Lal Kunwar
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Imtiaz Mahal, better known by her birth name Lal Kunwar, was a consort of Mughal emperor Jahandar Shah. She was the daughter of Khasusiyat Khan. She was a former dancing girl who exercised supreme inf
Portrait of Lal Kunwar by Indian School of the 18th century
Portrait of Lal Kunwar or Imtiaz Mahal
Nautch
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The nautch was a popular court dance performed by girls in later Mughal and colonial India. The word "nautch" was a British corruption of "Nach", the Bengali word for dancing. In the early part of the
Lal Kunwar
…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…
Nautch dancers in Old Delhi, c. 1874
Nautch dancer in Calcutta, c. 1900
A Raja awaits the arrival of Nautch dancers
A Nautch girl performing, 1862