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Home / IAS Preparation / Corps of Forty

Corps of Forty: Prominent Nobles And Relation With Iltutmish, Razia, Nasiruddin And Balban!

Last Updated on Dec 04, 2024
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The Corps of Forty, also referred to as Dal Chalisa or Turkan-i-Chihalgani was a group of 40 Turkic slave Amirs who played an important role in the polity of the Delhi Sultanate in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. The majority of the members of the council were Turkic slaves—also known as "Ghulams" or "Mamluks"—who had been bought as young children and educated as soldiers and officials.

In this article, we will learn about the Corps of Forty. This forms a significant part of the UPSC IAS exam. UPSC Prelims and UPSC Mains Paper I have many questions about this topic. It is also an important topic for UPSC History Optional and essential for the UGC NET History exam. Every year over 5-7 questions on India's political history are in the question paper.

Rise Under Iltutmish

The powerful nobility like Qubacha, Yilduz, and Ali Mardan rejected Qutubuddin Aibak's rule when he was made Sultan. Iltutmish inherited this particular issue, which he ultimately resolved through a combination of diplomacy and force. Later, Iltutmish put the nobility into an organisation called the Corps of Forty that was personally devoted to him. Other groupings of nobles undoubtedly envied the position and privileges the "Forty" members enjoyed, but this does not imply that there was no internal strife among the group's members. At most, they shared a common goal: to prevent non-Turkish people from entering the charmed circle as much as possible.

These Turkish slaves received the best possible care. Iltutmish paid a high price to acquire them. They had exceptional daring and bravery, as well as superb leadership skills. Minhaj names 25 people from the "Corps of Forty." Muizzi speculates that Iltutmish most likely inherited some of these from his master Muizuddin bin Sam, and Minhaj mentions some. These slave officers received extensive training in the art of battle as well as academic instruction in Persian, Arabic, and Shariat.

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Prominent Nobles 

Among the Corps of Forty, Malik Izzuddin Kabir Khan Ayaz was the most well-known. Iltutmish bought him from Malik Nasiruddin Husain's descendants. He was made the Iqtadar of Sunam by Ruknuddin Firuz. Malik Izzuddin Salari was appointed Iqtadar of Badaun by Raziya, and Malik Saifuddin Kuchi was appointed Iqtadar of Hansi.

Iltutmish gave him the iqta of Multan. Amir Aibek Sunami sold him to him.

Ikhtiyaruddin Altunia was sar chatrdar at the time of Iltutmish's death; Raziya had named him iqtadar of Badaun and then promoted him to amir-i hajib. He was made Iqtadar of Baran and then Tabarhinda (Bhatinda) by Raziya.

After Iltutmish

Iltutmish would never have imagined that the Turkish slaves he cared for with such love and trust and who he promoted to the greatest positions would one day be held accountable for a string of his descendants' deaths and eventually be responsible for the eradication of his whole male line. After Iltutmish's passing, the Corps of Forty essentially took on the role of king-makers, and with Balban's accession, they eventually ascended to the throne. They all held equal power and asserted equality as the servants of one master (Shamsi), forming one group known as the Turkish Slaves.

Read Here About The Decline Of The Mughal Empire!

Relation With Razia

From the beginning, Raziya became aware of the rising authority of the Turkish slaves and made an effort to counteract it by forging a parallel counter-nobility. This put her in a confrontational situation with the Tajik Turks and Turkish slave officers. Tajik Nizamul Mulk Junaidi, a wazir of Iltutmish, challenged the 'Corps of Forty’s' support for Raziya's ascension. The Turkish slave commanders shared this resentment when Raziya appointed Malik Jamaluddin Yaqut, an Abyssinian, to the position of Amir-i Akhur. This was the first time a non-Turk had held this position. To consolidate her control, Raziya wed Altunia. Rejecting Raziya, Aitigin and Altunia raised the rebel flag and installed Muizuddin Bahram Shah as king.

Altunia and Raziya, however, were ultimately defeated and slain.

Also Read Proliferation of Caste and Jatis!

