Tajuddin Yildoz

Who is Tajuddin Yildoz?

Tajuddin Yildoz was a Turkic slave of Mu'izz al-Din who rose to become ruler of Ghazni after Ghauri's death.

After Mu'izz's death in 1206, a number of his generals jockeyed for power. Qutb-ud-din Aibak, based in Delhi took power in Lahore, the capital of Ghurids' Indian province. Yildoz took control of Ghazni. The two men claimed control over the entirety of Ghurid dominions. Aibak attacked and occupied Ghazni for forty days in 1208 before retreating back to Lahore.

Aibak died while playing polo in 1210. In the aftermath, the Ghurid dominions in India splintered further. Iltutmish controlled Delhi. Nasir-ud-Din Qabacha, the Governor of Uch and Multan asserted his independence. Lahore was claimed by Yildoz, Qabacha and Iltutmish. Yildoz twice tried to conquer Sindh but Nasir-ud-Din Qabacha defeated him in 1210. Yildoz attempted to bring Delhi under his control. Initially, Iltutmish acknowledged Yildoz's suzerainty by accepting the symbolic presents of the chatr and durbash.

In 1215-1216, Yildoz, who had been defeated and expelled from Ghazni by the forces of Muhammad II of Khwarezm, moved towards Punjab and captured Lahore from Qabacha. Yildoz laid claim to the throne of Delhi as the heir to Muhammad of Ghor. Iltutmish refused, stating