THE SLAVE DYNASTY

- PRAKASH ARULAPPA
QUTB-UD-DIN AIBAK (1206 A.D.)
EARLY CAREER
HE WAS BORN OF TURKISH PARENTS IN TURKISTAN. HE WAS PURCHASED BY FAKHR-UD-DIN, A
JUDJE OF NESHPUR. LATER HE WAS PURCHASED BY MOHAMMED GHORI. QUTB-UD-DIN
CREATED UPON HIS MASTER A GREAT IMPRESSION OF HIS HONESTY, BRAVERY, ABILITY AND
GENEROSITY, WHO GAVE HIM THE PET NAME OF AIBAK.AFTER THE VICTORY OF TARRAIN HE
WAS APPOINTED AS VICEROY OF HINDUSTAN.
AIBAK THE VICEROY OF HINDUSTAN (1192-1206 A.D.)
AS VICE ROY AIBAK FOUND AMPLE SCOPE FOR THE EXERCISE OF HIS MILITARY GENIUS AND IN A
SHORT TIME CONSOLIDATED AND EXTENDED THE CONQUESTS. HE CONQUERED
BULANDSHAHAR, MEERUT AND KOLI (ALIGARH). THUS WITHIN A COUPLE OF YEARS AIBAK
ESTABLISHED STABLE MUSLIM RULE IN PUNJAB, AJMER, BULANDSHAHAR AND ALIGARH. AIBAK
JOINED HIS MASTER THE BATTLE OF CHANDWAR (1194 A.D.) WHICH RESULTED IN THE DEFEAT
AND THE DEATH OF JAI CHAND. IN 1196-97 A.D. AIBAK MARCHED AGAINST BHIMDEV OF
ANNHILAWARA AND INFLICTED DEFEAT UPON HIM. IN 1202-03 A.D. KALINJAR WAS CAPTURED
FROM RAJA PARMADI DEV AND HUGE WEALTH FELL INTO HIS HAND. IT IS SAID THAT AS MANY
AS 50,000 PERSONS MALE AND FEMALE WERE MADE PRISONER AND ACCORDING TO HASAN
NIZAMI THE TEMPLES WERE CONVERTED INTO MOSQUES. BENGAL AND BIHAR BEING
CONQUERED BY IKHTIYAR-UD-DIN, QUTB-UD-DIN AIBAK CLAIMED TO BE THE MASTER OF
ALMOST THE WHOLE OF HINDUSTAN, FROM DELHI TO KALINJAR AND GUJARAT AND FROM
LAKHNAUTI TO LAHORE.
QUTB-UD-DIN AIBAKS DIFFICULTIES ON ACCESSION IN 1203 A.D.
QUTB-UD-DIN AIBAK WHO WAS ALREADY THE VICEROY OF HINDUSTAN, TRIED TO ESTABLISH
AN INDEPENDENT DYNASTY AFTER THE DEATH OF MOHAMMAD GHORI.
AS SOON AS HE LEARNT ABOUT MOHAMMEDS DEATH, HE MARCHED TO LAHORE, DECLARED
HIMSELF KING. THIS WAS NOT TOLERATED BY HIS RIVALS. TAJ-UD-DIN YALDOZ ASSERTED
HIMSELF AS SOVEREIGN IN GHAZNI AND NASIR UD-DIN QABACHA DECLARED HIMSELF
INDEPENDENT IN MULTAN.
THE DIFFICULTIES OF AIBAK WERE INCREASED BECAUSE
1.LAHORE WAS ALWAYS CONSIDERED AS PART OF GHAZNI, SO INDEPENDENCE OF LAHORE
COULD NOT BE RECOGNISED.
2.AIBAK WAS A SLAVE AND ACCORDING TO ISLAMIC LAW NO SLAVE BECOME A KING. IT WAS
THEREFORE ESSENTIAL THAT HE SHULD GET HIMSELF RECOGNISED AS SOVEREIGN BY ISLAMIC
TRADITION AND GET THE VERDICT IN HIS FAVOUR OF BEING LEGAL SOVEREIGN.


BUT AIBAK ROSE TO THE OCCASION. HE SUCCESSFULLY SOLVED ALL THE PROBLEMS AND
BECAME THE RULER OF HINDUSTAN AND FOUNDED A DYNASTY OF KINGS WHICH IS CALLED
AFTER HIM. HE RULED FROM 1206 TO 1210 A.D.
