Wonder Woman of the Week: Razia Sultana
When dealing with Medieval history, most armchair historians focus on Western Europe and Japan. Even when examining the Mongolian Empire, they typically look at how the Mongols dealt with Japan and Europe. But while knights and samurai fought for control of their respective regions, the Delhi Sultanate in India- the descendant of Egyptian Mamluks- not only fended off the Mongols to prevent their invasion of India, but also gave Indian history one of their most incredible heroines. Raziyyat-Ud-Dunya Wa Ud-Din was a young woman when her father- the sultan- was away on campaign; leaving his young daughter behind the manage the sultanate in his absence. When he returned, he was so impressed by his daughter's abilities as a leader that he named her his heir to the throne.
Four years later, Razia ascended to the throne to become Razia Sultana, but it wasn't easy. Razia's stepmother wanted her son on the throne- forcing a civil war between Razia and her half-brother for control of the sultanate. Even several nobles who sided with the sultana supported her under the stipulation that she would be a powerless figurehead- something the young Razia had no intentions of being. Razia's own nobles turned against her- forcing her to marry one of the original rebels who revolted against her rule in an attempt to recapture the throne from her step-brother. Unfortunately, Razia only ruled for four years and her story ended in defeat in battle and died shortly after. Several women in India today remember Razia as a symbol of female leadership and strength, and several films and television shows depict Razia's heroism in Indian history.
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