Reign of Razia Sultan in Delhi

According to tradition, Iltutmish named his daughter as his heir, but after his death in 1236 her half-brother Rukn ud-Din Firuz was placed on the throne, while his mother, Shah Turkan, ruled on his behalf. When Shah Turkan plotted to do away with Razia, the princess appealed to the people during the congregational prayer: the crowd stormed the palace, the nobles and the army swore allegiance to Razia, and Firuz was captured and executed (apparently on 19 November 1236).

The nobles expected Razia to be a mere figurehead, but she took power into her own hands: at first she sat on the throne behind a curtain, then began to appear in public in men’s clothing, and she promoted non-Turks to important posts, which turned the Turkic emirs against her. In April 1240 conspirators seized her during a campaign, and her brother Bahram was raised to the throne in Delhi; her attempt to regain power ended in defeat and her death in October of the same year.