Razia Sultan gained fame as a shrewd and far-sighted ruler, having managed to make a huge contribution to the development of the Delhi Sultanate, however, despite all the achievements, the history of her reign ended very sadly. How a woman managed to become the head of the largest Islamic power in the 13th century, why the country could not accept the fact of the rule of a talented politician, and how Razia Sultan’s life ended — we understand in our material.
Hema Malini as Razia Sultan in the film «Sultan’s Daughter», 1983
The Delhi Sultanate, located on the territory of modern India, was founded by the Sunni Ghurid dynasty in 1206. The mixing of two cultures led to the formation of a new civilization that obeyed the laws of Islam. For a long time, power in the country belonged to men, but in 1236, everything changed — when Sultan Iltutmish died, he appointed his daughter Razia as the official successor to the throne, despite the fact that according to the unspoken laws of the Islamic state, one of his sons was supposed to take the throne. It was from this moment that a new chapter in the history of the Delhi Sultanate began, which had a very tragic ending.
Sultan Iltutmish, who became famous for his achievements in foreign policy, paid close attention not only to serving the country, but also to the upbringing of his children. His three sons and only daughter Razia studied a variety of disciplines from childhood and had a large number of hobbies, including archery and military, but unlike their brothers, Razia had great potential, was more actively interested in new things, showed herself to be talented in various fields and was always her father’s favorite.
When the girl grew up, Iltutmish often took her with him on business trips and state meetings, and, in addition, appointed her his deputy during his absence in Delhi — at that time, this state of affairs did not particularly bother the ruler’s entourage and the sultanate’s subjects, since after Iltutmish’s death, his eldest son was to take his place. Nasir al-Din Mahmoud.
Razia Sultan
However, soon the sultan’s eldest heir died, and Iltutmish’s youngest son, who was next in line to the throne, was not talented enough to rule the state (according to his father), and therefore in 1236 he transferred power to his only daughter Razia. This decision did not please the conservative Turkic nobility, and despite the sultan’s will, Iltutmish’s son Rukn-ud-din Firuz was appointed as the new ruler.
As the former head of the Delhi Sultanate had expected, his son was unable to rule the state — soon after he came to power, riots and civil strife began in the country, and the enemies of the sultanate hastened to take advantage of the internal conflicts that broke out in Delhi. A significant role in these events was played by Shah Turkan, the mother of Rukn-ud-din Firuza, who, realizing her son’s inability to rule the country, hoped to take power into her own hands — for this she needed to get rid of Razia, whose popularity was growing among the general population.
However, Shah Turkan’s plans did not come true — as early as November 1236, the residents of Delhi openly supported Sultan Iltutmish’s daughter, realizing the consequences of the current leader’s rule, and soon she was recognized as the legitimate head of state, and Rukn—ud-din Firuz, along with his mother, was exiled to one of the from the prisons where they were later executed.
Sultan Iltutmish and Razia
Razia Sultan (the woman deliberately refused the title of «sultan», which was offered to her, since it was given to the wives of rulers) intended to continue her father’s policy, while she wanted to focus not only on foreign policy, but also on domestic policy. — according to historians, Razia was able to significantly raise the welfare of her country by paying close attention to the fields of education, medicine, economics, science and art (some researchers highly appreciate Razia’s educational activities, which were an ardent fan of poetry, painting and theater), and, moreover, she managed to maintain her influence without a lot of bloodshed Due to her diplomatic talent, most conflicts (both inside and outside the country) were resolved peacefully.
Razia Sultan also paid considerable attention to issues of social and gender equality — the ruler ensured that all segments of the population, regardless of gender, age and wealth, had access to social benefits, and, moreover, proved by her example that women can act on an equal basis with men in any field of activity. So, at the time of her ascension to the throne, Iltutmish’s daughter was dressed in the traditional attire of the sultan, which was previously worn exclusively by men, and later regularly wore men’s clothing, appeared in public with weapons, personally led military operations, refused privacy in the female part of the house, communicated on equal terms with men and even ordered coins to be minted with her with the image and caption: «The Pillar of Women, the mistress of the era, Sultan Razia, daughter of Shams al-Din Iltutmisha.»
Image of Razia at the Archaeological Museum, Delhi, India
Despite the fact that the people of Delhi sincerely loved the just and talented ruler, Razia had many enemies — her desire to destroy the established norms of the patriarchal way offended conservative Muslims, who perceived her behavior as license and licentiousness, and her decisions regarding appointments to government positions of her close associates (for example, Razia’s right-hand man was her close friend Jamal al-Din Yakut, Ethiopian by birth) was not satisfied with the nobility.
Very soon, hostile sentiments began to rise in the state. In April 1240, Malik Ikhtiar-ud-din Altuniya, one of Razia’s confidants, raised an uprising in Bhatinda (Punjab) — the ruler, as expected by the separatists who planned to set a trap, decided to personally lead a military campaign and, faced with the betrayal of her troops, was captured, after which she was exiled to the fortress. Tabarhind, where she was kept under close supervision. However, after that, Malik Ikhtiar-ud-din Altuniya did not gain power — instead, Muizz al-din Bahram Shah, one of Razia’s younger brothers, ascended to the throne, whose candidacy was supported by the Turkic zant, which categorically did not suit the initiator of the coup.
Realizing his defeat, the failed sultan went to the fortress where Razia was being held and offered her an alliance — Iltutmish’s daughter, who was wholeheartedly happy for the welfare of her country, accepted the offer of her colleague who betrayed her, after which Malik Ikhtiar-ud-din Altuniya married the deposed ruler of the Delhi Sultanate, and together they were puzzled by the search for allies for the struggle for power.
Since Razia enjoyed great prestige and was a favorite of the people, very soon several emirs who disagreed with the candidacy of the current sultan came out in support of her. Having gathered an army, Razia and her husband went on a military campaign against Delhi, but part of her army surrendered when faced with the enemy, as a result of which Iltutmisha’s daughter and Malik Ikhtiar-ud-din Altuniya were defeated and captured.
Memorial Plaque at Razia Sultan Mausoleum, New Delhi
Burial of Razia Sultan in the old district of New Delhi
The fate of the legendary Razia Sultan is unknown — according to one version, she and her husband were executed the day after they were captured. It is believed that Muizz al-din Bahram Shah feared the growing influence of the deposed ruler and gave the order to immediately kill her in order to avoid new attempts by Razia to regain legitimate power. However, some scientists believe that the ex-ruler still managed to escape, using her connections in Delhi. If this theory is to be believed, Razia wandered around the country after her escape and one day wandered into the house of one of the locals to ask for some food. After eating a modest treat, the woman fell asleep, unable to fight fatigue, and the owner of the house, noticing that Razia was dressed in expensive clothes and jewelry, killed her for selfish purposes, and buried her body near his house.
Anyway, Razia Sultan became one of the most famous rulers in the history of medieval India, making a huge contribution to its development and prosperity in less than four years of rule. To this day, historians and representatives of the art world continue to explore her biography, paying tribute to her achievements and successes, and the people of the country remember her. They honor the exploits and legacy of the legendary Razia, who became a victim of the patriarchal traditions of society.