Nasiruddin Mahmud (grandson of Iltutmish)


Nasir ud din Mahmud, Nasir ud din Firuz Shah was the eighth sultan of the Mamluk Sultanate. He was the grandson of Shams ud din Iltutmish, and ascended to the throne of Delhi Sultanate in 1246 at the tender age of 17 or 18 after the disposition of Masud Shah. He succeeded Ala ud din Masud after the chiefs replaced Masud when they felt that he began to behave as a tyrant.
As a ruler, Mahmud was known to be very religious, spending most of his time in prayer and copying the Quran. However, it was actually his father-in-law and Deputy Sultan or Naib, Ghiyas ud din Balban, who primarily dealt with the state affairs.
After Mahmud's death in 1266, Balban rose to power as Mahmud had no children to be his heir.

Personal life

Unlike many of his predecessors and successors, Mahmud strictly followed monogamy. He spent most of his time writing down verses of the Quran. He sold the handwritten copies and used the money for his personal expenses. Surprising enough, he had no servants to carry out his personal tasks. His wife had to cook the food for the family.