Question

Who was the first slave king of Delhi Sultanate?

Answer 1

Hint: For 320 years (1206–1526), the Delhi Sultanate was an Islamic empire centred in Delhi that ruled over extensive swaths of the Indian subcontinent. The Mamluk dynasty, the Khalji dynasty, the Tughlaq dynasty, the Sayyid dynasty, and the Lodi dynasty all governed the Delhi Sultanate in turn. It spanned vast swaths of modern-day India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.

Complete answer:
Qutb al-Din Aibak (1150-1210) was a Ghurid ruler Muhammad Ghori's general. He was in control of the Ghurid provinces in northern India, and after Muhammad Ghori's death, he established an independent state that eventually became the Mamluk-ruled Delhi Sultanate.

Aibak was born in Turkestan and sold into slavery as a child. He was bought by a Qazi in Nishapur, Persia, and taught archery and horseback riding, among other things. He was afterwards resold to Muhammad Ghori in Ghazni, where he advanced through the ranks to become the royal stables officer. He was caught by Sultan Shah's scouts during the Khwarazmian-Ghurid wars; after the Ghurid triumph, he was released and favoured by Muhammad Ghori.

Muhammad Ghori put Aibak in charge of his Indian holdings after the Ghurid victory at the Second Battle of Tarain in 1192. Aibak increased Ghurid dominance in northern India by capturing and attacking the kingdoms of Chahamana, Gahadavala, Chaulukya, Chandela, and others.

When Muhammad Ghori died, Aibak fought Taj al-Din Yildiz, another former slave-general, for control of Ghurid lands in north-western India. He reached as far as Ghazni during this campaign, but he eventually retreated and established his stronghold at Lahore. He nominally recognised Muhammad Ghori's successor Ghiyasuddin Mahmud's suzerainty, who recognised him as the ruler of India.

Note: Aibak was replaced by Aram Shah, and subsequently by his son-in-law Iltutmish, who established the formidable Delhi Sultanate from the weakly controlled Ghurid provinces of India. Aibak is best known for commissioning the Delhi Qutb Minar and Ajmer's Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra.