Iltutmish

Shams ud-Din Iltutmish was a pivotal ruler in South Asian history. He served as the third Sultan of Delhi from 1211 to 1236. Iltutmish belonged to the Mamluk dynasty. This dynasty ruled former Ghurid territories in northern India. He is often called the effective founder of the Delhi Sultanate. This is because he was the first Muslim sovereign to rule from Delhi. His name in the Turkic language literally means "maintainer of the kingdom."

Iltutmish had a very difficult childhood. He was born into an affluent family. His father, Ilam Khan, was a leader of the Ilbari Turkic tribe. However, his brothers grew jealous of him. They sold him to a slave dealer at a horse show. As a young boy, he was taken to Bukhara. He was then re-sold to a local official called a Sadr-i Jahan. He later moved to Ghazni. There, the Ghurid king Mu'izz ad-Din offered 1,000 gold coins for him. Eventually, the slave-commander Qutb ud-Din Aibak purchased him in Delhi. Iltutmish became a "slave of a slave" during this time.

He rose through the ranks of Aibak's service very quickly. He first became the sar-jandar, which means head of the bodyguard. He later held the title of Amir-i Shikar, or superintendent of the hunt. Aibak granted him the iqta of Badaun. An iqta was an important land assignment. In 1205–1206, Iltutmish participated in military actions against Khokhar rebels. These actions caught the attention of the Ghurid ruler, Muhammad of Ghor. The ruler even manumitted Iltutmish. Manumission is the formal act of freeing a slave. Remarkably, Iltutmish was freed even before his master, Aibak, was manumitted.

After Aibak died in 1210, a man named Aram Shah became the successor. However, the local nobles found Aram Shah to be unpopular. They invited Iltutmish to take the throne instead. Iltutmish marched to Delhi and seized power in 1211. He then spent years consolidating his rule. He had to fight many dissidents and former Ghurid slaves. These included leaders like Taj al-Din Yildiz and Nasir ad-Din Qabacha. Between 1225 and 1227, he also defeated subordinates in Lakhnauti. He asserted authority over Ranthambore and Mandore as well.

Iltutmish expanded his empire through strategic military campaigns. In 1228, he invaded the Indus Valley region. He defeated Qabacha and annexed parts of Punjab and Sindh. This victory led to the Abbasid caliph al-Mustansir recognizing his authority. Iltutmish also suppressed a rebellion in Bengal. He captured Gwalior and raided cities in central India. His officers also attacked the Kalinjar area. These actions helped establish the Sultanate's dominance over northern India. This dominance lasted until the later Mughal invasion.

To manage such a large empire, Iltutmish created organized systems. He introduced the Iqtadari system to handle administration. Under this system, nobles and officers were assigned iqtas. These land grants were given in lieu of a cash salary. He also revolutionized the economy with new currency. He introduced the silver tanka and the copper jital. Both coins had a standard weight of 175 grains. These specific coins became the basic currency of the Sultanate period.

Iltutmish was also a significant builder of public and religious works. He erected many mosques and khanqahs, which are monasteries. He also built dargahs, or shrines for influential people. To help pilgrims, he constructed a large reservoir called a hawz. His many titles reflected his immense power. He was called "King of the Kings of the Arabs and the Persians." He was also known as the "Sultan of the Sultans of the East." His legacy is one of both military strength and administrative order.