The Sultanate of Delhi, 711–1526 A.D. c15: 9. Qutub-ud-din Aibak and his Successors

The Sultanate of Delhi, 711–1526 A.D. c15

Language: English

c15.s1 The Slave Dynasty: a misnomer — 2 parts
c15.s2 Qutub-ud-din Aibak, 1206—1210 — 5 parts
c15.s3 Aram Shah, 1210—1211 — 1 part
c15.s4 Geneological Table: The Qutubi Dynasty — 3 parts

9. Qutub-ud-din Aibak and his Successors

The Slave Dynasty: a misnomer

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Muhammad of Ghur had no son. At Ghazni he was succeeded by Ala-ud-din, who was soon displaced by Mahmud bin Ghiyas-ud-din. In his Indian dominions he was succeeded by his most prominent slave, named Qutub-ud-din Aibak, who laid the foundation of a new dynasty which is popularly known as the Slave Dynasty. Besides being a contradiction in terms, the title is historically inaccurate. Three dynasties ruled over Delhi during the period beginning from 1206 and ending with 1290, and not one, as is commonly supposed. The founders of these dynasties, namely, Qutub-ud-din Aibak, Iltutmish and Balban, had not descended from a common ancestor. The founders of these dynasties, but no other member, had been slaves in their early career. They had ceased to be slaves before they became king and, with the exception of Qutub-ud-din, all had obtained their formal manumission long before their accession.

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There is another popular misconception regarding the early Muslim kings of India The entire period from 1206 to 1526 has wrongly been called the 'Pathan Period'. The rulers of this period right upto 1451 were Turks and not Pathans or Afghans. Only one dynasty, which exercised sway over Delhi from 1451 to 1526, was Pathan by race. Hence it is a misnomer to call the period (1206—1526) 'Pathan Period'. Its appropriate name should be 'The Period of the Sultanate of Delhi'.

Qutub-ud-din Aibak, 1206—1210

His early career

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Qutub-ud-din Aibak, the real founder of the Turkish dominion in India, was born of Turkish parents in Turkistan. While yet a boy, he was carried a slave to Nishapur where he was purchased by the local *qazi*. When his first master died he was sold by his sons [Figure: INDIA IN 1210 A.D. Qutubuddin Aibak.

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— Boundary of the Empire. -- - Extent of Ghuri Empire.

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once again and became eventually a slave of Muhammad of Ghuŕ. While at Nishapur he had learnt riding and acquired training as a soldier in the company of the *qazi’s* sons, besides picking up elementary reading and writing. At Ghazni he attracted his new master’s notice by his courage, manly bearing and, particularly, by his generosity. He gave proof of his loyalty and devotion to duty and was promoted to be a commander of a section of his master’s army. Next, he was appointed master of the stables (*Amir Akhur*). After the second battle of Tarain in 1192, Muhammad placed him in charge of his Indian conquests, with full powers to act during his absence. Aibak made Indraprastha near Delhi his headquarters.

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During his master’s absence Qutub-ud-din crushed a rebellion in Ajmer and Meerut in 1192. Next, he occupied Delhi which became the future capital of the Turkish dominion in the country. In 1194 he crushed a second rising in Ajmer and then co-operated with his master who returned to India to fight the Gahadwaras of Kanauj. Aibak played an important part in the battle which brought about the defeat and death of Jai Chand. In 1195 Aibak had to proceed to Koil (Aligarh) which he captured, and from there he marched to Ajmer to suppress a third rising there. In this expedition he acquired the famous fortress of Ranthambhor In 1196 Aibak was besieged by the Mers, but he succeeded in extricating himself from the difficult situation and, rapidly proceeding to Anhilwara, plundered and ravaged it. In 1197-98, Aibak captured Badaun and then Chandawar and Kanauj. He occupied himself in operations in Rajputana and subdued the kingdom of Sirohi and probably part of Malwa also—conquests which were not destined to be permanent. In 1202-3 Aibak invaded Bundelkhand and defeated the Chandela king, Paramardi Deva, acquiring Kalinjar, Mahoba and Khajuraho. One of his lieutenants, Ikhtiyar-ud-din Muhammad bin Bakhtiyar Khalji, conquered Bihar and a part of Bangal, a mention of which has already been made in the foregoing pages. Before his accession to the throne and his master’s death, Qutub-ud-din Aibak was, thus, already in possession of almost the whole of northern India as his master’s lieutenant and representative in this country.

