a horse.
- He was succeeded by Aram Shah.
Iltutmish (1211 – 1236AD)
- He was a slave of Qutubuddin Aibak and occupied the throne of Delhi in 1211 after deposing Aram Bakhsh
- Aram Shah was a weak ruler. It is not clear whether he was a son of Aibak or not. He was conspired against by a group of nobles who invited Shamsuddin Iltutmish to be the ruler.
- Iltutmish was a son-in-law of Aibak. He ruled Ghurid regions of northern India.
- He was a Turkic slave born in Central Asia.
- Iltutmish was the greatest of the slave rulers of Delhi. He shifted his capital from Lahore to Delhi.
- He completed the construction of Qutub Minar which was started by Aibak
- He built mosques, waterworks and other amenities at Delhi, making it fit to be the seat of power.
- He introduced the two coins of the Sultanate, the silver tanka and the copper jital.
- Also introduced the Iqtadari system in which the kingdom was divided into Iqtas which were assigned to nobles in exchange of salary.
- He died in 1236 and was succeeded by his daughter Razia Sultana as he did not consider his sons equal to the task.
Ruknuddin 1236 AD
- He was the son of Iltutmish and was crowned by her mother Shah Turkan after death of Iltutmish
- He was deposed by Razia daughter of Iltutmish when he was out of capital to curb a rebellion in Avadh against him.
Razia Sultana (1236 – 1240AD)
- Iltutmish had nomitaed his daughter Razia as the successor the nobles placed Ruknuddin Firoj on the throne
- Razia got rid of Ruknuddin and ascended the throne
- Born in 1205 as Iltutmish’s daughter.
- Was given a sound education by her father.
- She was the first and last Muslim woman to rule over Delhi.
- Also known as Razia al-Din.
- Before ascending to the throne of Delhi after her father’s death, the reign was briefly handed over to her half-brother Rukn ud-din Firuz. But after Firuz’s assassination within 6 months of his ascendency, the nobles agreed to place Razia on the throne.
- She was known as an efficient and just ruler.
- She was married to Malik Ikhtiar-ud-din Altunia, the governor of Bathinda.
- She was reportedly killed by her brother’s forces.
- Her brother Muizuddin Bahram Shah succeeded her.
Bahram Shah – 1240-42 AD
After Razia Iltutmish third son Bahram shah was put on the throne by the powerful Turkish council Chalisa
He was considered only as de jure ruler while Naib-e-mamlakat was the de facto ruler
Masud Shah – 1242-46 AD
He was the son of Ruknuddin but was deposed after Balban and Nasiruddin Mahamud’s Mother Malika-e-Jahan conspired against him and established Nasiruddin Mahamud as the new Sultan
Nasuruddin Mahamud – 1246-66 AD
- He was the son of Iltutmish and was known as the Darvesi King as he was very pious and noble
- He died in 1266
Ghiyas ud din Balban (Reign: 1266 – 1287)
- The next notable ruler after Razia.
- Ninth Sultan in the Mamluk dynasty.
- He was the wazir of the grandson of Iltutmish, Nasir-ud-din-Mahmud.
- Born of Turkish origins, his original name was Bahauddin.
- He was purchased as a slave by Iltutmish. He rose up the ranks quickly.
- He carried out successful military campaigns as an officer.
- After Nasir’s death, Balban declared himself the Sultan as the former did not have any male heirs.
- He carried military and civil reforms in administration which earned him the position of the greatest Sultanate ruler after Iltutmish and Alauddin Khalji.
- Balban was a strict ruler and his court was the symbol of austerity and strict obedience to the emperor. He even demanded that people prostrate before the king.
- He laid out severe punishments to the slightest of offences by his courtiers.
- He had a spy system to keep his nobles in check.
- He introduced the Persian festival of Navroz in India.
- Punjab saw large-scale conversions during his rule.
- After his death, his grandson Qaiqubad succeeded him at the throne of Delhi.
Kaiqubad – 1287 – 90AD
A grandson of Balban was seated on the throne by Fakruddin the Kotwal of Delhi who assumed political authority during the last days of Balban. But Kaiqubad was killed by the Khilji family which saw the end of Slave dynasty and beginning of Khilji dynasty at Delhi throne
Qaiqubad died of a stroke in 1290 and was succeeded by his three-year-old son Shamsuddin Kayumars.
Kayumars was murdered by Jalal ud-Din Firuz Khalji, thus ending the Mamluk Dynasty to replace it with the Khalji Dynasty
