Razia Sultan, the first female sultan of Delhi

Before the year 1236, never in the history of Delhi had a female ruler ruled over the throne. But there is always someone to rewrite history or, you know, to create history. The first female ruler, Razia Sultan, wrote her name in the annals with her power and courage. She was not only a ruler but also the first female Sultan.

Razia Sultan, The first female Sultan of Delhi; Image source- Le Mauricein

It was the year 1205 when Razia was born to Iltutmish in Budaun, India. In 1211, Iltutmish proved his efficiency and took over the Delhi throne. This paved the way for royalty in his family. He was not only a powerful leader but also very broad-minded as he imparted martial arts training and administrative tactics to all his children.

Razia was his only daughter among three sons, and Iltumish could see a leader in Razia from a very young age. Where his sons enjoyed the lavish royal pleasures, she sincerely absorbed all the skills of ruling an empire. She broke stereotypes by assisting her father in state affairs, which was a rare feat for a woman at the time.

From the very beginning, Razia had less interaction with the women of the harem and thus was not embedded with the customary behaviours of the typical Muslim women of the time. She was not someone who would sit in her royal bed celebrating her pleasure, but she believed in facing and fighting battles fearlessly.

On April 30, 1236, Iltutmish passed away, but the fact that surprised everyone was the name of Razia as the heiress. He broke the tradition by giving his daughter a chance to create history through her reign. But, the road to rule was not easy for Razia.

Despite being nominated by the former emperor, nobles never accepted her rule. She was replaced by his brother, Rukn-ud-din Firuz, who ascended the throne. But, destiny finds its way. Rukn-ud-din Firuz failed badly in state affairs and was eventually killed. On November 10, 1236, Razia finally took over the empire and was named Jalâlat-ud-Dîn Raziyâ.

Razia’s gender had never stopped her from reaching heights. As she ascended the throne, she adopted a gender-neutral attire. She took her first step against a gender-biased society by arriving at the court in male clothing. She wore a tunic and a crown and dropped out her pardah.

This undoubtedly enraged many Muslim conservatives, but Razia was busy building her empire rather than thinking about others' opinions. She conquered territories by fighting various battles from the front, made alliances with powerful Muslim rulers, and established several schools, research centres, and public libraries.

Razia finally became Razia Sultana, but this was not what she wanted. She refused to be called 'Sultana,' which meant "Sultan’s wife." She declared proudly that she should be called the "Sultan" as she was the supreme.

However, after a very short period, the dark clouds of terror floated above her head. Two Turkish slaves, Ikhtiyaruddin Aitigin and Ikhtiyaruddin Altunia, plotted a conspiracy to uproot her rule. Of those, Altunia was her childhood friend, and the way he deceived her was indeed traumatizing. She overcame her emotions and fought against him bravely, but was ultimately defeated and arrested.

As the rule of Razia dissolved, her brother Muizuddin Bahram Shah took over the throne. All the important positions were distributed among his officers. But karma played its move, and Altunia got no share in the ranks. He immediately changed his side and moved towards Razia to support her.

Razia saw this as an opportunity to win her throne back. She allied with her childhood friend Altunia and married her in 1240. They formed an army to battle against Muizuddin, but they could not withstand the large army in the war, and the couple retreated toward Kaithal. They were later robbed and killed by the troops of Muizuddin.

The great warrior and ruler, Razia Sultan, met a tragic death on October 15, 1240. But her name will continue to shine on the pages of history. She lay peacefully in her tomb at Old Delhi, which has become a pilgrimage centre today. Due to her unique position, she has been a part of many legends. Razia: Queen of India 'is a fictitious book written by Rafiq Zakaria based on the life of the first as well as the last woman who ruled over Delhi and thousands of hearts.

Razia's tomb at Old Delhi, Image source- Times of India