Razia Sultana
Learn about Razia Sultana — the first and only woman to rule the Delhi Sultanate, who challenged gender norms in medieval Islamic India.
Razia Sultana (r. 1236–1240 CE) was the first and only woman to rule the Delhi Sultanate — and one of the very few women to hold sovereign power in the medieval Islamic world. Her brief but remarkable reign challenged assumptions about gender, competence, and authority that were deeply embedded in both Islamic and Indian political culture.
Razia was the daughter of Sultan Iltutmish, who recognized her abilities and nominated her as his successor — passing over his sons, whom he considered unfit to rule. After the brief, disastrous reign of her brother, the nobles accepted Razia as sultan. She dispensed with the veil, appeared in public wearing a tunic and headdress rather than women's garments, and proved herself a capable administrator and military leader.
Her reign was cut short by the very gender norms she challenged. Powerful nobles — the Turkic military aristocracy known as "The Forty" — resented being ruled by a woman and conspired against her. When Razia elevated Jamal ud-Din Yaqut, an Abyssinian slave, to a position of prominence, allegations of an improper relationship provided the pretext for rebellion. She was deposed and killed in 1240, having reigned barely four years. Her story illuminates both the possibilities and the harsh limitations faced by women who sought power in the medieval world.