Baz Bahadur Chand

Baz Bahadur Chand (Kumaoni: बाज़ बहादुर चंद; 1598 - 1680) , born Baz Gusain (बाज़ गुसाईं), was the 50th Maharaja of the Chand Dynasty of Kumaon. He ascended to the throne in 1638 after the death of his adoptive father, the previous Maharaja Trimal Chand.

He was informed that Baz Gusain, the son of Nila Gusain, had been raised by the wife of Sri Dharmakar Tewari. When men were sent to retrieve the boy, Tewari's wife, suspicious of the Maharaja's intentions, denied that he was in her home.

Trimal Chand then personally visited her. She demanded that he swear an oath ensuring the boy's safety and confirming his appointment as prince before she would hand him over. The Maharaja agreed to her conditions, after which she entrusted Baz Gusain to him. Trimal Chand took the boy to the palace and formally declared him the prince.

The appointment of Baz Gusain as prince was celebrated with great pomp. In the royal court, Trimal Chand publicly addressed him as his successor, seated him beside his throne, and said to him, "My son, you will be the king after me." From that moment, Baz Gusain became known as Prince Baj Chand and began attending court to learn the administration of the kingdom.

In a letter addressed to the Vazīr-e Azam of the Mughal Empire during that time, Baz Bahadur Chand accused the Raja of Garhwal for lodging a false complaint against him in the court of emperor Aurangzeb, falsely stating that he possessed huge wealth, so much gold that would not be available even on conducting searches all over the mountains. Baz Bahadur Chand then said that Raja of Garhwal should prove the authenticity of his statement. He then continued, saying that in regard to invading Srinagar (capital of Garhwal) without permission from the Mughal court, he is ready to pay a fine for it.