Shams-ud-din Iltutmish Sultan of Delhi
the third ruler of the Mamluk dynasty of Delhi of Turkic origin.
He was a slave of Qutub-ud-din-Aybak and later became his son-in-law
and close lieutenant. He was the Governor of Badaun when he deposed
Qutub-ud-din's successor Aram Shah and acceeded to the throne of the
Delhi Sultanate in 1211. He shifted Capital from Lahore to Delhi ,
remained the ruler until his death on May 1, 1236.Iltutmish
introduced the silver tanka and the copper jital-the two basic coins
of the Sultanate period, with a standard weight of 175 grains. He
introudced Iqtadari system:division of empire into Iqtas, which were
assigned to the nobles and officers in lieu of salary. He Organised
a group of 40 loyal nobles-Turkan-i-Chahalgani or Chalisa or Forty
He built the Hauz-i-Shamsi reservoir in Mehrauli in 1230, which also
has Jahaz Mahal standing on its edge, used by later Mughal Emperors.
In 1231, he built Sultan Ghari the mausoleum of his eldest son,
Prince Nasiru'd-Din Mahmud, which was the first Islamic Mausoleum in
Delhi. His own tomb exists, within the Qutb complex in Mehrauli,
Delhi
Early life and career
Shams-ud-din belonged to the tribe of Ilbari of Turkestan. He was
remarkably handsome in appearance and showed signs of intelligence
and sagacity from his early days, which excited the jealousy of his
brothers, who sold him into slavery. They sold him to a merchant of
Bukhara, Jamal-ul-Din, a horse trader. As a slave he was brought to
Ghazni and then to Delhi, where Qutub-ud-Din bought him. His
accomplishments attracted the notice of Qutub-ud-din-Aybak, then
Viceroy of Delhi, who purchased him at a high price. Because of his
merit and loyal service he quickly rose in Qutub-ud-din's service,
married his daughter, and served in succession as the Governor of
Gwalior and Baran. He later served as Governor of Badaun between
1206 and 1211 until his accession to the throne in Delhi. In
recognition of his services during the campaign of Muhammad of Ghor
against the Khokhars in 1205-06, he was, by the Sultan's order,
manumitted.
Sultan of Delhi
Rise to power
Extent of Delhi Sultanate under Iltutmish
In 1210, Qutb-ud-din Aibak died. Muizzi amirs, who had been
appointed by Muhammad of Ghor supported Aram Shah. Qutbi amirs,
owing allegiance to Aibak, invited Iltutmish, then Governor of
Badaun, to seize power in Delhi. Aram Shah acceded to the throne
in Lahore. In 1211, Iltutmish claimed the throne in Delhi. Aram Shah
marched towards Delhi but was slain in battle leaving Iltutmish
unopposed in Delhi.
Early challenges
Coin of Shams-Ud-Din Iltutmish , circa 1210 - 1235.
Obv: Crude figure of Rider bearing lance on caparisoned horse facing
right. Devnagari Legends : Sri /hamirah'. Star above horse. Rev:
Arabic Legends : ' shams al-dunya wa'l din iltutmish al-sultan'.
On his accession, Iltutmish faced a number of challenges to his
rule. In the aftermath of Aibak's death, the Ghurid dominions in
India had divided into four. Iltutmish controlled Delhi.
Nasir-ud-Din Qabacha, the Governor of Uch and Multan asserted his
independence. Ali Mardan, a Khalji noble, who had been appointed
Governor of Lakhnauti by Qutb-ud-din in 1206, had thrown off his
allegiance to Delhi after his death and styled himself Sultan
Ala-ud-din. His successor, Ghiyas-ud-din, conquered Bihar.[6] Lahore
was contested by Iltutmish, Qabacha and Tajuddin Elduz, Muhammad of
Ghor's adopted son and successor in Ghazni. Elduz attempted to bring
Delhi under his control. Initially, Iltutmish acknowledged Elduz's
suzerainty by accepting the symbolic presents of the chatr and
durbash. The Hindu princes and chiefs were discontented at their
loss of independence and had recovered Kannauj, Benaras, Gwalior,
and Kalinjar had been lost during Qutub-ud-din's reign[8] while
Ranthambore had been reconquered by the Chauhans during Aram Shah's
rule. To add to Iltutmish's troubles, some of the Amirs of Delhi
expressed resentment against his rule.
