Jalal-ud-Din Khalji

Jalal-ud-din Khalji جلال‌الدین خیلجي
Sultan
Portrait of Sultan Firuz Khalji (enthroned), Khwaja Hasan, and a dervish (c. 1640)
12th Sultan of Delhi
Reign	13 June 1290 – 19 July 1296
Coronation	13 June 1290
Predecessor	Shamsuddin Kayumars
Successor	Alauddin Khalji Ruknuddin Ibrahim (acting)
Born	c. 1220 Qalat, Afghanistan[1]
Died	19 July 1296 (aged 76) Kara, India
Spouse	Malika-i-Jahan
Issue	Khan-i-Khan Mahmud Arkali Khan Ruknuddin Ibrahim Qadr Khan Malika-i-Jahan (wife of Alauddin Khalji)
House	Khalji
Religion	Sunni Islam

Jalal-ud-Din Khalji, also known as Firuz al-Din Khalji or Jalaluddin Khilji (Persian; جلال الدین خلجی c. 1220 – 19 July 1296, r. 1290–1296) was the founder and first Sultan of the Khalji dynasty that ruled the Delhi Sultanate of India from 1290 to 1320.

Originally named Firuz, Jalal-ud-Din started his career as an officer of the Mamluk dynasty, and rose to an important position under Sultan Muizzuddin Qaiqabad. After Qaiqabad was paralyzed, a group of nobles appointed his infant son Shamsuddin Kayumars as the new Sultan, and subsequently tried to kill Jalal-ud-Din. Instead, Jalal-ud-Din had the group of nobles killed and became regent. A few months later, he deposed Kayumars, and became the new Sultan.

As a Sultan, he repulsed a Mongol invasion, and allowed many Mongols to settle in India after their conversion to Islam. He captured Mandawar and Jhain from the Chahamana king Hammira, although he was unable to capture the Chahamana capital Ranthambore. During his reign, his nephew Ali Gurshasp raided Bhilsa in 1293 and Devagiri in 1296.

Jalal-ud-Din, who was around 70 years old at the time of his ascension, was known as a mild-mannered, humble and kind monarch to the general public. During the first year of his reign, he ruled from Kilokhri to avoid confrontations with the old Turkic nobles of the imperial capital Delhi. Several nobles considered him as a weak ruler, and unsuccessfully attempted to overthrow him at different times. He meted out lenient punishments to the rebels, except in case of a dervish Sidi Maula, who was executed for allegedly conspiring to dethrone him. Jalal-ud-Din was ultimately assassinated by his nephew Ali Gurshasp, who subsequently ascended the throne as Alauddin Khalji.