Shams-ud-din-Iltutmish

Shams-ud-din Iltutmish(reigned:1211-1236) was successor of Qutb

-ud-din Aibak of Mamluk /Slave dynasty. He was the second ruler of Slave dynasty . He is said to be consolidater and founder of Delhi sultanate India.

 

 


Shams-ud-din-Iltutmish

Shams-ud-din belonged to Ilbari tribe of Turkestan. He was sold into slavery at an early age by his kinsmen to slave merchants. He was taken to a great slave market of  Bukhara and later to Ghazni,which was the Western capital of Ghurid empire of the time, where he was purchased by the court of sultan Mohammad Ghori . Earning some reputation in court, he was made the personal attendant of sultan Muhammad Ghori. The deputy and former slave, Qutub-ud-din-Aybak, then Viceroy of Lahore, sought to procure the slave, but sultan refused to sell his slaves to the nobles, finally it was decided to take Iltutmish to Delhi , and there bought by Aybak, so that sultan's order could  not be violated in his own capital. Aibak bought Iltutmish and another slave for the high price of 100,000 Tankas, the silver coin used in Muslim India. Iltutmish rose quickly in Aibak's service, earned the title Amir Tamghach, married Aibak's daughter, and served in succession as the Governor of Tabarind, Gwalior and Baran. In recognition of his services during the campaign of Muhammad Ghori  against the Khokhars in 1205-06, he was, by the Sultan's order, manumitted.

After the death of Aibak in 1210 while playing Polo match at Lahore, Muizzi amirs, who had been appointed by Muhammad Ghori, supported Aram Shah or Aram Baksh to succeed Aibak,but Qutbi amirs owing alligiance to Aibak invited illtutmish to claim his entitlement to throne. Aram Shah marched towards Delhi but was slain in battle at Bagh-i-Jud  leaving Iltutmish uncontested  in Delhi.

He made Delhi the capital of his empire. He sent expeditions against Rajput's in Ranthambore , Jalar and Mewar. His governing class was entirely of foreign origin ,it consisted of two groups Turkic slave officers and Tazik.He organized iqta's(taxes) ,the army and also the currency. He formed Turkan-i-Chalghani or Chalisa( a group of 40 powerful Turkish nobles)to suppress nobles.  He introduced silver coins"Tankas" and copper coins"jital".He concluded the construction of Qutub  Minar in 1231-1232. He saved Delhi Sultanate from the wrath of Chengiz Khan, a Mongal leader,by refusing shelter to Khawarism Shah,to whom khan was chasing. He patronized Minhaj-us-Siraj,who wrote 'Tabaqat-i-Nasiri'.