Origins & Early Life

Shams ud-Din Iltutmish (Persian: شمس الدین اِیلتِتْمِشْ, 1192 – 30 April 1236) was the third Sultan of Delhi from 1211 to 1236. He was from the Mamluk dynasty, who ruled the former Ghurid territories in northern India. He was the first Muslim sovereign to rule from Delhi, and is thus considered the effective founder of the Delhi Sultanate. Sold into slavery as a young boy, Iltutmish spent his early life in Bukhara and Ghazni under multiple masters.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

In the late 1190s, the Ghurid slave-commander Qutb ud-Din Aibak purchased him in Delhi, thus making him the slave of a slave. Iltutmish rose to prominence in Aibak's service, and was granted the important iqta' of Badaun. His military actions against the Khokhar rebels in 1205–1206 gained attention of the Ghurid ruler Muhammad of Ghor, who manumitted him even before his master Aibak was manumitted. After Muhammad of Ghor's assassination in 1206, Aibak became a practically independent ruler of the Ghurid territories in India, with his headquarters at Lahore. After Aibak's death, Iltutmish dethroned his unpopular successor Aram Shah in 1211, and set up his capital at Delhi.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

He then consolidated his rule by subjugating several dissidents, and...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Prithviraj Chauhan — Contemporary (Died in 1192) (1192): Chauhan King of Ajmer, famed for his military prowess against the Ghurids.
• Bayan of the Baarin — Contemporary (Born in 1236) (1236): Prominent Mongol general who played a key role in the Yuan dynasty's conquest of Southern China.
• Qul Ghali — Contemporary (Died in 1236) (1236): Master poet of Volga Bulgaria, celebrated for Qissa-i Yusuf.
• Ann-Margret — Shared historical date (04-28 · Born) (1941): Swedish-American actress, dancer, and singer with a seven-decade career.
• António de Oliveira Salazar — Shared historical date (04-28 · Born) (1889): Portuguese academic and economist who established the authoritarian Estado Novo regime.
• Batu Khan — Historical peer (Born in 1205) (1205): Founder of the Golden Horde, a powerful Mongol successor state.
• Béla IV of Hungary — Historical peer (Born in 1206) (1206): King of Hungary and Croatia, known for rebuilding the state after Mongol devastation.
• Ismail al-Jazari — Historical peer (Died in 1206) (1206): Pioneering polymath, inventor, and mechanical engineer from the Islamic Golden Age.
• Benito Mussolini — Shared historical date (04-28 · Died) (1945): Italian dictator who founded fascism and ruled the Kingdom of Italy from 1922 to 1943.
• Bridget Moynahan — Shared historical date (04-28 · Born) (1971): American actress and former model known for roles in 'Blue Bloods' and 'John Wick'.
• 1192 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1192
• 1236 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1236
• April 28 (04-28) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on April 28