Razia Sultana - South Asia's first female ruler

The International Women's Day is the celebration of womanhood, of contributions and sacrifices made by many female leaders, including number of powerful women who have shaped the course of history with their intelligence, strength, passion, and leadership qualities.

The International Women's Day is the celebration of womanhood, of contributions and sacrifices made by many female leaders, including number of powerful women who have shaped the course of history with their intelligence, strength, passion, and leadership qualities. Razia Sultana is one such leader who proved her mettle in the medieval era. Let's have a look at her times and how she rose as a female leader.

Daugther of Iltutmish, the first Muslim sovereign to rule from Delhi, the effective founder of Delhi Sultanate - Razia Sultana is the first female Muslim ruler of South Asia. Renowned historian Prof. S. Irfan Habib believes Sultana was a remarkable woman who tried to assert herself in a world dominated by men.

"She was a remarkable woman trying to assert herself in a world dominated by men, especially in the medieval period. Not many such examples you can find in history. She was not a puppet in the hands of other men in power," Habib told ANI. The rise and fall of Razia Sultana (1236-40) - She ascended the throne because a strong body of Turkish slave officers had raised against Ruknuddin, the son of Iltutmish, who had forcibly ascended to the throne after his father's death.

According to contemporary historian Minhaj Siraj, the ruler succeeded to the throne although she never had the solid support of any powerful group among the Turkish nobles. She depended for survival on her political skills in keeping the position divided. After taking over the throne, Razia set about "reorganising" the administration. "The kingdom became pacified, and the power of the state widely extended. In order to have direct contact with the administration, Razia laid the female dress aside and donned the tunic and headdress of a man. She abandoned the veil, and appeared in the darbar, and rode out an elephant with her face uncovered," added the contemporary historian.

Soon, opposition to her began in a section of the nobility in Delhi and in the provinces. Apparently, her firmness and desire to exercise power directly was the major cause of the dissatisfaction of the Turkish nobles with her. The first rebellion was at Lahore by its Governor, Kabir Khan. Razia marched to Lahore and forced Kabir Khan to submit. She then appointed him as Iqtadar of Multan in place of Lahore. She had hardly returned to Delhi when Altunia, the Governor of Tabarhinda, rebelled.

She marched against Altunia but did not know that he was in touch with a powerful group of Turkish nobles at Delhi, who wanted to overthrow her in order to clear their own way to power. Hence, when Razia reached Tabarhinda, the Turkish nobles rose in revolt, killed Yakut, and put Razia in prison at Tabarhinda. The conspirators at Delhi elevated another descendant of Iltutmish to the throne. This virtually brought Razia's reign to a close.

Minhaj Siraj said that "Razia was endowed with all the qualities befitting a sovereign; she was prudent, benevolent, benefactor to her kingdom, a dispenser of justice, the cherisher of her subjects, and a great warrior". The principal cause of her downfall was the jealousy of the Turkish nobles. Since her childhood, she had shown interest in learning the art of warfare and had learnt to command armies. Iltutmish found his sons incompetent and saw in Razia the qualities befitting a ruler.

During her father's reign, Razia displayed courage and the ability to participate in state affairs. As a child and adolescent, Razia had little contact with the other women of the harem so she had not adopted the customary behaviour of women in the Muslim society. She took keen interested in male sports, unlike the other aristocratic ladies who preferred to remain behind purdah. Razia Sultana was encouraged by her father to take interest in the army organization and assuming command that developed in her leadership qualities, responsibility and bravery.

In April 1240, after ruling for a span less than 4 years she married one of the rebels - Ikhtiyaruddin Altunia and attempted to regain the throne. Razia was defeated by her half-brother and successor Muizuddin Bahram in October that year and was killed shortly after. According to Vikas Malik, an assistant professor at Shyama Prasad Mukerjee College, Delhi University, "It was the first and the last incidence before the modern period. She was chosen as the ruler by her father. She went to the Jama Masjid and talked to the locals, after being defied of the rule by her own relatives. On Friday, she visited the place wearing a red dress (asking for justice) from the local people stating the fact that she was appointed the successor by her father and is being defied of the post." The local people supported her rule during her reign.

Delhi Sultanate's first female ruler who ruled Delhi from 1236 to 1240 had a hardy memorial worth its name. Her tomb lies in an unpretentious enclosure, unattended and unsung near Delhi's Turkman Gate. (ANI)

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