QUTB-UD-DIN AIBAK REFUSED TO RECOGNISE TAJ-UD-DIN YALDOZS AUTHORITY. IN 1208 A.D.
HE MARCHED AGAINST HIM, OCCUPIED GHAZNI, WON OVER MAHMUD OF FEROZ KOH TO HIS
SIDE AND PROCURED FROM HIM A LETTER OF MONUMISSION ALONG WITH PARAPHERNILIA OF
ROYALTY, CHATTAR AND DOUBEST. BUT AFTER SOME TIME YALDOZ TURNED AIBAK OUT OF
GHAZNI.
THEORIES OF NOT AN INDEPENDENT SULTAN
ACCORDING TO R. P. TRIPATHI QUTB-UD-DIN AIBAK IS NOT AN INDEPENDENT SULTAN
BECAUSE OF THE ABSENCE OF HIS COINS. HIS NAME IS NOT MENTIONED IN MORISH
TRAVELLER IBN BATUTAS LIST OF THE KINGS. THE NAME OF QUTB-UD-DIN AIBAK IS NOT
MENTIONED IN THE NAME LIST OF THE SULTANS PREPARED DURING THE TIME OF FEROZ SHAH
TUGHLAQ.
BUT INSPITE OF ALL THIS IT IS TRUE THAT HE RENDERED A GREAT SERVICE TO THE
SULTANATE OF DELHI BY SEPARATING HINDUSTAN FROM GHAZNI.
CHARACTER AND PERSONALITY
QUTB-UD-DIN AIBAK WAS A VERY WISE AND ACTIVE RULER
A BRAVE SOLDIER AND A GREAT GENERAL WHO CONQUERED MEERUT, KOLI, ANNHILWARA,
KALINJAR ETC.
A LOVER OF JUSTICE
A VERY KIND AND GENEROUS KING (LAKHBAKSH)
HE WAS INTOLERENT IN WARS BUT TOLERANT TO HINDUS IN PEACE
A GREAT PATRON OF ART AND LETTERS
HE BUILT TWO MOSQUES AT DELHI AND AJMER AND ALSO STARTED CONSTRUCTION OF
MINARET IN DELHI KNOWN AS QUTB-MINAR
HE PATRONISED LITERARY PERSONALITIES LIKE FAKHR-UD-DIN AND HASAN NIZAMI
NOT A GREAT ADMINISTRATIVE GENIUS
HE DIED IN 1210 A.D. DUE TO A FALL FROM HIS HORSE WHILE PLAYING POLO. HE WAS BURIED
AT LAHORE.
-PRAKASH ARULAPPA
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ILTUTMISHMISHMISH (1211A.D-1235A.D)
-PRAKASH ARULAPPA
ILTUTMISHMISHMISH OR ALTAMASH ORIGINALLY BELONGED TO A NOBLE TURKISH FAMILY OF
ALBARI TRIBE. HIS BROTHERS BEING JEALOUS OF HIM BECAUSE OF HIS ABILITY AND
INTELLIGENCE SOLD HIM TO A MERCHANT OF BOKHARA, WHO FURTHER SOLD HIM TO
ANOTHER NOBLE FROM WHOM QUTB-UD-DIN AIBAK PURCHASED HIM. THUS
ILTUTMISHMISHMISH BECAME THE SLAVE OF QUTB-UD-DIN AIBAK , WHO HIMSELF WAS A
SLAVE. SO ILTUTMISHMISHMISH IS CALLED AS SLAVE OF SLAVE. ILTUTMISHMISHMISH
CREATED A VERY GREAT IMPRESSION OF HIS INTELLIGENCE AND HONESTY UPON HIS MASTER,
SO MUCH SO THAT HE WAS APPOINTED AMIR-I-SHIKAR AND QUTB-UD-DIN AIBAK ALSO
MARRIED HIS DAUGHTER TO HIM. LATER HE WAS APPOINTED AS GOVERNOR OF GWALIOR AND
BADAON.
ACCESSION (1211A.D.)
