Early Life
He was son of a Central Asian Turkic noble of the Ilbari tribe, but as a child he was captured by Mongols and sold as a slave at Ghazni Later, he was bought by Sultan Iltutmish in 1232 CE.
He was liberally educated. He introduced the Persian culture of Zaminbos that is lying flat on one's face before the emperor. He was first appointed as Khasdar (king's personal attendant) by the Sultan. He became the head of the Chalissa, a group of forty Turkic nobles of the state. After the overthrow of Razia Sultana, he made rapid strides in the subsequent reigns. He was initially the Prime Minister of Sultan Nasiruddin Mahmud from 1246 to 1266 and married his daughter. Since Sultan Nasiruddin did not have male heir, after his death, Balban declared himself the Sultan of Delhi. Balban ascended the throne in 1266 at the age of sixty with the title of Ghyasuddin Balban.
Read more about this topic: Ghiyas Ud Din Balban
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