Mah Laqa Bai (7 April 1768 – August 1824), born Chanda Bai, and sometimes referred to as Mah Laqa Chanda, was an Indian 18th century

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
''

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral or writte ...

courtesan Courtesan, in modern usage, is a euphemism for a "kept" mistress (lover), mistress or prostitute, particularly one with wealthy, powerful, or influential clients. The term historically referred to a courtier, a person who attended the Royal cour ...

and philanthropist based in

Hyderabad Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part ...

. In 1824, she became the first female poet to have a diwan (collection of poems) of her work, a compilation of Urdu

Ghazal The ''ghazal'' ( ar, غَزَل, bn, গজল, Hindi-Urdu: /, fa, غزل, az, qəzəl, tr, gazel, tm, gazal, uz, gʻazal, gu, ગઝલ) is a form of amatory poem or ode, originating in Arabic poetry. A ghazal may be understood as a ...

s named ''Gulzar-e-Mahlaqa'', published posthumously. She lived in a period when

Dakhini Deccani (also known as Deccani Urdu and Deccani Hindi). https://knowledgehubadda.blogspot.com/2022/02/blog-post_74.html? m=1 or Dakni, Dakhni, Dakhini, Dakkhani and Dakkani (, ''dekanī'' or , ''dakhanī''), is a variety of Hindustani spoken ...

(a version of Urdu) was making its transition into the highly Persianized Urdu. Her literary contributions provide insight on such linguistic transformations in

southern India South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the States and union territories of India, Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and T ...

. Mah Laqa Bai was an influential female courtesan of the

Deccan The large Deccan Plateau in South India, southern India is located between the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats, and is loosely defined as the peninsular region between these ranges that is south of the Narmada river. To the north, it is bou ...

; the

Nizam The Nizams were the rulers of Hyderabad from the 18th through the 20th century. Nizam of Hyderabad (Niẓām ul-Mulk, also known as Asaf Jah) was the title of the monarch of the Hyderabad State ( divided between the state of Telangana, Mar ...

, ruler of Hyderabad, appointed her to the ''omarah'' (the highest nobility), and as a close affiliate at the court, she was discussed on state policies and accomplished assigned diplomatic engagements. An expert in spear throw,

Tent pegging Tent pegging (sometimes spelled tent-pegging or tentpegging) is a cavalry sport of ancient origin, and is one of only ten equestrian disciplines officially recognised by the International Equestrian Federation. Used narrowly, the term refers to ...

and

archery Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a bow to shoot arrows.Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' p. 17 The word comes from the Latin ''arcus'', meaning bow. Historically, archery has been used for hunting and combat. In m ...

she accompanied with the Nizam II in three battles, hunting expeditions and camping. She moved in

palanquin The litter is a class of wheelless vehicles, a type of human-powered transport, for the transport of people. Smaller litters may take the form of open chairs or beds carried by two or more carriers, some being enclosed for protection from the el ...

with guards and drummers announcing her arrival. In 2010, her memorial in Hyderabad, that houses her tomb,

caravanserai A caravanserai (or caravansary; ) was a roadside inn where travelers ( caravaners) could rest and recover from the day's journey. Caravanserais supported the flow of commerce, information and people across the network of trade routes covering ...

and a mosque was restored using funds donated by the

Federal government of the United States The federal government of the United States (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the national government of the United States, a federal republic located primarily in North America, composed of 50 states, a city within a fede ...

Life

Born as Chanda Bibi on 7 April 1768 in

Aurangabad Aurangabad ( is a city in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the administrative headquarters of Aurangabad district and is the largest city in the Marathwada region. Located on a hilly upland terrain in the Deccan Traps, Aurangabad is th ...

in the present-day

Maharashtra Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a states and union territories of India, state in the western India, western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the List of states and union te ...

. Her mother was Raj Kunwar – a courtesan who migrated from

Rajputana Rājputana, meaning "Land of the Rajputs", was a region in the Indian subcontinent that included mainly the present-day Indian state of Rajasthan, as well as parts of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, and some adjoining areas of Sindh in modern-day ...

