Shamsuddin Iltutmish: History, Administration and Legacy

In the history of the Delhi Sultanate, Shamsuddin Iltutmish was the greatest ruler of the Slave Dynasty (also known as Mamluk Dynasty or Ilbari Dynasty). Iltutmish was the founder of the Ilbari Dynasty, or Shamsi Dynasty. He ruled from June 1211 to 30 April 1236 AD. The ‘Ilbari Turkish rule’ began with Iltutmish’s reign in 1211 AD. He was from the Ilbari tribe of the Turks. Before ascending to the throne, Iltutmish was a slave of Qutbuddin Aibak and was the first Iqtadar or Governor of Badaun, the most important Iqta of the Delhi Sultanate during his time.

After Aibak’s death, when the Mamluk Dynasty of Delhi was facing a crisis, Aram Shah ascended the throne, but he was an incompetent ruler. In such a situation, to preserve the empire’s existence, an Amir of Delhi named Ali Ismail invited Iltutmish to come to Delhi. After arriving in Delhi, the Battle of Jud took place between Iltutmish and Aram Shah in 1211 AD. Iltutmish won this battle and became the ruler of Delhi.

Shortly after becoming the ruler, he assumed many titles. These include receiving the titles ‘Sultan-I-Azam’ and ‘Nasir Amir Al-Mu’minin (Amir-Ul-Momineen)’ from the Khalifa. In inscriptions, he was referred to as ‘Helper of the Servant of God’ and ‘Protector of God’s Land’. Minhaj-I-Siraj Juzjani called him ‘Sultan-I-Saiyaad’. He also took on the title ‘Slave of a Slave.’

Early life of Iltutmish

The word Iltutmish means ‘maintainer of the empire’. His father was Ilam Khan, the leader of the Ilbari Turkic tribe. His father loved Iltutmish more because he was much more intelligent than his other sons. This became the main cause of jealousy among his brothers.

One day, in their father’s absence, the brothers sold Iltutmish to a slave trader. After that, he was sold two more times.

While in Bukhara, he was first a slave to Sadr-I-Jahan and later to Bukhara Haji. Then a merchant named Jamaluddin Mohammad Chustkaba brought him to Ghazni to sell.

In this Ghazni, Aibak noticed Iltutmish, but his buying and selling were prohibited in Ghazni. This was because Muhammad Ghori couldn’t buy him from Chustkaba at a high price. So Ghori had issued a ban on selling Iltutmish in the Ghazni market. When Iltutmish was later brought to Delhi, Aibak bought him for one lakh jital (two thousand silver tankas) in the ‘Delhi market’, along with Tamghaj Kami.

He played an important role during Aibak’s conquest of Gwalior (1200 AD), for which Aibak appointed Iltutmish as the fortkeeper and Amir of the city. According to Minhaj-I-Siraj (his book Tabaqat-I-Nasiri), “Aibak first gave him the position of Sar-Jandar (chief bodyguard).” Iltutmish was then made the Governor of Badaun.

The Battle of Jhelum between Muhammad Ghori and Khokhars leader Sarkha took place in 1206 AD. Iltutmish played an amazing role in this battle, pleased with which Ghori freed a slave (Iltutmish) who was under another slave (Aibak) from slavery.

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Major problems during Iltutmish Reign and their Solutions

When Iltutmish ascended the throne of the Slave Dynasty, five major problems arose. These problems were the rebellion of Tajuddin Yalduz (Taj-Al-Din-Yildiz), the rebellion of Nasiruddin Qubacha (Qabacha), ruler of Multan, Uch, and Sindh, the rebellion of Ali Mardan Khalji, the ruler of Bengal, the opposition of Qutbi and Muizzi Amirs, and the possibility of Mongol invasion. The solutions to these five major problems were:

End of Yalduz’s rebellion

In 1216, through the Third Battle of Tarain, Iltutmish defeated and captured Yalduz, the ruler of Ghazni. Later, he died in the prison of Badaun.

End of Qubacha’s rebellion

In 1217, he captured Lahore from Qubacha and appointed Nasiruddin Mahmud to Lahore.

Then Qubacha was defeated in a battle with Iltutmish at Mansura on the banks of the Chenab River. Finally, Qubacha committed suicide by drowning in the Indus River in 1227-1228 AD. In 1228, Iltutmish captured Multan and Uch and incorporated them into his empire. Minhaj-i-Siraj came into contact with him during this Sindh campaign.

End of Ali Mardan Khalji’s rebellion

During Iltutmish’s time, in 1211 AD, the ruler of Bengal, Ali Mardan, declared himself an independent ruler and assumed the title of ‘Sultan Alauddin’. Exactly two years later, Hasanuddin Iwaz Khalji defeated Mardan and became the ruler of Bengal, assuming the title of ‘Sultan Giyasuddin’.

A subordinate state of Delhi becoming independent in this way was questioning the existence of the Sultanate empire. So, to strengthen the foundation of the empire, he attacked Bengal in 1225-26 AD. Iwaz accepted Delhi’s suzerainty without a fight, but as soon as Iltutmish returned to Delhi, he again declared himself an independent ruler.

