https://www.thetajtours.com/razia-sultan/
Razia Sultana was born in 1205, and was the
favorite daughter of Shamshuddin Iltutmish. When she was five years of age,
Qutubuddin Aibak died after a fall from the horse while playing polo. Iltutmish,
her father was made the Sultan of Delhi. Being the favorite child, she was
allowed to be next to her father during the administrative proceedings of the
court. That is how she gradually learned the skills to run an empire. At the
same time her brother Nasiruddin Mahmud too was groomed by Iltutmish to succeed
him.
Destiny had some other plans. Unfortunately, in
1229 CE her brother Nasiruddin Mahmud passed away. And his other sons were
worthless due to debauchery. In 1230, Iltutmish led a campaign against Gwalior
and due to which he had to leave his capital Delhi. Before his departure he
made his daughter Razia and another son Ruknuddin Firoz as his lawful reagent
of Delhi. Razia performed her duty diligently while her half brother proved to
be worthless.
On his return in 1231, Iltutmish was highly
impressed to see the administration of Razia. He declared Razia as his
successor. He became the first and last Delhi sultan to make a woman his
successor. Iltutmish died in 1236, and due to court intrigues Ruknuddin Firoz
was made the sultan of Delhi. Ruknuddin
ruled briefly for seven months with the help of his mother Shah-i-Turkan but
all efforts went in vain. In this situation, she declared herself as the lawful
successor after deposing and assassinating both of them.
On 10th November 1236, she created
history to be the first and the last woman who sat on the throne of Delhi. Razia
was an efficient ruler and possessed all the qualities of a ruler. According to
Minhaj-i-Siraj, she was "sagacious, just, beneficent, the patron of the
learned, a dispenser of justice, the cherisher of her subjects, and of warlike
talent, and endowed with all the admirable attributes and qualifications
necessary for a king”.
Razia is also famous for her involvement and legends
with her lover and later turned husband, Malik Ikhtiar-ud-din Altunia, who was
then the governor of Bhatinda. Her male dominant court members could not
tolerate orders given by a woman. They spread rumors about her affair with
Jamal-ud-Din Yaqut, an Abyssinian Siddi (Habshi) slave. Hearing this, Altunia
immediately revolted against her. She went to suppress his revolt in which
Yahut was murdered and Razia was captured.
In the mean time, the nobles in Delhi appointed Razia's
half-brother, Muiz ud din Bahram as her successor. To regain the lost empire,
Altunia and Razia combined their army for the common enemy. They attacked Delhi
and unfortunately badly defeated. They took shelter at Kaithal after being
abandoned by their army. And it is said that at night of 13th
October 1240 robbers killed them.
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