Mamluk Dynasty
A Complete Analysis of the Indian
Mamluk Dynasty using PERSIA
P: Political aspect
of the Mamluk Dynasties,
specifically focusing on the rulers and timeline.
PERSIA
Muhammad of Ghor conquered parts of the Indian Sub-Continent in the late 12th century which later became the
territory of the Mamluk dynasty.
1206-1210 AD: Qutub-ud-din-aybak, former slave of Muhammad of Ghor, declared independence of India after
the death of Muhammad of Ghor, and began the Mamluk Dynasty in 1206 AD. Aybak was not militant and
focused on the development of his current territories rather than spreading to other countries. He died while
playing polo.
1211-1236 AD: Iltutmish was by far the most militant Mamluk sultan, he suceeded in spreading his territories in
all directions. At the time of his death his eldest son had been killed and his other sons were incompetent so he
named his daughter as his successor.
1236-1240 AD: Raziya Sultana, daughter of Iltutmish, did not succeed immediately to the throne because the
noble did not want a girl as a leader so they put in place on of Iltutmish’s sone who’s reign only lasted a few
months before they had him assassinated. Raziya is famous for being the first and only female ruler of India.
Important Leaders
1192 AD: Mohammed of Ghor defeats Prithvi Raj, then captures Delhi and
establishes Muslim rule at Delhi.
1206 AD: The former slave Qutub-ud-din-aybak becomes the first sultan of
Delhi after Mohammed of Ghor dies.
1210 AD: Aybak dies and Iltutmish succeed him.
1225 AD: Southern Bihar is captured by Iltutmish, and the Rajputs regain
territories taken by Mohammed of Ghor.
1231 AD: The Khalji Maliks were defeated by Iltutmish
1236 AD: Iltutmish dies and Raziya Sultan succeeds him
Timeline of Mamluk Dynasty
1240 AD: Raziya dies and Bahram succeeds her.
1242 AD: Bahram dies and Masud succeeds him.
1246 AD: Masud dies and Mahmud succeeds him.
1266 AD: Mahmud dies and Balban succeeds him.
1286 AD: Balban dies and Quaiqabad succeeds him.
1290 AD: The Mamluk dynasty is overthrown and replaced by the Khilji
dynasty.
Timeline Cont.
Gender and Politics: Gathering Data
First, have your partner*:
1. List 10 famous males.
2. Categorize these males into what role they’ve had in society
3. Count the ratio of “positions of power” or “authority”.
Next, have your partner do the same with females*.
Finally, have your partner*:
1. List the first 10 rulers that come to mind.
2. Count the ratio of male and female.
Repeat this experiment with 5 partners.
Chart your findings.
How do you account for your findings.
*In order to not influence the results, do not reveal to your partner the purpose of your study…
At least not until all the results are in.
What was difference between the founder of the Indian
Mamluk dynasty and most other kingdoms of the time?
Is this significant? Why or why not?
What political implications could the Raziya Sultana
have had on the Mamluk dynasty? What documents
would be necessary to see the political implications of
her rule?
How much impact, in your opinion could the Mamluk
Dynasty have had on future dynasties?
Discussion Questions for the Political
Impact of the Mamluk Dynasty
E: Economic aspect of the Mamluk dynasty specifically focusing
on the works of architecture during this time.
PERSIA
Qutb Minar
Sultan Ghari
Tomb of Balban
Notable Architecture
Worlds tallest brick minaret
Started by Aybak and finished by Iltutmish
Built in Mehrauli, India
Qutb Minar
Built as a tomb for Iltutmish’s eldest son
It is the first Islamic mausoleum to be built.
Sultan Ghari
Constructed as a tomb for Ghiyas ud din Balban.
First example of arches being used in Indian
architecture.
Balban’s Tomb
What do these examples of architecture show about the
economic prosperity of the Mamluk dynasty? Keep in
mind this dynasty was only around for 100 years.
Which culture do the Mamluks choose to emulate in their
architecture? Hindu or Muslim?
What does the example of arches appearing in India
show about interantional trade at this time?
Discussion Questions for the Economic
Impact of the Mamluk Dynasty
R: Religious aspect of the Mamluk dynasty
PERSIA
Islam was the primary religion in the conquerors of India.
However the native population still held their Hindu beliefs.
There was a small population of Buddhist Indians at this time.
Islam
What does the fact that Hinduism and Buddhism survived
during a Muslim rule show about the strength of the dynasty
and of the Hindu faith?
Are there other examples where the ruling power is of a
different religious belief than the majority of the people?
What affect did that have on the authority of the ruling power?
Discussion Questions for the Religious
Impacts of the Mamluk Dynasty
S: Social aspects of the Mamluk dynasty specifically focusing
on the rise of a woman to the throne.
PERSIA
Raziya Sultana is the first Muslim ruler to have complete
control over a territory.
Her father appointed her his successor on his deathbed
because he felt she was stronger then her brothers.
She was the daughter of Itutmish the most powerful of all
Mamluk kings.
Raziya Sultana
What does the fact that a Muslim patriarchal society put up with
a female ruler show about the changing ideologies of the
time?
Do you think that the fact that Raziya Sultana only ruled for 4
years takes away from her importance in the history of India?
Why or why not?
In Indian society, what supercedes the other social class or
gender roles?
Discussion Questions About
Social Impact of Mamluk Dynasty
I: Intellectual aspect of the of the Mamluk dynasty.
PERSIA
One important thing to know about AP world history is
that not all things have the proper documentation to be
analyzed by all aspects of PERSIA.
Intelectual
What important lesson have you learned from this
section?
Is this sentiment true?
(remember what Intellectual means in PERSIA)
Discussion Questions for Intellectual
Impact of the Mamluk Dynasty
A: the Artistic impact of the Mamluk dynasty on India
PERSIA
The most important artistic impact of the Mamluk
dynasty would be their contribution to the movement of
Muslim architecture into the Indian subcontinent.
To see some of the example of Indian and Muslim
architecture mixed refer to the economic section of this
PowerPoint.
Artistic Impact
What does the examples of new types of architecture in
India show about the strength of the Mamluk dynasty in
comparison with their lifespan?
Discussion Questions for Artistic
Impact of Mamluk Dynasty
-The Mamluks were the first of numerous dynasties in what is known as the Delhi Sultanate
-Another name for the Mamluk Dynasty is the Slave Dynasty
-The Mamluks successfully prevented a Mongolian conquest in the Indian subcontinent.
One must be careful with the term Mamluk, because it can be applied to regions outside of
India
Questions:
What were the names of the other dynasties?
Why were the Mamluks equated with slaves?
When and where were the Mongolians held back?
What other countries have a Mamluk history attached to it?
Important to Note
http://mamluk.co.tv/#Mamluk_rulers
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Delhi_Sultanate
http://www.qutubminar.org/
http://www.forumancientcoins.com/historia/coins/j2/j561.htm
http://portuguese-mamluk-war.co.tv/
For more Information