Taj al-Din Yildiz (also spelled Yaldiz, Yildoz, and Yalduz, fa, تاج الدین یلدوز) was a
Turkic ghulam
Ghulam ( ar, غلام, ) is an Arabic word meaning ''servant'', ''assistant'', ''boy'', or ''youth''. It is used to describe young servants in paradise. It is also used to refer to slave-soldiers in the Abbasid, Ottoman, Safavid and to a lesser ...
of the
Ghurid dynasty
The Ghurid dynasty (also spelled Ghorids; fa, دودمان غوریان, translit=Dudmân-e Ğurīyân; self-designation: , ''Šansabānī'') was a Persianate dynasty and a clan of presumably eastern Iranian Tajik origin, which ruled from the ...
, who, after the death of Sultan
Muhammad of Ghor, became the ''de facto'' ruler of
Ghazni
Ghazni ( prs, غزنی, ps, غزني), historically known as Ghaznain () or Ghazna (), also transliterated as Ghuznee, and anciently known as Alexandria in Opiana ( gr, Αλεξάνδρεια Ωπιανή), is a city in southeastern Afghanistan ...
, while, however, still recognizing Ghurid authority.
[''The Iranian World'', C.E. Bosworth, The Cambridge History of Iran, Vol. 5, ed. J. A. Boyle, John Andrew Boyle, (Cambridge University Press, 1968), 166.]
Biography
After the death of Sultan Mu'izz al-Din Muhammad, two factions arose in the Ghurid Empire; a faction of
Turkic ''
ghulams
Ghilman (singular ar, غُلاَم ',Other standardized transliterations: '' / ''. . plural ')Other standardized transliterations: '' / ''. . were slave-soldiers and/or mercenaries in the armies throughout the Islamic world, such as the Safavi ...
'', who supported Mu'izz's nephew
Ghiyath al-Din Mahmud, while the other faction consisted of native Iranian soldiers, who supported the Ghurid ruler of Bamiyan,
Baha al-Din Sam II
Baha al-Din Sam II ( fa, بهاء الدین سام) was the fourth ruler of the Ghurid branch of Bamiyan, ruling from 1192 to 1206.
Origins and rise
Baha al-Din Sam II was the son of Shams al-Din Muhammad ibn Masud and an unnamed sister of his ...
. But Baha al-Din Sam II died after a few days, which made the Iranian soldiers support his two sons
Jalal al-Din Ali and
Ala al-Din Muhammad. Ghiyath, however, managed to emerge victorious during the struggle, and became the ruler of
Firuzkuh
Firuzkuh ( fa, فيروزكوه, also Romanized as Fīrūzkūh and Fīrūz Kūh; Tabarian: Pirezcow; also known as Qaşabeh-ye Fīrūz Kūh) is a city and capital of Firuzkuh County, Tehran Province, Iran. At the 2016 census, its population w ...
. Meanwhile, Yildiz seized
Ghazni
Ghazni ( prs, غزنی, ps, غزني), historically known as Ghaznain () or Ghazna (), also transliterated as Ghuznee, and anciently known as Alexandria in Opiana ( gr, Αλεξάνδρεια Ωπιανή), is a city in southeastern Afghanistan ...
from the Ghurid rulers of Bamiyan, but shortly recognized the authority of Ghiyath.
Ghiyath, not glad about Tajuddin controlling Ghazni, and not daring to leave Ghur unprotected, requested help from the
Khwarazmian Muhammad II. Muhammad, however, instead invaded the domains of Ghiyath, capturing
Balkh
), named for its green-tiled ''Gonbad'' ( prs, گُنبَد, dome), in July 2001
, pushpin_map=Afghanistan#Bactria#West Asia
, pushpin_relief=yes
, pushpin_label_position=bottom
, pushpin_mapsize=300
, pushpin_map_caption=Location in Afghanistan
...
and
Termez
Termez ( uz, Termiz/Термиз; fa, ترمذ ''Termez, Tirmiz''; ar, ترمذ ''Tirmidh''; russian: Термез; Ancient Greek: ''Tàrmita'', ''Thàrmis'', ) is the capital of Surxondaryo Region in southern Uzbekistan. Administratively, it i ...
. In 1208, the semi-independent Ghurid governor of India,
Qutb-ud-din Aibak
Qutb ud-Din Aibak ( fa, قطبالدین ایبک), (1150 – 14 November 1210) was a Turkic general of the Ghurid king Muhammad Ghori. He was in charge of the Ghurid territories in northern India, and after Muhammad Ghori's assassination i ...
, attacked and occupied Ghazni, but was defeated by Yildiz forty days later.
[.]
In 1214, Yildiz killed
Ala al-Din Atsiz, and put the latter's cousin
Ala al-Din Ali
Ala al-Din Ali ibn Shuja al-Din Mohammad ( fa, علاء الدین دراست), also known as Zia' al-Din Ali (ضیاء الدین), was the last Sultan of the Ghurid dynasty from 1214 to 1215. He was the cousin and successor of Ala al-Din Atsiz.
...
on the Ghurid throne as his puppet. However, one year later, Muhammad II conquered Firuzkuh and captured Ala al-Din Ali; he shortly marched to Ghazni, where he decisively defeated Yildiz, who fled to
Punjab and captured
Lahore from
Nasir ad-Din Qabacha
Nasir-ud-Din Qabacha or Kaba-cha ( fa, ناصرالدین قباچه) was the Muslim Turkic Kipchak governor of Multan, appointed by the Ghurid ruler Muhammad Ghori in 1203.
Successors of Ghori
Ghori had no offspring, but he treated thous ...
. Yildiz later fought the
Delhi Sultan Iltutmish, and laid claim to the throne of
Delhi as the heir to
Mu'izz al-Din Muhammad
Mu'izz ad-Din Muhammad ibn Sam ( fa, معز الدین محمد بن سام), also Mu'izz ad-Din Muhammad Ghori, also Ghūri ( fa, معز الدین محمد غوری) (1144 – March 15, 1206), commonly known as Muhammad of Ghor, also Gh ...
. Iltutmish refused, stating The two armies met at
Tarain in January 1216. Yildiz was defeated and taken prisoner by Iltutmish, and after being led through the streets of
Delhi was sent to
Budaun
Budaun is commonly pronounced Badayun is a city and a seat of Budaun district, Uttar Pradesh, India. It is located near the Ganges river in the centre of Western Uttar Pradesh. Budaun was the capital of Delhi Sultanate for four years from 1210 ...
, where he was put to death in the same year. After the fall of Yildiz,
Qabacha again occupied
Lahore.
References
Sources
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yildiz, Taj al-Din
Turkic rulers
Year of death unknown
Year of birth unknown
Ghurid generals
12th-century Turkic people