In 1227 AD, Iltutmish sent his son Nasiruddin Mahmud (he was Subedar of Ayodhya) to fight against Iwaz. Mahmud captured the capital of Bengal, Lakhnauti, and defeated and killed Iwaz.

When Nasiruddin Mahmud died in a battle with the Mongols in 1229 AD, Iltutmish himself went to Bengal and ended the rebellion. In 1230-31, Bengal became part of the Sultanate empire, and he appointed Alauddin Jani (1231-33 AD) as Iqtadar. Shortly after, he made Saifuddin Aibak (1233-36 AD) the chief of Lakhnauti with the title of ‘Yaguntut’.

End of opposition from Qutbi and Muizzi Amirs

The Amirs of Qutbuddin Aibak, the founder of the Slave dynasty, were called ‘Qutbi’ and the Amirs of Muhammad Ghori were called ‘Muizzi’. Iltutmish respected these Amirs very much, but they opposed Iltutmish. Although he respected these Amirs and nobles, he also suppressed their opposition with a firm hand.

Solution to the Mongol problem

In 1221 AD, the formidable Mongol leader Genghis Khan (Chenghiz Khan) invaded India during Iltutmish’s reign. In fact, Genghis Khan was pursuing Jalaluddin Mangburni, the ruler of the Khwarazmiam Empire, at this time. Fearing him, Jalaluddin sought asylum from Iltutmish, but he wisely did not grant him asylum. When he didn’t give asylum, Mangburni went to Persia.

Genghis Khan (Chenghiz Khan) had no intention of invading India, but if Iltutmish had given asylum and helped Jalaluddin Mangburni, he might have attacked Delhi. In this way, he saved the Delhi Sultanate from Mongol invasion through his wisdom. He even used the Sindh kingdom as a ‘Buffer State’ from the beginning to prevent any future Mongol invasion.

What were the major victories of Iltutmish?

Administration under Iltutmish

• Realizing the economic importance of the Doab region, Iltutmish established 2000 Turkish soldiers and 2000 iqtas there. He was the first Turkish ruler to understand the importance of this doab region near Delhi.
• Iltutmish is credited with systematically laying the foundation of the administrative structure. Iltutmish invoked Persian monarchical traditions and adjusted them to the Indian milieu. He ordered two books, ‘Adab Us Salatin’ and ‘Maasir Us Salatin’, to be brought from Baghdad for his sons’ education. Following the tradition of Persian monarchy from these books, Iltutmish nominated his daughter Razia as his successor instead of a son.
• Iltutmish was the first sultan to build the sultan’s central army, ‘Hashm-I-Qalb’.
• Regarding Iltutmish’s justice, Ibn Battuta says that he made two marble lions in front of his palace; these lions had bells around their necks. Anyone could ring these bells to seek justice from the sultan. He appointed Qazi and Amirdaho throughout the city for justice.

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Achievements of Iltutmish

During his 25-year reign, he left many notable achievements in the history of the Sultanate Empire, which are:

Turkan-E-Chahalgani System

Iltutmish created the ‘Turkan-E-Chahalgani’ with 40 loyal Turkish slaves. It was first mentioned in the book ‘Futuh-Us-Salatin’ written by Abdul Malik Isami. These were the Turkish amirs (nobels) who advised and helped the Sultan in administering the Sultanate.

In the crisis situation when he ascended the throne, he needed the support of some loyal people to maintain his empire and existence; for this purpose, he created the ‘Turkan-E-Chahalgani’. Ghiyas-Ud-Din Balban, a member of this group, eventually brought an end to the ‘Turkan-E-Chahalgani’.

Iqta System

Iltutmish introduced the Iqta system in India to abolish the prevailing feudalism. Through this system, he was able to incorporate the entire region of North India under the central Sultanate rule. Although Muhammad Ghori first introduced this system in India in 1206 AD, Iltutmish gave it an institutional form and established it as the main basis for administrative operations.

The Iqta system refers to the granting of land by the Sultan to the nobility or Iqtadars. In exchange for tax collection, supplying soldiers, and performing some administrative duties, the Sultan would give the Iqtadars land instead of cash salaries. The money collected from this land was to be used for the maintenance of the army.

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Letter of Investiture

Iltutmish received the title of ‘Sultan-I-Azam’ (Great Sultan) from the Caliph Al-Mustansir-Bil-Lah of Baghdad in 1229 AD. The Caliph sent Iltutmish a ‘Durbash’ (a staff symbolizing independent rule) and a ‘Khilat’ (ceremonial robe). Out of gratitude to the Caliph, he described himself as the ‘Commander of the Caliph’ on his coins.

Iltutmish Coins

Iltutmish, the ruler of the Slave Dynasty, was the first to introduce pure Arabic coins similar to those of western countries. The silver coin was called Tanka (175 Grams), and the copper coin was called Jital. Iltutmish introduced Arabic inscriptions on coins.

