Iltutmish receives Abbasid caliphal recognition

1213

The sultan of Delhi received an investiture robe and diploma from the Abbasid caliph in Baghdad, formally legitimizing his rule in the eyes of the Islamic world. The gesture cost Baghdad nothing but gave Iltutmish a powerful weapon against rival Turkish commanders who questioned his slave origins. The caliphal endorsement allowed Iltutmish to strike coins in the caliph's name and silence dissent at court.