Tansen (possibly imaginary likeness created much later)

Miyan Tansen (1493 or 1506 – 1586 or 1589) is considered among the greatest composer musicians in Hindustani classical music. He was an extraordinary gifted vocalist, known for a large number of compositions, and also an instrumentalist who popularized and improved the rabab (of Central Asian origin). He was one of the Navaratnas (nine jewels) at the court of the Mughal Emperor Akbar. Born Ramtanu Pandey, Akbar gave him the title Miyan (an honorific, can mean learned man, uncle, etc.) Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... 1493 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1506 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1586 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. ... Events Rebellion of the Catholic League against King Henry III of France, in revenge for his murder of Duke Henry of Guise. ... Hindustani Classical Music is an Indian classical music tradition that took shape in northern India in the 13th and 14th centuries AD from existing religious, folk, and theatrical performance practices. ... The rebab is a musical string instrument which was heavily used in old Arabic music its considered as part of the Lute familiy (Oud in Arabic). ... Map of Central Asia showing three sets of possible boundaries for the region Central Asia located as a region of the world Central Asia is a vast landlocked region of Asia. ... Navaratnas (Sanskrit dvigu nava-ratna- nine gems) was a term applied to a group of nine extraordinary people in a kings court in India. ... The Mughal Empire (alternative spelling Mogul, which is the origin of the word Mogul) of India was founded by Babur in 1526, when he defeated Ibrahim Lodi, the last of the Delhi Sultans at the First Battle of Panipat. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... An honorific is a word or expression that conveys esteem or respect and is used in addressing or referring to a person. ...

Born at a time when a number of Persian and Central Asian motifs were fusing with Indian classical music, his influence was central to creating the Hindustani classical ethos as we know it today. A number of descendants and disciples have also considerably enriched the tradition. Almost all gharanas of Hindustani classical music claim some connection with the Tansen lineage. The origins of Indian classical music can be found from the oldest of scriptures, part of the Hindu tradition, the Vedas. ... Hindustani Classical Music is an Indian classical music tradition that took shape in northern India in the 13th and 14th centuries AD from existing religious, folk, and theatrical performance practices. ... For the 1961 Hindi film, see Gharana. ...

Biography

Tansen as a historical personality is difficult to extract from the extensive legend that surrounds him. It is reasonably certain that he was born into a Hindu Brahmin family, possibly in 1506, though some legends give it as 1493^[1]; possibly in the village Behat near Gwalior. His father Makrand Ram Pandey was a poet and accomplished musician, who was for some time a temple priest in Varanasi. Tansen's name as a child was Ramtanu (he may have had other nicknames/names like Tanna and Mukul). According to legend, he was noted for his imitations of animal calls and birdsong. Bhavna says there are 300 million gods in Hinduism. ... The term Brahmin denotes both a member of the priestly class in the Hindu varna system, and a member of the highest caste in the caste system of Hindu society. ... , Gwalior   is a city in Madhya Pradesh in India. ... , VārāasÄ« ( , Hindi: , IPA: ), also known as Benares, Banaras, or Benaras ( , Hindi: , , IPA: ), or Kashi or Kasi ( , Hindi: , ), is a famous Hindu holy city situated on the banks of the river Ganges (Ganga) in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. ...

Akbar watching as Tansen receives a lesson from Swami Haridas. Imaginary situation depicted in Mughal miniature painting style (Rajasthani, c. 1750 AD).