AFTER THE SUDDEN DEATH OF QUTB-UD-DIN AIBAK IN 1210A.D. AMIRS AND MALIKS PLACED
ARAM SHAH, SON OF QUTB-UD-DIN AIBAK ON THE THRONE. BUT QABACHA OF MULTAN AND ALI
MARDAN OF BENGAL REFUSED TO RECOGNISE HIM AS THEIR SULTAN. ANARCHY PREVAILED. IN
THE BEST INTEREST OF THE COUNTRY NOBLES INVITED ILTUTMISHMISHMISH WHO MARCHED
WITH HIS FORCES TO DELHI DEFEATED AND CAPTURED ARAM SHAH AND IN 1211A.D. HIMSELF
OCCUPIED THE THRONE.
DIFFICULTIES OF ILTUTMISHMISHMISH
ON HIS ACCESSION ILTUTMISHMISHMISH WAS CONFRONTED WITH MANY DIFFICULTIES.
GOVERNORS IN VARIOUS PARTS OF THE EMPIRE WOULD NOT RECOGNISE HIS SOVEREIGNTY.
IN BENGAL, ALI MARDAN KHAN DECLARED HIMSELF INDEPENDENT. IN GHAZNI TAJ-UD-DIN
YALDOZ DECLARED HIMSELF INDEPENDENT. NASIR UD-DIN QABACHA DECLARED HIMSELF
INDEPENDENT IN MULTAN AND SINDH AND REVOLTED. MANY NOBLES AND MALIKS WERE
AGAINST HIM AND OPPOSED HIM. ILTUTMISHMISHMISH WAS A SLAVE AND ACCORDING TO
ISLAMIC LAW , NO SLAVE COULD BECOME THE KING. QUTB-UD-DIN AIBAK REMAINED IN
POWER ONLY FOR 4 YEARS. SO ADMINISTRATIVE MACHINERY WAS OUT OF GEAR AND NEEDED
IMMEDIATE ATTENTION.
ACHIEVEMENTS OF ILTUTMISHMISHMISH
CONQUESTS
ACTION AGAINST MALIKS AND AMIRS
DEFEAT OF TAJ-UD-DIN YALDOZ (1204-05A.D.)
WAR AGAINST NASIR UD-DIN QABACHA (1217-27A.D.)
SUPPRESSION OF BENGAL REVOLT (1225A.D.)


CONQUEST OF RAJPUT STATES GWALIOR , MALWA, UJJAIN AND RANATHAMBHOR(1231-
34A.D.)
DUE TO HIS DEATH IN 1235 A.D. HIS CAREER OF CONQUEST CAME TO AN END.
RECOGNITION OF ILTUTMISHMISHMISH BY KHALIFA (1229 A.D.)
ILTUTMISHMISHMISH AND MONGOLS
UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF CHENGIS KHAN-THE DEVIL INCARNATE- THE MONGOLS BECAME
VERY BOLD. THEY SACKED BOKHARA, BALKH AND SAMARKHAND AND DEFEATED SHAH JALAL-
UD-DIN OF KHAWARIS. HE RAN TOWARDS HINDUSTAN AND NEGOTIATED WITH
ILTUTMISHMISHMISH TO HELP HIM AGAINST MONGOLS. BUT ILTUTMISHMISHMISH WITH
GREAT DIPLOMATIC SKILL REFUSED TO HELP JALAL-UD-DIN OF KHAWARIS, BECAUSE HE WAS
AWARE OF THE FACT THAT IF HE HELPS JALAL-UD-DIN OF KHAWARIS THEN MONGOLS WOULD
RAVAGE WHOLE OF DELHI SULTANATE. MONGOLS CAME UP TO THE INDUS AND THE WENT
BACK.
DELHI AS THE CAPITAL
BEGINNING OF A GOOD AND SOUND ADMINISTRATIVE SYSTEM
STANDARD COINAGE (SILVER TANKA OF 175 GRAINS)
PATRON OF ART AND LETTERS
ILTUTMISHMISHMISH COMPLETED QUTB-MINAR WHICH IS 150 FT HEIGHT. HE ALSO
PATRONISED SCHOLARS LIKE MINHAJ-I-SIRAJ(TABQAT-I-NASIRI), MALIK TAJ-UD-DIN AND
RUHANI.
