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Malik Ikhtiyar-ud-din Altunia was the governor of Bathinda in (Punjab) under the rule of the Delhi Sultanate under the Mamluk dynasty.[1] He was the husband of Razia Sultana[2]
| Ikhtiayar-ud-din Altunia | |
|---|---|
| Mirza | |
| Governor of Bathinda | |
| Born | 1202–1204 Bathinda, Punjab |
| Died | 13 October 1240 Delhi, Delhi Sultanate |
| Spouse | Razia Sultan |
| Religion | Sunni Islam |
Biography
editIkhtiyaruddin Altunia was a Turkic slave purchased by Iltutmish. Razia Sultan bestowed favors upon him by assigning him first the iqta of Baran and then the iqta of Tabarhinda. However, he conspired with other Turkic officers to overthrow her while she was away on the Lahore campaign.[3] When Razia arrived in Delhi on 3 April 1240, she learned that Altunia had rebelled against her in Tabarhinda. Unaware that other nobles in Delhi had joined Altunia in conspiring against her, Razia marched toward Tabarhinda ten days later. At Tabarhinda, the rebel forces killed her loyalist Yaqut and imprisoned her.[4]
When the news of Razia's arrest reached Delhi, the rebel nobles there appointed Muizuddin Bahram – a son of Iltutmish – on the throne.[4] He formally ascended the throne on 21 April 1240, and the nobles pledged allegiance to him on 5 May 1240.[5] The nobles expected the new king to be a figurehead, and intended to control the affairs of the state through the newly created office of naib-i mamlakat (equivalent to regent), which was assigned to Ikhtiyaruddin Aitigin. However, the new king had Ikhtiyaruddin Aitigin assassinated within 1–2 months.[6]
After deposing Razia, the nobles at Delhi had distributed important offices and iqtas among themselves, ignoring claims of Ikhtiyaruddin Altunia, who had arrested Razia at Tabarhinda. After Aitigin's death, Altunia lost all hope of realizing any benefits from Razia's overthrow, and decided to ally with her. Razia also saw this as an opportunity to win back the throne, and married Altunia in September 1240. The two were supported by some other disgruntled Turkic nobles, including Malik Qaraqash and Malik Salari.[4]
Altunia assembled an army, which according to Abdul Malik Isami, included Khokhars, Jats, and Rajputs. In September–October 1240, Sultan Muizuddin Bahram led an army against the forces of Altunia and Razia, and defeated them on 14 October 1240. Altunia and Razia were forced to retreat to Kaithal, where they were deserted by their soldiers, and were killed by a group of Hindus. Razia was killed on 15 October 1240. [7][4][8]
In popular culture
editAltunia has been portrayed several times in Indian films (focusing on Razia Sultana), including by Paidi Jairaj in Razia Sultana (1961), Vijayendra Ghatge in Razia Sultan (1983).[9]
In 2015, &TV started airing a TV series on the life of Razia Sultan, starring Rohit Purohit as Malik Altunia which highlighted both, her tough journey towards becoming a Sultan and her much spoken about passionate love life with Altunia.
References
edit- ^ "History of Punjab: The Tartar, or Slave Dynasty". punjabonline.com. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
- ^ Mehta, Jaswant Lal (1979). Advanced Study in the History of Medieval India: Volume 2. New Delhi: Sterling Publishers. pp. 101–102. ISBN 9788120706170.
- ^ K. A. Nizami 1992, p. 241.
- ^ a b c d K. A. Nizami 1992, p. 242.
- ^ K. A. Nizami 1992, p. 244.
- ^ K. A. Nizami 1992, pp. 242–244.
- ^ Lyons 2022.
- ^ Gabbay, Alyssa (1 January 2011). "In Reality a Man: Sultan Iltutmish, His Daughter, Raziya, and Gender Ambiguity in Thirteenth Century Northern India" (PDF). Journal of Persianate Studies. 4 (1). Brill Publishers: 48. doi:10.1163/187471611X568285. eISSN 1874-7167. ISSN 1874-7094. LCCN 2008236337. Retrieved 11 July 2021 – via UNCG University Libraries.
The troops accompanying the couple abandoned them, and both Raziya and her husband were killed near Kaithal on 25 Rabiʿ I 638/14 October 1240.
- ^ Rajadhyaksha, Ashish; Willemen, Paul (1999). Encyclopaedia of Indian cinema. British Film Institute. ISBN 9780851706696. Retrieved 12 August 2012.