, and father was Bahadur Khan, who served as a

Mansabdar The Mansabdar was a military unit within the administrative system of the Mughal Empire introduced by Akbar. The word ''mansab'' is of Arabic origin meaning rank or position. The system determined the rank and status of a government official an ...

(military official) at

Mughal Emperor The Mughal emperors ( fa, , Pādishāhān) were the supreme heads of state of the Mughal Empire on the Indian subcontinent, mainly corresponding to the modern countries of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. The Mughal rulers styled t ...

Muhammad Shah Mirza Nasir-ud-Din Muḥammad Shah (born Roshan Akhtar; 7 August 1702 – 26 April 1748) was the 13th Mughal emperor, who reigned from 1719 to 1748. He was son of Khujista Akhtar, the fourth son of Bahadur Shah I. After being chosen by the ...

's court. Khan migrated from

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders w ...

to Hyderabad Deccan where he met and married Raj Kunwar. Chanda Bibi was adopted by Kunwar's childless sister Mehtaab Ma who was the favored courtesan - almost a regular consort - of Nawab Rukn-ud-Daula, a

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

Nizam of Hyderabad The Nizams were the rulers of Hyderabad from the 18th through the 20th century. Nizam of Hyderabad (Niẓām ul-Mulk, also known as Asaf Jah) was the title of the monarch of the Hyderabad State ( divided between the state of Telangana, Mar ...

. Nawab Rukn-ud-Daula took personal interest in Chanda Bibi's training and provided her with the best teachers. While growing up, she had access to a well-endowed library and was exposed to the vibrant

culture of Hyderabad The culture of Hyderabad, also known as ''Hyderabadi Tehzeeb'' () or ''Dakhini Tehzeeb'' (), is the traditional cultural lifestyle of the Telugu people and Hyderabadi Muslims, and characterizes distinct linguistic and cultural traditions of Nor ...

. By the time she was 14, she excelled in

horse riding Equestrianism (from Latin , , , 'horseman', 'horse'), commonly known as horse riding (Commonwealth English) or horseback riding (American English), includes the disciplines of riding, Driving (horse), driving, and Equestrian vaulting, vaulting ...

and

. It was second Nizam ( Mir Nizam Ali Khan) who conferred her the title "Mah Laqa Bai". Due to her skills, she accompanied the Nizam II in three wars; dressed in male attire, she was noted for bow and

javelin A javelin is a light spear designed primarily to be thrown, historically as a ranged weapon, but today predominantly for sport. The javelin is almost always thrown by hand, unlike the sling, bow, and crossbow, which launch projectiles with th ...

skills in the wars. Owing to her contributions, the Nizams awarded her with

Jagir A jagir ( fa, , translit=Jāgir), also spelled as jageer, was a type of feudal land grant in the Indian subcontinent at the foundation of its Jagirdar (Zamindar) system. It developed during the Islamic rule era of the Indian subcontinent, start ...

(lands) on various occasions, that include the neighborhoods of

Hyderguda Hyderguda is a major locality in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. It is one of the costliest areas with high real estate cost both for commercial and residential properties. The old MLA residential quarters are situated here. Commercial area Hyde ...

Chanda Nagar Chanda Nagar is a suburb of Hyderabad and is located close to Lingampally and Miyapur. It is administered as Ward No. 110 of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation. It has a mixture of commercial and residential properties with shopping ma ...

, Syed pally and

Adikmet Adikmet is an urban locality in Hyderabad, India. Mainly a residential area, it is very close to Osmania University's campus. The neighbourhood has a hanuman temple and is located near the road from Nallakunta to Tarnaka. Transport The TSRTC ...

. On one occasion, she was conferred the title of ''Mah Laqa'' — meaning "Visage of the Moon". Though she never married, she was in love with Raja Rao Rambha Rao (a Maratha military chief who led a cavalry of 600 army men, fought against

Maratha Empire The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern Indian confederation that came to dominate much of the Indian subcontinent in the 18th century. Maratha rule formally began in 1674 with the coronation of Shi ...

under the second Nizam and became his favourite), and used to admire Captain Sir John Malcolm (an assistant of

James Achilles Kirkpatrick Lieutenant-Colonel James Achilles Kirkpatrick (1764 – 15 October 1805) was an East India Company officer and diplomat who served as the Resident at Hyderabad Deccan from 1798 until 1805. Kirkpatrick also ordered the construction of the Koti Resid ...

