Razia Sultana: Difference between revisions

{{Short description|13th century sultan in northern Indian subcontinent}}

| title           = Sultan

| name           = [[Raziyyat-Ud-Dunya Wa Ud-Din]]

| image           = Razia Jital.JPG

| caption         = [[Billon (alloy)|Billon]] ''jital'' coin of Razia

| succession     = [[Delhi Sultanate|Sultan of Delhi]]

| reign           = 1236 − 20 april 1240

| predecessor     = [[Ruknuddin Firuz]]

| successor       = Ruknuddin Firuz

| house           = [[Mamluk dynasty]]

| father         = [[Iltutmish]]

| mother         = Turkan Khatun

| spouse         = [[Malik Altunia|Ikhtiyaruddin Altunia]]

| death_date     = 15 October 1240

| death_place     = [[Kaithal]], [[Delhi Sultanate]]

| religion       = [[Sunni Islam]]

| regnal name     = Jalâlat-ud-Dîn Razia

'''Sultan Raziyyat-Ud-Dunya Wa Ud-Din'''<ref>{{Cite book|last=Minhaj-i-Siraj|first=Abu-'Umar-i-'Usman|title=The Tabakat-i-Nasiri. Translated by Major H. G. Raverty|publisher=Asiatic Society of Bengal|year=1873|location=London|pages=637}}</ref> ({{reign|1236|1240}}), popularly known as '''Razia Sultana''', was a ruler of the [[Delhi Sultanate]] in the northern part of the [[Indian subcontinent]]. She was the first female Muslim ruler of the subcontinent, and the only female Muslim ruler of Delhi.

Razia's name is also transliterated as Raḍiyya{{sfn|Peter Jackson|2003|p=46}} or Raziyya.{{sfn|Guida M. Jackson|1999|p=341}} The term "Sultana", used by some modern writers, is a misnomer as it means "the king's wife" rather than "female ruler". Razia's own coins call her ''Sultan Jalalat al-Duniya wal-Din'' or as ''al-Sultan al-Muazzam Raziyat al-Din bint al-Sultan''. The [[Sanskrit]]-language inscriptions of the Sultanate call her ''Jallaladina'', while near-contemporary historian [[Minhaj-i-Siraj|Minhaj]] calls her ''Razia''.{{sfn|K. A. Nizami|1992|p=237}}

== Decree naming Razia as the heir apparent ==

 

Iltutmish had groomed his eldest son [[Nasiruddin Mahmud (son of Iltutmish)|Nasiruddin Mahmud]] to be his successor, but this son died unexpectedly in 1229.{{sfn|K. A. Nizami|1992|p=230}} According to historian [[Minhaj-i-Siraj]], Iltutmish believed that his other sons were absorbed in pleasurable activities, and would be incapable of managing the state affairs after his death. While leaving for his [[Gwalior]] campaign in 1231, Iltutmish left his daughter Razia as in-charge of Delhi's administration. Razia performed her duties so well that after returning to Delhi, Iltutmish decided to name her as his successor.{{sfn|K. A. Nizami|1992|pp=230–231}} Iltutmish ordered his officer ''mushrif-i mamlakat'' Tajul Mulk Mahmud Dabir to prepare a decree naming Razia as the [[heir apparent]].{{sfn|K. A. Nizami|1992|p=230}} When his nobles questioned this decision on the basis that he had surviving sons, Iltutmish replied that Razia was more capable than his sons.{{sfn|K. A. Nizami|1992|p=231}}

 

== After Iltutmish's death ==

However, after Iltutmish's death, the nobles appointed his son [[Ruknuddin Firuz]] as the new king. It is suggested that during his last years, Iltutmish had agreed to appoint a son as his successor. This is suggested by the fact that after becoming seriously ill, he had recalled Ruknuddin from Lahore to Delhi.{{sfn|K. A. Nizami|1992|p=231}} Another possibility is that the legend of Iltutmish nominating Razia as his successor is a false story circulated by Razia's supporters after her ascension {{sfn|Peter Jackson|2003|p=46}}