-PRAKASH ARULAPPA










ILTUTMISH (1211A.D-1235A.D)
-PRAKASH ARULAPPA
EARLY CAREER
ILTUTMISHMISHMISH OR ALTMASH ORIGINALLY, BELONGED TURKISH FAMILY OF ALBARI
TRIBE. HIS BROTHERS BEING JEALOUS OF HIM BECAUSE OF HIS ABILITY AND INTELLIGENCE
SOLD HIM TO A MERCHANT OF BOKHARA WHO FURTHER SOLD HIM TO ANOTHER NOBLE FROM
WHOM QUTB-UD-DIN AIBAK PURCHASED HIM. THUS, ILTUTMISHMISHMISH BECAME A SLAVE
OF QUTB-UD-DIN AIBAK, WHO HIMSELF WAS A SLAVE. SO ILTUTMISHMISHMISH IS STYLED AS
"SLAVE OF A SLAVE" . DR. ISHWARI PRASAD CALLS ILTUTMISHMISHMISH "A SLAVE OF A SLAVE,
WHO ROSE TO EMINENCE BY SHEER DINT OF MERIT AND IT WAS SOLELY BY VIRTUE OF HIS
JUSTNESS, THAT HE SUPERSEDED THE HEREDITORY CLAIMANTS TO THE THRONE,"
ILUTMISH CREATED . A VERY :GREAT IMPRESSION OF HIS INTELLIGENCE AND HONESTY UPON
HIS MASTER, SO MUCH SO THAT HE WAS APPOINTED AMIR-I-SHIKAR AND QUTB-UD-DIN AIBAK
ALSO MARRIED HIS DAUGHTER TO HIM. LATER HE WAS APPOINTED AS ' GOVERNOR OF
GWALIOR AND BADAON;. ACCORDING TO DR. R.C. MAJUMDAR, 'HE HAD A REMARKABLY
BEAUTIFUL APPEARANCE. AND SHOWED SIGNS OF INTELLIGENCE SAGACITY OF HIS EARLY
DAYS.
ACCORDING TO STANLEY LANEPOOLE, WHAT AIBAK HAD BEEN TO MOHAMMAD GHORI,
ILTUTMISH WAS TO AIBAK, WHO TREATED HIM LIKE A SON:"
ACCESSION (1211 A.D.) AFTER THE SUDDEN DEATH OF QUTB-UD-DIN, IN 1210 AD.,
THE MALIKS AND AMIRS PLACED HIS SON, ARAM SHAH. UPON 'THE THRONE. BUT QABACHA OF
MULTAN AND ALI MARDAN OF BENGAL REFUSED TO RECOGNISE 'HIM AS THEIR KING. THERE
WAS SO MUCH OF ANARCHY THAT THE SITUATION SEEMED SLIPPING AND A POWERFUL MAN
WAS NEEDED TO CONTROL THE 'SITUATION. IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE COUNTRY SOME OF
THE NOBLES INVITED SHAMS-UD-DIN ILTUTMISH FROM BADAON TO COME AND OCCUPY THE
THRONE. ACCORDINGLY ILTUTMISH MARCHED WITH HIS FORCES TO DELHI, DEFEATED AND
CAPTURED ARAM SHAH AND IN 1211 A.D. HIMSELF OCCUPIED THE THRONE.
DIFFICULTIES OF ILTUTMISH:, ON HIS ACEESSION ILTUTMISH WAS CONFRONTED
WITH MANY DIFFICULTIES. GOVERNORS IN VARIOUS PARTS OF THE -EMPIRE WOULD NOT
RECOGNISE HIS SOVEREIGNTY. IN BENGAL, ALI MARDAN KHAN DECLARED HIMSELF
INDEPENDENT. IN GHAZNI TAJ-UD-DIN YALDOZ HAD ALREADY PROCLAIMED HIMSELF
INDEPENDENT. IN SINDH AND MULTAN NASSIR-UD-DIN QABACHA REVOLTED TO ASSERT HIS
INDEPENDENCE. BESIDES, THERE WERE MANY NOBLES AND MALLIKS WHO WERE AGAINST
HIM AND OPPOSED HIM. TO ADD TO HIS DIFFICULTIES AND TROUBLES, ILTUTMISH WAS A
SLAVE AND ACCORDING TO THE ISLAMIC LAW, NO SLAVE COULD BECOME KING. QUTB-UD-DIN
AIBAK HAD REMAINED ON THE THRONE OF DELHI FOR ONLY 4 YEARS AND HAD NOT ATTENDED
TO ADMINISTRATIVE PROBLEM. THEREFORE ADMINISTRATIVE MACHINERY WAS OUT OF
GEAR AND REQUIRED IMMEDIATE ATTENTION. BUT ILTUTMISH WITH GREAT COURAGE AND
BOLDNESS CRUSHED HIS RIVALS AND BECAME A POWERFUL SULTAN OF DELHI SALTANATE.