, the

British Resident A resident minister, or resident for short, is a government official required to take up permanent residence in another country. A representative of his government, he officially has diplomatic functions which are often seen as a form of indir ...

at Hyderabad). She was an influential woman in the court of the second and third Nizam of Hyderabad. At that time, she was the only woman to be given recognition publicly in Hyderabad State. In addition, she was appointed to the ''omarah'', the highest nobility. Mah Laqa was frequently consulted by the rulers of the state on policy matters. As a pride among the nobility in those times, a

battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions are ...

of 500 soldiers was reserved to

march March is the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is the second of seven months to have a length of 31 days. In the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological beginning of spring occurs on the first day of Marc ...

with her while she visits any official. She was also a

while the Nizams held court. She was a

mistress Mistress is the feminine form of the English word "master" (''master'' + ''-ess'') and may refer to: Romance and relationships * Mistress (lover), a term for a woman who is in a sexual and romantic relationship with a man who is married to a ...

of the Prime Ministers of the Nizams. She died in 1824 and bequeathed her properties that included land, gold, silver and diamond-studded jewellery to homeless women. Her residence which was located in

Nampally, Hyderabad Nampally is one of the biggest City Center of Hyderabad New City, India. It is also a mandal in Hyderabad District. The biggest landmarks are Ibrahim's house and Hyderabad Deccan Station, locally known as the Nampally railway station. History ...

, today had been converted into a Government aided girls degree college. Mah Laqa of

was the contemporary of renowned poets like

Mir Taqi Mir Mir Muhammad Taqi (February 1723 – 20 September 1810), known as Mir Taqi Mir (also spelled Meer Taqi Meer), was an Urdu poet of the 18th century Mughal era in the Subcontinent and one of the pioneers who gave shape to the Urdu language it ...

, Mirza Muhammad Rafi Sauda and

Khwaja Mir Dard Khwaja Mir Dard (1720-1785) ( ur, ) was a poet of the Delhi School and a Sufi saint of the Naqshbandi The Naqshbandi ( fa, نقشبندی)), Neqshebendi ( ku, نه‌قشه‌به‌ندی), and Nakşibendi (in Turkish) is a major Sunni ...

North India North India is a loosely defined region consisting of the northern part of India. The dominant geographical features of North India are the Indo-Gangetic Plain and the Himalayas, which demarcate the region from the Tibetan Plateau and Central ...

. She died in Hyderabad in August 1824.

Accomplishments

Poetry

The first page of Mah Laqa Chanda's deevan

Mah Laqa was influenced by the literary work of mystic poet

Siraj Aurangabadi Sayyid Sirajuddin, commonly known as Siraj Aurangabadi ( ur, ; 1715 - 1763), was an Indian mystic poet who initially wrote in Persian and later started writing in Urdu. Work and Life The anthology of his poems, ''Kulliyat-e-Siraj'', contain ...

(1715–1763), and learned poetry from Nawab Mir Alam who later became the

Prime Minister of Hyderabad State __NOTOC__ This article lists the prime ministers of the Hyderabad State. In 1919, Asaf Jah VII ordered the formation of the Executive Council of Hyderabad, presided by Sir Sayyid Ali Imam, and with eight other members, each in charge of one o ...

. Her

first language A first language, native tongue, native language, mother tongue or L1 is the first language or dialect that a person has been exposed to from birth or within the critical period. In some countries, the term ''native language'' or ''mother tongu ...

was

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
''

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

and

Bhojpuri Bhojpuri (;Bhojpuri entry, Oxford Dictionaries
, Oxford U ...

languages. She was the first woman poet to author a diwan, a complete collection of Urdu

ghazal The ''ghazal'' ( ar, غَزَل, bn, গজল, Hindi-Urdu: /, fa, غزل, az, qəzəl, tr, gazel, tm, gazal, uz, gʻazal, gu, ગઝલ) is a form of amatory poem or ode, originating in Arabic poetry. A ghazal may be understood as a ...

s. The collection, named ''Gulzar-e-Mahlaqa'', comprises 39 ghazals, and each ghazal consists of 5 couplets. The collection was published in 1824 after her death. The ''Diwan e Chanda'' is a manuscript collection of Mah Laqa's 125 Ghazals, compiled and calligraphed by her in 1798. It was signed and gifted to Captain Malcolm on 18 October 1799, during a dance performance at Mir Alam's residence. It is now preserved in the

British Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...

