Sultan Nasiruddin Mahmud Shah

Nasir ud din Mahmud Shah[2] (reigned: 1246–1265)[3] was the eighth sultan of the Mamluk Sultanate (Slave dynasty). He was a son of Shams ud Din Iltutmish (1211-36). The Tabaqat-i Nasiri, written by the court historian Minhaj-i-Siraj, is dedicated to Sultan Nasiruddin Mahmud. It is the only available contemporary source of history of his reign and thus undoubtedly the most reliable source.[4] He ascended to the throne of Delhi Sultanate in 1246 at the tender age of 17 or 18 after the disposition of Masud Shah.[5] He succeeded Ala ud din Masud after the chiefs replaced Masud when they felt that he began to behave as a tyrant.

Nasir-ud-din Mahmud
Sultan of Delhi
Coin of Nasir ud Din Mahmud
Reign10 June 1246 – 18 February 1266
Coronation10 June 1246 in Delhi
PredecessorAla ud din Masud
SuccessorGhiyasuddin Balban
Born1229 or 1230
Delhi
Died18 February 1266
IssueA daughter
HouseMamluk Dynasty (Delhi)
FatherShams ud Din Iltutmish
MotherMalika-i-Jahan[1]

As a ruler, Mahmud was known to be very religious, spending most of his time in prayer and copying the Quran. However, it was actually his father-in-law and Deputy Sultan or Naib, Ghiyas ud din Balban, who primarily dealt with the state affairs.[6]

After Mahmud's death in 1266, Balban (1266–87) rose to power as Mahmud had no children to be his heir.

Early life

Nasiruddin Mahmud was a son of Iltutmish. Firishta mistakenly mentioned him as Iltutmish's youngest son. But Iltutmish's youngest son was Qutubuddin, who was blinded and killed by Shah Turkan. Mahmud's mother held the title of Malika-i-Jahan Jalal-ud-Dunya wa ud-Din, but her actual name is not known. She was most probably a concubine of Iltutmish. He was born in the year of 626 Hijri (1229 A.D.), in Delhi's Kasr-Bagh (the Garden Castle), few times after the untimely death of Iltutmish's eldest son and heir-apparent Nasiruddin Mahmud Shah who governed Bengal and Oudh under Iltutmish's sovereignty. Iltutmish, being greatly aggrieved by the sudden loss of his favourite son, bestowed upon the newborn the name and the title previously held by the deceased prince. Infant Mahmud, along with his mother, was sent to the castle of nearby town Luni. He was brought up and received his education there. On May 10,1242, Sultan Muiz ud din Bahram was dethroned and Amirs and Maliks took the possession of Delhi from him. Mahmud along with his brother Jalal-ud-Din Masud Shah and nephew Ala ud din Masud was brought to Firuzi castle, the royal residence from the confinement of the white castle by the amirs and Ala ud din Masud was chosen as the Sultan. Both the brothers remained in confinement until September,1243, when Masud ordered them to be released and conferred upon Mahmud the city of Bharaij and its dependencies. Mahmud left Delhi and went to his fief with his mother. He undertook expeditions against the rebels in that territory and the adjacent mountains.[7]

Personal life

Unlike many of his predecessors and successors, Mahmud strictly followed monogamy. He spent most of his time writing down verses of the Quran. He sold the handwritten copies and used the money for his personal expenses. Surprising enough, he had no servants to carry out his personal tasks. His wife had to cook the food for the family.[8]

See also

References
  1. Mehta, Jaswant Lal (1980). Advanced Study in the History of Medieval India. Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd. p. 105, n. 29. ISBN 9788120706170.
  2. Minhaj-i-Siraj Jurjani, Abu-'Umar-i-'Usman (1873). The Tabakat-i-Nasiri. Translated by Major H.G. Raverty. London: Asiatic Society. pp. 669–670.
  3. Hanifi, Manzoor Ahmad (1964). A Short History of Muslim Rule in Indo-Pakistan. Ideal Library. p. 43.
  4. Minhaj-i-Siraj Jurjani, Abu-'Umar-i-'Usman (1873). The Tabakat-i-Nasiri. Translated by Major H. G. Raverty. London: Asiatic Society of Bengal. pp. 669–670.
  6. Sen, Sailendra (2013). A Textbook of Medieval Indian History. Primus Books. pp. 74–76. ISBN 978-9-38060-734-4.
  7. Minhaj-i-Siraj Jurjani, Abu-'Umar-i-'Usman (1873). The Tabakat-i-Nasiri. Translated by Major H.G. Raverty. London: Asiatic Society of Bengal. pp. 633–676.
  8. Vandhargal Vendrargal. Chennai: Vikatan Prasuram. 2012. p. 27. ISBN 81-89780-59-X.
Preceded by
Ala ud din Masud		 Mamluk Dynasty
1206–1290		 Succeeded by
Ghiyas ud din Balban
Preceded by
Ala ud din Masud		 Sultan of Delhi
1246–1266		 Succeeded by
Ghiyas ud din Balban



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