ACHIEVEMENTS OF ILTUTMISH
(A) CONQUESTS
(1) ACTIONS AGAINST MALLIKS AND AMIRS:. IN THE FIRST INSTANCE ILTUTMISH TOOK A
STRONG ACTION AGAINST THOSE MALIKS AND AMIRS WHO HAD REVOLTED AGAINST HIM AND
BAD REFUSED TO RECOGNISE HIS SOVEREIGNTY.
HE MARCHED WITH A 'FORCE AGAINST THEM AND SUBJUGATED THEM.
(2) DEFEAT OF TAJ-UD-DIN YALDOZ (1204-05A.D.)
TAJ-UD-DIN YELDOZ HAD BEEN ACTING AS THE RULER OF GHAZNI SINCE MOHAMMAD GHORI'S
DEATH. AFTER THE DEATH OF QUTB-UD-DIN HE WANTED TO MAKE HIMSELF THE SOVEREIGN
OF HINDUSTAN. SO WHEN HE LEARNT ABOUT THE ACCESSION OF ILTUTMISH HE MARCHED
WITH A BIG FORCE, OCCUPIED LAHORE AND PROCEEDED TOWARDS DELHI. ILTUTMISH
MARCHED AGAINST HIM AND AT THE HISTORIC FIELD OF TARAIN DEFEATED THE GHAZNI
RULER AND ARRESTED HIM. YALDOZ THUS BECAME A PRISONER AND WAS SENT TO THE FORT
OF BADAON WHERE HE WS EXECUTED.
(3) WAR AGAINST NASIR UD-DIN QABACHA (1217-27A.D.)
ILTUTMISH NOW DETERMINED TO TAKE ACTION AGAINST NASIR-UD-DIN QABACHA
WHO HAD DECLARED HIMSELF INDEPENDENT IN MULTAN. IN 1217 A.D. ILTUTMISH
MARCHED AGAINST HIM AND DROVE HIM OUT OF THE PUNJAB. AFTER SOME TIME QABACHA
REASSERTED HIS AUTHORITY IN 1227 AD ILTUTMISH AGAIN MARCHED AGAINST HIM.
QABACHA AT FIRST OFFERED RESISTANCE AT BHAKKAR BUT FINDING HIMSELF HELPLESS HE
SENT HIS SON, MASUD BEHRAM, TO NEGOTIATE TERMS OF PEACE. ILTUTMISH ARRESTED
BEHRAM. NASIR-UD-DIN QABACHA RAN AWAY BUT WAS DROWNED IN THE INDUS RIVER,
THUS BRINGING AN END TO HIS CAREER.
(4)SUPPRESSION OF BENGAL REVOLT (1225 AD) ALI MARDAN KHAN, WHO HAD DECLARED
HIMSELF INDEPENDENT IN BENGAL AT THE TIME OF ILTUTMISH'S SUCCESSION, HAD DIED AND
HAD BEEN SUCCEEDED BY IWAZ KHAN, WHO TOO CONSIDERED' HIMSELF AS AN INDEPENDENT
KING, STRUCK COINS AND READ KHUTBA IN HIS NAME. IN 1225 ILTUTMISH MARCHED
AGAINST HIM AND DEFEATED HIM AS WELL HE SUBMITTED AND AGREED TO PAY TRIBUTE.
AFTER SOME TIME HE AGAIN REVOLTED. ILTUTMISH SENT FORCES UNDER HIS SON, NASIR-UD-
DIN MAHMUD. IWAZ WAS DEFEATED AND KILLED. IN THIS WAY BENGAL WAS CONQUERED AND
THE RIVAL DONE AWAY WITH.
(5) CONQUEST OF RAJPUT STATES GWALIOR , MALWA, UJJAIN AND
RANATHAMBHOR(1231-34A.D.)
IN 1231, ILTUTMISH MARCHED AGAINST THE RAJPUTS. IN THE FIRST INSTANCE HE
ATTACKED GWALIOR, BESIEGED THE FORT FOR ELEVEN MONTHS AND AT LAST WAS
SUCCESSFUL IN DEFEATING ITS RULER MANGAL DEV. HE THEN MARCHED AGAINST MALWA
AND EASILY CONQUERED BHILSA AND UJJAIN. IN UJJAIN HE DESTROYED THE WELL-KNOWN.