. Her

pen name A pen name, also called a ''nom de plume'' or a literary double, is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen na ...

was Chanda. The Urdu words ''Bulbul'' (

songbird A songbird is a bird belonging to the suborder Passeri of the perching birds (Passeriformes). Another name that is sometimes seen as the scientific or vernacular name is Oscines, from Latin ''oscen'', "songbird". The Passeriformes contains 500 ...

), ''Gul'' (rosebud) and ''Saqi'' (one who serves wine) recurred as themes in her ghazals. Her popularity in reading poetry made her the first poetess of the region to participate and present her poetries in a

mushaira ''Mushaira'' ( ur, , Mušā'ira) is a poetic symposium. It is an event (called ''mehfil'', Mushairi) where poets gather to perform their works. A mushaira is part of the Culture of North India, Pakistan and the Deccan, particularly among the Hy ...

(poetic symposium) which was earlier reserved for men. Along with her poetry, sometimes she sang the songs composed by the Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah and

Sultan of Bijapur The Adil Shahi or Adilshahi, was a Shia,Salma Ahmed Farooqui, ''A Comprehensive History of Medieval India: From Twelfth to the Mid-Eighteenth Century'', (Dorling Kindersley Pvt Ltd., 2011), 174. and later Sunni Muslim,Muhammad Qasim Firishta's ...

Ibrahim Adil Shah II Ibrahim Adil Shah II (1570 – 12 September 1627) was king of the Sultanate of Bijapur and a member of the Adil Shahi dynasty. Under his reign the dynasty had its greatest period as he extended its frontier as far south as Mysore. He was ...

. From her Diwan of 39 Ghazal collection, one Ghazal "Hoping to blossom (one day) into a flower" translates as:

Singing and Dance

Mah Laqa learned singing and

classical Indian music Indian classical music is the classical music of the Indian subcontinent. It has two major traditions: the North Indian classical music known as '' Hindustani'' and the South Indian expression known as '' Carnatic''. These traditions were not ...

specialising

Thumri Thumri () is a vocal genre or style of Indian music. The term "thumri" is derived from the Hindi verb ''thumuknaa'', which means "to walk with a dancing gait in such a way that the ankle-bells tinkle." The form is, thus, connected with dance, dra ...

from

Khushhal Khan Khushhal Khan was a son of Karim Khan a descendant of Tansen Tansen ( – 26 April 1589), also referred to and commonly known as Sangeet Samrat () , was a Hindustani classical musician. Born in a Hindu Gaur Brahmin family, he learnt a ...

a master musician of her time, and a great-grandson of the

Tansen Tansen ( – 26 April 1589), also referred to and commonly known as Sangeet Samrat () , was a Hindustani classical musician. Born in a Hindu Gaur Brahmin family, he learnt and perfected his art in the northwest region of modern Madhya Pra ...

, the maestro of Mughal court. She excelled in Ghazal singing in multiple

raga A ''raga'' or ''raag'' (; also ''raaga'' or ''ragam''; ) is a melodic framework for improvisation in Indian classical music akin to a musical mode, melodic mode. The ''rāga'' is a unique and central feature of the classical Indian music tradit ...