At some point, he was discipled for some time to Swami Haridas, the legendary composer from Vrindavan and part of the stellar Gwalior court of Raja Mansingh Tomar (1486-1516 AD), specializing in the dhrupad style of singing. One legend has that Haridas was passing through the forests when the five-year old Ramtanu's imitation of a tiger impressed the musician saint. Another version is that his father sent him to Haridas. From Haridas, Tansen acquired not only his love for dhrupad but also his interest in compositions in the local language. This was the time when the Bhakti tradition was fomenting a shift from Sanskrit to the local idiom (Brajbhasa or Hindi), and Tansen's compositions also highlight this trend. At some point during his apprenticeship, Tansen's father died, and he returned home, where it is said he used to sing at a local Shiva temple. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... According to one school of thought he was born in 1480 A.D. in Rajpur near Brindavan. ... a 17th century Mughal painting Mughal painting is a particular style of Indian painting, generally confined to miniatures either as book illustrations or as single works to be kept in albums, which emerged from Persian miniature painting, with Indian influences, and developed during the period of the Mughal Empire (16th... According to one school of thought he was born in 1480 A.D. in Rajpur near Brindavan. ... , Vrindavan   (alternate spellings Vrindaban or Brindavan), or Vraj in Mathura district, Uttar Pradesh, India is a town on the site of an ancient forest which is believed to have been the region where the famous cowherd boy, Krishna, from Hindu scriptures spent his childhood days. ... , Gwalior   is a city in Madhya Pradesh in India. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Bhakti (DevanāgarÄ«: भक्ति) is a word of Sanskrit origin meaning devotion and also the path of devotion itself, as in Bhakti-Yoga. ... Brij Bhasha (ब्रज भाषा), also called Braj Bhasha, Braj Bhakha, or Daihaati Zabaan (country tongue), is a Central Indian language closely related to Hindi. ... Hindi (DevanāgarÄ«: or , IAST: , IPA:  ), an Indo-European language spoken all over India in varying degrees and extensively in northern and central India, is one of the 22 official languages of India and is also used for central government administrative purposes , along with English. ...

In any event, Tansen went to Ghaus who eventually became his spiritual mentor.He also married Husseini (lit. beautiful one),

"However, beyond a reference of Tansen's name in a list of his disciples Miyan Tansen's name is found among the names of the Mureeds (Fans) of the Shuttari Tariqat - a Sufi spiritual lineage founded by Shaykh Muhammad Ghaus of Gwalior."

The burial of Tansen in his shaykhs' mausoleum is thought to indicate proof of his conversion to the path of his spiritual guide. Usually, the most prominent disciples of a saint are buried near the master's mausoleum. </ref>, not much historical detail is known about their actual encounter.

The interaction with Ghaus in the Sufi tradition and the earlier training with Swami Haridas in the Bhakti tradition led to a fusion of these streams in the work of Tansen. As it is, the mystic streams of Sufism and Bhakti had considerable philosophical and stylistic overlap; Ghaus in his text Bahr-ul-Hayat (Ocean of Life) devotes several chapters to Yoga practices. In Tansen's music, we find he continues to compose in Brajbhasha invoking traditional motifs such as Krishna or Bhagwan ShankarSiva. For other uses, see Yoga (disambiguation). ... Brij Bhasha, also called Braj Bhasha, Braj Bhakha, or Daihaati Zabaan (country tongue), is a Central Indo-Aryan language closely related to Hindi. ... This article is about the Hindu deity. ... This article is about the Hindu God. ...

Tansen was also influenced by other singers in the Gwalior court and also the musically proficient queen, Mriganayani, whose romance with the king had been forged on her singing; she remained a friend even after the death of the Raja. Other musicians at Gwalior may have included Baiju Bawra Eventually, he joined the court of King Ramachandra Baghela of Rewa, where he remained from 1555-1562^[2]. It appears that the Mughal emperor Akbar heard of his prowess and sent his emissary Jalaluddin Qurchi to Ramachandra, who had little choice but to acquiesce, and Tansen went to Akbar's court in 1562. Baiju Bawra was a legendary Indian dhrupadiya singer. ... Rewa is a city in northern Madhya Pradesh state, central India. ... The Mughal Empire (alternative spelling Mogul, which is the origin of the word Mogul) of India was founded by Babur in 1526, when he defeated Ibrahim Lodi, the last of the Delhi Sultans at the First Battle of Panipat. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ...

Another legend is that Akbar's daughter Meherunnissa was enamoured by Tansen and had a role in his coming to Akbar's court^[1].

