Lal Kunwar

Lal Kunwar लाल कुंवर
Imtiaz Mahal (امتیاز محل)
Portrait of Lal Kunwar by Indian School of the 18th century
Empress consort of the Mughal Empire
Tenure	27 February 1712 – 12 February 1713
Born	Lal Kunwar लाल कुंवर 17th century
Died	18th century
Spouse	Jahandar Shah
House	Timurid (by marriage)
Father	Khasusiyat Khan
Religion	Islam

Imtiaz Mahal (Persian: امتیاز محل‎‎; meaning "distinguished one of the palace") better known by her birth name Lal Kunwar (Hindi: लाल कुंवर) was the Empress 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.

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 musician of some renown during the reign of Akbar.

She is credited with elevating the status of her relatives, as was the custom of the time for the position of the queen. Members of her family were given titles and lands under the mansabdari system, along with valuable gifts. Three of her brothers were ennobled with the titles Niamat Khan, Namdar Khan, and Khanzad Khan. Other members of the Kalavant class were elevated as well. These actions invited the ire of established courtiers, for they felt their own positions had been sullied by the inclusion of lower class persons. One such courtier, Wazir Zulfiqar Khan, went as far as arresting her brother, Khushal Khan, on the charge of assaulting a girl, to keep him from being appointed Subedar of Multan.

Comparisons have been made to Nur Jahan, who also exercised considerable influence over the placement of her own relatives. Like Nur Jahan, Lal Kunwar received a massive allowance, as well as fortunes in jewels and goods. She was permitted to use the emperor's standard and drums, and was attended by a procession of five hundred men. Unlike Nur Jahan, she did not influence the policy of the state and her interests seem confined to devotion to her family and emperor.