A descendant of the Moslems of Turkish extraction who invaded India in the eleventh century, Razia (died 1240) was the only woman ever crowned in the Delhi sultanate, which ruled parts of India from 1210 to 1526. Razia reigned for approximately three and a half years (1236--1240), and although she made important reforms in government, she was ultimately unable to reconcile her Muslim nobility to her ruling as a woman.

The Delhi Sultanate

In 1192 A.D., the Turkish leader, Muhammad of Ghur, defeated the Rajputs at the second battle of Tarain, gaining control of the Kingdom of Delhi. After establishing his reign, Ghur returned to Afghanistan, leaving his conquest in the hands of his trusted slave, Qutb-ud-din Aibak. When Ghur died in 1206 without leaving an heir, Qutb-ud-din declared himself Sultan of Delhi. Qutb-ud-din's reign marked the beginning of the Delhi sultanate under the Slave dynasty--so named because many of the sultans...