( melodic modes) and Taal (rhythms); she was adept at the Yaman raga and Khayal Tappa which she use to sing at special occasions. Mah laqa preferred using

Bhimpalasi Bhimpalasi or Bheempalasi (also known as Bhimpalas or Bheempalas) is a Hindustani classical raga. Raga Bhimpalasi belongs to the Kafi Thaat. Theory * Aarohana: * Avaroha: The raag has komal Ni and Ga. It is an Audava-Sampoorna jati raga, imp ...

raga in romantic Ghazals. When singing

Sufi Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ...

songs she used

Dhrupad Dhrupad is a genre in Hindustani classical music from the Indian subcontinent. It is the oldest known style of major vocal styles associated with Hindustani classical music, Haveli Sangeet of Pushtimarg Sampraday and also related to the South Ind ...

raga mixed with taal chautala and raga Bhairavi. Mah Laqa excelled in singing love lyrics accompanied by Deccani style of

Kathak Kathak ( hi, कथक; ur, کتھک) is one of the eight major forms of Indian classical dance. It is the classical dance from of Uttar Pradesh. The origin of Kathak is traditionally attributed to the traveling bards in ancient northern Ind ...

dance which was popular and practised by courtesans in the courts of the viceroy's) under the later-Mughal. According to Pallabi Chakravorty and Nilanjana Gupta suggests in their book ''Dance Matters Too''–(2018), there is no specific written work of Mah Laqa Bai’s dance form, various poses captured in her portraits, her miniature paintings and based on the modern research she practised Deccan style of

dance form, which does not exist in present times. Mah Laqa Bai patronised and trained the new generation of courtesans in dance and music, she endowed an institute lead by her adopted daughter “Husn Laqa Bai” to continue a lineage of dance performers and courtesans to learn Deccan style of Kathak. According to the miniature paintings exhibited and displayed by

Salar Jung Museum The Salar Jung Museum is an art museum located at Dar-ul-Shifa, on the southern bank of the Musi River, India, Musi River in the city of Hyderabad, Telangana, India. It is one of the List of museums in India, notable National Museums of India. ...

Google Arts & Culture Google Arts & Culture (formerly Google Art Project) is an online platform of high-resolution images and videos of artworks and cultural artifacts from partner cultural organizations throughout the world. It utilizes high-resolution image technol ...

in 2016, Mah Laqa Bai learned dance from master Panna Maharaj and Khushhal Khan. Mah Laqa Bai established a cultural centre in which 300 girls were trained by her along with other masters. Maha Laqa's library contain manuscripts and books on poetry along with the arts and the science collections. She sponsored and supervised the publication of ''Mahnama'', a historical book about the revival period of Hyderabad State. Although Mah Laqa practiced

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...

, she was influenced by the understanding of

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

books and philosophy. One author studied her writings and said that "her verses had a distinct darbari ring in which she eulogized the king and nobles, a common style employed by poets during the 17th and 18th centuries."

Mistress

After the Battle of Kharda in 1795 AD the Nizam II was defeated by

Maratha The Marathi people (Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a M ...

Madhavrao II Madhav Rao Bhat II (18 April 1774 – 27 October 1795) was the 12th Peshwa of the Maratha Empire in India, from his infancy. He was known as Sawai Madhav Rao or Madhav Rao Narayan. He was the posthumous son of Narayanrao Peshwa, murdered in 177 ...

which lead to the Treaty of Kharda. According to treaty the Nizam II had to cede some of the Maratha territories along with

Arastu Jah Mu'inud-Daulah, Mushirul-Mulk, Azamul-Umara, Arastu Jah, a man of Persian descent, was the ''Diwan'' or the Prime Minister of Hyderabad during the reign of Nizam Ali Khan (Asaf Jah II) from 1778 until his death in 1804. Nawab Azim Ul Umra Ar ...

—(the then ''

Kiladar Kiladar was a title for the governor of a fort or large town in medieval India. During the Maratha Empire, the title was commonly pronounced 'Killedar' ( Marathi: किल्लेदार). The office of ''Kiladar'' had the same functions as that ...

'' of

) as hostage in

Poona Pune (; ; also known as Poona, (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name from 1818 until 1978) is one of the most important industrial and educational hubs of India, with an estimated population of 7.4 million ...

. After his two years confinement, in the year 1797 Arastu Jah had successfully managed to influence some of the Maratha leadership to channel his release and had reinstated the ceded territories of Nizam II. This diplomatic success of Arastu Jah had impressed Nizam II and he was made the Dewan of Hyderabad. Mah Laqa Bai was initially introduced to Nizam II by Arastu Jah to influence the Nizam II and wanted to be aware of his ''herem'', it was under Arastu Jah patronage Mah Laqa began her career as a poet and upon Arastu Jah initiative her collected of poetry was published in the form of Dewan in 1798 AD.

