The inner courtyard of the Darga with the green pavilion offers shelter to the visiting pilgrims. It was built by Mahlaqa Chanda (1767 - 1824), the adopted daughter of the then Prime Minister of the Nizam, Nawab Ruknuddaula. She was a devout Shia Muslim and in tribute to Moula Ali, she invoked Maula Ali in her takhallus (signature at the end of the poem). Her poems are a combination of spiritual yearning and a commentary on her current times.
Mahlaqa Chanda’s work is accessible at https://rekhta.org/poets/mah-laqa-chanda/ghazals.
Mahlaqa Chanda is an extraordinary woman even by contemporary standards. She chose to never marry and remained single till the end of her life. She was an accomplished poet (and the only woman) who published a Diwan (collection of poems). Mahlaqa Chanda encouraged historical scholarship chronicling the life and times of Nizam-ul-Mulk Asif Jah II, whose reign extended from 1762 to 1803. She was an accomplished dancer and singer, and a favourite of the Nizam.
Chanda rode to war alongside the Nizam in the Battle of Pangal and the Nizam is said to have depended on her wise counsel. In recognition of her bravery and contribution she was awarded the title “Mahlaqa” and the Jagir of Adikmet. She was made a Mansabdar, which entitled her to an income all through her life. She enjoyed extraordinary privileges in the Nizam’s court and was reputed to be a confidant and counsellor to the Nizam. Her charm and erudition broke gender barriers and made her an indispensable presence in the Asafjahi court, a typically male bastion. The present area of the Osmania University, Syedpalli, Hyderguda/old MLA colony, Chandapet, Pallai Pahad and Alibagh are part of the Estate awarded to Chanda by the Nizam.
(Imama, Syeda (Ed). The Untold Charminar: Writings on Hyderabad. Penguin Books India: 2008: pp. 26-34)
I wonder why she chose to live a solitary life. Chanda explains the tenuous nature of being an accomplished and well read woman in a patriarchal society in a letter to her mother.
“No, Ma, I will not marry. I will not be at the mercy of any single man, to be left like you to almost die of hunger and exhaustion. I have my Lord, my God, my Maula, I have your love – I have so much. I will teach and train other girls what i have learnt of the beautiful world of poetry, music and dance of which we have an endless source in this land, they will also acquire the ability and the knowledge to earn if they need to.”
(Latif, Bilkees I. Forgotten. New Delhi: Penguin, 2010: P.113)
I feel this pretty much echoes the sentiments of the modern woman and the need to be independent. Mahlaqa Chanda also built an orphanage for underprivileged girls. The building still stands and houses the Nampally Girls High School. Chanda Bagh, the garden that houses the graves of Mahlaqa Chanda and her mother, is at the foothill of Moula Ali Hill. The following link takes you to a tour of Chanda Bagh and the recent restoration work undertaken by the Nizams trust and other institutions.
https://rekhta.org/poets/mah-laqa-chanda/video
I empathise with Chanda’s sentiments about not being able to reconcile her public life with the sheltered, secluded life marriage entailed in those times. In her words:
“I lack nothing, ya Maula, for God has given me so much in so many ways. My dilemma is that I am desired and wanted in marriage and I have to decide which way of life I should follow. I cannot be a wife, a begum of a great Lord and still indulge in all my interests.....What will happen to my dhrupads and khayals? Never will I be able to whirl around in scintillating dances with my ghungroos alive with sound, and the beat of my feet dancing to the throbbing beat of the music. These are a part of my whole being. Can I live without them?........Dear Lord, confined to a harem; I suppose that I will be cared for....Today I am honoured, respected, loved. Should I surrender all that I am, all that I have? Help me to decide, my Lord. You have cared for me always. Show me the way that I should choose.”
(Latif, Bilkees I. Forgotten. New Delhi: Penguin, 2010: P. 91)
The above painting depicts a lone palanquin with a woman in the upper right corner (Mahlaqa Chanda) and her pet cheetahs: confident and at ease in the Royal procession dominated by men.
As a woman able to traverse the worlds of professional work and marriage, I salute Chanda’s spirit. It is the light of many such women that shines our path today.
