CHANDO RANI, MAI, mother in law of Guru Nanak. was married to Mul Chand of Batala.
References :
- 1. Santokh Singh, Bhai, Sri Gur Pratap Suraj Granth. Amritsar, 1927-35
- 2. Gian Singh, Giani, Twarikh Guru Khalsa [Reprint]. Patiala, 1970
- 3. Macauliffc, M.A., The Sikh Religion. Oxford, 1909
- 4. Harbans Singh, Guru Nanak and the Origins of Sikh Faith. Delhi, 1969
- 5. McLeod, W.IL, Guru Nanak and the Sikh Religion. Oxford, 1968
Mata Chando or Mata Chando Rani was the mother of Mata Sulakhni and the mother-in-law of Guru Nanak. She was the wife of Baba Mool Chand who was a Chona Khatri, resident of Batala and they looked after the lands of the Randhava Jatts of the village of Pakkhokc in present-day Gurdaspur district of the Punjab. They had a daughter of marriageable age named Sulakhani whom they betrothed to (Guru) Nanak, who was then working as a modi or store holder for the Nawab Daulat Khan of Sultanpur Lodhi. The match was arranged through Bhai Jai Ram, husband of the Guru’s sister, Bibi Nanaki, and the marriage was solemnized at Batala on 8 July 1487 (Harh 24, 1544) but is normally celebrated in Batala during late August each year.. Gurdwara Dehra Sahib, also known as Viah Asthan Guru Nanak Dev Ji, now marks the place where Mata Chando Rani and Baba Mool Chand lived. The Nanak family sometimes moved to Pakkhoke Randhave where Mata Sulakhni came with her two sons to stay with her parents during Guru Nanak’s mission abroad when he was away from home. She would rejoin later him at Kartarpur, opposite Pakkhoke across the River Ravi, where he had settled after his prolonged travels.
Chando Rani: Guru Nanak’s Mother-in-Law’s Legacy, a narrative that illuminates her pivotal role in the early family life of Guru Nanak and her lasting influence on the Sikh tradition.
Genealogical Foundations and Family Background
Chando Rani is remembered in Sikh historical accounts as the mother of Mata Sulakhni and, by extension, the mother‐in‐law of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. She was married to Baba Mool Chand, a Chona Khatri from Batala, who was entrusted with the management of the lands of the Randhava Jatts in the village of Pakkhok (also rendered as Pakhokhi) located in what is today the Gurdaspur district of Punjab. This humble yet significant familial unit played a crucial role in the formation of the Nanak household.
According to traditional sources such as Guru Kian Sakhian and entries on SikhiWiki, it was from this union that a daughter—Mata Sulakhni—was born. In keeping with local traditions and familial honor, Chando Rani and Baba Mool Chand arranged her marriage at a time when alliances were meticulously formed to enhance both social standing and spiritual lineage.
The Marriage That Shaped a Spiritual Legacy
Mata Sulakhni, the only daughter of Chando Rani, was betrothed to Guru Nanak. At the time of the marriage arrangement, Guru Nanak was working as a modi (storekeeper) for Nawab Daulat Khan of Sultanpur Lodhi. The match came together through the intercession of Bhai Jai Ram—husband of Guru Nanak’s elder sister, Bibi Nanaki. The union was solemnized on 8 July 1487 (Harh 24, 1544), though the celebration is traditionally observed in Batala during late August each year.
This matrimonial alliance was far more than a matter of social convention. It served as a bridge between formidable local traditions and the burgeoning spiritual movement that Guru Nanak was pioneering. By uniting with Guru Nanak, Mata Sulakhni, guided by the nurturing influence of her mother Chando Rani, became an integral part of the Nanak household—a setting that would later influence the course of Sikh history.
Cultural and Spiritual Significance
Chando Rani’s legacy is multifaceted. On one level, she is remembered as a matriarch who ensured the continuity of family traditions built upon piety, hard work, and communal responsibility. Her household in Batala, which has been commemorated by institutions such as Gurdwara Dehra Sahib (also known as Viah Asthan Guru Nanak Dev Ji), is a living reminder of the roots from which Sikh guruship emerged.
Her role in nurturing her daughter instilled values that were essential both for the personal development of Mata Sulakhni and for the spiritual environment in which Guru Nanak’s mission thrived. There is evidence that the Nanak family, at times, even temporarily relocated to Pakkhok to stay with Chando Rani and Baba Mool Chand—ensuring that the familial bonds remained strong during Guru Nanak’s extensive travels and missionary endeavors.
By providing a stable and spiritually enriched family environment, Chando Rani contributed in a subtle but everlasting way to the shaping of Sikh identity. Her legacy, though recorded in the quieter pages of genealogical tradition, underscores the importance of familial sacrifice, the nurturing of future generations, and the role of women in supporting and transmitting the values that define a faith.
Enduring Legacy and Historical Insights
The legacy of Chando Rani endures on several fronts:
- Spiritual Continuity: Her influence is seen through Mata Sulakhni and, by extension, in the life and teachings of Guru Nanak. Her guidance helped foster an environment where spiritual and ethical values could flourish.
- Cultural Integration: By merging local cultural traditions of Batala and the Randhava Jatts with the emerging Sikh philosophy, Chando Rani’s family served as a microcosm of the wider Punjabi synthesis—a melding that remains central to Sikh identity.
- Historical Commemoration: Today, places like Gurdwara Dehra Sahib stand as memorials to the early Nanak period, preserving the memory of the family that once dwelt in Batala. These sites ensure that the contributions of figures like Chando Rani remain part of the living history of Sikhism.
