Iltutmish
Iltutmish was one of the greatest rulers of the Slave dynasty. Though it was Qutub-ud-din-Aibak who founded the slave dynasty, Iltutmish took it to great heights. He played a significant role in extending the Muslim rule. He is often considered the founder of the Delhi Sultanate.
WHAT ARE THE FACTS ABOUT ILTUTMISH?
- Iltutmish was the son-in-law of Qutub-ud-din-Aibak and ruled over the Ghurid regions in northern India. After Aibak's death, Aram Shah took the throne, but he proved to be a weak ruler. The nobles then called upon Iltutmish to become king and lead the empire.
- Iltutmish was a great ruler who conquered Bihar in 1210 and Bengal in 1225. Before becoming Sultan, he served as the governor of the Iqtas of Gwalior and Baran (Buland Shahr) in succession. He fought Aram Shah for the throne of the slave dynasty, and after defeating Aram Shah, he gained the throne.
- The sultans' seat of governance was known as Dar ul Khalifa, which means "house of the Khalifa." Iltutmish systematically downgraded or eliminated disgruntled and insubordinate Ghurid (Muizzi) officials. He established an entirely new ruling class, consisting of his Turkish slave officers, led by their forty powerful military leaders, known as the Chalisa (Chihalgani or Chehalgan), or the Forty. They were in charge of the iqtas, or areas, into which the kingdom was divided, and they had a lot of power in court.
- In February 1229, Iltutmish received a letter of investiture from Baghdad's Abbasid Caliph Al – Al-Mustansir Billah. He was given the titles of Sultan of Hindustan and Deputy of the Faithful Leader (Nasir Amir ul Momin). He instituted a gold and silver currency that was solely Arabic. The weight of his regular silver tanka was 175 grains.
- He persecuted Delhi's Ismaili Shias, and his treatment of Hindus was tough but not cruel. He had desecrated the beautiful Hindu temples of Bhilsa and Ujjain, but he did not resort to idolatry to appease his fanatical co-religionists. He encouraged Muslims to establish communities in Hindu habitats, especially in hilly and forest areas, to increase pressure on Hindus and deter them from harbouring rebellious sentiments against the sultanate.
- He initiated the system of empire partition into 'iqta,' a land assignment instead of pay, and dispersed them among Turkish officers. In commemoration of his son Nasiruddin Mahmud, he established Nasiriya College in Delhi. Razia Sultan later appointed Qazi Minhaz ud Din Siraj as its principal.
WHO BUILT HAUZ SHAMSI?
Iltutmish is credited with constructing the Hauz-i-Shamshi at Mahrauli, Delhi. The Lodhi Rulers built the Jahaz Mahal on the bank of this reservoir. When his eldest son died, he built the Sultan Garhi Mausoleum in Delhi, which is the world's first Islamic mausoleum.
WHO BUILT THE QUTUB MINAR?
The Rajputs laid the foundation of the Qutub Minar, and the current Qutub Minar complex is a collection of temples built by Tomaras and Chauhans. However, Qutb-ud-din Aibak, who used the same material to construct the Minar, transformed it into a victory symbol. Qutub-ud-din Aibak built the first level, while Iltutmish finished the rest of the work by adding three more storeys.
WHAT IS THE SYSTEM OF IQTA MADE BY ILTUTMISH?
In the Delhi Sultanate, Iltutmish developed the Iqta system, which was a form of tax farming. It was essentially a transfer of revenue from a territory in exchange for a salary. This award was not inherited and had to be passed down from officer to officer. The Iqta system connected the Sultanate's outermost reaches to the Sultanate's central government.
THE MONGOLS AND ILTUTMISH
Please find below the rewritten text with corrections:
• The Mongols are known to be the first inhabitants of Mongolia, who were shamanists and followed a different form of Buddhism and had not yet accepted Islam as their religion.
• In 1220 AD, Mongols led by Chengez Khan invaded the borders of India and demolished the ‘Mahakal' temple in Ujjain.
• During the reign of Iltutmish, the Mongols posed a threat to India. Iltutmish, however, used diplomacy to save India from Mongol annihilation.
• Alauddin Muhammad, the Khwarizm Shah, was defeated by the Mongols, and his eldest son, Jalauddin Mankbarni, went to Afghanistan while he fled to the Caspian. Chengez Khan was close behind Jalauddin Mankbarni, who then arrived in the Indus Valley and requested Iltutmish's assistance in fighting the Mongols.
• Iltutmish, however, assassinated Mankbarni's messenger and refused to comply with the Khwarizm prince, stating that the climate in India would be unsuitable for him. This diplomatic move helped Iltutmish avoid Chengez Khan's wrath.
RIVALS OF ILTUTMISH
• Iltutmish faced other rivals who disputed his ascent to the throne.
