The ladies of the contemporaneous Ottoman harem were, for most of its history, organised as follows:
- The sultan's mother, under the title of Valide Sultan, stood at the apex of the hierarchy.
- Next came the sultan's four favourite concubines, having the title Kadın.
- Next came those concubines whom the sultan had slept with at least once, having the title of Ikbal.
- At the bottom of the hierarchy were the other concubines and servant girls, having the title Cariye.
The most senior kadın, for example, would be styled, in full, as Devletlu İsmetlu [given name] Başkadınefendi Hazretleri, and might be addressed as Başkadınefendi.
Is it possible to draw up a similar hierarchy and titulary for the ladies of the Mughal harem?