Battles and Expeditions

Mah Laqa Bai mastered spear throw,

and

at the age of fourteen, for which she is known as brilliant performer and a skilled warrior. She participated in the three battles fought by the Nizam II (Battle of Kolar—1781 AD, Battle of Nirmal—1782 AD and Battle of Pangal—1789 AD) mostly dressed up in a male battle attire and showing exceptional spear throw skills. She accompanied Nizam II in multiple hunting expeditions. Mah Laqa Bai had expertise in diplomatic negotiations, for which the then Prime Minister of Hyderabad

Mir Alam Mir Alam was a nobleman who served as Prime Minister of Hyderabad State from 1804 until his death in 1808. He belonged to the Salar Jung family. He was the grandfather of Salar Jung I Sir Mir Turab Ali Khan, Salar Jung I, (21 January 182 ...

could not overturn her. She was very fond of horses, her attachment with Maratha Genral Rao Ramba was culminated due to both’s fondness of horses. Once on a diplomatic mission to the Maratha rulers court in

Pune Pune (; ; also known as Poona, (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name from 1818 until 1978) is one of the most important industrial and educational hubs of India, with an estimated population of 7.4 million ...

, Maratha Chief Minister—

Nana Phadnavis Nana Fadnavis (Pronunciation: aːna pʰəɖɳəʋiːs, fəɖ- also Phadnavis and Furnuwees and abbreviated as Phadnis) (February 12, 1742 – March 13, 1800), born Balaji Janardan Bhanu, was an influential minister and statesman of the Marath ...

was astonished with Mah Laqa Bai's profound understanding of

Arabian horses The Arabian or Arab horse ( ar, الحصان العربي , DIN 31635, DMG ''ḥiṣān ʿarabī'') is a horse breed, breed of horse that originated on the Arabian Peninsula. With a distinctive head shape and high tail carriage, the Arabian is ...

, which she purchased from a French trader for herself and as a gift for Rao Ramba.

Memorial

Near a hillock in

Moula-Ali Moula-Ali commonly known as Moula Ali . It is a well-developed industrial and urban area in Malkajgiri Mandal, of the Medchal-Malkajgiri district, It is a part of Greater Hyderabad and also a part of Hyderabad Metropolitan Region of the India ...

, Hyderabad, Mah Laqa constructed a walled compound where she frequently held mushairas. Inside this compound, she built a tomb for her biological mother in 1792. After her death, Mah Laqa was buried next to her mother. The tomb was constructed in the Mughal and

Rajasthani architecture The architecture of the Indian state of Rajasthan has usually been a regional variant of the style of Indian architecture prevailing in north India at the time. Rajasthan is especially notable for the forts and palaces of the many Rajput rule ...

s style in the

Char Bagh Char Bagh is an area within Laghman Province, Afghanistan and is observable from the Jalalabad-Kabul Road. History According to some sources, when Alexander the Great entered the region, he built a town between Char Bagh and Mandrawar after the ...

pattern. Along with mausoleum, the complex contains a pavilion in centre that is decorated intricately with stucco work, a

Caravanserai A caravanserai (or caravansary; ) was a roadside inn where travelers ( caravaners) could rest and recover from the day's journey. Caravanserais supported the flow of commerce, information and people across the network of trade routes covering ...

, a mosque and two

stepwell Stepwells (also known as vavs or baori) are wells or ponds with a long corridor of steps that descend to the water level. Stepwells played a significant role in defining subterranean architecture in western India from 7th to 19th century. So ...

s. On a carved teakwood over the door of her mausoleum, an inscription in Urdu can be seen which translates as: Mah Laqa Bai Tomb

Scott Kugle, a Professor at

Emory University Emory University is a private research university in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1836 as "Emory College" by the Methodist Episcopal Church and named in honor of Methodist bishop John Emory, Emory is the second-oldest private institution of ...

and a researcher, studied the life of Mah Laqa Bai. During his study, he came across this memorial in a dilapidated condition. Kugle proposed the idea of renovating it. In the year 2010, by using funds from the

through the Consulate General's office in Hyderabad, the Center for Deccan Studies spearheaded the year-long renovation project. The Muslim Educational, Social and Cultural Organization also provided support to the project. In this renovation project, the debris was cleared, water channels were rebuilt, trees, bushes, the buildings and their exquisite decorations were restored.