MAHAKALI TEMPLE." HE ALSO CONQUERED RANTHAMBHOR AND MANDU.


THUS ILTUTMISH STRETCHED THE FRONTIERS OF HIS EMPIRE RIGHT UP TO THE NARMADA
RIVER. HIS CAREER OF CONQUESTS CAME TO AN END DUE TO HIS DEATH IN 1235 A.D.
(6) RECOGNITION OF IITUTATISH BY KHALI& (1229 A.D.) IN 1229 A.D. THE KHALIFA OF
BAGHDAD RECOGNISED ILTUTMISHMISHMISH AS THE MUSLIM SULTAN OF INDIA AND
CONFERRED UPON HIM THE ROBE OF HONOUR. ILTUTMISHMISHMISH ALSO ASSUMED THE TALE
OR "AMIR-UL-MORNMIN" OR "COMMENDER OF THE FAITHFUL?' AND HAD THE NAME OF
KHALIFA INSCRIBED ON HIS COINS.
7. RECOGNITION OF ILTUTMISHMISHMISH BY KHALIFA (1229 A.D.)
RECOGNITION OF ILTUIMISH AS THE MUSLIM SULTAN OF HINDUSTAAN BY THE KHALIFA
PROVED TO BE OF GREAT SIGNIFICENCE. ILTUTMISH AS A RESULT OF THIS,. BECAME A LEGAL
KING AND .,-THOUGH -.HE WAS ORIGINALLY A SLAVE, HIS AUTHORITY HEREAFTER COULD NOT
BE CHALLENGED BY ANY ONE. MORE OVER HIS ATTACHMENT WITH - THE- KHALIFA, THE
INTERNATIONAL LEADER OF THE MUSLIMS, CONSIDERABLY INCREASED : THE PRESTIGE AND
GLORY OF ILTUTMISH . S. R. SHARMA HAS THUS DESCRIBED THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS
RECOGNITION BY THE KHALIFA IT IS FOR THIS REASON THAT ILTUTMISH HAS BEEN
CONSIDERED THE REAL FOUNDER OF THE KINGDOM OF DELHI; THOUGH IT IS TOO MUCH AN
EXAGGERATION, TO CALL HIM THE GREATEST OF ALL SLAVE KINGS."
8. ILTUTMISHMISHMISH AND MONGOLS
IN THE TIME OF ILTUTMISHMISHMISH THE SAVAGE, FEROCIOUS TRIBALS OF MONGOL BEGAN
TO MAKE THEIR APPEARANCE IN OUR LAND AND IT WAS WITH GREAT TACT AND TENACITY
THAT ILTUTMISH KEPT THEM AWAY.
,UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF CHANGEZ KHANTHE DEVIL INCARNATE THE MONGOLS
BECAME, VERY BOLD IN THEIR ACTIVITIES: THEY SACKED BOKHARA, :BALKH AND
SAMARKAND AND -,DEFEATED SHAH JALAL-UD-DIN OF KHAWARIS. THE LATTER RAN TOWARDS
INDIA AND TOOK SHELTER IN 'INDIA. HE 'THEN. -NEGOTIATED WITH ILTUTMISH REQUESTING
FOR HELP AGAINST THE MONGOLS. BUT ILTUTMISH WITH GREAT DIPLOMATIC SKILL REFUSED
TO HELP HIM, .BECAUSE HE VERY WISELY UNDERSTOOD THAT IF HE LENT HIM HELP, THE
MONGOLS WOULD RAVAGE THE WHOLE OF DELHI SULTNATE. THE MONGOLS CAME UP TO THE
INDUS AND THEN WENT BACK. IN THIS WAY.
ILTUTMISH BY HIS CLEVERNESS KEPT THE DELHI SULTANATE SAFE FROM MONGOL
INVASIONS.
9. DELHI AS THE CAPITAL
ONE OF THE MOMENTOUS MEASURES OF ILTUTMISH WAS THAT FOR THE FIRST TIME DELHI
BECAME THE CAPITAL OF HINDUSTAN. HITHERTO ALL THE KINGS LIKE MOHAMMAD GHORI AND
QUTB-UD-DIN AIBAK HAD MADE LAHORE AS THE MAIN CENTRE OF THEIR ACTIVITY AND
CAPITAL OF MUSLIM POSSESSIONS IN INDIA. WITH THE EXTENSION OF MUSLIM EMPIRE RIGHT
UP TO THE NARMADA. ILTUTMISH FELT THAT LAHORE COULD NO LONGER BE A SUITABLE
CAPITAL. SO HE CHANGED HIS CAPITAL FROM LAHORE TO DELHI.
