Ghiyas ud din Balban
Encyclopedia
Ghiyasuddin Balban was ninth sultan of the Mamluk dynasty (or Slave dynasty) who ruled from 1266 to 1287.
. Khwaja, Jamaluddin Basri of Baghdad Later, he was bought by Sultan Iltutmish
in 1232 CE.
He was liberally educated. He introduced the Persian culture of zaminbos that is lying flat on one's face before the emperor. He was first appointed as Khasdar (king's personal attendant)by the Sultan. He became the head of the 'Chalissa', a group of forty Turkic nobles of the state. After the overthrow of Razia Sultana
he made rapid strides in the subsequent reigns. He was initially the Prime Minister of Sultan Nasir ud din Mahmud
from 1246 to 1266 and married his daughter, but Balban declared himself the Sultan
of Delhi
after the previous sultan Nasir ud din Mahmud
's death because Sultan Nasir ud din Mahmud
had no male heir. Sultan
Balban ascended the throne in 1266 at the age of sixty with the title of Ghyas ud din Balban.
, or Mayo
, the people of Mewat
who used to plunder the people of Delhi even in the day light. He took upon
himself the task of chastising the turbulent people of Mewat, the region south of Delhi.
During his reign, Balban ruled with an iron fist. He broke up the 'Chihalgani', a group of the forty most important nobles in the court. He tried to establish peace and order in the country of India. He built many outposts in areas where there was crime and garrisoned them with soldiers. Balban wanted to make sure everyone was loyal to the crown by establishing an efficient espionage system. Sultan Balban had a strong and well-organized spy system. Balban placed secret reporters and news-writers in every department. The spies were independent authority only answerable to Sultan. Balban was strict administrator of justice. He did not show any partiality even to his own kith and kin. About his justice Dr. Ishwari Prasad remarked "So great was the dread of Sultan's inexorable justice that no one dared to ill-treat his servant and slaves." When a complaint was made that Malik Barbaq, a powerful landlord of Badaun killed one of his own servant. Balban ordered his death sentence. The news-writer(spy), who was responsible for Badaun reporting was also executed because he failed to report this act of injustice to Sultan.
He ruled as the Sultan from 1266 until his death in 1287, and was succeeded by his grandson, Muiz ud din Qaiqabad
, who reign (1287–1290). His successors were weak and incompetent and the throne was eventually captured by Jalal ud din Firuz Khilji
in 1290, bringing an end to the Slave dynasty.
Biography
He was son of a Central Asian Turkic noble of the Ilbari tribe, but as a child he was captured by Mongols and sold as a slave at GhazniGhazni
For the Province of Ghazni see Ghazni ProvinceGhazni is a city in central-east Afghanistan with a population of about 141,000 people...
. Khwaja, Jamaluddin Basri of Baghdad Later, he was bought by Sultan Iltutmish
Iltutmish
Shams-ud-din Iltutmish was the third ruler of the Mamluk dynasty of Delhi of Turkic origin. He was a slave of Qutub-ud-din-Aybak and later became his son-in-law and close lieutenant. He was the Governor of Badaun when he deposed Qutub-ud-din's successor Aram Shah and acceeded to the throne of the...
in 1232 CE.
He was liberally educated. He introduced the Persian culture of zaminbos that is lying flat on one's face before the emperor. He was first appointed as Khasdar (king's personal attendant)by the Sultan. He became the head of the 'Chalissa', a group of forty Turkic nobles of the state. After the overthrow of Razia Sultana
Razia Sultana
Razia al-Din , throne name Jalâlat ud-Dîn Raziyâ , usually referred to in history as Razia Sultan, was the Sultan of Delhi in India from 1236 to May 1240. She was of Seljuq slave ancestry and like some other Muslim princesses of the time, she was trained to lead armies and administer kingdoms if...
he made rapid strides in the subsequent reigns. He was initially the Prime Minister of Sultan Nasir ud din Mahmud
Nasir ud din Mahmud
Nasir ud din Mahmud, Nasir ud din Firuz Shah was the eighth sultan of the Mamluk Sultanate . He was the youngest son of Shams ud din Iltutmish , and he succeeded Ala ud din Masud after the chiefs replaced Masud when they felt that he began to behave as a tyrant.As a ruler, Mahmud was known to be...