• Sultan of Ghazni Tajuddin Yaldoj attempted to exert his authority over Iltutmish, but Alauddin Muhammad, the Khwarizm shah, defeated Yaldoj.
• Yaldoj fled to Punjab, where Iltutmish defeated him at Tarain in a crushing defeat. After a brief incarceration at Badaun, Yaldoj was taken prisoner and executed in the 3rd battle of Tarain.
• Nasiruddin Qubacha, the governor of Uchh (Sindh) and Multan seized control of Lahore and declared independence. After the death of Chengez Khan in 1227, Iltutmish launched an onslaught against Nasiruddin Qubacha from two fronts: Lahore and Delhi.
• Multan and Uchh were taken, while Qubacha was besieged in the Bhakkar fort on the Indus Band. Qubacha, surrounded by the enemy and completely weary, attempted to flee by diving into the river but was drowned.
• Ali Mardan had established an independent Bengal state with Lakhnauti as its capital at the time of Iltutmish's accession to the throne. Rebels were suppressed, and Bengal and Bihar were partitioned into two provinces with Iltutmish naming two governors, one for Bengal and the other for Bihar.
• The Mongols are known to be the first inhabitants of Mongolia, who were shamanists and followed a different form of Buddhism and had not yet accepted Islam as their religion.
• In 1220 AD, Mongols led by Chengez Khan invaded the borders of India and demolished the ‘Mahakal' temple in Ujjain.
• During the reign of Iltutmish, the Mongols posed a threat to India. Iltutmish, however, used diplomacy to save India from Mongol annihilation.
• Alauddin Muhammad, the Khwarizm Shah, was defeated by the Mongols, and his eldest son, Jalauddin Mankbarni, went to Afghanistan while he fled to the Caspian. Chengez Khan was close behind Jalauddin Mankbarni, who then arrived in the Indus Valley and requested Iltutmish's assistance in fighting the Mongols.
• Iltutmish, however, assassinated Mankbarni's messenger and refused to comply with the Khwarizm prince, stating that the climate in India would be unsuitable for him. This diplomatic move helped Iltutmish avoid Chengez Khan's wrath.
RIVALS OF ILTUTMISH
• Iltutmish faced other rivals who disputed his ascent to the throne.
• Sultan of Ghazni Tajuddin Yaldoj attempted to exert his authority over Iltutmish, but Alauddin Muhammad, the Khwarizm shah, defeated Yaldoj.
• Yaldoj fled to Punjab, where Iltutmish defeated him at Tarain in a crushing defeat. After a brief incarceration at Badaun, Yaldoj was taken prisoner and executed in the 3rd battle of Tarain.
• Nasiruddin Qubacha, the governor of Uchh (Sindh) and Multan seized control of Lahore and declared independence. After the death of Chengez Khan in 1227, Iltutmish launched an onslaught against Nasiruddin Qubacha from two fronts: Lahore and Delhi.
• Multan and Uchh were taken, while Qubacha was besieged in the Bhakkar fort on the Indus Band. Qubacha, surrounded by the enemy and completely weary, attempted to flee by diving into the river but was drowned.
• Ali Mardan had established an independent Bengal state with Lakhnauti as its capital at the time of Iltutmish's accession to the throne. Rebels were suppressed, and Bengal and Bihar were partitioned into two provinces with Iltutmish naming two governors, one for Bengal and the other for Bihar.
WARS LED BY ILTUTMISH
- In 1226, Iltutmish launched a major campaign against the Rajputs. He conquered Ranthambhor first, followed by Mandsor, which was the Parmars' headquarters. The monarch of Jalor, a Chauhan, was also forced to accept Turkish suzerainty. After several deadly battles with the Rajputs, Iltutmish reclaimed the regions of Bayana, Ajmer, and Sambhar.
- By 1230, a large part of the Jodhpur state was annexed, including the town of Nagaur. In 1230-31, after a year-long siege of the fort, the Pratihar king of Gwalior was defeated.
- Iltutmish also attacked Nagada, the Guhilots' capital, but he was defeated by Rana Kshetra Singh. The Chalukyas of Gujarat also repelled Iltutmish's army with great losses.
- In 1234-35, Iltutmish led an expedition into Malwa, plundering the towns of Bhilsa and Ujjain. His eldest son, Nasiruddin Mahmud, was put in charge of the campaign in the Gangetic Valley. They conquered the lands of Badaun, Kanauj, and Benaras, which were owned by the Hindu chieftains.
- Katehar, with its capital Ahichhatra, was also won after a hard battle. It is estimated that over a lakh Turkish men died in this fight. In 1235, Iltutmish attempted to subjugate the Khokhars.
- Iltutmish became ill and returned to Delhi, where he died in April 1236. He was laid to rest in the magnificent tomb he had built for himself in Delhi.