Tansen joined Akbar's court eventually becoming one of the treasured Navaratnas (lit. nava=nine, ratna=jewel) of his court. It was Akbar who gave him the honorific title Miyan, and he is usually referred to today as Miyan Tansen. Legend has it that in his first performance, he was gifted one lakh (100,000) gold coins. Sri Navaratna - the 9 Gems Navaratna, literally a Sanskrit compound word meaning nine gems, is a talisman or accessory set with nine gems. ... An honorific is a word or expression that conveys esteem or respect and is used in addressing or referring to a person. ...

The presence of musicians like Tansen in Akbar's court has been related by historians to the theoretical position of making the empire's audible presence felt among the population, a mechanism related to Naubat or ritual performance^[3].

Fatehpur Sikri audience chambers, with Anup Talao on the left

The fort at Fatehpur Sikri is strongly associated with Tansen's tenure at Akbar's court. Near the emperor's chambers, a pond was built with a small island in the middle, where musical performances were given. Today, this tank, called Anup Talao, can be seen near the public audience hall Diwan-i-Aam - a central platform reachable via four footbridges. It is said that Tansen would perform different ragas at different times of day, and the emperor and his select audience would honour him with coins. Tansen's alleged residence is also nearby. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... View across Fatehpur Sikri Fatehpur Sikri (Hindi: ) was the political capital of Indias Mughal Empire under Akbars reign, from 1571 until 1585, when it was abandoned, ostensibly due to lack of water. ...

Family

Tanras Khan, Bilas Khan, Hamirsen, Suratsen and Saraswati Devi, all musicians. Bilas Khan is said to have created raga Bilaskhani Todi after Tansen's death; an interesting legend of this improvisation (it differs only in detail from Tansen's Todi), has it that Bilas composed it while grief-stricken at the wake itself, and that Tansen's corpse moved one hand in approval of the new melody.

Tansen's blood descendants – the Senia gharana - held considerable prestige in musical circles for several centuries. The royal courts of Rampur and Jaipur among others, retained many noted members of Tansen lineage, including Nayak Wazir Khan (guru of Allauddin Khan) and Mohammed Ali Khan. Wazir Khan, who is of Saraswati Devi lineage, was also a musicologist who wrote the Risala Mousibi. One of the last of the line, Dr Dabir Khan, (1905-1972, Saraswati Devi lineage) was a dhrupadiya and a beenkar, at Radio Calcutta. Rampur is a city located in the Northern part of Uttar Pradesh between Moradabad and Bareilly, not far from Delhi. ... , Jaipur   (Hindi: जयपुर, Rajasthan Capital), also popularly known as the Pink City, historically sometimes rendered as Jeypore, is the capital of Rajasthan state, India. ... Allauddin Khan (Bangla: ওস্তাদ আলাউদ্দীন খান, also known as Baba Allauddin Khan) (1862–1972), was a Bengali Indian classical sarodiya and multi-instrumentalist and one of the greatest Indian music teachers of the 20th Century, father of Ali Akbar Khan and Annapurna Devi and guru to Ravi Shankar, Nikhil Banerjee, Vasant Rai, Pannalal... Ustad Asad Ali Khan,Pandit Hindraj Divekar,Ustad Shamsuddin Faridi Desai and Ustad Bahauddin Dagar(Dagar Veena-a variation of the traditional Rudra Veena) are the surviving exponents of the instrument in India. ...

Musical legacy

The legendary musical prowess of Tansen surpasses all other legends in Indian music. In terms of influence, he can be compared only to the prolific sufi composer Amir Khusro (1253-1325), and perhaps to a lesser extent, to bhakti tradition composers such as Kabir or Haridas. Abul Hasan Yamīn al-Dīn Khusrow (Persian: , Devanagari: अबुल हसन यमीनुददीन ख़ुसरो) (1253-1325 CE), better known as Amīr Khusrow Dehlawī, was the greatest Persian-writing poet of medieval India one of the iconic figures in the cultural history of the Indian subcontinent. ... A painting of Kabir Kabīr (also Kabīra) (Hindi: कबीर, Gurmukhī: ਕਬੀਰ, Urdu: ) (1440—1518[1]) (born in 1398 according to some accounts[1][2]) was a mystic poet or poet sants of India, whose literature has greatly influenced the Bhakti as well as Sufi movements of India. ... Swami Haridas has a highly significant place in the music of north India, for the era in which he lived was an extremely active and productive one. ...

