Mah Laqa Bai

Mah Laqa Bai
Portrait of Mah Laqa Bai
Born	7 April 1768 Hyderabad, India
Died	August 1824 (aged 55–56) Hyderabad, India
Pen name	Chanda
Occupation	tawaif, poet
Period	Nizam of Hyderabad
Genre	Ghazal
Subject	Love, philosophy

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 poet, courtesan (tawaif) and philanthropist based in Hyderabad. In 1824, she became the first female poet to have a diwan (collection of poems) of her work, a compilation of Urdu Ghazals named Gulzar-e-Mahlaqa, published posthumously. She lived in a period when Dakhini (a version of Urdu) was making its transition into the highly Persianized Urdu. Her literary contributions provide insight into such linguistic transformations in southern India.

Mah Laqa Bai was an influential courtesan of the Deccan; the Nizam, 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 throwing, tent pegging and archery, she accompanied Nizam II in three battles, hunting expeditions and camping. She moved in palanquin with guards and drummers announcing her arrival.

In 2010, her memorial in Hyderabad, which houses her tomb, caravanserai and a mosque, was restored using funds donated by the Federal government of the United States.