Raziyyat-Ud-Dunya Wa Ud-Din lived from around 1205 to around 1240 and was the fifth Sultan of Delhi. She was the first female Muslim ruler of the Indian subcontinent, and to date the only female Muslim ruler of Delhi.
Razia was the daughter of Shams ud-Din Iltutmish, the 3rd Sultan of Delhi. Her father had quite an astonishing life story including rising from being enslaved to being the foremost power in the region. He was not impressed with his sons, and when he left for war, he left Razia in charge. He named her as his successor, stating that she was more capable than his sons.
Upon his death, his nobles, who did not want a woman in charge, named Iitutmish’s son Ruknuddin Firuz. He was allegedly not an attentive ruler, and left management to his mother, Shah Turkaan. After an escalating series of revolts by his nobles, Razia took the throne. This was revolutionary not only because of her gender but also because of her family’s background as enslaved peoples and because her rule was achieved largely through the support of the public.
According to Google Arts and Culture,
Razia ascended the throne as Jalâlat ud-Dîn Raziyâ, and immediately dropped her veil, replacing it with men’s attire instead. She authoritatively issued coins in her name, proclaiming herself to be the ‘pillar of women’ and ‘Queen of the times.’
Razia was progressive in other ways as well. The Indian American Muslim Council states:
As a ruler in a diverse empire, Razia took calculated steps to include all groups in daily life, regardless of how common discrimination against different groups was. One of her most progressive choices was her attempt to abolish the Jizya, which was a tax on non-Muslims under Islamic rule, as she believed people only converted to Islam out of fear. Razia also broke racial boundaries by appointing Jamal-ud-din Yaqut, an Ethiopian slave, to a high-ranking position alongside her. This decision caused backlash from nobles all around, but showed that Razia judged people based on their ability and not their background.
She also pushed for more, and better, access to education. We love a woman who supports public libraries, and she did! She also redeveloped some of the university curriculum of the day, making sure it included science and literature. She rode into battle herself and was considered a good administrator.
By issuing coins such as these in her own name, Razia showed that she ruled as herself, not as a figurehead or as a wife.Now things get very confusing, as Razia may or may not have had a love affair with Jamal-ud-Din Yaqut, also known as Yakut, an Abyssinian slave who became her closest advisor. Rumors of their relationship provided an excuse for nobles to rebel. But wait, that’s not all! One of the leaders who rebelled against her, Altunia, was said to have been her childhood sweetheart. According to World History Encyclopedia:
The rebels posed a significant challenge to Queen Razia’s authority, ultimately contributing to her downfall. It was widely believed that Razia and Altunia, the capable but very ambitious governor of Bhatinda, were childhood sweethearts. However, Altunia grew intensely jealous of Razia’s close association with Yakut. Determined to confront Altunia and other rebels, Razia marched against him in April 1240, accompanied by Yakut. Yakut was killed on the battlefield, dealing a devastating blow to Razia, who was now deprived of her most trusted confidant and supporter.
Razia was imprisoned, but Altunia ended up feeling betrayed by the regime that replaced her. The two of them became engaged, he busted her out of prison, and they went to battle against Muiz ud-Din Bahram, Razia’s stepbrother who took power when she was deposed. Razia was defeated. Here’s World History Encyclopedia again:
Defeated, Razia and Altunia became fugitives. Details of their demise remain uncertain. Some accounts suggest they were captured and executed, while others indicate they fell victim to robbers near Kaithal in Haryana and were killed soon after.
Guys, there is a lot to unpack here and I’m no expert on Indian history, so I welcome corrections and clarification in the comments. My hope is that the Kickass Women column serves as a jumping off point for readers, and that they challenge some of the assumptions often made about women in history.
Incidentally, there was a historical drama series called Razia Sultan that aired on &TV in 2015. You can find it on YouTube, although what I found was in Hindi and didn’t have English captions or subtitles. It looks amazing!
Other sources:
English (US) · 