RAS question
Who was the first and only female ruler of the Delhi Sultanate?
Correct answer: (D) Razia Sultan.
Razia Sultan, daughter of Iltutmish, was the first and only woman to rule the Delhi Sultanate, reigning from 1236 to 1240.
Explanation
Razia Sultan is the answer because the Delhi Sultanate produced only one woman ruler: Razia, daughter of Iltutmish. Encyclopedia.com, Encyclopedia of World Biography says she was the only woman ever crowned in the Delhi Sultanate and that she reigned for about three and a half years, from 1236 to 1240. This is the standard exam fact tested here. Her significance is not merely that she belonged to the ruling family; she actually occupied the throne. She was remembered for capable administration but faced resistance from the Turkish nobility, the Chahalgani, which is why her short reign is often asked in medieval Indian history.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Nur Jahan is wrong because Razia, not Nur Jahan, was the only woman ever crowned in the Delhi Sultanate.
- (B) Chand Bibi is wrong because the question is specifically about the Delhi Sultanate, and Razia was its only crowned woman ruler.
- (C) Mumtaz Mahal is wrong because Razia Sultan was the woman who actually ruled the Delhi Sultanate.
Concept
This tests the Delhi Sultanate portion of medieval Indian history, especially the Slave dynasty and the succession after Iltutmish. It recurs in RAS because Razia's reign connects political authority, gender, nobility and administrative resistance in one compact factual theme.