Shah Turkan

Shah Turkan
شاہ ترکاں
Queen–Mother of the Sultan
TenureMay 1236 – November 1236
SuccessorTurkan Khatun (mother of Razia Sultan)
PartnerIltutmish
Born1195
Died9 November 1236/1237
Delhi, Mamluk Sultanate
IssueRuknuddin Firuz
ReligionIslam

Shah Turkan (Persian: شاه ترکان), (Urdu: شاہ ترکاں) was the mother of 13th-century Mamluk ruler of the Delhi Sultanate, Ruknuddin Firuz. She became queen mother after her son ascended to the throne in 1236.

After the death of Iltutmish, Ruknuddin indulged himself in the pursuit of pleasure and left his mother to handle the affairs of the state. Turkan had been a Turkic (enslaved) hand-maid and had risen to take control of the Sultan's harem. She took this opportunity to wreak vengeance against all those who had slighted her in the past. Consequently, Ruknuddin's rule turned unpopular and paved the way for the ascension of Razia Sultana.[1]

  1. ^ Chandra, Satish (2004). Medieval India : from Sultanat to the Mughals (Revised ed.). New Delhi: Har-Anand Publications. p. 48. ISBN 9788124110645. Retrieved 26 May 2017.