Chand Kaur (1802 – 11 June 1842) was fourth ruler of the Sikh Empire, proclaimed as Malika Muqaddisa on 2 December 1840. She was born to Sardar Jaimal Singh of the Kanhaiya Misl. In 1812, she was married to Crown Prince Kharak Singh, son and heir apparent of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Maharani Datar Kaur. In 1821 she gave birth to their only son Nau Nihal Singh, who became second in line of succession to the throne of Punjab. During her husband's reign she served as the queen consort of the Sikh Empire and became the Rajmata when her son ascended the throne. After the deaths of both her husband Kharak Singh and son Nau Nihal Singh, she declared herself regent for the unborn child of Nau Nihal Singh and his pregnant widow Sahib Kaur. She abandoned her claim when Sahib Kaur delivered a stillborn son and rival Sher Singh led a successful assault of Lahore. She was later murdered by her servants on 11 June 1842. Biography Chand Kaur was born in 1802 into a Jat Sikh Sandhu family in Fatehgarh Churian in the Gurdaspur District of Punjab. Her father was Sardar Jaimal Singh, chief of the Kanhaiya Misl. In February 1812, at the age of ten, she married Kunwar Kharak Singh, the eldest son of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. In 1816, Maharaja Ranjit Singh officially announced Kharak Singh as his heir apparent and anointed him "Tikka Kanwar" (Crown prince) making Chand Kaur the "Tikka Rani Sahiba" (Crown Princess). Their son, Nau Nihal Singh, was born on 23 February 1821 and in March 1837 he married Bibi Nanaki Kaur Sahiba, daughter of Sham Singh Atariwala. Reign of son After the death of Ranjit Singh on 27 June 1839, Kharak Singh was appointed as his successor and Raja Dhian Singh Dogra as his wazir (vizier). The new Maharaja only ruled for a few months until October 1839, when he was overthrown in a coup by his son, Nau Nihal Singh, and Dhian Singh. He was imprisoned at Lahore until his death in November 1840 from slow poisoning. Contemporary chroniclers suggest that the poison had been administered under Dhiān Siṅgh's orders. Returning from the cremation of his father on 5 November, Nau Nihal Singh went through the gate of the Hazuri Bagh with his companion Udam Singh, son of Gulab Singh, and Dhian Singh's nephew. As they passed through the gate stones