The Sultanate of Delhi

The Delhi Sultanate consisted of five short-lived dynasty kingdoms or Sultanates based in Delhi. These dynasties were the Mamluk Dynasty, Khilji Dynasty, Tughlaq Dynasty, Sayyid Dynasty, and Lodi Dynasty.

Foundation of the Delhi Sultanate

• Towards the close of the 12th century, Muhammad Ghori successfully seized control of Delhi, initiating a line of rulers that, alongside subsequent dynasties, collectively formed the Delhi Sultanate.
• Ghori's unexpected demise in 1206 triggered a power struggle among his three Generals - Qutb-ud-din Aibak (the Commander of his army), Tajuddin Yalduz (who governed the region between Afghanistan and Sindh), and Nasir-ad-din Qabacha (ruler of Uch).
•  Aibak, positioned in Lahore at the time of Ghori's death, was acknowledged as an independent king and conferred the title of Sultan of Delhi by Ghiyas-ud-din Mahmud, Ghori's successor.

• The subsequent dynasties of the Delhi Sultanate include:
  • Mamluk or Slave Dynasty (AD 1206-1290)
  • Khilji Dynasty (AD 1290-1320)
  • Tughlaq Dynasty (AD 1320-1414)
  • Sayyid Dynasty (AD 1414-1451)
  • Lodi Dynasty (AD 1451-1526)

The Mamluk Dynasty, also known as the Slave Dynasty or Ilbari Dynasty (AD 1206-1290)

•  Historians have designated the initial ruling dynasty of the Sultanate by various names, including the Slave Dynasty, the Mamluk Dynasty, or the Ilbari Dynasty.
• All rulers of this dynasty, with the exception of Qutb-ud-din, hailed from the Ilbari tribe of Turks.

This period witnessed the establishment of three major sub-dynasties:

• Qutbi Dynasty (AD 1206-1211), was founded by Qutb-ud-din Aibak.
• First Ilbari Dynasty (AD 1211-1266), was founded by Iltutmish.
• The second Ilbari Dynasty (AD 1266-1290), was founded by Balban.

Qutb-ud-din Aibak (AD 1206-1210)

• Following the demise of Muhammad Ghori, numerous contenders vied for the throne, among whom Qutb-ud-din Aibak emerged as the ruler, initiating the rule of the Slave Dynasty.
• In 1192, after the Battle of Tarain, Muhammad Ghori appointed Aibak to oversee his Indian territories. Aibak, through the capture and raiding of numerous locations in the Chahamana, Gahadavala, Chalukya, Chandella, and other kingdoms, expanded Ghurid supremacy in Northern India.

• Hasan Nizami's work, "Tazul Maasir," primarily focuses on Aibak.
• Aibak initiated the construction of Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque in Delhi, Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra (a mosque in Ajmer), and the Qutub Minar, a 238-feet stone tower in Delhi, erected in memory of Khwaja Qutub-ud-din Bakhtiyar Kaki, a Muslim saint. 

• The destruction of numerous Hindu temples occurred during this period. In AD 1210, while engaged in a game of Chaugan (Polo) in Lahore, Qutb-ud-din Aibak fell off his horse and succumbed to his injuries.
• Upon Aibak's sudden demise, the Turkish nobility (Maliks and Amirs) selected Aram Shah as the designated successor to maintain stability within the empire. However, the Turkish nobility disapproved of Aram Shah's accession and instead advocated for Iltutmish to ascend the throne.

Shams-ud-din Iltutmish (AD 1211-1236) 

• Shams-ud-din Iltutmish (AD 1211-1236) is recognized as the true consolidator of Turkish rule in India, belonging to the Ilbari Tribe. He was Aibak's son-in-law and, as the Iqtadar of Gwalior, he dethroned Aram Shah in AD 1211, assuming the title of Shams-ud-din. Iltutmish relocated the capital from Lahore to Delhi.
• Iltutmish's reign witnessed significant conquests, including the capture of Bihar in 1211, with Malik Jani appointed as the first subedar of Bihar. Subsequently, he seized Bengal in 1225 and, between AD 1226 and 1234, conquered territories such as Ranthambore, Mandawar, Bayana, Jalor, Gwalior, Malwa, Bhilsa, Ujjain, and Bengal.
• In the Battle of Tarain (1217), Iltutmish defeated Yalduz, leading to Yalduz's demise. Additionally, Iltutmish engaged in conflicts with Nasir-ad-din Qabacha, a Ghurid slave, for control of Lahore. In AD 1228, he marched against Qabacha, ultimately putting him to death.
• A noteworthy event during Iltutmish's reign was the arrival of the Mongols at the frontiers of India.

• He was the architect of the nation's capital, the establishment of a sovereign state, the introduction of a monarchical form of government, and the formation of a governing class or nobility known as Turkan-i-Chahalgani or Chalisa (a group of forty), which served as the ruling elite during that era.

• In AD 1231, Iltutmish reoccupied Kannauj and Benaras. In 1234-35, he raided Bhilsa and Ujjain, leading to the destruction of the Mahakal Deva Temple.
• In February 1229, Iltutmish received a letter from the Caliph in Baghdad, conferring upon him the titles of Sultan of Hindustan and Deputy of the Faithful Leader (Nasir Amir ul Momin). He expanded his empire by annexing Malwa and Ujjain in AD 1239.