Several of his raga compositions have become mainstays of the Hindustani tradition, and these are often prefaced with Miyan ki ("of the Miyan"), e.g. Miyan ki Todi, Miyan ki Malhar, Miyan ki Mand, Miyan ki Sarang; in addition he is the creator of major ragas like Darbari Kanada (lit. Darbari= of the court, Kanada=Carnatic), Darbari Todi, and Rageshwari. Panorama of Todi. ... Malhar is the intercollegiate youth festival conducted by the students of St. ... Carnatic may mean: Carnatic, a region of Southern India Carnatic music SS Carnatic, a shipwrecked steamer This is a disambiguation page &#8212; a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

Tansen also authored Sangeeta Sara and Rajmala which constitute important documents on music.

Almost every gharana (school) tries to trace its origin to him, though some try to go further back to Amir Khusro^[4]. As for the Dhrupad style of singing, this was formalized essentially through the practice by composers like Tansen and Haridas, as well as others like Baiju Bawra who may have been a contemporary, although legends of his duels with Tansen are unlikely to be historical. For the 1961 Hindi film, see Gharana. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Baiju Bawra was a legendary Indian dhrupadiya singer. ...

After Tansen, some of the ideas from the rabab were fused with the traditional Indian stringed instrument, veena; one of the results of this fusion is the instrument sarod, which does not have frets and is popular today because of its perceived closeness to the vocal style. Woman playing the Veena. ... The sarod or sarode (Hindi:सरोद, Bengali: সরোদ) is a string musical instrument, used mainly in Indian classical music. ...

Legends

The bulk of Tansen's biography as it is handed down in the musical literature constitutes of legends^[5].

Among the legends about Tansen are stories of his bringing down the rains with Raga Megh Malhar and starting fires with the legendary raga Deepak ^[6]. Other legends tell of his ability to bring wild animals to listen with attention (or to talk their language). Once, a wild white elephant was captured, but it was fierce and could not be tamed. Finally, Tansen sang to the elephant who calmed down and the emperor was able to ride him. Raga (rāg /राग (Hindi), raga (anglicised from rāgaḥ/रागः (Sanskrit)) or rāgam /ராகம் (Tamil)) are the melodic modes used in Indian classical music. ...

Many aficionados are convinced that his death was caused by a conflagration while he was singing the raga Deepak.

Tansen's tomb in Gwalior, near the tomb of his Sufi master Muhammad Ghaus

Image File history File links Tomb_of_Tansen. ... Image File history File links Tomb_of_Tansen. ... , Gwalior   is a city in Madhya Pradesh in India. ... Sufism (Arabic &#1578;&#1589;&#1608;&#1601; tas&#803;awwuf) is a system of esoteric philosophy commonly associated with Islam. ...

Death

According to one version of the story, Tansen died on 1586-04-26, and that Akbar and much of his court attended the funeral procession^[1]. Other versions give 1589 as the year of his death. Tansen was buried in the mausoleum complex of his Sufi guru Shaykh Muhammad Ghaus in Gwalior. 1586 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. ... is the 116th day of the year (117th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Every year in December, an annual festival, the Tansen Samaroh, is held in Gwalior to celebrate Tansen^[7].

References

Dawn is Pakistans oldest and most widely-read English-language newspaper. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... is the 285th day of the year (286th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 275th day of the year (276th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The University of Chicago Press is the largest university press in the U.S. It is operated by the University of Chicago and publishes a wide variety of academic titles, including The Chicago Manual of Style, dozens of academic journals including Critical Inquiry, and a wide array of texts covering... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Bilawal is the basic thaat (musical mode) in Hindustani classical music. ... Khamaj is one of the ten Thaats (parent scales) of Hindustani music. ... A thaat is a musical mode in Hindustani music which always has seven notes (excluding the repeated tonic) and is considered the basis for the system of organizing and classifying ragas in North Indian classical music. ... For followers of Hinduism, see Hindu. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 11th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

See also

• Hindustani classical music
• Carnatic classical music
• Swami Haridas