In 1595, a Mughal army led by Akbar’s son Murad laid siege to Ahmadnagar fort. The defense was organized by a woman who had already ruled as regent once before, in a different kingdom entirely. Chand Bibi held the fort long enough to negotiate terms rather than surrender it. Five years later, her own side turned on her, over rumors that were never proven.
👑 Regent of Two Sultanates
1. From Ahmadnagar to Bijapur, and Back
- Two Kingdoms Chand Bibi was a regent and military commander in two different Deccan Sultanates, Bijapur and Ahmadnagar, during the late 16th century.
- Origins She was the daughter of Hussain Nizam Shah I, ruler of Ahmadnagar. See MedHist0041 — The Ahmadnagar Sultanate for her home kingdom’s wider history.
- Bijapur She married Ali Adil Shah I of Bijapur. After his murder in 1580, she became regent of Bijapur for his young successor, Ibrahim Adil Shah II.
- 1595 Siege In 1595, she organised the defence of Ahmadnagar fort against a Mughal siege led by Akbar’s son Prince Murad and Abdul Rahim Khan-i-Khanan.
- Death She was killed in April 1600, during a second Mughal siege of Ahmadnagar, after an accusation that she was secretly negotiating surrender.
⚔️ The 1595 Siege and a Contested Death
1. How the Siege Ended, and How She Died
- 1596 The 1595 siege ended in early 1596, when Chand Bibi negotiated ceding the Berar region to the Mughals, rather than letting the fort fall.
- Akbarnama A famous account, from the Mughal chronicle the Akbarnama, describes women helping repair a breached fort wall during the siege.
- Second Siege A second Mughal siege began in 1599. She was killed on 18 April 1600, four months before the fort itself fell that August.
- Accusation Her own adviser, Hamid Khan, reportedly accused her of secretly negotiating surrender. A mob then stormed her apartments.
- Disputed Historians recorded more than one version of exactly how she died. Some accounts describe a mob killing; others describe her fighting to the end against Mughal troops. This split reflects the political motives of the writers at the time, not settled fact.
Test Yourself
📜 Reading a Hostile Chronicle with Care
1. Chand Sultana
- Rare Few rulers of her era served as regent in two separate kingdoms. Chand Bibi did, first at Bijapur, then at Ahmadnagar.
- Talents She was reportedly fluent in several languages, including Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Marathi, and Kannada, and was said to also paint and play music.
- Source Bias The Akbarnama’s account of the 1595 siege comes from the Mughal side, the very army besieging her. Later writers dramatised it further, so read the most vivid details with some caution.
- Chand Sultana She earned the title “Chand Sultana” for her leadership during the 1595 defence, a name that stuck alongside “Chand Bibi” in later accounts.
Beyond the answer
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📚 Keep reading
MedHist0041 — The Ahmadnagar Sultanate (Nizam Shahi)ModHist0004 — The Decline of the Mughal Empire: Causes Behind the CollapseMedHist0057 — Akbar: Life and ReignMedHist0058 — Rani Durgavati: The Warrior Queen of Garha-MandlaMedHist0038 — The Red Fort (Lal Qila)❓ Practice this topic
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