Shah_Turkan
Shah Turkan
Mother of sultan Ruknuddin Firuz
Shah Turkan (Persian: شاه ترکان), (Urdu: شاہ ترکاں) was the mother of 13th-century Mamluk ruler of the Delhi Sultanate, Ruknuddin Firuz. She became queen mother after her son ascended to the throne in 1236.
After the death of Iltutmish, Ruknuddin indulged himself in the pursuit of pleasure and left his mother to handle the affairs of the state. Turkan had been a Turkic (enslaved) hand-maid and had risen to take control of the Sultan's harem. She took this opportunity to wreak vengeance against all those who had slighted her in the past. Consequently, Ruknuddin's rule turned unpopular and paved the way for the ascension of Razia Sultana.[1]