Iltutmish nominated his daughter Razia Sultana for the crown of Delhi after overthrowing his son Ruknuddin Firoz. Razia Sultana was born in the year 1205 and reigned from 1236 until 1240. She was the first Muslim woman to ascend to Delhi's crown. Delhi's nobles despised Razia's reign as Sultan and plotted against her. She like her father, was wise, an outstanding administrator, brave, and a fighter. Despite the fact that her reign was barely three years long, her actions have been recorded in history. In this article, we will discuss the Important Ruler of the Mamluk Dynasty, Razia Sultana (1236 – 1240 AD) which will be helpful for UPSC exam preparation.

Razia Sultana- Background

• Razia was born to a Turkic slave, Delhi Sultan Shamsuddin Iltutmish. She was Iltutmish's daughter and most likely his firstborn child.
• She was named as Raziyyat-ud-din, Razia Begum or Sultana Razia. She was the first and the last woman among the Muslims as well as the Hindus to occupy the throne of Delhi.
• Razia's mother, Turkan Khatun, was the chief wife of Iltutmish and a daughter of Qutb al-Din Aibak.
• Razia was known as a good archer and horse rider when she turned 13 only due to his father's training, and she frequently accompanied her father in his military endeavours.
• When Iltutmish was gone in the assault on Gwalior, he gave Razia control of Delhi, and when he returned, he was so impressed with Razia's performance that he chose Razia as his successor.
• He said that "This young girl of mine is superior to many sons".

Accession to Throne

• During this time, Iltutmish saw that, while all of his sons were merely interested in royal privileges and pleasures, Razia was the most skilful and sincere.
• He defied the Muslim conventions of every dynasty before him by naming Razia as his heir apparent, making her the first woman to succeed as a Sultan.
• In April 1236 AD, Iltutmish died. Despite the fact that he had previously named Razia as his heir apparent, the current Muslim nobility was adamant about not having a woman as their sultan.
• As a result of political pressure, Razia's brother Rukn-ud-din Firuz was appointed as a Sultan instead of her.
• As a ruler, the new Sultan was an utter disaster. For all practical purposes, it is said that Iltutmish's widow Shah Turkaan administered the government during his brief reign, while the Sultan was engrossed in his royal status.
• Ruknuddin and his mother, Shah Turkaan, were assassinated in November at only six months.
• On November 10, 1236, Razia ascended to the throne under the formal name Jalâlat-ud-Dîn Raziyâ.

Reign of Razia Sultana

• Razia Sultana established legal and total peace in her dominion as a successful ruler, ensuring that everyone observes her rules and regulations.
• She attempted to strengthen the nation's foundation by improving trade, constructing roadways, and digging wells, among other things.
• She was very interested in the state's administrative activities. She appointed a number of Iqtadars, commanders, and other officers personally.
• She managed the state's affairs in an open 'durbar.'
• She also established schools, institutions, investigation centres, and open libraries to let researchers work on the Quran and Muhammad's traditions.
• She abandoned conventional Muslim women's garb, such as the pardah, in lieu of gender-neutral clothing, comparable to that worn by male leaders before her.
• She supported scholars, painters, and craftsmen in the fields of craftsmanship and culture.

Decline of Razia Sultana

• Razia was deposed by several governors. The death of Malik Ikhtiar-ud-Altunia, the governor of Bhatinda, was the most serious.
• Razia marched against Altunia, accompanied by Jamal-ud-Din Yaqut.
• Yakut was killed by Turk soldiers on the way, and Razia was imprisoned.
• Razia married Malik Ikhtiar-ud-Altunia because she couldn't find a method to save herself.
• Razia and Altunia marched in the direction of Delhi.
• Bahram, Razia's brother, had been elevated to the throne in the meantime. Razia's fate has turned against her.
• Near Kaithal(Haryana), Razia and her husband Altunia were defeated and killed. Razia's four-year reign as Delhi's only female ruler came to an end with this.

Reasons of decline

• Razia's elevation to Sultana went against Islamic tradition. Many Turkish chiefs turned against her as they saw working under a woman as a huge disgrace.
• Perhaps it was the first time in Islamic history when a monarchical government was headed by women. This practice was, in reality, much ahead of its time.
• Rather of winning the favour of her adversary chiefs, she took punitive steps that irritated them much more.
• Her decision to remove her veil surprised traditionalist Muslims and was not well received by the religious establishment.
• Razia began to do favours for an Abyssinian slave named Jamal-ud-Din Yaqut. The Turkish leaders, who were already opposed to her, gained a lot more ammunition as a result of this.
• All these reasons were responsible to led a conspiracy against her.

Conclusion

Razia Sultan was the first woman ruler of the Delhi Sultanate and due to her historical significance, she is the subject of numerous popular legends. Rafiq Zakaria wrote a historical fiction book based on her life called Razia: Queen of India. It is said that "She possessed all the qualities of befitting a king—benevolent, patron of the learned, skilled, and so on. But because she was not born of the right sex, all of her virtues were rendered useless in the eyes of men." As a result, being a woman had a significant role in her failure.