BY MAKING DELHI THE CAPITAL OF MUSLIM INDIA, ILTUTMISH DID AN ENDURING WORK.
HEREAFTER RIGHT UP TO THE BEGINNING OF MUGHAL RULE DELHI REMAINED THE CAPITAL.


ALL THE KINGS OF DELHI SULTANATE HAD DELHI AS THEIR CAPITAL, ONLY SULTAN
MOHAMMAD BIN-TUGHLAK CHANGED THE CAPITAL TO DEVAGIRI FOR SOME TIME BUT HAD TO
RETURN TO DELHI AGAIN.
(10) BEGINNING OF A GOOD AND SOUND ADMINISTRATIVE SYSTEM
QUTB-UD-DIN AIBAK HAD -REMAINED ON THE THRONE OF DELHI FOR A PERIOD OF 4 YEARS.
DURING THIS PERIOD TOO HE HAD TO SPEND MUCH OF HIS TIME IN WARS AND THUS HE COULD
NOT DEVOTE HIS TIME AND ATTENTION FOR ADMINISTRATIVE REFORMS, WHICH
NEEDED IMMEDIATE ATTENTION. ILTUTMISH LAID THE FOUNDATION OF AN ORGANISED
ADMINISTRATIVE SYSTEM. BEFORE HIM THE ADMINISTRATIVE MACHINERY WAS ILL-
ORGANISED. HE INVITED FAKHR-UD-DIN ISMANI, AN EXPERIENCED WAZIR OF BAGHDAD. WITH
HIS HELP AND WITH THE HELP OF MALIK MOHAMMAD JUNAIDI, DEPARTMENTS WERE SET UP
AT THE CENTRE AND REGULAR RECORDS BEGAN TO BE KEPT. QUERESHI THEREFORE, SAYS
THAT HE "GAVE BENIGN AND SOUND ADMINISTRATION TO THE HITHERTO DISORGANISED AND
DISMEMBERED EMPIRE". HE ALSO HAD A GREAT SENSE OF JUSTICE AND ACCORDINS TO IBN
BATUTA HE HAD SET UP A CHAIN AND A BELL BY WHICH PEOPLE COULD APPROACH HIM FOR
JUSTIE.,
(11)STANDARD COINAGE (SILVER TANKA OF 175 GRAINS)
. ACCORDING TO THOMAS, " ILTUTMISH CONSTITUTED THE VERITABLE COMMENCEMENT OF
THE SILVER COINAGE OF THE DELHI
ILTUTMISH WAS THE FIRST MUSLIM RULER WHO INTRODUCED A STANDARD TYPE OF COIN.
HE REMODELLED THE CURRENCY. -UNDER HIM THE SILVER TANKA WEIGHING 175 GRAINS BECAME
THE STANDARD COIN.

(12) PATRON OF ART AND LETTERS.
ILTUTMISH DID NOT LAG BEHIND IN PATRONISING ART AND LEARNING. HE COMPLETED THE QUT,B
MINAR WHICH WAS 150 FEET HIGH, STILL THE LOFTIEST MINARET OF INDIA. HE ALSO
LIBERALLY PATRONISED SCHOLARS AND POETS. MINHAJ-I-SIRAJ, THE AUTHOR OF "TABQAT-I-NASIRI
WAS THE WELL KNOWN SCHOLAR OF HIS TIME. MALIK TAJ-UD-DIN AND RUHANI WERE THE
DISTINGUISHED POETS OF HIS TIME.
DUE TO ALL THE ACHIEVEMENTS ENUMERATED ABOVE, ILTUTMISH CONSIDERED TO BE A GREAT KING
OF THE SLAVE DYNASTY. SIR WOOLSLEY HAIG RECORDS HIM AS "GREATEST OF ALL SLAVE KINGS",
SUCH A SUPERLATIVE DEGREE SHOULD BE RESERVED FOR BALBAN AND NOT FOR ILTUTMISH,
NEVERTHELESS IT CANNOT BE DENIED THAT HE RENDERED A GREAT SERVICE TO THE DELHI
,SULTANATE.
-PRAKASH ARULAPPA