Arrange the following rulers of the Delhi Sultanate in the correct chronological order of their reigns, starting from the earliest: 1.Razia Sultan 2.Ghiyas ud din Balban 3.Qutb al-Din Aibak 4.Iltutmish

Correct — A. Place each ruler on the timeline.

Qutb al-Din Aibak (3): 1206–1210
Iltutmish (4): ruled until 1236
Razia Sultan (1): 1236–1240
Ghiyas ud din Balban (2): 1266–1287

Earliest first, that is 3 - 4 - 1 - 2 → option (a).

Why the others are wrong

• (b)
  4 - 3 - 1 - 2 — Iltutmish cannot come first. Aibak founded the line in 1206, and Iltutmish, once his slave and later his son-in-law, took the throne only after Aibak's death.
• (c)
  3 - 1 - 4 - 2 — Razia before her own father is impossible. She became Sultan in 1236, after Iltutmish's death, so 1 cannot sit between 3 and 4.
• (d)
  1 - 3 - 4 - 2 — Razia cannot open the list. Her reign, 1236–1240, came after both Aibak's and that of her father, Iltutmish.

The first Delhi Sultans, the Mamluk or 'Slave' dynasty, ruled from 1206 to 1290. NCERT groups them as the early Turkish rulers. Aibak, a slave-general of Muhammad Ghori, founded the line, and Iltutmish consolidated it.

On Iltutmish's death in 1236 his daughter Razia became Sultan, the only woman to rule the Delhi Sultanate. After weak successors, Balban took the throne in 1266 and restored the Sultan's authority.

Key facts

• Qutbuddin Aibak ruled 1206–1210 and founded the first dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate.
• Iltutmish ruled until his death in 1236.
• Razia Sultan, Iltutmish's daughter, ruled 1236–1240.
• Ghiyasuddin Balban ruled 1266–1287.

Common traps

• Placing Iltutmish first because he is the better-known consolidator. Aibak founded the dynasty in 1206.
• Putting Razia ahead of Iltutmish. She was his daughter and came to the throne after his death.

No directly related past PYQ was found.