== Taking over the throne ==

Ruknuddin was not an able ruler, and left the control of administration to his mother [[Shah Turkan]]. The duo's blinding and execution of Iltutmish's popular son Qutubuddin, combined with Shah Turkan's high-handedness, led to rebellions by several nobles, and even the ''[[vizier|wazir]]'' (prime minister) ''Nizamul Mulk'' Junaidi joined the rebels.{{sfn|K. A. Nizami|1992|p=235}} This situation became worse, when the Turkic-origin slave officers close to Ruknuddin planned killings of the Sultanate's ''Tazik'' (non-Turkic) officers. This led to the murders of several important Tazik officers, including Junaidi's son Ziyaul mulk and Tajul Mulk Mahmud, who had drawn up the decree declaring Razia as the heir apparent.{{sfn|K. A. Nizami|1992|pp=235–236}} While Ruknuddin marched towards [[Kuhram]] to fight the rebels, Shah Turkan planned to execute Razia in Delhi. At a [[jumu'ah|congregational prayer]], Razia instigated the general public against Shah Turkan. A mob then attacked the royal palace and detained Shah Turkan. Several nobles and the army pledged allegiance to Razia, and placed her on the throne,{{sfn|K. A. Nizami|1992|p=236}} making her the first female Muslim ruler in South Asia.{{sfn|Muzaffar Husain Syed|2011|p=231}} Ruknuddin marched back to Delhi, but Razia sent a force to arrest him: he was imprisoned and probably executed on 19 November 1236, having ruled for less than 7 months.{{sfn|K. A. Nizami|1992|p=236}}

From the very beginning of her reign, Razia faced stiff opposition from nobles of [[Turkic people|Turkic]] origin. She had ascended the throne with support of the general public of Delhi rather than that of the powerful Turkic-origin provincial governors. Razia 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.{{sfn|K. A. Nizami|1992|p=238}}

''Nizamul Mulk'' Muhammad Junaidi, a 'Tazik' (non-Turkic) officer who had held the post of the ''[[vizier|wazir]]'' (prime minister) since Iltutmish's time,{{sfn|K. A. Nizami|1992|p=225}} refused to accept her ascension. He was joined by four Turkic nobles, who had also rebelled against Razia's predecessor Ruknuddin. These nobles included ''Malik'' Izzuddin Muhammad Salari of [[Badaun]], ''Malik'' Izzuddin Kabir Khan Ayaz of [[Multan]], ''Malik'' Saifuddin Kuchi of [[Hansi]], and ''Malik'' Alauddin Jani of [[Lahore]].{{sfn|K. A. Nizami|1992|p=235, 238}} When these nobles marched against Razia from different directions, she sought help from ''Malik'' Nusratuddin Taisi, whom she had appointed as the governor of [[Awadh]]. However, shortly after crossing the Ganges on his way to Delhi, Taisi was captured by Kuchi's forces, and died in captivity.{{sfn|K. A. Nizami|1992|p=238}}

Razia 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]]. After some indecisive skirmishes, the rebel leaders Muhammad Salari and Izzuddin Kabir Khan Ayaz decided to join Razia. They secretly met with Razia, and the group planned to arrest other rebel leaders, including Junaidi.{{sfn|K. A. Nizami|1992|p=238}} However, Junaidi and other rebel leaders came to know about the plan, and escaped, pursued by Razia's forces. Saifuddin Kuchi and his brother Fakhruddin were captured, imprisoned, and later executed. Junaidi fled to the [[Sirmaur district|Sirmaur hills]], and died there. Alauddin Jani was killed at the Nakawan village, and his head was later brought to Delhi.{{sfn|K. A. Nizami|1992|p=239}}

