Lal Kunwar

Imtiaz Mahal (Persian "distinguished one of the palace"), better known by her birth name Lal Kunwar, was the Empress consort of the Mughal Empire as the wife of Mughal emperor Jahandar Shah. She was a former dancing girl who exercised supreme influence over the Emperor, encouraged frivolity and pleasure which eventually led to his ignominious downfall. She was the favorite concubine of Jahandar Shah and is more often referred to in histories by her given name Lal Kunwar. Origins and family She is alternately referred to as a singing girl, a dancing girl, a Nautch girl, or Kanchani. She had no prior ties to the court or claims to nobility, but rose to become the favorite companion of Jahandar Shah. Her father, Khasusiyat Khan, supposedly descended from Mian Tansen, a renowned musician during the reign of Akbar. Political influence