Much of the political instability after the death of Iltutmish was the doing of the Chahalgani. Elucidate.

Answer:

After the death of Iltutmish in 1236, the Delhi Sultanate faced serious political instability. A major reason was the role of the Chahalgani, or the corps of forty Turkish nobles, who had become powerful under Iltutmish but later tried to control the throne for their own interests.

Role of Chahalgani in Instability

• The Chahalgani considered themselves kingmakers and resisted strong royal authority.
• They supported or opposed rulers according to their factional interests.
• Ruknuddin Firoz, Razia, Bahram Shah and others suffered due to noble factionalism.
• Razia’s attempt to reduce Turkish aristocratic dominance and promote non-Turkish elements angered the nobles.

Wider Causes

• The succession principle was not firmly established in the Sultanate.
• Provincial governors and military commanders had their own ambitions.
• The young Sultanate still lacked stable institutions strong enough to control the nobility.

Balban later realised this danger and tried to break the power of the Chahalgani through royal absolutism. Therefore, much of the post-Iltutmish instability was caused by the Chahalgani, though weak succession norms and provincial ambitions also contributed.