from 1246 to 1266 and married his daughter, but Balban declared himself the Sultan
Sultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
of Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
after the previous sultan Nasir ud din Mahmud
Nasir ud din Mahmud
Nasir ud din Mahmud, Nasir ud din Firuz Shah was the eighth sultan of the Mamluk Sultanate . He was the youngest son of Shams ud din Iltutmish , and he succeeded Ala ud din Masud after the chiefs replaced Masud when they felt that he began to behave as a tyrant.As a ruler, Mahmud was known to be...
's death because Sultan Nasir ud din Mahmud
Nasir ud din Mahmud
Nasir ud din Mahmud, Nasir ud din Firuz Shah was the eighth sultan of the Mamluk Sultanate . He was the youngest son of Shams ud din Iltutmish , and he succeeded Ala ud din Masud after the chiefs replaced Masud when they felt that he began to behave as a tyrant.As a ruler, Mahmud was known to be...
had no male heir. Sultan
Sultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
Balban ascended the throne in 1266 at the age of sixty with the title of Ghyas ud din Balban.
Military Campaigns
One of famous military campaigns of Bablbun was against MeoMeo
Mayo or Meo or Mewati is a prominent Muslim Rajput tribe from North-Western India. A considerable number of Meos migrated to Pakistan after independence in 1947 and now they are estimated to be over 12 million. In Pakistan, Meos have lost their distinct group identity and cultural traditions and...
, or Mayo
Mayo
- Places :Ireland* County Mayo* Mayo * Mayo * Mayo * Mayo East * Mayo North...
, the people of Mewat
Mewat
Mewat is a historical region of Haryana and Rajasthan states in northwestern India. The loose boundaries of Mewat are not precisely determined but generally include Mewat District of Haryana and parts of Alwar, Bharatpur, and Dholpur districts of Rajasthan...
who used to plunder the people of Delhi even in the day light. He took upon
himself the task of chastising the turbulent people of Mewat, the region south of Delhi.
During his reign, Balban ruled with an iron fist. He broke up the 'Chihalgani', a group of the forty most important nobles in the court. He tried to establish peace and order in the country of India. He built many outposts in areas where there was crime and garrisoned them with soldiers. Balban wanted to make sure everyone was loyal to the crown by establishing an efficient espionage system. Sultan Balban had a strong and well-organized spy system. Balban placed secret reporters and news-writers in every department. The spies were independent authority only answerable to Sultan. Balban was strict administrator of justice. He did not show any partiality even to his own kith and kin. About his justice Dr. Ishwari Prasad remarked "So great was the dread of Sultan's inexorable justice that no one dared to ill-treat his servant and slaves." When a complaint was made that Malik Barbaq, a powerful landlord of Badaun killed one of his own servant. Balban ordered his death sentence. The news-writer(spy), who was responsible for Badaun reporting was also executed because he failed to report this act of injustice to Sultan.
He ruled as the Sultan from 1266 until his death in 1287, and was succeeded by his grandson, Muiz ud din Qaiqabad
Muiz ud din Qaiqabad
Muiz ud din Qaiqabad was the tenth sultan the Mamluk dynasty . He was the son of Bughra Khan as well as grandson of Ghiyas ud din Balban ....
, who reign (1287–1290). His successors were weak and incompetent and the throne was eventually captured by Jalal ud din Firuz Khilji
Jalal ud din Firuz Khilji
Jalaluddin Firuz Khilji was the first sultan of the Khilji dynasty, who reigned from 1290 to 1296. He built his capital at Kilughari, a few miles from the city of Delhi and completed the unfinished palace and gardens of Sultan Qaiqabad.) He ruled from there for six years.-Early life and...
in 1290, bringing an end to the Slave dynasty.
- Mamluk dynasty of Delhi
External links
- Ghiyas ud din Balban Biography
- Ghiyas ud din Balban's biography at storyofpakistan.com
- Image of Tomb of Balban