Raziya Sultana
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Raziya Sultana
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REIGN - A.D. 1236-1240
FATHER - ILTUTMISH
Raziya was the
first woman sultan in the Delhi Sultanate. She succeeded her half-brother.
Raziya was an educated, capable, courageous and farsighted lady. Iltutmish
brought her up like a son and she was provided with military training from the
very outset of her career. Seeing her qualities befitting a ruler, Iltutmish
had nominated her his successor without caring for the Islamic traditions but
after the death of Iltutmish, the nobles, who were not prepared to be ruled by
a woman, set aside the will of Iltutmish and enthroned Ruknuddin.
Raziya could get
the throne of Delhi in a very dramatic way. The reign of Rudnuddin and his
mother proved a failure and revolts broke out here and there due to their
atrocities and cruelties. Raziya took advantage of the chaotic conditions and
captured the throne with the help of the people of Delhi and a section of the
army by making a pathetic appeal to them.
No doubt, the coronation of Raziya
was performed but she lacked the support and confidence of the Provincial governors
of Badaun, Multan, Hansi and Lahore as they had not played any role in her
enthronement. Hence they were her opponents. Nazan-ul-Mulk Zanaidi, the Wazir
of Ruknuddin Firoz, had also joined hands with them. All the conspirators
besieged the capital. Although it was beyond the power of Raziya to defeat this
group, yet she played a diplomatic trick very efficiently and divided them and
won over two of the rebel governors to her side, namely, Malik Izzuddin
Muhammad Salari, the Iqtadar of Badaun and Malik Izzuddin Kabir Khan Ayaz, the
Iqtadar of Multan. She also made propaganda
on a large scale that the rest of the rebels would soon be imprisoned without a
fight. It alarmed the governors and they took to heels, each in distrust of the
other. Junaidi, the Wazir of Firoz, fled to Sirmur hills and died as a
fugitive. This incident led to the rise of the power and prestige of Raziya and
she became the Sultan of Delhi in name as well as in fact.
Raziya and her state Policy
Raziya after her accession did not
accept the influence of the Shamsi nobles. She rather endeavored to strengthen
her position as an independent ruler.
She gave rewards to all those who had supported her at the time of peril
and promoted her favourited. After the death of Wazir Zunaidi she appointed
Khawaja Muhazzabuddin to the post of Wazir. He was working as Naib Wazir during
the reign of Ruknuddin Firoz. She also appointed some new persons on the posts
of governors and offered high offices to non-Turks in order to break the
supremacy of the Turkish nobles.
Raziya was the worthy daughter of a
worthy father. Kabir Khan Ayaz was assigned the province of Lahore. Two more
importance appointments were made by her. The post of Amir-Hajib (Head of the
Festivals) was assigned to Ikhtiyaruddin Aitigin and Altunia was appointed
governor of Bhatinda. Although they were very loyal officers of Raziya, yet
later on, they played a significant part in her decline. Malik Jamaluddin Yakut
of Abyssinia was appointed on the post of Amir-i-Akhur (Head of Stables)
For a short while, Raziya gained the
favour of the people and discharged her duties very enthusiastically. In order
to enhance the power and prestige of Delhi sultanate, Raziya altogether changed
her personal life. She discarded Purdah, started dressing herself in male
attire and held an open court. She started hunting and horse-riding. The fort
of Ranthambhor had been re-occupied by the Chauhans after the death of
Iltutmish. She directed her Naib lashkar, Malik Hasan Ghori, to re-conquer it.
She got the fort back from the Rajputs and dismantled it for fear of its loss
to the Rajputs again.
Raziya also faced the Mongols
diplomatically like her father had done in A.d.1238. Hassan Karlugh, Governor
of Ghazniand Bayana wanted to take some assistance against the Mongols from
Raziya. She provided some financial help to him but refused to give any
military help as it would have hurled her in the whirlpool of problems. So she
very politely expressed her inability in this regard.
Raziya ruled for three years
peacefully but her position began to worsen later on, as the Turkish slave
officers started opposing her. Raziya had sought no support from them at the
time of her accession and so they, who considered themselves the king-maker,
were annoyed with her. Moreover, the policy of Raziya was detrimental to their
interests, they therefore, wanted to dethrone her.
Raziya had not
heaved a sigh of relief when she heard of the revolt of Altunia, the Governor
of Bhatinda, just after ten days of the revolt of Kabir Khan. Raziya at once
marched against the rebel governor without caring for the scorching heat of
summer. As soon as she reached Bhatinda, the conspirators assassinated the Amir-i-Akhur,
Jamaluddin Yakut. It weakened the position of Raziya and she was at her wit’s
end. The conspirators imprisoned her by a surprise attack. They also made
Bahram shah, the third son of Iltutmish, the Sultan of Delhi.
Malik Altunia,
Governor of Bhatinda, was not satisfied with the distribution of high offices of
the state after the imprisonment of Raziya. He considered himself to be the
greatest contributor to the defeat of Raziya and expected much as a reward of
his valour which he could not get. He, therefore, married Raziya with the hope
that both of them would reoccupy the throne of Delhi after wresting it from
Bahram Shah. Both of them were thinking of enhancing their status in their own
way. The other nobles who were dissatisfied, also joined hands with them. The army
of Raziya and Altunia marched towards Delhi but they were defeated by the
powerful and well-organized army of Delhi and fled away in order to save their
lives. At Kaithal they gave a heroic fight to the royal forces but they were
deserted by most of their followers and defeated. They were imprisoned on 13th
of October A.D. 1240 and beheaded the next day. Thus an efficient ruler and
able administrator met her sad end.
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