Maham Anga
Maham Anga (died 1562) was a Turkish noblewoman who served as the chief wet nurse and foster mother to Mughal Emperor Akbar, raising him from infancy and thereby gaining profound influence over the young ruler during his early years on the throne.[1][2]As Akbar's primary caregiver after his biological mother's death, she transitioned from a domestic role to a political powerhouse, advising the teenage emperor and effectively acting as regent from 1560 to 1562 following the dismissal of Bairam Khan, Akbar's guardian.[1] Her tenure marked a period of factional intrigue in the Mughal court, where she promoted her son Adham Khan—a foster brother to Akbar—as a military commander, granting him key campaigns such as the conquest of Malwa in 1561, though his subsequent embezzlement of spoils and murder of rival Atka Khan in 1561 escalated tensions.[1] Maham Anga also patronized architecture and learning, commissioning the Khair-ul-Manazil mosque in Delhi as a symbol of her status.[3] Her downfall came with Adham Khan's failed rebellion and execution by Akbar in 1562, after which she reportedly succumbed to grief shortly thereafter, highlighting the precarious interplay of familial loyalty and imperial authority in the Mughal power structure.[1]