Who was not part of Turkan-i-Chihalgani ?

Question

Accepted Answer

The correct option is 4:

The Turkan-i-Chihalgani, or the "Corps of Forty," was a powerful group of forty Turkic slave nobles established by Sultan Iltutmish (1211-1236 CE) of the Delhi Sultanate. Iltutmish created this group to centralize power and rely on loyal, highly placed administrators and military commanders. The members were exclusively Turkic slaves or officers elevated to high status. **Imaduddin Raihan** was not part of this inner circle because he was a Hindu convert (a person of Indian origin/convert to Islam) rather than a Turk. Raihan rose to prominence as a powerful courtier under Sultan Nasiruddin Mahmud, even becoming the *Naib* (Deputy) of the Sultan. His appointment was a major political event that led to significant tension because the Turkic nobility, including Balban and the Chihalgani, deeply resented a non-Turk holding such a high office, eventually leading to his downfall and death.

The incorrect option is 1:
**Qutlugh Khan** was an important Turkic member of the Chihalgani, and later a key noble during the reigns of Sultans like Nasiruddin Mahmud. He was part of the group of forty and often played a role in the political conflicts that destabilized the Sultanate after Iltutmish.

The incorrect option is 2:
**Bahauddin Tughril** was one of Iltutmish's most trusted Turkic slave commanders. Although his name is sometimes associated with other high offices, historical evidence points to him being a contemporary and high-ranking Turkic officer often linked to the core group of loyal slaves, the Chihalgani, who governed the Sultanate's provinces.

The incorrect option is 3:
**Balban** (Ghiyasuddin Balban) was arguably the most famous and powerful member of the Chihalgani. He was purchased by Iltutmish and rose through the ranks. He became the *Naib-i-Mamlakat* (Vice-Regent) and later became the Sultan himself. His career is intrinsically linked to the Chihalgani, a group he eventually dismantled to consolidate his own absolute authority.