1. Lal Kunwar was a former dancing girl who exercised supreme influence over the Emperor, encouraged frivolity and pleasure which eventually led to his ignominious downfall.
12 Facts About Lal Kunwar
1. 2.
Lal Kunwar was the favorite concubine of Jahandar Shah and is more often referred to in histories by her given name Lal Kunwar.
3.
Lal Kunwar is alternately referred to as a singing girl, a dancing girl, a Nautch girl, or Kanchani.
4.
Lal Kunwar had no prior ties to the court or claims to nobility, but rose to become the favorite companion of Jahandar Shah.
5.
Lal Kunwar is credited with elevating the status of her relatives, as was the custom of the time for the position of a royal consort.
6.
Lal Kunwar was permitted to use the emperor's standard and drums, and was attended by a procession of five hundred men.
7.
Lal Kunwar was more occupied with comfort and pleasure with relative carelessness in the harem and encouraged Jahandar Shah to keep his mind away from political matters and turn to enjoying life to avoid worries.
Related searches
Jahandar Shah 8.
The emperor and his consort were famously fond of drink, and one night they were so inebriated on a ride home that when they arrived, Lal Kunwar simply exited the cart and went to bed.
9.
The drunken emperor was nowhere to be found in the morning, and when the staff awoke Lal Kunwar, she fell into hysterics for she had thought he was by her side that night.
10.
Lal Kunwar is said to have hurled insults at the Begum, and at her request the emperor declined to visit his aunt and ignored her invitations.
11.
Lal Kunwar was not fond of Jahandar Shah's two young sons, and consequently their father stopped seeing them and had them imprisoned.
12.
Lal Kunwar's influence is credited with the loss of respect for the Mughal court system, and the role of the emperor.