The new Sultan first suppressed a rebellion of the Amirs in the
plain of Jud near Delhi, and then brought under his control the
different parts of the kingdom of Delhi with its dependencies like
Badaun, Benares and Siwalik.
In 1215-1216, Elduz, who had been defeated and expelled from Ghazni
by the forces of the Shah of Khwarezm, moved towards Punjab and laid
claim to the throne of Delhi as the heir to Muhammad of Ghor.
Iltutmish refused, stating
the dominion of the world is enjoyed by the one who possesses the
greatest strength. The principle of hereditary succession is not
extinct but long ago destiny abolished this custom.
Iltutmish defeated Elduz at Tarain. Elduz was imprisoned in Badaun
and was later executed
In 1217, Iltutmish moved towards Qabacha at the head of a large
army. Qabacha attempted to retreat from Lahore towards Multan but
was defeated at Mansura. Iltutmish refrained from attacking Sindh
due to the presence of Mongols on his north-west frontier. Iltutmish
was preoccupied with the Mongol threat and did not threaten Qabacha
until 1227.
Mongol threat
In 1221, the Mongols, under Genghis Khan appeared for the first time
on the banks of the Indus. They had overrun the countries of Central
and Western Asia with lightning rapidity. The Mongols captured Khiva
and forced its ruler, Jalal-ud-din Mangabarni to flee to the Punjab.
He sought asylum in the dominions of Iltutmish. The Sultan of Delhi
refused to comply with the request. Mangabarni entered into an
alliance with the Khokhars, and after defeating Qabacha of Multan,
plundered Sindh and northern Gujarat and went away to Persia. The
Mongols also retired. India was thus saved from a terrible calamity,
but the menace of the Mongol raids disturbed the Sultans of Delhi in
subsequent times.
Consolidation of power
Southern Bihar was captured by Iltutmish in 1225-26. Lakhnauti was
captured in 1226. Revolts continued until the Khalji Maliks of
Bengal were reduced to complete submission in the winter of 1231.
Ala-ud-din Jani was appointed Governor of Lakhnauti.
With the death of Genghis Khan in 1227, Iltutmish attacked Qabacha.
Multan and Ucch were captured. Qabacha was surrounded on all sides
in the fort of Bhakkar, on the banks of Indus. He drowned while
attempting to escape. Sindh and Multan were incorporated into the
Delhi Sultanate and placed under separate governors.
Due to his problems first with Turkic nobles and then with the
Mongols, Iltutmish had ignored the Rajputs, who had regained
territory lost earlier to the Turks, for the first fifteen years of
his reign. Starting in 1226, however, Iltutmish began a series of
campaigns against the Rajputs. Ranthambore was taken in 1226,
Mandsaur in 1227. Bayana, Ajmer and Sambhar were also captured.
Nagaur was captured in 1230 and Gwalior in 1231. Iltutmish's army
was forced to retreat with heavy losses from Gujarat by the ruling
Chalukyas. In 1235, Iltutmish sacked Ujjain and destroyed its
temples including the Mahakala Temple.
Iltutmish's son Nasir-ud-din Mahmud captured the Gangetic valley
territories of Budaun, Benaras, and Kanauj, which had fallen into
the hands of local Hindu chieftains. Rohilkhand was taken with heavy
losses.
He built Gandhak-ki-Baoli, a stepwell for Sufi saint, Qutbuddin
Bakhtiar Kaki, who moved to Delhi during his reign.
Death and succession
In 1236 Iltumish died, and buried with the Qutb complex in Mehrauli.
Iltutmish's eldest son, Nasir-ud-din Mahmud, had died in 1229 while
governing Bengal as his father's deputy. The surviving sons of the
Sultan were incapable of the task of administration. In 1236
Iltutmish, on his death-bed, nominated his daughter Raziya as his
heiress. But the nobles of the court were too proud to bow their
heads before a woman, and disregarding the deceased Sultan's wishes,
raised to the throne his eldest surviving son, Rukn-ud-din Firuz.
The death of Iltutmish was followed by years of political
instability at Delhi. During this period, four descendants of
Iltutmish were put on the throne and murdered. Order was
re-established only after Balban became the Naib or Deputy Sultan
and later on Sultan in 1265.
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