Delhi – The Tapestry of Time; From Myth to Metropolis – 9
After establishing himself as an independent ruler of Delhi following Qabacha’s suicide, Iltutmish went on an expansion spree of his territories. He extended his authority up to Makran, the southern coastal region of Balochistan in the west. He appointed his own Governors in Multan, Uch, and the coastal region of Sindh. Hence, his territorial boundaries were expanded to the Arabian Sea.
A caliphate is an institution under the leadership of a Caliph, who is considered the political-religious successor to the Islamic prophet Muhammad. He is regarded as a leader of the entire Muslim community.
The third legacy of the Caliphate (750 CE to 1517 CE) – the Abbasid Caliph sent his ambassador, Al-Hasan Bin Muhammad al-Sanghani, who was Indian-born, to Delhi. He spent seven years in Delhi. In 1228 CE, the new Caliph sent him back with robes of honour, granting recognition to Iltutmish and conferring upon him the title of “Yamin Khalifat Allah” and “Nasir Amir al-Mu’minin.” In February 1229, the formal ceremonial installation, known as the Investiture, took place in Delhi.
By the time the Caliphate’s stature as a pan-Islamic institution had been descending, it legitimized Iltutmish’s status as an independent ruler of Delhi, instead of a Ghurid vassal.
Although it was a mere formality, Iltutmish celebrated it with fervour. The poets and nobles in his court glorified the event. As Iltutmish was the only Islamic ruler in Bharat to have received the Caliph’s recognition, he began inscribing the Caliph’s name on the coins, including on the new silver tanka introduced by him.
Iltutmish introduced the Silver Tanka and the Copper Jitals. Earlier, the Ghurid kings that ruled over Delhi used a local coinage system as currency that had Hindushahi bull and horsemen designs.
The coins minted in Delhi were known as Delhiwala and they became prominent during the Tomar and Chauhan dynasty rule, much before the reigns of the Sultanate were established.
The Delhiwala coin was a silver-copper alloy that had 0.59 grams of silver and 3.38 grams of copper. The major source of silver used in the Delhi mints was obtained from Central Asia as well as silver from Europe via the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, which landed on the ports of Gujarat. But, by 1220 CE, the supply from Central Asia had dipped. In response, Iltutmish introduced a new bimetallic coinage system to Northern Bharat, consisting of an 11-gram Silver Tanka and the billon Jital, with 0.25 grams of silver. The Delhiwala, the original and local coinage, was devalued to be equivalent to the Jital, meaning the Delhiwala with 0.59 grams of silver was now of equivalent value to the Jital (0.25 grams). Each Delhiwala accounted for an excess of 0.34 grams of silver, which was considered as a tax, and the excess silver was utilized in producing Tankas. The Tankas turned into the Rupees.
The Vishnu Stambh, which was originally constructed during the Vikramaditya era, was a Hindu-Jain astronomical observatory. Later, during the beginning of the Sultanate era, under the reigns of Qutub-ud-din Aibak, a Minar was constructed over it and named Qutub Minar, mainly using the ruins of twenty-seven temples built in the vicinity of Vishnu Stambh. Iltutmish completed the works of the Qutub Minar. He also built a water reservoir known as Hauz-i-Shamsi or Shamsi Talab to the south of Qutub Minar. He believed that Prophet Muhammad had guided him towards the favourable direction for the reservoir. Iltutmish invested in several waterworks, Mosques, khanqahs (monasteries), dargahs (graves) for Sufi Saints, and other civil amenities in Delhi. He also started a Madrasa to instill religious knowledge among children.
The patronage of Islamic scholars and historians began during Iltutmish’s rule. The popular historian Minhaj-i-Siraj, as well as Sufi mystic Qutubuddin Bakhtiar Kaki, migrated to Delhi from Persia, which had been invaded by the Mongols. Kaki was a scholar and saint of the Chishti order. Iltutmish built Gandhak ki Baoli for the Sufi Saints who had moved to Delhi.
Two years after the death of his eldest son Nasiruddin, he built a funerary monument in his memory in 1231 CE, known as Sultan Ghari. It was the first Islamic mausoleum in Delhi. It is situated in Nangal Dewat Forest, near current-day Vasant Kunj.
Iltutmish was hugely affected by the administrative pattern of the Islamic dynasties of the Middle East on his governance method. He implemented the Iqta system of administrative grants. Iqta was an Islamic practice of tax revenues. An army officer was granted land for his political loyalty for a temporary period, instead of a wage. This practice was commonly followed under Caliphate rule. The Turkic subordinates were granted several regions as Iqta. The larger iqtas were assigned to high-ranking men.