Immediately after ascending the throne, Razia made several important appointments.{{sfn|K. A. Nizami|1992|pp=239–240}} She appointed Khwaja Muhazzabuddin as her new ''[[vizier|wazir]]'' (prime minister), and conferred the title ''Nizamul Mulk'' upon him. Muhazzabuddin had earlier served as deputy to the previous ''wazir'' Junaidi. Razia 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 appointed ''Malik'' Qutubuddin Hasan Ghuri to the newly created office of ''naib-i lashkar'' (in-charge of the army). Razia 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.{{sfn|K. A. Nizami|1992|p=239}} Razia appointed her loyalists to imperial household positions, including ''Malik-i Kabir'' Ikhtiyaruddin Aitigin as ''Amir-i Hajib'' and ''Malik'' [[Jamal-ud-Din Yaqut|Jamaluddin Yaqut]] as ''Amir-i Akhur''.{{sfn|K. A. Nizami|1992|p=240}}

During Razia's reign, the [[Shia Islam|Shias]] revolted against the [[Sultanate]], but the rebellion was suppressed.{{sfn|Guida M. Jackson|1999|p=342}} In a major incident, the Shia [[Qarmatians]] carried out an attack on the [[Jama masjid]] in Delhi. The Qarmatian leader Nuruddin Turk had earlier condemned the [[Sunni Islam|Sunni]] [[Shafi‘i]] and [[Hanafi]] doctrines, and had gathered nearly 1,000 supporters from Delhi, [[Gujarat]], [[Sindh]], and [[Ganga-Yamuna Doab|the Doab]]. On 5 March 1237, he and his supporters entered the mosque, and started killing the Sunnis assembled there for the [[Jumu'ah|Friday prayers]], before being attacked by the citizens.{{sfn|K. A. Nizami|1992|p=243}}

In 1238, Malik Hasan [[Qarlughids|Qarlugh]], the former [[Khwarazmian dynasty|Khwarazmian]] governor of [[Ghazni]], faced a [[Mongol Empire|Mongol]] threat, and sent his son to Delhi, probably to seek a military alliance against the Mongols. Razia received the prince courteously, assigned him the revenues of [[Bulandshahr|Baran]] for his expenses, but refused to form an alliance against the Mongols.{{sfn|K. A. Nizami|1992|pp=243–244}}

The nobles who [[supported]] Razia intended her to be a figurehead, but she increasingly asserted herself. For example, her initial coins were issued with her father's name, but by 1237–1238, she had started issuing coins solely in her own name.{{sfn|Peter Jackson|2003|p=47}} [[Isami (historian)|Isami]] mentions that initially, she observed [[purdah]]: a screen separated her throne from the courtiers and the general public, and she was surrounded by female guards. However, later, she started appearing in public dressed in traditional male attire, wearing a cloak (''qaba'') and a hat (''kulah''). She rode on elephants through the streets of Delhi, making public appearances like the earlier Sultans.{{sfn|K. A. Nizami|1992|p=240}}

In 1238–1239, ''Malik'' Izzuddin Kabir Khan Ayaz – the governor of [[Lahore]] – rebelled against Razia, and she marched against him, forcing him to flee to [[Sodhra]]. Because the area beyond Sodhra was controlled by the [[Mongol Empire|Mongols]], and because Razia continued to pursue him, Izzuddin was forced to surrender and accept Razia's authority once again. Razia treated him leniently: she took away the [[iqta'|iqta]] of Lahore from him, but assigned him the iqta of [[Multan]], which Iltutmish had assigned to Ikhtiyaruddin Qaraqash Khan Aitigin.{{sfn|K. A. Nizami|1992|pp=240–241}}

