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Question 34 of 66 · Delhi Sultanate
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SSC

In 1229 CE, Iltutmish received a letter of investiture and the titles 'Sultan-i-Azam' and 'Nasir Amir-ul-Mominin' from:

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Answer: Option A — The Abbasid Caliph al-Mustansir Billah

Detailed Solution

In 1229 CE, Iltutmish received a letter of investiture (manshur), a robe of honour, and titles from the Abbasid Caliph of Baghdad, al-Mustansir Billah.

About the investiture:

  • The Caliph's envoys reached Delhi in February 1229.
  • The Caliph recognised Iltutmish as the lawful Sultan of the territories he had conquered in India.
  • He gave Iltutmish the titles "Sultan-i-Azam" ("the Great Sultan") and "Nasir Amir-ul-Mominin" ("Helper of the Commander of the Faithful").
  • Iltutmish celebrated the event with great joy.

Importance:

  • The Caliph was regarded as the spiritual and symbolic head of the Sunni Muslim world.
  • Recognition by the Caliph gave Iltutmish's rule religious legitimacy and prestige among his Muslim subjects and nobles.
  • It also confirmed that the Delhi Sultanate was an independent state, not subordinate to Ghazni or any other power.
  • Iltutmish thus became the first legal (de jure) Sultan of Delhi.
  • After this, the name of the Caliph was mentioned on his coins.

About Iltutmish:

  • He became Sultan in 1211.
  • He was a slave and son-in-law of Qutbuddin Aibak, and had served as the governor of Badaun.
  • He shifted the capital from Lahore to Delhi.
  • He saved the kingdom from the Mongol invasion, by refusing shelter to the Khwarizmian prince.
  • He defeated his rivals and consolidated the Sultanate.
  • He completed the construction of the Qutub Minar.
  • He nominated his daughter Razia as his successor.
  • He is regarded as the real founder (consolidator) of the Delhi Sultanate.

About the Abbasid Caliphate:

  • The Abbasids ruled from Baghdad from 750 CE.
  • Their rule at Baghdad ended in 1258, when the Mongol leader Hulagu Khan destroyed the city.
  • A later line of Abbasid Caliphs lived in Cairo under the Mamluks of Egypt.
  • Muhammad bin Tughlaq and Firoz Shah Tughlaq also sought recognition from the Caliphs in Cairo.

Why not the other options?

  • ✗The Sultan of Ghazni, the Mongol Khan and the Sultan of Khwarizm did not grant these titles.

Quick tip

Remember: 1229 = Iltutmish received investiture from the Abbasid Caliph al-Mustansir (titles Sultan-i-Azam, Nasir Amir-ul-Mominin); first legal Sultan of Delhi; capital shifted to Delhi.

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Delhi Sultanate — Preparation

This question tests your understanding of Delhi Sultanate, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.

The Delhi Sultanate ruled much of northern India from 1206 to 1526 under five dynasties: the Slave (Mamluk), Khalji, Tughlaq, Sayyid and Lodi dynasties. This topic covers its rulers, administration, market and revenue reforms, architecture and the foreign invasions of the period. Typical questions cover the founder of each dynasty, Alauddin Khalji's market reforms, Muhammad bin Tughlaq's token currency and transfer of the capital, and Firoz Shah Tughlaq's public works. The First Battle of Panipat (1526), in which Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodi, ended the Sultanate. Keep the five dynasties in order with their founders. Practise the Delhi Sultanate questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.

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