Accession

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Muhammad of Ghur seems to have desired that Qutub-ud-din Aibak should succeed him in Hindustan. That was why in 1206 he had formally invested him with viceregal powers and conferred upon him the title of *Malik*. When Muhammad’s death became known, the citizens of Lahore sent an invitation to Qutub-ud-din to assume sovereign powers. He proceeded from Delhi to Lahore and took up the reins of government in his hands, although his formal accession took place on 24th June, 1206, that is, a little over three months after Muhammad of Ghur’s death. It seems that Qutub-ud-din occupied himself during the interval to build up a strong party of his own. In fact, long before his accession he had strengthened his position by a clever policy of matrimonial alliances. He had given his daughter in marriage to Iltutmish and his sister to Nasir-ud-din Qubachah, while he himself had married the daughter of Taj-ud-din Yulduz. On his accession he used the title of Malik and Sipahsalar, but not that of Sultan. He does not seem to have struck coins or read the *khutba* in his name. The reason, perhaps, was that he was still technically a slave. His formal manumission could not be obtained till 1208. But Ghiyas-ud-din Mahmud of Ghur, who was his master’s successor, sent him the royal insignia and standard and also conferred upon him the title of Sultan. Whatever might have been the legal flaw, Qutub-ud-din became *de facto* Sultan of the almost entire Hindustan.

Qutub-ud-din as king

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Qutub-ud-din ruled for four years. During this period he made no fresh conquests. He did not find time for establishing a sound system of administration. His administration was purely military and rested on the support of the army. Besides a powerful force at the capital, he kept garrisons in important towns in all parts of Hindustan. The local administration was left in the hands of the native officers with old revenue rules and regulations intact. At the capital and in the provincial towns Muslim officers were placed in charge of administration. They were mostly soldiers. There must have been a *qazi* at the capital and probably one in each of the newly conquered provinces. Administration of justice was rough and ill-organised. In short, Qutub-ud-din was not a constructive genius. He does not seem to have laid the foundation of a solid structure of civil administration.

Foreign policy

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Qutub-ud-din’s entire reign was devoted to foreign affairs. First of all, he had to reckon with his chief rivals, namely, Taj-ud-din Yulduz and Nasir-ud-din Qubachah, who were in charge of powerful states and posed as his equals. Secondly, the important Hindu chiefs, who had been subdued in the time of Muhammad of Ghur, were anxious to take advantage of his death to regain their lost independence. The Chandela capital, Kalinjar, had been recovered by the Rajputs in 1206. The Gahadwaras, under Harish Chandra, had regained most of their power in Farrukhabad and Badaun. Gwalior had again fallen into the hands of the Pratiharas. Bangal and Bihar were in the throes of a revolution owing to the death of Ikhtiyar-ud-din.

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The greatest danger for the infant Turkish kingdom of Delhi, however, was from Central Asia. Alauddin Muhammad, the Khwarizm Shah had his eyes on Ghazni and Delhi. Qutub-ud-din's immediate task, therefore, was to prevent the Khwarizm Shah from occupying Ghazni and Delhi and the Rajputs from recovering their principalities, and to put down the pretensions of his rivals, Qubachah and Yulduz. He addressed himself to the task in all seriousness. To meet the danger from the north-west, Aibak moved from Delhi to Lahore and spent the whole of his remaining life in that town. Taj-ud-din Yulduz had occupied Ghazni on Muhammad of Ghur's death. He was, however, compelled to leave that city and to withdraw towards the Panjab. Aibak successfully resisted Yulduz from acquiring a footing in the Panjab. But he feared lest the vacant Ghazni should be occupied by the Khwarizm Shah Alauddin Muhammad. Deciding to forestall the Shah's designs he proceeded to that city in response to an invitation from its citizens and occupied it in 1208. But he was unpopular. Ghazni was re-occupied by Yulduz. Aibak successfully resisted the claims of Yulduz to the sovereignty of Hindustan. He did not allow to be entangled in Central Asian politics.

