Mariyam Kaba'afa'anu Rani Kilege
Mariyam Kaba'afa'anu Rani Kilege was a Sultana consort of the Maldives by marriage to sultan Ibrahim Iskandar I of the Maldives. She served as regent of the Maldives during the minority of her son, sultan Kuda Muhammad of the Maldives, from 1687 until 1691.
Life
Mariyam was reportedly originally the daughter of a concubine from Hindustan.She became a consort to Ibrahim Iskander I, and mother of his heir, Kuda Muhammad. She was rumored to have poisoned Ibrahim Iskander I, who died in 1687 and was succeeded by her son.
Regency
Her son was six years old upon his succession to the throne, and initially he was not under the regency of his mother but a regency council of court officials. The regency council kept Maryam out of state affairs, and only gave her a limited allowance.Mariyam created a power base of followers and soon deposed the regency council and had herself proclaimed regent during her son's minority, taking absolute power. She exiled many of the leading viziers and replaced them with her relatives and favorites.
During her reign, she had traditionally been said to indulge in her personal pleasure, and it was said that she "threw all decency to the winds openly playing the role of a latter day Catherine II of Russia. Nominally married to a commoner, on whom High Rank was conferred, she encouraged unrestricted vice in every form."