Bahauddin Tughril

Malik Bahauddin Tughril (r. 1195–1210), commonly known as Bahauddin Tughril or Baha al-Din Tughril was a senior Turkic slave of the Ghurid ruler Muhammad of Ghor who was in charge of the Bayana region in the present-day Indian state of Rajasthan. He was admitted into the slave-household of the Ghurids during early reign of Muhammad of Ghor and gradually emerged as one of his eminent slave lieutenant along with Qutb al-Din Aibak, playing a significant role in the Ghurid conquest of northern Indian plain.

After Muhammad of Ghor seized Bayana in 1195–96 to guard the southern flank of Delhi, he made Tughril the viceroy of Bayana. Under his administration, the region of Bayana briefly emerged as a cosmopolitan centre, encouraging considerable Muslim settlements from all over Khurasan. After Muhammad of Ghor's assassination on 15 March 1206, Tughril like other Ghurid mamluks was manumitted, thereby he announced himself as the "Sultan". He died in 1210, and afterwards, the territory was soon brought under by Illtutmish, although Tughril's family continued to exercise influence over the region of Bayana even half a century after his death.

Bahauddin Tughril also commissioned a number of monuments in Bayana during his reign which included Chaurasi Khamba Mosque, the mosque of Ukha Mandir and a Eidgah constructed after recycling the components of demolished Hindu temples.

Early life

The contemporaneous evidence regarding Bahauddin's early life is scarce, probably indicating that he rose from obscurity in the Ghurid services. Bahauddin was sold into slavery and was purchased by the Ghurid ruler Muhammad of Ghor or Muhammad Ghori during his early reign. He eventually played a key role in the Ghurid conquest of northern India accompanying Muhammad of Ghor and earned his admiration, eventually becoming one of his high-ranked slave generals.