Chand Kaur
Chand Kaur, 1842, Rani of Punjab. She was the wife of Maharaja Kharak Singh who succeeded his father, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, at his death in 1839. Her husband, who was almost an imbecile, was murdered hardly a year of his becoming the Maharaja, and her able son, Naunihal Singh, also died the same day in the collapse of an arch while returning from his father’s cremation. She refused to remarry her husband’s younger brother, Sher Singh. After considerable opposition she was declared the ruler of Punjab (Dec. 1840) and Sher Singh was compelled to leave Lahore. However, in January 1841, he returned with an army, beseiged the Lahore fort, and compelled Chand Kaur to step down from the throne. She was retired with a jagir for her maintenance, but on 11 January 1842 she was found with a smashed skull, apparently beaten to death, in her palace.
