Balban (1266-87)

• The death of Raziya Sultan was followed by succession of rulers who ruled for a very
short span of time.

• Finally Nasiruddin Mahmud Shah ascended to the throne with support of Ulugh Khan.

• At the backdrop of Sutanate, Ulugh Khan consolidated his own position by getting rid of
rebellious Shamsis.

• Finally in 1266 he gained the control of throne.

• At the time of his ascension, he had two major concerns:

• Raising the prestige of crown through elaborate court ceremonials

• Inculculation of certain Sassanian traditions that put much emphasis on the belief
that the king was a mystical figure of awe and power and that the gap between
him and the commoners could never be bridged.

• He intended to consolidate Turkish power, and therefore, rebellions were turned down
with administrative procedures were streamlined.

• Iltutmish had purchased Balban in 1232.

• He was first appointed to a minor post but as he was a talented being he won rapid
promotions.

• Under Raziya he became the Amir-i-Shikar or the lord of hunts.

• Bahram Shah promoted him to the office of Amir-i-Akhur or the lord of stables.

• In 1244 Masud appointed him Amir-i-Hajib.

• After entering the politics of Delhi, Balban enjoyed all possible means to secure the
highest place in the Sultanate in a short span of time.

• He would move from one side to the other.

• However, between 1246-1266, he remained loyal and devoted to Sultan Nasiruddin.

• Nasiruddin too gave him the highest office in the state and married his daughter.

• One of the Sultan’s many daughters were married to Balban’s son.

• Consequently, after the murder of Nasiruddin, Balban had no difficulty in sitting on the
throne.
• Balban first tried to enhance the prestige of the sovereign.

• He understood that the chief cause of political unrest in the Sultanate was a thirty year
period of weak and incompetent monarchs.

• Therefore, he placed the status of sovereign beyond compare.

• He was of the view that apart from the Prophet, no one could be placed higher than the
Sovereign.

• The ruler was God’s appointee on the Earth and his conduct was required to reflect divine
glory and majesty.

• He further affirmed that the right of government was granted by God only to those of
noble birth.

• He traced his own lineage to the legendary Persian hero-Afrasiyab.

• Balban modelled his court after the Persians.

• It was magnificently decorated and evinced pomp and ostentation.

• His bodyguards dressed in liveries and shining armour, would stand right behind the
throne with drawn swords.

• The arrival and departure of Sultan was announced by a group of officers in an

impressive and high tone.

• All visitors to the court had to observe Sijda and Paibos.

• Balban would always come to the court richly attired and he would never speak unless
necessary.

• Lower officers had no access to him except through higher dignitaries.

• He maintained a grave demeanour and neither indulged in nor permitted any light-
heartedness.

• Thus, Balban provided the sovereign with a near divine stature.

• He moved against the Mewatis in 1266 and surrounded the jungle where they usually
retired to safety.

• He got the jungle cleared and had a road constructed through it, which would facilitate
the rapid movement of the army.
• All males above the age of twelve were indiscriminately massacred and the women were
enslaved.

• He established a strong Afghan garrison at Gopalgir to keep an eye on any disturbance.

• Similar outpost were established, at other strategic points and were linked through newly-
built roads.

• The soldiers posted there were assigned local villages in lieu of salary.

• The Sultan would occasionally pay surprise visits.

• Once, the disturbance in Mawas was settled, he turned towards the Turkish nobility and
did his best to bring them under his yoke.

• He knew that Shamsi nobles lacked a sense of loyalty.

• He recruited a new order of the nobility which now comprised his personal followers and
servants.

• All high offices were given to them alone.

• In order to keep nobles under control, Balban effected some trasnfers.

• To maintain effective control of the centre over the provinces, he established a network
of spies all over the kingdom and ordered them to send him true and prompt record of
important occurrences.

• He made an equally effective arrangement for the defence of frontiers against Mongols.

• New recruitments were made to the army and the soldiers were paid good salaries.

• The system of branding horses also came into vogue and this led to significant
improvements in the qualities of mounts in the royal army.

• Balban preferred paying salaries in cash because he had noticed that Jagirs were
misperceived as hereditary grants.