He started a new tradition in the monetary system of India. Particularly for silver coins, the name of the city where it was minted would be engraved on the coin. It was during his reign that silver coins were first introduced in the Delhi Sultanate Empire.

According to coin expert Henry Nelson Wright, “Iltutmish’s reign is an important chapter in the history of Delhi’s currency use.”

Construction of Educational Institutions

Iltutmish was a man of wisdom and a distinguished scholar as well. He built mosques and madrasas (colleges). To meet the educational needs in Delhi at that time, he established a madrasa (Islamic educational institution) named Mu’izziyya in Delhi and Badaun. He built this madrasa in honor of Muḥammad Ghuri of the Ghurid Dynasty.

Under his rule, Delhi became a haven for educated individuals from Central Asia. Scholars like Amir Khusrau, Fakhr-ul-Mulk, Nizam-Ul-Mulk-Junaidi, and Amir Kuhani received his patronage.

Religion under Iltutmish

Iltutmish was a devout, religious Sunni Muslim. He was very strict towards Shia Muslims. He regularly went to the mosque to pray and even had a separate place in the military department where prayers were conducted.

He greatly promoted Sufism. He spent most of his time, even at night, in prayer and contemplation. Iltutmish was the first to create the position of ‘Shekh-Ul-Islam’.

Nizamuddin Ahmad says, “Sultan Shamsuddin Iltutmish was very puntilious in his prayers (Namaz), and on Fridays he went to the mosque and stayed there to offer obligatory and superogatory prayers.”

Iltutmish gained the patronage of some Sufi saints, namely: Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki, Hamiduddin Nagauri, Jalaluddin Tabrizi, Bahauddin Zakariya, and Najibuddin Nakhshabi. He also patronized Minhaj-Us-Siraj and Malik Tajuddin.

Bakhtiyar Kaki came to Iltutmish’s court in 1221 AD and helped in the construction of the Hauz-I-Shamsi pavilion. He conquered Multan with the help of Sufi Saint Bahauddin Zakariya. In 1235 AD, during his reign, a Tibetan monk named Dharmaswami traveled to Nalanda.

During Iltutmish’s time, Fakhr-I-Mudabbir wrote “Adab-Al-Hard-Wa-I-Shaja’a,” and Muhammad Aufi wrote ‘Jawami Ul-Hikayat’ (1231 AD). The first book was the first Muslim text on state organization and diplomatic theory, and the second book contained the first mention of the ‘magnetic compass’.

Although respectful towards the Ulema, he gave more importance to his own opinions and thoughts in solving any problems in the kingdom. The biggest example of this is that the Ulema could never accept that a woman would rule, but he, disregarding their opinion, did what was necessary to keep the empire intact in that situation. Instead of making his incompetent sons’ heirs, he entrusted the responsibility of the kingdom to his capable daughter Razia.

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Architecture

• The increase in building activity of the Turks after the consolidation of the Delhi Sultanate under Iltutmish is shown by the elaborate buildings belonging to this period.
• Accordingly, the mosque and surrounding buildings in Badaun (U.P.), the tall gate at Nagaur, and Hansi and Palwal in Haryana are a sign of the Turks desire to build their own buildings.
• He built the Jama Masjid in Badaun (UP) in 1223 AD. For Sufi saints, he built a number of Khanqahs (monasteries) and Dargahs (graves). During his reign, he started building Hamid ud-din’s Khanaqa and built the Gandhan Ki Baoli, a stepwell for the Sufi saint Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki, who relocated to Delhi.
• Qutbuddin Aibak started the construction of the Qutb Minar in Delhi, but Iltutmish completed it. At the time of completion, its height was 225 feet. He built the Hauz-I-Shamsi Pavilion to the south of Qutb Minar in 1229 AD.
• In 1231 AD, he built the tomb of his eldest son Nasiruddin Mahmud in Makwanpur, Delhi, which is also called ‘Sultan Ghari Tomb‘. According to Ashirbadi Lal Srivastava, “Sultan Ghari was the first tomb built by the Turks in India.”
• Iltutmish built his own tomb during his lifetime in 1235 AD. It is located next to the Qutub Minar, right outside the Quwwat-ul-Islam’s northwest corner.
• The tomb of Iltutmish, constructed at the end of his reign, is evidence of merging the Islamic and Hindu architectural traditions.
• The tomb was a square building, but by putting pendantives and squinch arches (a small arch built across the interior angle of two walls) in the corners, it was made octagonal, on which a dome was built.
• Later on, this device was found in many square buildings. The intricate carvings on the walls, which merged Indian floral motives with calligraphy, were even more remarkable.

Conclusion

Iltutmish, the third ruler of the Slave Dynasty or Mamluk Dynasty, not only maintained the unity of the empire but also created an effective administrative system to ensure the stability of the empire. He demonstrated courage, justice, and wisdom. He made Delhi the main center of political, administrative, and cultural activities. According to RP Tripathi, “The history of Muslim sovereignty in India began from this period.” For these reasons, Ishwari Prasad and Lane Poole claimed Iltutmish to be the true founder of the Delhi Sultanate Empire.

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