Iltutmish

Who was Iltutmish?

Shams-ud-din Iltutmish was the founder of the Delhi Sultanate.

Shams-ud-din Iltutmish was the third ruler of the Slave dynasty. He founded the Delhi Sultanate in 1211 and received the Caliph's investure in his rule. He conquered Multan and Bengal from contesting rulers, and Ranathambhore and Siwalik from the Hindis.

Shams-ud-dunya w'al-din Abu al-Muzzafar Naib Amir Almu'minin Iltutmish was the third ruler of the Slave dynasty of Turkic origin. Presumably a descendent of Turkic nobility captured and enslaved, Iltutmish later rose to prominence in the court of Muhammad Ghuri and later in Lahore under Qutb-uddin Aibak. He dethroned Aibak's successor, Aram Shah, and moved the seat of the Sultan to Delhi.

He expanded his domain by defeating the Muslim rulers of Ghazni, Multan and Bengal, which previously annexed some of his territories and threatened his domain. He conquered the latter two territories and made further conquests in the Hindi lands, conquering the fort of Ranathambhore and the lands of Gawalior and the fort of Mandur.

He instituted many changes to the Sultanate, reorganising the monetary system and the nobility as well as the distribution of grounds and fiefs, and erected many buildings, including Monques, Khanqas, Dargahs and a Hauz for pilgrims.