Iltutmish was a dedicated Muslim and very regularly followed the routine of prayers. On each Friday, he diligently visited the mosque for prayers. He revered several Sufi saints like Qutubuddin Bakhtiar Kaki, Hamiduddin Nagauri, Bahauddin Zakaria, Jalaluddin Tabrizi, and Najibuddin Nakshabi. Jalaluddin Tabrizi, a resident of northwest Iran, migrated to Delhi in 1210 CE during the Mamluk rule under Iltutmish. Later, he moved to Bengal and involved himself in converting locals to the Islamic faith. Iltutmish constructed a Khanqah—a Sufi lodge—for him known as Chilla Khana in West Dinajpur in Bengal.
Though Iltutmish was a devout Muslim, he opted to maintain an equilibrium between the Sharia and the practical requirements of governance. When a group of Ulema came to Iltutmish and requested him to implement the Shariat law of “death or Islam” on Hindus, he disagreed and instructed Nizam-ul-Mulk Junaidi to convey a suitable reply to the Ulemas. He refused the suggestion of the Ulemas as Bharat was a newly conquered land by Muslims, and they were fewer in number as compared to the original Hindu citizens. If such a law were to be applied, there were chances that the scattered Hindus would congregate for a common cause of saving their religious rites. In that circumstance, the Muslims, fewer in number, would be suppressed.
However, deep within, his goal was surely the Islamisation of Bharat Varsh, and thus, he himself held discourses with orthodox Ulemas. Sayyid Nuruddin Mubarak Ghaznavi was appointed in his court, but Iltutmish was a sharp and rather cunning ruler, as he understood the right time to expand Islamic ideology among a largely Hindu population. Even while nominating his daughter Razia as his heir (successor), he overlooked consultation with the Ulema.
Razia Khatun, daughter of Iltutmish, was the first and only woman ruler of the Delhi Sultanate. Born in 1205 CE, she was handed the governance of Delhi in 1231 CE when her father marched towards Gwalior. On his return from the campaign, Iltutmish was pleased with her administrative power and declared her as his successor.
In 1229 CE, Malik-us-Sa’id Nasiruddin Mahmud, the eldest son of Iltutmish, faced a sudden death. Iltutmish had groomed him to be his successor. Nasiruddin Mahmud had been governing Bengal from 1227 CE until his death. Earlier, he was appointed as the Governor of Oudh. Iltutmish had appointed him to lead the invasion against the rebel Iwaz Khalji. Iwaz Khalji was a two-time governor of Bengal under the Delhi Sultanate. Nasiruddin Mahmud was awarded the title of Malik-ul-Sharq (King of the East) from his father for the successful campaign against Iwaz Khalji.
Post Iltutmish’s death on 30th April 1236, his son Ruknuddin Firuz became the Sultan of Delhi, but his tenure lasted for less than seven months. However, he immersed himself amidst wine and women and left the administration in his mother Shah Turkan’s control. The inefficiency in administration led to an uprising, and both mother and son were imprisoned.
Malik Ghiyas-ud-din Muhammad Shah was another son of Iltutmish, born to him and Turkan Khatun, the mother of Nasiruddin Mahmud and Razia. He was appointed as the Governor of Oudh, and he rebelled against Ruknuddin Firuz after he and his mother Shah Turkan blinded and executed their youngest brother Qutubuddin. Qutubuddin Muhammad was Iltutmish’s youngest son and popular for his statesmanship.
The other children of Iltutmish were Sultan Muizuddin Bahram Shah, Jalaluddin Masud Shah, Nasiruddin Mahmud Shah II, Shihabuddin Muhammad, and Shazia Khatun.
The Islamic invaders did create the Mamluk dynasty rule as the pioneer of the Delhi Sultanate, but the animosity among the offspring of Iltutmish soared extremely high.
Sources of information :
History of India – K.L.Khurana
Sultan Iltutmish – Rekha Joshi
The Delhi Saltanate : The History and Legacy of the Mediaeval Islamic Dynasty in India – Charles River Editors
सटीक जानकारी देने के लिए धन्यवाद भारत का वास्तविक इतिहास सभी को पता चले इसे तू आपके द्वारा किए जा रहे प्रयास सराहनीय है मैं भी इतिहास के विद्यार्थी रही हूं आप जो जानकारी उपलब्ध करवाते हैं उनसे पूर्ण रूप से सहमत हूं भारत का इतिहास पुन: लिखे जाने की अत्यंत आवश्यकता है।