THERE have been many women rulers in various parts of the subcontinent before the British took over control of India. There was Chand Bibi in the Deccan, who not only reigned but also fought in battles, and died in one. Then there was the Rani of Jhansi who revolted against the British occupation of her state and fought a grim but losing battle in the 1857 War of Independence, ultimately committing suttee along with her handmaidens. There was Nur Jehan who ruled in place of the pleasure-loving Mughal Emperor Jehangir. But there has been only one woman who sat on the throne of Delhi as the acknowledged monarch of Hindustan — Razia Sultana.
Razia ascended the throne in 1236 and died in 1240 through violence. The cause of death remained a mystery and historians are not sure whether she was killed by robbers, as was given out at that time, or by her enemies who had been after her blood ever since she became queen. The fact remains that her four years as a monarch who knew her mind were marked by court intrigues, conspiracies at every step and frequent battles to save her kingdom. She got no time for reforms or setting up institutions, something that was expected of such an intelligent, courageous and able woman.
For these were the qualities that had made her father, Sultan Iltutmish, who occupies pride of place among the kings of the three dynasties that ruled from Delhi from 1206 to 1290, nominate her instead of a son as heir to the throne. His eldest son, the ablest among his children, had died in 1229, leaving his father prostrate. The Sultan did not think his next son, Feroz, competent enough to succeed him as he was lazy and irresponsible and thoroughly devoted to sensual pleasures, while the other sons were very young. So he named Razia as his successor.
This was a novel experiment and was not supposed to be in consonance with Muslim tradition. Moreover, his sons and their followers were likely to oppose it. But Iltutmish overruled all opposition and managed to ensure the approval of his nobles and courtiers. The occasion was celebrated by including Razia’s name on the tanka, the silver rupee of the time. But when Iltutmish died, his decision was reversed and the throne passed to Feroz.
This young man did not take kingship seriously. His mother, Shah Turkan, originally a handmaid in the harem, was a clever intriguer. On Iltutmish’s death, she had had her son crowned in a hurry. He might have carried on if he had shown moderation and some administrative qualities. But immediately after his accession, he began a life of gaiety and pleasure and allowed his mother to exercise all powers of monarchy. Shah Turkan was inordinately ambitious. She controlled the state policy and persecuted her co-wives and their children. Internal and external troubles ensued. Sindh and Uchh were invaded from the north. King Feroz’s own brother, Ghiasuddin, Governor of Oudh, openly rebelled and seized a convoy of treasure from Bengal.
When Feroz had to march out to meet the rebels, Razia exploited the public discontent against him and his mother. She appeared before the public in red robes at the time of the Friday prayer and exhorted them to help her against the much-hated Shah Turkan. The people were reminded of Iltutmish’s nomination of her as heir-apparent. The army officers lent their support to the people, and before Feroz could return, Razia was placed on the throne and Shah Turkan thrown into the dungeon. Feroz was arrested and put to death on November 1236. His reign lasted only seven months.
For Razia, monarchy did not prove a bed of roses. She had the support of the people and the nobility of Delhi, but the governors of Budaun, Multan, Lahore and Hansi, who had no hand in her election, were definitely hostile. They were joined by Feroz’s wazir, Nizamul Mulk Mohammad Junaidi. The confederates besieged Razia in her capital. Though militarily powerless before this combination, she adroitly played a game of diplomacy and managed to sow dissension among them. The rebel governors fell out among themselves, and Razia, at an opportune moment, attacked their army. Two of them were captured and slain, while Junaidi fled to save himself, and ultimately died as a fugitive in the Sirmoor Hills.
Razia’s triumph brought her great prestige and stabilized her position. She redistributed the high offices of state in the court and made fresh appointments to the posts of governors. The entire Hindustan (as the vast dialect-speaking region — now Urdu-Hindi-speaking region — was then known) submitted to her. Bengal also came back under Delhi. But Razia’s very success proved to be the chief cause of her downfall. She had taken steps to make the power of the crown absolute, and this was not to the liking of the Turkish nobles.
These nobles had formed themselves into a military brotherhood and had monopolized all power in the state ever since the time of Qutubuddin Aibak; and would not tolerate a truly strong and despotic monarch. Moreover, Razia seems to have given offence to orthodox Muslim opinion by casting off her female attire and shunning the seclusion of the harem.
She is also said to have shown undue preference for an Abyssinian officer, Jamaluddin Yaqut, who held the office of her master of the horse. Probably, this was the result of her deliberate policy of breaking the Turkish nobles’ monopoly over important posts in the kingdom. All these causes led to a conspiracy against her.
The leader of the conspiracy was Ikhtiaruddin Aetigin who held the high office of the queen’s Lord Chamberlain (Amir-i-Hijaab) while other prominent members were Malik Altunia, Governor of Bhatinda and Kabir Khan, Governor of Lahore.
The contemporary historian, Minhajuddin Siraj, describes Razia as “a great sovereign...”but concludes with the lament: “Of what advantage were all these qualities unto her?”