Under Nasiruddin Mahmud

The most aspirational member of the "Corps of Forty" was Balban Kishlu Khan. Khwaja Jamaluddin Basir bought Balban from Turkistan, transported him to Baghdad, and then sold him to Iltutmish together with his half-brother Saifuddin Aibek (Kishli Khan) and father's brother's son Nusratuddin Sher Khan. Balban served as khasadar for Iltutmish. Bahram Shah appointed him as Amir-i-Akhur, granted him the iqta of Rewari, and then appointed him as governor of Hansi.

  • He received the position of Amir-i Hajib following the death of Muhazabuddin. Balban made a gradual effort to get rid of all the forty-strong Maliks. Masud Shah was again held captive by Turkish slaves in 1246, where he perished. Then, Iltutmish's grandson Nasiruddin Mahmud was crowned by Turkish slaves.
  • Nasiruddin Mahmud, who was dependent on the Shamsi Maliks for his authority, was forced to submit to them. Balban, stationed in Delhi, was the most ambitious and powerful.
  • Nasiruddin Mahmud carried out Balban's instructions. In 1249, Balban was appointed as naib-i mamalakat and given the title Ulugh Khan (the premier Khan) after Nasiruddin Mahmud wed Balban's daughter.
  • Saifuddin Aibek, Balban's younger brother, was given the titles Kishli Khan and Amir-i Hajib. By 1250, the Balban family had gained control over a sizable portion of the empire.

Under Balban

Other Corps of Forty were alarmed and suspicious of Balban's authority. When Imaduddin Raihan, an Indian Muslim who was named Wakildar in 1252-53, rose to power, things quickly altered.

  • Not only the Turkish slaves but also the Tajiks, who opposed his appointment and ascent to power, were alarmed by this. In 1255, Balban was able to overcome him and then kill him. Immediately after that stunning event, Ulugh Khan ordered the killing of Malik Qutbuddin Hasan Ghuri in broad daylight. The divisions among the Tajiks and the "group of forty" had never previously become so pronounced. Ikhtiyaruddin Yuzbek Tughril Khan, another prominent group member, died in Lakhnauti around 1257; Qutlagh Khan and Arsalan Khan were poisoned by Balban in 1258. 
  • Balban benefited from the deaths of Ulugh Khan's half-brother Kishli Khan and his uncle's son Sher Khan in 1259. In 1266, Ulugh Khan finally murdered Nasiruddin Mahmud and claimed the throne under the name Ghiyasuddin Balban. Thus began Balban's campaign to eliminate the "Corps of Forty's" top contenders.
  • As a result, Balban had little resistance from the "Corps of Forty" to deal with since many of the "group of forty" had been killed or exterminated. Tughril Beg at Lakhnauti was the last remaining strong Shamsi Malik, and Balban finally had him brutally assassinated by his officers, not even sparing those who had backed him.

Also Read Role Of Women In Public Life In Early Medieval India!

Conclusion

It is impossible to dispute Balban's role in the demise of Turkish dominance in India. However, his treatment of the Turkish nobles weakened it and shortened its life. His consolidation strategy undoubtedly ensured the survival of the Delhi sultanate and prepared the ground for its continued expansion under the Khaljis.

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Corps Of Forty FAQs

"The Forty" members were given crucial roles and rose to great power and influence. They were Iltutmish's most devoted servants for as long as he was alive. They rebelled against all of his successors after his death.

The Delhi court was under the leadership of Razia Sultana, the first female sultan of India, from the end of 1236 until 1240. She was the first woman to hold the throne and overcame all obstacles, including disagreements over her gender, to accomplish so.

Chahalgani/Chalisa was created by Shamsuddin Iltutmish while in charge of India.

The Group of 40 Slaves is referred to as the Chahalgani or Chalisa. By using the Gayasuddin Balban, it was annihilated.

The Turkish aristocracy's elite group was known as the Corps of Forty. Iltutmish established the "Group of Forty," also known as "Chalisa," "Chahalgani," or "official nobility of slaves." This organisation was crucial to the running of the Delhi Sultanate.

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