34 Facts About Razia Sultana

Raziyyat-Ud-Dunya Wa Ud-Din, popularly known as Razia Sultana, was a ruler of the Delhi Sultanate in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent.

Razia Sultana was the first female Muslim ruler of the subcontinent, and the only female Muslim ruler of Delhi.

Razia Sultana's ascension was challenged by a section of nobles, some of whom ultimately joined her, while the others were defeated.

Razia Sultana was born to the Delhi Sultan Shamsuddin Iltutmish, a Turkic slave of his predecessor Qutb al-Din Aibak.

Razia Sultana's mother – Turkan Khatun was a daughter of Qutb al-Din Aibak, and the chief wife of Iltutmish.

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Razia Sultana was the eldest daughter of Iltutmish, and probably his first-born child.

Razia Sultana performed her duties so well that after returning to Delhi, Iltutmish decided to name her as his successor.

Several nobles and the army pledged allegiance to Razia Sultana, and placed her on the throne, making her the first female Muslim ruler in South Asia.

Razia Sultana's ascension to the throne of Delhi was unique not only because she was a woman, but because the support from the general public was the driving force behind her appointment.

Razia Sultana had ascended the throne with the support of the general public of Delhi rather than that of the powerful Turkic-origin provincial governors.

Razia Sultana attempted to offset the power of the Turkic nobility by creating a class of non-Turkic nobles, which led to further opposition from the Turkic nobles.

Razia Sultana was joined by four Turkic nobles, who had rebelled against Razia's predecessor Ruknuddin.

Razia Sultana then led an army out of the fortified city of Delhi to fight the rebels and set up a camp on the banks of the Yamuna River.

Razia Sultana appointed Khwaja Muhazzabuddin as her new wazir, and conferred the title Nizamul Mulk upon him.

Razia Sultana appointed Malik Saifuddin Aibek Bahtu as the in-charge of her army, and conferred the title Qutlugh Khan upon him.

However, Saifuddin died soon after, and Razia Sultana appointed Malik Qutubuddin Hasan Ghuri to the newly created office of naib-i lashkar.

Razia Sultana assigned the iqta' of Lahore, formerly held by the slain rebel Alauddin Jani, to Malik Izzuddin Kabir Khan Ayaz, the rebel who had joined her.

Razia Sultana appointed her loyalists to imperial household positions, including Malik-i Kabir Ikhtiyaruddin Aitigin as Amir-i Hajib and Malik Jamaluddin Yaqut as Amir-i Akhur.

Razia Sultana's first military campaign directed at non-rebels was an invasion of Ranthambore, whose Chahamana ruler had asserted his sovereignty after Iltutmish's death.

Razia Sultana sent a force to re-assert Delhi's control over Gwalior, but this campaign had to be aborted.

Razia Sultana received the prince courteously, assigned him the revenues of Baran for his expenses, but refused to form an alliance against the Mongols.

Nobles who supported Razia Sultana intended her to be a figurehead, but she increasingly asserted herself.

Razia Sultana rode on elephants through the streets of Delhi, making public appearances like the earlier Sultans.

Razia Sultana's increasing assertiveness and her appointment of non-Turkic people to important posts created resentment among the Turkic nobles.

Razia Sultana treated him leniently; she took away the iqta of Lahore from him, but assigned him the iqta of Multan, which Iltutmish had assigned to Ikhtiyaruddin Qaraqash Khan Aitigin.

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Razia Sultana had recalled Ikhtiyaruddin Aitigin, a Turkic slave purchased by Iltutmish, to her court in Delhi, and made him Amir-i Hajib.

Razia Sultana had bestowed favours upon another slave of Iltutmish – Ikhtiyaruddin Altunia, by assigning him first the iqta of Baran, and then, the iqta of Tabarhinda.

Altunia and Razia Sultana were forced to retreat to Kaithal, where they were deserted by their soldiers, and were killed by a group of Hindus.

Razia Sultana remains the only woman to have sat upon the throne of Delhi.

Grave of Razia Sultana is located at Mohalla Bulbuli Khana near Turkman Gate in Old Delhi.

The 14th century traveler Ibn Batuta mentions that Razia Sultana's tomb had become a pilgrimage centre: A dome had been built over it, and people sought blessings from it.

Razia Sultana's grave is said to have been built by her successor and half-brother Bahram.

Razia Sultana was a devotee of the Sufi saint Shah Turkman Bayabani, and the place where she is buried is said to be his hospice.

Coins of Razia Sultana are found in silver and billon; one gold coin of Bengal style is known.