The Corps of Forty (), historically known as the Shamsi Bandagan and also known as the Turkan-e-Chihilgani, was a council of 40 mostly Turkic slave emirs who administered the Delhi Sultanate as per the wishes of the sultan. However, their number was not always 40, as Minhaj-i Siraj Juzjani says the group numbered 25 for some time.
It was initially formed by Shamsuddin Iltutmish, the third ruler of the Mamluk dynasty. After Iltutmish's death, the balance of power shifted and the sultan became a puppet of these emirs. They would enthrone and depose Iltutmish's children and grandchildren, often murdering them when they proved troublesome. Balban, one of Iltutmish's slaves and a former member of the Corps, broke the power of the emirs and restored the power and stature of the sultan. This destruction of the Corps would prove to be a double-edged sword. Without the Chihilgani around to maintain a Turkic monopoly on power, this left them vulnerable to the Khalji faction, which took power through a series of assassinations, and ultimately overthrew the Turks during the Khalji Revolution. The Turkan-i-Chihilghani were broken up, and they fled to and settled down in different villages in the region of Katehar, also known as Rohilkhand.
Members
Historian Peter Jackson notes that the medieval chronicler Minhaj-i Siraj Juzjani provides biographies of 25 Shamsi Turkish slaves. Jackson notes that there was only one Indian among the 25 Shamsi owned by Iltutmish and listed by Juzjani, namely Hindu Khan, who probably was in charge of all the other Shamsi slaves and held the title of the mihtar-i mubārak. The Turkic Shamsi slaves were drawn from, among others, Rumis (probably Greeks or Slavs from Byzantium) and Khitans (probably similar to the Qara Khitai). The Rumi slaves were 'Izz al-Din Kabir Khan Ayaz, Badr al-Din Sonqur and Nusrat Khan Badr al-Din Sonqur. The Khitan slaves were Sayf al-Din Aybeg, also called Yaghantut (capturer of elephants); and Sayf al-Din Ikit Khan Aybeg-i Khita'i. The Qara Khitai slaves were 'Izz al-Din Toghril Toghan Khan, Ikhtiyar al-Din Aytegin Qaraqush Khan, and Ikhtiyar al-Din Aytegin (the first slave commander to attain the position of naib).
There were many Kipchak slaves among the Shamsi. These include Qamar al-Din Qiran Temur Khan; Taj al-Din Sanjar, also known as Qabaqulaq (one with the protruding ears); Taj al-Din Sanjar *Kirit Khan; Ikhtiyar al-Din Yuzbeg Toghril Khan; 'Izz al-Din Balaban, later known as Küshlü Khan; Sayf al-Din Aybeg Shamsi-yi 'Ajami. Küshlü Khan was purchased during the siege of Mandore in 1227 (A. H. 624). There were also notable slaves drawn from the group Iltutmish belonged to, the Olberli, who were a subdivision of either the Kipchaks or the Qanglïs. Historian Sunil Kumar posits that the Olberli were Yemek Turks. The Olberli slaves among the Shamsis were Baha al-Din Balaban, who later became the sultan; his brother Sayf al-Din Aybeg, later known as Kishli Khan; and their cousin Nusrat al-Din Sanjar, also known as Shir Khan. Balaban was purchased in 1231/1232 (A. H. 629); his brother Kishli Khan was bought the same year during an embassy sent by Iltutmish to Egypt and Baghdad. Taj al-Din Sanjar (later titled Arslan Khan), was also purchased during this embassy. Arslan Khan was also probably a Karakhitai Turk. Other Shamsi slaves whose tribal backgrounds are not known are Taj al-Din Sanjar *Kezlik Khan, Nasir al-Din Aytemur al-Bahai, Saif al-Din Aybeg-i Uchch and Nusrat al-Din Tayisi al-Mu'izzi.
Feudal performance
The area of Bayana is said to have prospered due to its administration by Bahauddin Tughril, who first became its holder in 1196 (A. H. 592). The regions granted to Sayf al-Din Aybeg Shamsi-yi 'Ajami, according to Barani, became prosperous. *Kezlik Khan at Uch is known to have worked for the welfare and security of the peasantry. Barani lauds Balaban for the prosperity he achieves in his fiefs, and Juzjani says he focused a lot on agricultural issues when he arrived in Hansi. Holders of fiefs who were required in Delhi did not usually go to their iqta's personally. Balaban, however, had to go to Hansi to supervise the mobilization of troops from the broader Sivalik region, which included Hansi, Jind and Barwala. Shir Khan, who had held Lahore, Sunam and Dipalpur, among other iqtas, is said to have mobilized an army of thousands of soldiers from his fiefs. Taj al-Din Sanjar-i Qabaqulaq had raised an army of 8,000 cavalry and infantry at Budaun in 1242 (A. H. 640).
History
In Delhi
During the reign of Iltutmish, these amirs were granted Turkish titles, including the title of khan, a title not held by Ghurid or Tajik nobles. Some Shamsi had previously been slaves of other commanders, however, most of them were purchased from slave traders. Traveler Ibn Battuta has related an account about Iltutmish sending merchants to Samarkand, Bukhara and Termez to purchase Turkish slaves for him. Their purchases dates are spread out over a long period of time, starting from the time Iltutmish held the iqta' (fief) of Baran (now known as Bulandshahr). In 1231 (A. H. 639), Kabir Khan Ayaz became the first Shamsi whose fiefs were downgraded, when he was transferred from Multan (an important city) to the small town of Palwal. The fief of Multan was then transferred to another Shamsi, Ikhtiyar al-Din Qaraqush Khan Aytegin.
