Ali Mardan Khalji

Rukn ad-Dīn ʿAlī Mardān Khaljī (Bengali: রোকনউদ্দীন আলী মর্দান খলজী, Persian: ركن الدین علی مردان خلجی) was a 13th-century governor of Bengal, a member of the Khalji dynasty of Bengal.

Malik Alauddin Ali Mardan Khalji
Coinage of Rukn al-Din ‘Ali Mardan 1210–1212 CE. Obverse: Horseman with mint and date formula around. Reverse: Name and titles of Rukn al-Din ‘Ali Mardan in five lines.
Sultan of Bengal
In office 1210 – 1212
Preceded by	Iwaz Khalji
Succeeded by	Iwaz Khalji
Personal details
Born	c. 1150
Died	c. 1212
Parent	Mardan Khalji (father)

Early life

He was a son of Mardan Khalji of the Khalaj tribe,^[1][2][3][4] a tribe of Turkic origin that after migration from Turkistan had later settled in Afghanistan for over 200 years before entering South Asia.^[5][6][7]

Career

Ali Mardan Khalji returned to Bengal in 1210 and replaced Iwaz Khalji as the region's governor. However, he only ruled for two years as his cruelty and brutality produced disgust among the courtiers. Some of his actions included banishing popular nobles from Bengal who he did not get along with. The Khalji nobles plotted against him, had him assassinated in 1212, and Iwaz Khalji was restored as Bengal's governor.^[8]

Preceded by Iwaz Khalji

Khalji dynasty of Bengal 1210-1212

Succeeded by Iwaz Khalji

See also

• List of rulers of Bengal
• History of Bengal
• History of Bangladesh
• History of India