Introduction

• The period between 1206 – 1526 Ce is known as the Sultanate period.

• The Sultanate empire was stretched over a large part of the Indian Subcontinent for 320 years.

• During this time India was ruled by a large number of Turkish Sultans who belonged to the Ilbari Turkish clan. The 5 dynasties of the Sultanate period are:

  •  The Slave Dynasty (CE 1206 -1290)

  • The Khalji Dynasty (CE 1290-1320)

  • The Tughlaq Dynasty (CE 1320 -1414)

  • The Sayyid Dynasty (CE 1414-1451)

  • The Lodi Dynasty (CE 1451-1526)

The Slave Dynasty (CE 1206 – 1290)

1. Introduction:

   1. Qutub-ud-din Aibak

      1. The founder of Slave Dynasty is Qutub-ud-din Aibak, he began his career as a slave of Muhammad Ghori and rose to the position of a general by his merit.

      2. He was appointed the governor of his Indian conquests. After the death of Ghori, he became the ruler of Indian possession.

      3. Through matrimonial alliance with the rivals he consolidated his kingdom.

      4. He married the daughter of Taj-ud-din Yaldiz, one of the governors of Muhammad Ghori, who was given the charge of Ghazni, and had been his rival.

      5. Aibak became popular by donating money both to Hindus amd Muslims and was called ‘Lakh Baksh’ or the giver of lakhs.

      6. He was interested in building and monuments, he started the construction of the Qutub Minar in Delhi and also the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque in the same area.

      7. In CE 1210 he died falling from his horse while he was playing Chaughan or Indian Polo.

   2. Iltutmish (CE 1210-1236)

      1. The sudden death of Aibak left a void which the nobles filled by placing his own son Aram Shah on the throne of Delhi. 

      2. He was overthrown and Aibak’s son-in-law, Iltutmis, was invited to occupy the throne in CE 1210.

      3. Iltutmish’s position was challenged from the beginning as he had no hereditary claim over the throne. But he proved to be a strong and just ruler by conquering Malwa, mandu, Ujjain, Gwalior, Ranthambore and brought the entire Northern India under his rule.

      4. But he got his claim to the throne approved by the Khalifa, giving legitimacy to his rule.

      5. He is called the real founder of Delhi Sultanate. 

      6. He shifted the capital from Lahore to Delhi after suppressing the revolt of the Amirs of Delhi.

      7. He saved the Delhi sultanate from Mongol invasions. During Iltutmish’s reign India was threatened by the Mongol invasion, Chengiz khan, the fierce Mongol leader, followed Jalal-ud-din who fled towards India and requested Iltutmish to give him selter, but the Sultan refused to give him protection. So he fled to Persia and the enemies also followed him to Persia, thus India was saved from Mongol invasions.

      8. The land revenue system was organized by him. He divided his empire into Iqtas or Provinces for good governance. The Iqtas were administered by the Iqtadars who maintained law and order.

      9. He introduced the gold and silver coins (Tanka).

      10. He was a patron of art and architecture.

   3. Razia Sultan (CE 1236-1240)

      1. Iltutmish had nominated his daughter Razia as his successor as he thought his sons not to be eligible for the throne.

      2. The group of 40 powerful Turkish nobles called the Chahalgani, did not approve of his nomination of Razia, because razia did not allow the nobles to dominate her or influence her decisions. The nobles decided Razia’s son Rukh-ud-din Firoz for the throne, when he proved himself unworthy, finally nobles agreed Razia to be the ruler in CE 1236.

      3. Razia was a wise, brave ruler who used to sit in open darbar, but some nobles did not like to be ruled by a woman, the nobles accused her for being too close to an Abyssinian, Yaqut Khan and under the leadership of Altuniya, they rebelled against her, though she ended the rebel by marrying Altunia. Both of them died in a rebellion in 1240 CE.

      4. After the death of Razia there began a chaos, to add trouble to the crisis, the Mongols attacked Lahore and caused huge death and destruction over the kingdom.

   4. Nasir-ud-din Mahmud (CE 1246-1266)

      1. In 1246, a few influential nobles raised Iltutmish’s younger son Nasir-ud-din to the throne who was just 17 and could not manage the empire. 

      2. He left the control of the empire to his father-in-law Balban.

   5. Ghiyas-ud-din Balban (CE 1266-1287)

      1. After the death of Nasir-ud-din Balban came to power in CE 1266.

      2. He first realised that the prevailing weakness of the royal power was due to the intrigues of the Turkish nobles. Thus, he weakened the power of the nobles and tried to crush the powerful Turkish group of noble called “The Forty”

      3. He built a chain of forts on the frontier to protect the empire from Mongol attacks.

      4. Balban was the most successful ruler among the slave kings.

      5. He believed in the divine theory of Kingship, that the king is the representative of God. In order to raise the prestige of the king, the nobles were to perform sijdah and paibos (prostration or lie on front with face towards the ground and kissing the monarch’s feet).

      6. Balban reformed the army to increase its efficiency.

      7. Balban created an awe and respect in the minds of the people.

      8. Balban put the administration in order.

      9. He checked the Mongol invasions successfully and organized the spy system. He believed in the policy of “Blood and Iron” which implied being ruthless to the enemies.

      10. He died of illness in CE 1286, his successors were weak and failed to continue the empire, the rule of the Mamluk rulers ended in 1290 CE. Then the throne passed into the hands of Khaljis.