The Ruler who wooed through Polo

The Year was 1206 AD. Sultan Qutb-ud-din Aibak galloped down the polo pitch, focused intensely on the small wooden ball ahead of him. As his Persian steed thundered forward, he timed his swing perfectly. With a resounding crack, the sultan’s long-handled mallet struck the ball between the goal posts.

Cheers erupted from the crowd as the sultan scored yet another point for his team. Polo was by far Qutb-ud-din’s favorite sport, having learned it from Persian traders as a young man. Now the Sultan of Delhi, he had the resources to dedicate lavish grounds for polo near his palace.

The sultan had fallen hard for the sport’s combination of speed, skill, and danger. He admired the horseback riding talent that polo demanded and saw it as ideal training for his military. Qutb-ud-din organized frequent matches, often playing himself alongside his best mounted warriors and officers.

They would form teams and battle fiercely but fairly for supremacy on the polo ground. The sultan played to win, spurring his stallion on with great determination. But he also loved polo for the camaraderie it built between his men. During matches, they were connected by the intensity of competition.

“Play on, men!” the sultan would declare before each contest, savoring the anticipated rush of the game. The roaring crowds made the matches feel grand and important, even though it was just for sport. Victory in polo brought Qutb-ud-din a unique sense of satisfaction that even governing his sultanate could not.

Polo matches in Delhi became major events under his rule. Subjects would excitedly discuss the sultan’s latest triumph or heroic goal. Through polo, Qutb-ud-din became linked in people’s minds to boldness, athleticism and leadership. For the Sultan of Delhi, his passion for this Persian horseback game proved valuable in both sport and statecraft.

Author – Maria Khuzari (Traditions, Folk & Tales of the Sub-Continent & Arabia at AGC)