The First & Last Muslim Woman Ruler Of India
Razia Sultana – Most Powerful Female Mughal Empress
Born on October 1205 in Budaun, Mughal empress Razia Sultana was given the name Raziyya al-Din upon birth. She died in 1240 and remained famous with pseudonym, Razia Sultana. She ruled India's Delhi during the period 1236 to May 1240. She was well trained to control and lead army troops as other Muslim princesses of that period got trained. Such trainings were meant for her to keep better control over administering the affairs of kingdom when need occurred. She became the only women ruler of Delhi Sultanate in Mughal era to make such history. Few other women rulers were also there in India but they were less popular. As Sultana meant a king's mistress, she refused to be addressed "Sultana" and would seek attention while called Sultan. Such attribution indicated how Razia had adapted the great monarchy qualities in her personality.
Her Reign
It was in 1236 that Razia also denoted with names Radiyya and or Raziyya became the ruler of Delhi Sultanate to succeed her father Shams-ud-din Iltutmish who had created history by designating first woman—his daughter Razia as crown princess to rule after him. Razia Sultana therefore maintained a distinction of being the first and last Delhi Sultnate women ruler. Some sources also describe that Iltumish had initially groomed his eldest son as heir apparent but his premature death forced him to change that plan. Noblemen Muslims sheepishly disagreed to a decision of King Iltutmish to appoint a woman as his heir henceforth they tried to elevate that position to Razia's brother Rukn ud din Firuz when Sultan died on April 29, 1236, disagreeing to King's previous decision.
Ruknuddin had short ruling period and the widow of Iltutmish, Shah Turkaan literally controlled the power and government affairs seeing her son hardly having any interest in the political affairs of the kingdom, he concentrated on those things which brought pleasure to him that too on the cost of the subjects by depriving them from their rights. Mere six months in the rule, Ruknuddin and his mother Shah Turkaan were assassinated cold-bloodedly on November 9, 1236.
Court nobles finally agreed to accept Razia to be crowned as Delhi's Sultan but still they remained too much disinclined. Her attitude surprised everybody as she preferred dressing like men and also held open durbars to participate in them. As she had inborn qualities of Monarchy, she proved her efficiency as ruler. It is worth noting that since her birth and in stages of childhood and adolescence, she hardly sat in the company of women in her father's harem. She therefore didn't know anything about Muslim society or women's typical behaviours. She had literally involved in the affairs of the state while her father ruled Delhi and she hadn't become Sultan. Once Razia became Sultan she started showcasing manlike tunic and headdress and defied customs on later stages by showing face while riding elephants in battlefield as her army's commander.
Razia proved herself a smart politician by managing the nobles with observing them keenly and at the same juncture gaining support of her citizens and army to balance her kingdom. Most notable achievement of hers as a ruler was of maintaining the political farsightedness under which she kept applying manipulative attitude by enforcing different rebel factions to oppose each other for her own upper hand. Political analysts therefore observed that Razia proved herself as an able and high calibre Delhi Sultanate ruler to create history.
Miscounting of Razia on her relationship with an adviser, Jamal-ud-Din Yaqut—one of the Abyssinian Siddi (Habshi) slaves—proved bad omen and so did it bring unexpected consequences for her reign that she didn't expect. Historians count that Razia and Yaqut were deeply in love but other sources define their relationship as close confidants and not more than that. She created an environment of jealousy of Turkic nobles in her court due to her favouritism for the non-Turk Yaqut whom she had appointed a Stables Superintendent. Bad consequences came when childhood friend cum Bhatinda Governor Malik Altunia initiated revolt against her by involving rest provincial governors to disagree authority of Razia Sultan.
Both Razia and Altunia fought a battle thereafter in which Yaqut was killed while Altunia took Razia as prisoner and compelled her to marry him to escape death. In the meantime, Muizuddin Bahram Shah, her brother seized throne of Delhi. Razia and husband Altunia fought battle with Bahram in October 1240 to re-seize her sultanate from brother but they were defeated and forced to go to Kaithal after fleeing from Delhi. Ironically their remaining forces proved reckless hence they came in the trap of Jats to getting killed. Years later, Bahram was dethroned due to ineffective governance.
Legacy
Razia Sultana believed in practical religion and agreed on the concept of humane religious approach that religion was crucial as a whole. She therefore used the philosophy of the Prophet Muhammad that overburdening non-Muslims was unethical. At one time she preferred appoint a convert Muslim to hold certain position which was once opposed by the nobles of her court.
Devotion to her subjects and the cause of her empire remained the priority of Razia during her rule. It is hardly assessed that she maintained any gap while dealing with the subjects during her rule and her attitude to mingle with them brought ample popularity.
Some of the constructive activities which Razia played were establishment of many research centres, schools, academies and public libraries to manage famous works of ancient philosophers at single platform by initiating research on Qur'an or traditions of Islam's prophet. Schools and colleges she founded had syllabus from Hindu works like sciences, philosophy, astronomy and literature works.