Razia Sultan (1205–1240) was the first female Muslim ruler in South Asia. Remembered as a brilliant general and politician, she reigned as the fifth Sultan of Dehli from 1236 to 1240. The illustrations above give a glimpse of how she’s depicted in popular culture: comic books, children’s books, and the 1983 movie Razia Sultan, with Hema Malini in the title role. We especially love the costuming in the movie, which has Razia swathed in chiffon and pearls at the same time she’s wearing her helmet.
The pieces we suggest, from left to right:
1. Anarkali style churidar suit. You can make any kind of Anarkali suit work, but something like this would be ideal: long-sleeved with a high neck and a calf-length full skirt, white with gold work. You can cinch the dupatta around your waist as a sash.
2. Mamluk or Mughal style helmet. What you need is a helmet with a pointy top, a nasal guard, and a chainmail aventail (the protective curtain around the neck). This style originated in Central Asia and was used in various forms during the Mamluk and Moghul dynasties. This Persian helmet for reenactors is a good example:
You could also get a medieval Norman style helmet, which was influenced by what armies in the East were wearing:
3. “Sultan” headpiece. This is a vintage costume item, which we show to illustrate the style. You can just use a fancy turban headband or simply roll up a nice piece of fabric and tie it around the helmet. Tuck in an ostrich feather for glam.
4. Costume sword. You can hook this to the sash around your waist.
5. Medieval Turkish boots. Something like this would be ideal footwear. These reenactor boots are based on the boots worn by the Seljuk Turks.
