In 1824, she became the first female poet to have a diwan (collection of poems) of her work, a compilation of Urdu Ghazals named Gulzar-e-Mahlaqa, published posthumously.

Mah Laqa Bai was an influential courtesan of the Deccan; the Nizam, ruler of Hyderabad, appointed her to the omarah (the highest nobility), and as a close affiliate at the court, she was discussed on state policies and accomplished assigned diplomatic engagements.

An expert in spear throwing, tent pegging and archery, she accompanied Nizam II in three battles, hunting expeditions and camping.

[1][2]: 120  Her mother was Raj Kunwar – a courtesan (tawaif) who migrated from Rajputana,[3] and father was Bahadur Khan, who served as a Mansabdar (military official) at Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah's court.

[4]: 107  Chanda Bibi was adopted by Kunwar's childless sister Mehtaab Ma who was the favored courtesan - almost a regular consort - of Nawab Rukn-ud-Daula, a Prime Minister of Nizam of Hyderabad.

Owing to her contributions, the Nizams awarded her with Jagir (lands) on various occasions,[6][4]: 81 & 124 [8]: 172–3 [9]: 355–6  that include the neighborhoods of Hyderguda, Chanda Nagar, Syed pally and Adikmet.

[16]: 178 Mah Laqa was influenced by the literary work of mystic poet Siraj Aurangabadi (1715–1763),[2]: 121 [17]: 4109  and learned poetry from Nawab Mir Alam who later became the Prime Minister of Hyderabad State.

[2]: 121–2 Mah Laqa learned singing and classical Indian music specialising Thumri from Khushhal Khan a master musician of her time,[21]: 16  and a great-grandson of the Tansen, the maestro of Mughal court.

[4]: 118 & 128 Mah Laqa excelled in singing love lyrics accompanied by Deccani style of Kathak dance which was popular and practised by courtesans in the courts of the viceroy's) under the later-Mughal.

[24]: 25  According to the miniature paintings exhibited and displayed by Salar Jung Museum at Google Arts & Culture in 2016, Mah Laqa Bai learned dance from master Panna Maharaj and Khushhal Khan.

One author studied her writings and said that "her verses had a distinct darbari ring in which she eulogized the king and nobles, a common style employed by poets during the 17th and 18th centuries.

[27]: 169–70 [28]: 336–39 Mah Laqa Bai mastered spear throw, tent pegging and archery at the age of fourteen, for which she is known as a brilliant performer and a skilled warrior.

[13][19] On a carved teakwood over the door of her mausoleum, an inscription in Urdu can be seen which translates as:[21]: 13 Cypress of the garden of grace and rose-tree of the grove of coquetry, an ardent inamorata of Hydar and suppliant of Panjtan.

In the year 2010, by using funds from the Federal government of the United States through the Consulate General's office in Hyderabad, the Center for Deccan Studies spearheaded the year-long renovation project.

In this renovation project, the debris was cleared, water channels were rebuilt, trees, bushes, the buildings and their exquisite decorations were restored.

[35] Abdul Halim Sharar presented Mah Laqa Bai in his Urdu novel Husan Kay Dakoo (the robbers of beauty) (1913-1914) as a well-informed lady who got benefits from the modern educational system.

[36]: 472  Narendra Luther, posits that Mah Laqa Bai, the first women poet of India whose anthology was ever published "brought much pride to Hyderabad".

[34] In a seminar "Mad and divine women" (2011) Scott Kugle — a professor at Emory University, expressed that Mah Laqa Bai, besides being an aristocratic tawaif, was a devoted mystic, and was enamored by Sufi and bhakti elements.

[23] In 2013, during the Hyderabad heritage festival, a monologue stage play "Maha Laq Bai Chanda" on the life of Mah Laqa was sponsored by Andhra Pradesh State Tourism Department.