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The death of Ikhtiyar-ud-din Khalji threatened to severe the connection of Bangal and Bihar with Delhi. Ali Mardan Khan had set himself up as an independent ruler at Lakhanauti, but the local Khalji chiefs replaced him by Muhammad Sheran and threw him into prison. Ali Mardan, however, escaped from confinement, went to Delhi and persuaded Aibak to intervene in the affairs of Bangal. Qutub-ud-din's agent, Qaimaz Rumi, succeeded, though not without difficulty, in persuading the Khaljis to recognise Aibak's overlordship. Ultimately Ali Mardan became governor of Bangal and he agreed to send to Delhi an annual tribute.

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Qutub-ud-din had been so much occupied with the politics of the north-western region and those of Bangal that he could get to pursue a policy of aggressive warfare against the Rajputs. He died, in 1210, of injuries received as the result of a fall from his horse while playing polo. He was buried at Lahore. Over his remains a very unpretentious monument was raised which is hardly worthy of the first independent Turkish Sultan of northern India.

His estimate

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Qutub-ud-din Aibak was a great military leader. He was a gifted soldier who had risen from obscurity and poverty to power and fame. He possessed a high degree of courage and intrepidity. He was one of those able and powerful slaves to whom Muhammad of Ghur’s success in India was largely due. As has been mentioned, he conquered for his master many important towns and principalities in Hindustan. He could, however, make no conquests during his career as a ruler. This was due to his pre-occupations. Besides being a military leader of ability, he was also interested in literature. He possessed a refined taste and patronised men of learning, such as Hasan Nizami and Fakhre Mudir, who dedicated their books to him. He was also interested in architecture. He built two mosques out of the materials of Hindu temples which he destroyed, one at Delhi, known as *Quwat-ul-Islam*, and the other at Ajmer, known as *Dhai Din ka Jhonpara*. Muslim writers praise his generosity. According to them he was known as *Lakha Buksha*, that is, giver of lakhs; but at the same time, he was also notorious for his killing which, too, was by lakhs. He does not seem to have followed the enlightened policy of religious toleration, though he is said to have twice interceded with Muhammad for the vanquished Hindu princes. He was not a constructive genius. He built no civil institutions and carried out no administrative reform. His greatest achievement was to sever India’s connection with Ghazni and thus to put an end to Ghazni’s sovereignty over Hindustan.

Aram Shah, 1210—1211

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Qutub-ud-din’s death, occurring as it did within a few years of the foundation of the new Turkish state in India, caused a great confusion among his followers. His officers at Lahore placed his son, Aram Shah, on the throne. But the citizens of Delhi refused to support the new ruler who was a weak and worthless young man. The citizens of Delhi felt that at that critical period in the history of the Turkish rule the government should be in the hands of a competent soldier and a tried administrator. So, headed by the chief magistrate, they sent an invitation to Iltutmish, governor of Badaun and a son-in-law of Qutub-ud-din, to come and accept the crown. Iltutmish accepted the invitation. Aram Shah would not willingly resign the throne, and he prepared to fight Iltutmish. Nasir-ud-din Qubachah, who was governor of Uch in the time of Qutub-ud-din, prepared to take advantage of the confusion and rivalry between Iltutmish and Aram Shah. He proceeded to Multan and brought it under his control. Ali Mardan Khalji of Bangal ceased to pay homage to Delhi. During Aram's rule, thus, the newly established Turkish kingdom in India was parcelled out into four independent states. Aram was supported by the people of Lahore with whose help he proceeded against Iltutmish who had crowned himself king at Delhi. He was, however, easily defeated and perhaps put to death. Aram Shah's inglorious reign lasted for about eight months.