Iltutmish's Tomb, Qutab Minar, Qutab Complex, New Delhi, India
In 1236, Iltutmish died and was buried in the Qutab complex. He ruled from 1231 - 1236 and was the third ruler of the Mamluk dynasty of Delhi of Turkic origin. He was a slave of Qutb-ud-din-Aibak and later became his son-in-law and close lieutenant. He shifted the capital from Lahore to Delhi and remained the ruler until his death on May 1, 1236. Iltutmish organized the administration of the Sultanate, laying the foundation for its dominance over Northern India until the Mughal invasion. The death of Illtutmish was followed by years of political instability in Delhi. After the death of the Illtutmish, four descendants of the Illtutmish were put on a throne and murdered. Iltutmish's eldest son died in 1229 while governing Bengal as his father's deputy. The surviving sons of the Sultan were incapable of performing the administration task. In 1236, Iltutmish, on his deathbed, nominated his daughter Razia as his heiress. But Razia did not have the support of the nobles of the court, who did not want a woman ruler. Iltutmish's eldest surviving son, Rukn-ud-din-Firuz, was then raised to the throne. Firuz left governance in the hands of the mother, Shah Turken. Firuz was ultimately deposed within 6 months, and Razia became the ruler. Razia's growing assertiveness brought her into conflict with the nobles. In 1240, a rebellion led to the replacement of Razia by her brother, Muiz-ud-din-Bahram. Bahram ruled for 2 years before he was overthrown in favor of Firuz's son, Ala-ud-din-Masud, in 1242. Order was re-established only after Iltutmish's grandson Nasir-ud-din-Mahmud became Sultan, with Iltutmish's prominent slave Ghias-ud-din-Balban as his Deputy in 1246. Balkan held all the power then and became Sultan in 1246 till 1266. Jalal-ud-din-Khilji overthrew Balban's grandson Kayumarath, thus ending the Mamluk dynasty and founding the Khilji dynasty.