Legacy and influence

According to

Sajjad Shahid Sajjad Shahid is a native of Hyderabad, India, and a historian, architecture conservator and columnist. He is a visiting professor at University of Hyderabad. Sajjad's articles are published in The Times of India and The Hindu. Sajjad is the fo ...

, Mah Laqa Bai was the inspiration for

Mirza Hadi Ruswa Mirza Muhammad Hadi Ruswa (1857 – 21 October 1931) was an Indian Urdu poet and writer of fiction, plays, and treatises (mainly on religion, philosophy, and astronomy). He served on the Nawab of Awadh's advisory board on language matters for ...

's famed novel ''

Umrao Jaan Ada ''Umrao Jaan Ada'' ( ur, ) is an Urdu novel by Mirza Hadi Ruswa (1857–1931), first published in 1899. It is considered the first Urdu novel by many

'' (1899), Umrao Jaan Ada is referred to as the first true novel of Urdu literature.

Abdul Halim Sharar Abdul Halim Sharar ( ur, ; 4 September 1860 – 1 December 1926) was an Indian author, playwright, essayist and historian from Lucknow. He left behind, in all, hundred and two books. He often wrote about the Islamic past and extolled virtues l ...

presented Mah Laqa Bai in his Urdu novel ''Husan Kay Dakoo'' (the robbers of beauty) (1913-1914) as a well-informed lady who got benefits from the modern educational system.

Narendra Luther Narendra Luther (23 March 1932 – 19 January 2021) was a writer, civil servant, author and columnist. He died on the morning of Tuesday, 19 January 2021 in Hyderabad, Telangana State India. He worked on the history and culture of erstwhile ...

, posits that Mah Laqa Bai, the first women poet of India whose anthology was ever published "brought much pride to Hyderabad". In a seminar "Mad and divine women"-(2011) Scott Kugle-a Professor at

, expressed that Mah Laqa Bai, besides being an aristocratic courtesan, was a devoted mystic, and was enamored by

and

bhakti ''Bhakti'' ( sa, भक्ति) literally means "attachment, participation, fondness for, homage, faith, love, devotion, worship, purity".See Monier-Williams, ''Sanskrit Dictionary'', 1899. It was originally used in Hinduism, referring to d ...

elements. In 2013, during the Hyderabad heritage festival, a

monologue In theatre, a monologue (from el, μονόλογος, from μόνος ''mónos'', "alone, solitary" and λόγος ''lógos'', "speech") is a speech presented by a single character, most often to express their thoughts aloud, though sometimes a ...

stage play "Maha Laq Bai Chanda" on the life of Mah Laqa was sponsored by

Andhra Pradesh State Tourism Department The Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) is a state government agency which promotes tourism in Andhra Pradesh, India. The department offers tour packages of Heritage, Nature, Adventure, Health and Rural tourism representing r ...

. The play was directed by Vinay Varma; Ratika Sant Keswani played the role of Mah Laqa bai.

References

External links

The Elite Performer.

Speech of Katherine Dhanani, U.S. Consul General, Hyderabad, on the day of restoration of tomb.

Gulzaar-e-maahlaqa

Ghazals of Mah Laqa Chanda
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bai, Mah Laqa Indian female archers Urdu-language poets from India Hyderabadi Muslims People from Hyderabad district, India 1768 births 1824 deaths Indian women in war Women in 18th-century warfare Indian courtesans Indian women poets Mistresses Poets from Telangana 18th-century Indian poets 19th-century Indian poets 19th-century Indian women writers 19th-century Indian sportswomen 18th-century Indian women writers 19th-century Indian women politicians 19th-century Indian politicians 18th-century Indian women politicians 18th-century Indian politicians 18th-century Indian sportspeople 19th-century Indian sportspeople Archers from Telangana