Qutlugh Khwaja

Who is Qutlugh Khwaja?

Qutlugh Khwaja was a son of Duwa, the Mongolian khan of Chagatai Khanate in the Mongol Empire. He became a chief of the Qara'unas in Afghanistan after Abdullah was recalled by the Khan to Central Asia in around 1298-1299. It seems that later Ilkhans allowed him to settle with his Qaranaus in Afghanistan, though they were struggling with each other.

He launched several attacks on both the Delhi Sultanate and Ilkhanate. According to Rashid ad-Din, he was a threat to Mamluks in Delhi. In the end of 1299, a larger force under Qutlugh Khwaja reached the very outskirts of Delhi. The Khalji Sultan Ala-ud-din led his entire army to give battle to the Mongols—he engaged the Mongol center while his left wing broke the Mongol formation opposite them and penetrated into their rear lines. This created panic in the rest of the army and the Mongols retreated from Delhi.

When Qutlugh Khwaja died in 1313/1314, his son Daud Khoja inherited his realm and soldiers.