________ organised his trusted nobles into a group of forty known as Turkan-i-Chahalgani.
Iltutmish
The correct answer is Option 3: Iltutmish.
Here is the historical context behind the rise and eventual fall of this powerful group:
Creation by Iltutmish: When Shams-ud-din Iltutmish took the throne of the Delhi Sultanate, he faced severe challenges from rival Turkish nobles and external threats. To secure his position, he handpicked 40 of his most loyal, elite Turkish slaves and nobles, organizing them into a powerful administrative and military corps known as Turkan-i-Chahalgani (The Corps of Forty).
The Power Shift: After Iltutmish’s death, this group became incredibly powerful, functioning as "kingmakers" who controlled the succession to the throne and heavily manipulated weak rulers.
Destruction by Balban (Option 2): Ghiyas-ud-din Balban was originally a member of the Chahalgani himself. When he finally seized the throne, he knew exactly how dangerous this group was to the absolute authority of the Sultan. Consequently, he ruthlessly crushed and abolished the Turkan-i-Chahalgani to consolidate his own power.
Quick Fact Check on other options:
Qutub-ud-din Aibak (Option 4): Founded the Slave/Mamluk Dynasty but died early in his reign before such an institutional corps was structured.
Ala-ud-din Khilji (Option 1): Belonged to the Khilji Dynasty and was famous for his strict agrarian, market control, and military reforms, long after the Chahalgani era.
Similar Questions
Diwan - i - Arz was essentially the department of ______ under Delhi Sultanate.
He was a Delhi Sultan who started the practice of Sijada and Paibos in the court. Who was he?
Who among the following revolted against Balban, Sultan of Delhi, and declared himself as an independent ruler of Bengal in 1279?
Ziyauddin Barani wrote his chronicle first in 1356 and another version _____ years later.
Muhammad bin Tughlaq introduced a copper coin called _______ in place of the silver coin.
In which of the following forts was Razia Sultan imprisoned by Malik Ikhtiyar-ud-din Altunia?
Which Sultan established a separate department (Diwan-i-Amir Kohi) to take care of agriculture?
Which of the following combinations of ‘Ruler – Predecessor’ is correct with respect to the Delhi Sultanate?
Who composed Tabaqat-i-Nasiri in the Delhi Sultanate period?
Arrange the following rulers of the Delhi Sultanate in the correct chronological order of their reigns, starting from the earliest:
1. Razia Sultan
2. Ghiyas ud din Balban
3. Qutb al-Din Aibak
4. Iltutmish
Important Questions from Delhi Sultanate
Consider the following statements :
1. It was during the reign of Iltutmish that Chengiz Khan reached the Indus in pursuit of the fugitive Khwarezm prince.
2. It was during the reign of Muhammad bin Tughluq that Taimur occupied Multan and crossed the Indus.
3. It was during the reign of Deva Raya II of Vijayanagara Empire that Vasco Da gama reached the Coast of Kerala.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- Which of the following Sultans died while playing Polo or Chaugan?
In which of the following years did Razia become the Sultan of Delhi?
Which of the following dynasties ruled before the Tughluq Dynasty?
Which Sufi saint was put to death by Jalaluddin Khilji for attempting a rebellion?