The contemporary medieval chronicler Ziauddin Barani, after the death of Iltutmish, had taken notice of how each Shamsi had demanded he be given similar iqta', troops, high ranks and honor, as those given to the other Shamsi. Barani had lamented in his work that the lack of experience of Iltutmish's sons, and the power of the Shamsi, had led to the monarchy losing its majesty. According to Abdul Malik Isami, Iltutmish's successor Ruknuddin Firuz () did not pay enough attention to the Shamsi, and instead chose to rely on multiple Tajik bureaucrats. Juzjani mentions a group of Turks who had left Delhi for Awadh, probably to join one of Firuz Shah's brothers. One of these Turks was the future sultan Balaban, who was imprisoned for some time. These bureaucrats were massacred at Tarain by the Shamsi during the campaign against the rebellious Kabir Khan. The Turks and Iltutmish's private slaves were the ones who had rebelled at Tarain, and also the ones who had defected from Firuz Shah's camp at Kilokhri and supported Razia Sultana instead.Other than Küshlü Khan, this group included many others who were rewarded with promotions and fiefs. *Altunapa (also known as Malik Altunia), previously Iltutmish's chief canopy-bearer (sar-i chatrdar), received Baran as a grant. Balaban had been a falconer (khasadar) at the time of Iltutmish's death, Razia elevated him to the office of lord of the hunt (amir-i shikar). Balaban's brother Kishli Khan had worked in the sultan's home, he was then promoted by Razia to the rank of deputy bodyguard commander (na'ib-i sar-i jandar). Taj al-Din Sanjar (later titled Arslan Khan) had also been a falconer, Razia promoted him to the rank of cupbearer (chashnigir) and granted him the iqta' of Balaram (now known as Ballabhgarh). Hindu Khan was granted the iqta''' of Uch by Razia, but he was removed from the position after her death.
Razia Sultana () enjoyed the strong support of the Shamsi, however, she soon started building her own group of supporters. After the death of Sayf al-Din Aybeg-i *Tutuq in 1237, the Turkic deputy army commander (na'ib-i lashgar), she did not choose a Turk as his successor and instead chose the Ghurid amir Qutb al-Din Hasan b. 'Ali. Razia was deposed after she elevated Jamal-ud-Din Yaqut, her African slave, to the office of stable intendant (amir-i akhur). This ruffled the Turkish faction, especially angering the amir-hajib Ikhtiyar al-Din Aytegin. An attempted uprising in Lahore in 1239 by Kabir Khan did not succeed. Aytegin and his ally Altunia, the governor of Tabarhind (possibly Bathinda), triggered a mutiny the following year while Razia was campaigning and killed Yaqut. Razia was imprisoned at Tabarhind where Altunia watched over her. Muiz ud din Bahram () was crowned as the next sultan. During his reign, the Turk amirs began strengthening their power; the new office of the na'ib (viceroy) was given to Aytegin. Moreover, the Bay'ah (oath of allegiance) of the Turks was contingent on the designation of Aytegin as the na'ib. When Aytegin began encroaching on imperial powers, Bahram had him killed in 1240 during the month of Muharram (July). Another Shamsi, Badr al-Din Sonqur-i Rumi, who was the new amir-hajib, became influential. He was instrumental in the campaign against Altunia, who had married Razia and marched to Delhi to crown her after the death of Aytegin. The next highly influential figure was the new wazir (prime minister), Muhadhdhab al-Din, who instigated the sultan against Sonqur after his relations with the latter soured. Sonqur was moving to crown one of Bahram's brothers, and the wazir reported this to Bahram. Sonqur was exiled from the royal court to his iqta' of Budaun in August 1241 (Safar, A. H. 639); when he arrived at the royal court three months later without imperial approval, he was executed. During Bahram's reign, Balaban was promoted from amir-i shikar to amir-i akhur. Balaban was then pivotal during the siege of Delhi in 1242 (A. H. 639), and was rewarded with the iqta' of Hansi. Kabir Khan Ayaz and Qaraqush Khan, by now, had practically declared themselves independent of the sultanate at their iqta' in Lahore and Sindh.Bahram himself was deposed in 1242 (A. H. 639) when, influenced by his courtier Fakhr al-Din Mubarak Shah Farrukhi, he was considering the complete discharge of all the Turkish slave commanders. During October 1242 (Jumada al-Awwal, A. H. 640), the Turks stormed and killed Muhadhdhab al-Din, who was trying to consolidate imperial powers with his office and keep the Turks out of governmental affairs. Balaban had been supported by Sonqur, who had helped him get his first iqta' in Rewari. Therefore, Balaban likely took part in the deposal of Bahram. Jackson thinks the reason the major figures behind this move were not executed was because they had the support of the new sultan, Masud Shah (). Balaban partook in the strike against Muhadhdhab al-Din, and Juzjani implies he was promoted to the rank of amir-hajib after the wazir's death in 1244/1245 (A. H. 642). Qaraqush Khan was demoted and sent to his iqta in Bayana, then probably dismissed to Kara-Manikpur; Balaban was possibly behind these transfers. Masud Shah had campaigned in Uch, and during this time Malik Ikhtiyaruddin Yuzbak was transferred from Tabarhind to Lahore; Yuzbak fought with an unnamed noble and challenged imperial power. Masud Shah also tried to reduce the power of the Turks, and he possibly relied on African slaves instead. Balaban was a major figure in the dethronement of Masud Shah and the elevation of Nasiruddin Mahmud Shah (). Qaraqush Khan was possibly killed in the aftermath of these events, because he was most probably an opponent of Balaban. Balaban got the sultan to grant clemency and an iqta' in Kannauj to Yuzbak; however, Yuzbak once again rebelled and his revolt was suppressed only after a campaign by the Ghurid noble Qutbuddin Hassan.