Razia had recalled Ikhtiyaruddin Aitigin, a Turkic slave purchased by Iltutmish, to her court in Delhi, and made him ''Amir-i Hajib''. She had also bestowed favours upon another slave of Iltutmish – Ikhtiyaruddin Altunia, assigning him first the iqta of [[Bulandshahr|Baran]], and then, the iqta of [[Bhatinda|Tabarhinda]]. However, these two officers conspired with other Turkic officers to overthrow her, while she was away on the Lahore campaign.{{sfn|K. A. Nizami|1992|p=241}} Razia arrived in Delhi on 3 April 1240, and came to know that Altunia had rebelled against her in Tabarhinda. Unaware that other nobles in Delhi had joined Altunia in conspiring against her, Razia marched towards Tabarhinda ten days later. At Tabarhinda, the rebel forces killed her loyalist Yaqut, and imprisoned her.{{sfn|K. A. Nizami|1992|p=242}} According to Minhaj, Razia ruled for 3 years, 6 months, and 6 days.{{sfn|K. A. Nizami|1992|p=243}}

Altunia assembled an army, which according to [[Isami (historian)|Isami]], included [[Khokhars]], [[Jats]], and [[Rajputs]]. In September–October 1240, Sultan Muizuddin Bahram led an army against the forces of Altunia and Razia, and defeated them on 14 October 1240. Altunia and Razia were forced to retreat to [[Kaithal]], where they were deserted by their soldiers, and were killed by a group of Robbers. Razia was killed on 15 October 1240.{{sfn|K. A. Nizami|1992|p=242}}<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Gabbay|first=Alyssa|date=1 January 2011|title=In Reality a Man: Sultan Iltutmish, His Daughter, Raziya, and Gender Ambiguity in Thirteenth Century Northern India|url=http://libres.uncg.edu/ir/uncg/f/a_gabbay_reality_2011.pdf#page4|journal=[[Journal of Persianate Studies]]|publisher=[[Brill Publishers]]|volume=4|issue=1|page=48|doi=10.1163/187471611X568285|issn=1874-7094|eissn=1874-7167|lccn=2008236337|access-date=11 July 2021|via=[[UNCG University Libraries]]|quote=The troops accompanying the couple abandoned them, and both Raziya and her husband were killed by Hindus on 25 Rabiʿ I 638/14 October 1240.}}</ref>

She remains the only Muslim woman to have sat upon the throne of Delhi.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Srivastava|first=Ashirbadi Lal|title=The Sultanate of Delhi (711-1526 A.D.) 4th edition|publisher=Shiva Lal Agarwala & Co. (P.) Ltd.|year=1964|location=Agra|pages=105–106}}</ref>

The grave of Razia is located at Mohalla Bulbuli Khana near [[Turkman Gate]] in [[Old Delhi]].<ref name="TH_tomb"/> The 14th century traveler [[Ibn Batuta]] mentions that Razia's tomb had become a pilgrimage centre:{{sfn|Peter Jackson|2003|p=46}} a dome had been built over it, and people sought blessings from it.{{sfn|Guida M. Jackson|1999|p=341}}

A ruined building in [[Kaithal]] is purported to be the site of Razia's original grave.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://haryanatourism.gov.in/Destination/tomb-of-razia-sultan |title=Tomb of Razia Sultan |publisher=Haryana Tourism |access-date=10 January 2020 }}</ref>

 

Coins of Razia are found in Silver and Billon, One Gold coin of Bengal style is also known. Silver Tankas were issued from both Bengal (Lakhnauti) and Delhi. Initially she issued coins from Delhi in the name of her father Iltumish citing the title ''Nasrat'' i.e female title of ''Nasir''. {{sfn|The Coins of the Indian Sultanates by Stan Goron & Goenka|2001|p=26}}

 

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{{ref begin}}

* {{cite book |author=Peter Jackson |author-link=Peter Jackson (historian) |title=The Delhi Sultanate: A Political and Military History |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lt2tqOpVRKgC&pg=PA29 |year=2003 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-54329-3 }}

{{ref end}}

[[Category:13th-century Turkic people]]

[[Category:Queens regnant]]