The Foundation of Muslim Rule in India: A History of the Establishment and Progress of the Turkish Sultanate of Delhi, 1206–1290 A.D. c11.5

c11.5

How his reign terminated can never be known with certainty, for Minhaj died before the event and Barani's account opens with Balban's accession. The 14th century accounts of Ibn Battuta and Isami hold the latter guilty of poisoning his sovereign¹. It is however, difficult to put much credence to the story. Balban had very close relations with the royal family; both Masud and Mahmud were his sons in-law; his own son, Bughra Khan, was married to the only daughter of Mahmud by a second wife². The line of Iltutmish was thus almost merged in his person, for Mahmud is not known to have left any male issue. Even as the naib, Barani tells us, he used to have the insignia of royalty³. His accession, in 664/1265¹, only formalising a long-practised usage, was thus almost in the nature of things and presumably unopposed.