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| '''Ghiyas ud din Balban''' (] – |
'''Ghiyas ud din Balban''' (] – ]) was a ruler of the ] during the ] that ruled between ] and ]. He was initially the Prime Minister from ] to ], and declared himself the ] of ] after the previous sultan ]'s death. | ||
| Ghiyas-ud-din Balban was born in a well-to-do Turk family of the Ilbari tribe. The Mongols captured him when he was a child. They sold him to ] in Baghdad. Later he was brought to Delhi where Iltutmush purchased him. From the beginning he was in the good books of his master and eventually became one of the Chalgan, a group of the forty most important nobles of the court. During the rule of Nasir-ud-din Mahmud, he became the most powerful amongst the Chalgan. While Nasir-ud-din spent most of his time engrossed in religious affairs, Balban was the real ruler. Nasir-ud-din married Balban's daughter, which made the latter even more powerful. After the death of Nasir-ud-din, Balban became the Sultan in early 1266. | |||
| ⚫ | During his reign, Balban ruled with an iron hand. He broke up the ] |
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| Balban believed that ''a king was the deputy of God on earth''. He organized his court on the pattern of the courts of Persian royalty. Smartly dressed well-built soldiers armed with unsheathed swords marched along beside him wherever he went. Balban established the earliest known ''Department of Intelligence'' in south Asia. He spread his spies throughout the country and used them to gather information about all political developments and conspiracies. This helped him in taking pre-emptive action to stop troubles. | |||
| During Nasir-ud-din's rule, the Mongols had advanced many times and plundered Lahore. In order to check the Mongol invasion, Balban built new forts and ordered the repair of the old ones between the river Indus and Delhi. He deployed the best of his troops on the northern borders to check the Mongols. His policies paid off, as he managed to stop the Mongol threat from advancing into his territories. | |||
| In the last days of Balban, ], the governor of Bengal, revolted against him. Bengal was far away from Delhi and the Sultan was very old. An army sent by Balban was defeated. In spite of his old age, Balban decided to lead an attack against the rebellion leader. He re-conquered Bengal and appointed his son ] as the governor of Bengal and warned him that he would meet the same fate if he ever revolted against him. | |||
| The greatest setback for Balban in his entire life was the death of his favorite son, ], during the war against the Mongols. He realized that without his son, the centralized monarchy that had been built up with such care was bound to dissolve again, as it had at the death of Iltutmush. This realization broke him. He never recovered from the death of Prince Muhammad and died in 1287. | |||
| ⚫ | During his reign, Balban ruled with an iron hand. He broke up the ] which nurtured him in the early years. He established peace and order in the country. He built many outposts in areas where there was crime and garrisoned them with soldiers. | ||
| He ruled as the Sultan from ] until his death. His successors were weak and incompetent and the throne was eventually captured by ] in ], bringing an end to the Slave Dynasty. | He ruled as the Sultan from ] until his death. His successors were weak and incompetent and the throne was eventually captured by ] in ], bringing an end to the Slave Dynasty. | ||
| ==External links and references== | ==External links and references== | ||
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Revision as of 04:33, 12 July 2006
Ghiyas ud din Balban (1200 – 1287) was a ruler of the Delhi Sultanate during the Slave Dynasty that ruled between 1206 and 1287. He was initially the Prime Minister from 1246 to 1266, and declared himself the Sultan of Delhi after the previous sultan Nasir ud din Mahmud's death.
Ghiyas-ud-din Balban was born in a well-to-do Turk family of the Ilbari tribe. The Mongols captured him when he was a child. They sold him to Khwajah Jamal-ud-din Basri in Baghdad. Later he was brought to Delhi where Iltutmush purchased him. From the beginning he was in the good books of his master and eventually became one of the Chalgan, a group of the forty most important nobles of the court. During the rule of Nasir-ud-din Mahmud, he became the most powerful amongst the Chalgan. While Nasir-ud-din spent most of his time engrossed in religious affairs, Balban was the real ruler. Nasir-ud-din married Balban's daughter, which made the latter even more powerful. After the death of Nasir-ud-din, Balban became the Sultan in early 1266.
Balban believed that a king was the deputy of God on earth. He organized his court on the pattern of the courts of Persian royalty. Smartly dressed well-built soldiers armed with unsheathed swords marched along beside him wherever he went. Balban established the earliest known Department of Intelligence in south Asia. He spread his spies throughout the country and used them to gather information about all political developments and conspiracies. This helped him in taking pre-emptive action to stop troubles.
During Nasir-ud-din's rule, the Mongols had advanced many times and plundered Lahore. In order to check the Mongol invasion, Balban built new forts and ordered the repair of the old ones between the river Indus and Delhi. He deployed the best of his troops on the northern borders to check the Mongols. His policies paid off, as he managed to stop the Mongol threat from advancing into his territories.
In the last days of Balban, Tughral Baig, the governor of Bengal, revolted against him. Bengal was far away from Delhi and the Sultan was very old. An army sent by Balban was defeated. In spite of his old age, Balban decided to lead an attack against the rebellion leader. He re-conquered Bengal and appointed his son Bughra Khan as the governor of Bengal and warned him that he would meet the same fate if he ever revolted against him.
The greatest setback for Balban in his entire life was the death of his favorite son, Prince Muhammad, during the war against the Mongols. He realized that without his son, the centralized monarchy that had been built up with such care was bound to dissolve again, as it had at the death of Iltutmush. This realization broke him. He never recovered from the death of Prince Muhammad and died in 1287.
During his reign, Balban ruled with an iron hand. He broke up the Chalgan which nurtured him in the early years. He established peace and order in the country. He built many outposts in areas where there was crime and garrisoned them with soldiers.
He ruled as the Sultan from 1266 until his death. 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.
External links and references
| Preceded byNasir ud din Mahmud | Slave Dynasty 1206–1290 |
Succeeded byMuiz ud din Qaiqabad |
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