Remembering Mah Laqa Chanda Bai
April 7 is a historic day. India must commemorate
today for today was the day Mah Laqa Chanda Bai was born. She was the first
woman to have published a book of poems and was also the wealthiest woman of
her time. However, Indian history barely has any mention of her. What an
overlook! Closer home, it is only art enthusiasts who are familiar with the
icon that Chanda Bai was. The rulers she served are world famous. It is the
Nizams I am talking about. But the woman who was instrumental in guiding them
in public policies or being alongside them at the battlefront is forgotten. It
is surprising that a country like India which does not surpass names of people
associated with wealth is also ignorant of Mah Laqa Chanda Bai’s existence.
Born on April 7, 1768, Chanda Bai was raised by a
courtesan mother. Following in the footsteps of her mother, she also became a
courtesan in the Nizam’s court. Growing up she was offered the best trainers to
train her in various forms of art and skills related to state affairs. The
young child blossomed into a woman of such talent that the Nizams sought her
advice to manage the state.
The first book of poems the country saw was Chanda
Bai’s ‘Gulzar-e-Mahlaqa’ with 39 ghazals in it. God almighty and life in deccan
were the themes the poems followed. The opulent Nizam had gifted Chanda Bai
with so many jagirs (properties) that she became the wealthiest woman of
her time, which was distributed amongst homeless/destitute women, as she had wanted,
after her demise.
Perhaps, it was her being a courtesan that the Indian
sub-continent chooses not to give her an honourable position. At least, the
poet community of the country should acknowledge her existence. Besides, language
books that have a mandatory chapter on Shakespeare, Rudyard Kipling, and so
many foreign authors must also introduce Chanda Bai to the students. So must
History/Economics books talk about the wealthiest woman of her times, in India.
A
fine poetess, even finer warrior
Chanda
Bai was the jewel amongst courtiers
The
Nizams sought her advice
For
she had better understanding of the nuances of life
Archery,
javelin, spear throw
She
mastered all in a row
Her
wealth exceeded like her glow
For
Mah Laqa Chanda Bai
Was
a woman of status high.
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