Razia Sultana Razia al-Din , ( Urdu : رضیہ الدین ) `` throne name '' Jalâlat ud-Dîn Raziyâ ( Urdu : جلالت رضیہ الدین ) , usually referred to in history as Razia Sultan or Razia Sultana ( Urdu : رضیہ سلطانہ ) , was the only woman monarch to have ruled Delhi . She was born in 1205 and died in 1240 . She was of Turkish ancestry and like some other Muslim princesses of the time , she was trained to lead armies and administer kingdoms if necessary . She succeeded her father Iltutmish to the Sultanate of Delhi in 1236 . Her father appointed her his heir over many of his sons . But when Iltutmush died , Rukn-ud-din Firuz , one of his sons , occupied the throne and ruled for about seven months . Razia Sultana , with the support of the people of Delhi , secured the throne after defeating her brother in 1236 . Razia Sultana established law and order in her country . She also encouraged trade , built roads , planted trees , dug wells , supported poets , painters and musicians , and constructed schools and libraries . Some sources state that she also attempted to eliminate some of the discriminations against Delhi 's Hindu population . To rule the country , she abandoned her feminine attire and adopted a masculine getup , be it in court or on the battlefield . She made an Ethiopian ( Habshi ) slave named Jalal-ud-din Yaqut her personal attendant and began to trust him the most . This challenged the monopoly of power claimed by the Turkish nobles . While Razia was trying to suppress a rebellion in Bhatinda , the nobles deposed her and crowned her brother Bahram . Razia married Malik Altuniya , the rebellious Governor of Bhatinda and attempted to recaputure the throne . Defeated by the alliance of Turkish nobles , she fled . A peasant who had offered her food and shelter while fleeing from an encounter killed her in her sleep . She is buried in present day ' Old Delhi ' , next to her sister Saziya . External links Sultana Razia of Delhi Timeline Personalities - Razia Sultana See also List of Indian monarchs Preceded by : Rukn ud din Firuz Slave Dynasty 1206 – 1290 Succeeded by : Muiz ud din Bahram This biography of a member of an Indian royal house is a stub . See the WikiProject India for article coordination . You can help Wikipedia by expanding it . Categories : Indian royalty stubs | 1205 births | 1240 deaths | Indian monarchs | Muslim women | Slave Dynasty | Women in Medieval warfare | Queens In other languages : العربية | Deutsch | فارسی | Français | 日本語 | Svenska | اردو Rukn ud din Firuz Slave Dynasty 1206 – 1290 Muiz ud din Bahram 