Kaiqubad

Kaiqubad

Sultan of Delhi

Reign 1287 to 1290

Father – Bughra Khan

Kaiqubad assigned the throne of Delhi after the death of Ghiasuddin Balban. Balban wanted to make his eldest son Muhammad his successor but the premature death of the crown prince shattered all his hopes and he himself breathed his last due to this fatal shock. The death of Balban not only proved fatal for the dynasty of the so-called slaves but also ended the grandeur of the Delhi sultanate. Dr. Ishwari Prasad writes, “Authority forgets a dying king and no sooner were his eyes closed in death than the nobles and officers opposed his last testament and elevated Kaiqubad to the throne, an unhappy choice which ultimately led to the fall of the slave Dynasty.”

Balban declared Kai Khusrau his successor before his death. Comparatively, Kai Khusrau was a better candidate. Hence the selection of Balban was justified, but the Turkish Amirs were divided on the issue of succession after the death of Balban. Malik Fakhruddin, Kotwal of Delhi, was the leader of one group and another group was led by Hasan basari. Fakhruddin was against the nomination of Kai Khusru and he wanted to enthrone Kaiqubad. He argued that in order to save Delhi from internal conflict it was necessary to enthrone a son of Bughra Khan in place of Kai Khusrau and at last he succeeded in putting Kaiqubad in the throne.

When Kaiqubad ascended the throne of Delhi, he was seventeen years old. He had an attractive personality and polite nature. He had been brought up under the strict watch of his grandfather, Balban, who was a great disciplinarian. Barani writes that by the time of his enthronement he had not tasted a drop of wine not had he seen the fair face of a beautiful damsel. After his accession to the throne, he found himself free from the bondage of his grandfather. His suppressed passions were now in full play and he lost himself in wine, women and luxury. The splendor and magnificence of the court changed him a lot. He became so much absorbed in luxuries that the administration of the sultanate began to suffer. The atmosphere of Balban’s court was completely changed. Discipline and conventions vanished and the court became a centre for dancers and buffoons. The nobles and courtiers also followed in the footsteps of the Sultan and gave themselves up to luxuries and sensual pleasures. One Nizamuddin, son-in-law of Fakhruddin, the Kotwal of Delhi, held the powers of the kingdom in his own hands and the position of the Sultana became weak.

After the murdered of Nizamuddin, sultan Kaiqubad made some new appointments for the smooth running of the administration. The post of Ariz-i-Mumalik (Chief Commander) was given to Jalaluddin Khalji. Thus the power of the Khaljis went on increasing day by day. The Turks could not tolerate this state of affairs.

As Kaiqubad was crippled by paralysis, Jalaluddin and the Turkish nobles installed Kayumars, an infant child of Kaiqubad on the throne. Kaiqubad was kicked to death by a Khalji soldier and thrown in the river Yamuna. For sometime Jalaluddin held the charge of regent on behalf of the infant Sultan. He was got murdered after three months and Jalaluddin took over as the Sultan of Delhi. Thus a new Khalji dynasty came to power in place of the slave dynasty in A.D. 1290.

Milan Tomic

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