Eternal India Encyclopedia

MUSIC

Eternal India

encyclopedia

where Raja Man Singh Tomar (1486-1518)

had founded a school of music. When his fame

reached the ears of Akbar, the Emperor had

him brought to his court at Agra in 1563.

Akbar was so moved on hearing Ramtanu

sing, that he presented him with two lakhs of

rupees and gave him the title of Tansen. Tansen

became a Muslim, assumed or was given the

title Mirza, and was buried in Muslim holy

ground at Gwalior. Abul Fazl, Akbar's chroni-

cler, says of Tansen : " A singer like him has

not been known in India for the last thousand

years. He is by far the best of the groups of mu-

sicians of the imperial court of which there

were 36. Numerous musicians were attached

to Akbar's court — Hindus, Iranis, Turanis,

Kashmiris, both men and women. They formed

a group, one for each day of the week." Tansen

is credited with the creation of many new ra-

gas, like

Miyan-ki-Tod

and

Darbari Kannad.

He is also credited with the discovery of the

Rudra Veena He died at the age of 83in l589.

During the first 10 years of his reign, Au-

rangzeb was fond of music but as he grew

older he became an opponent of music and, by

court order, abolished the court musicians.

When this order was passed the court mu-

sicians brought a bier in front of the window

where the Emperor used to show himself to

the people and wailed so loud as to attract Au-

rangzeb's attention. He came to the window

and asked what the matter was. He was told

that music was dead and they were taking it to

the graveyard. The Emperor replied, "Very

well, make the grave deep so that neither voice

nor echo may issue from it."

In the Southern or Karnatak system the

basic form is the Varnam a completely com-

posed piece, which incorporates the charac-

teristic phrases and melodic movements of the

Raga. Varnams have a lyric. The Varnam

reaches its fullness of development in the de-

votional Kriti, which was moulded to perfec-

tion during the first half of the 19th century by

Thyagaraja, Shyama Shastri, Muthuswami

Dikshitar and Maharaja Swati Tirunal. The

longest item in the South Indian concert is the

ragam - tanam - pallavi

which is mostly im-

provised and with which the concert opens.

In South Indian music all composed pieces

are primarily for the voice drawn from the

devotional songs or

Kirtans

composed by

three composers, Thyagaraja, Muthuswami

Dikshitar and Shyama Shastri and 8 others.

Thyagaraja sang in Telugu in praise of Lord

Rama. Muthuswami Dikshitar and Shyama

Shastri were his contemporaries. They were

all bora in the Tanjavur District of Tamil

Nadu.

Swati Tirunal Rama Varma who was bom

in the Royal House of Travancore in 1813 was

a great patron of music besides being a musi-

cian and composer himself. He has a number

of kritis, varnas, padams and javalis to his

credit. He did not restrict himself to Carnatic

music but composed dhrupads, khayals,

thumris etc. He passed away in 1846.

Closelly allied and similar Ragas

Hindustaani

Patadeep

Madhuwanthee

Aahir Bhairav

Alhaiyaa Bilaaval

Bihaag

Kaunschee Kaanadaa

Sundar Kauns

Jaijaiwanthee

Komal Bhairav

Lathikaa

Khathmaa

Aabhogee Kaanarhaa

Aarabhi Malhaar

Sindhoora, Saindhaveen

Schahaana Kaanarhaa

Naag Ranjinee

Lankaa Dahan Saarang

Jeevanpuri

Jog

Aaschaa Thodee,

Komal Asaavaree

Komal

Dhannaasi

Dhaani

Durgaa

Bhem Phalaasi

Karnaataki

Gauree Mahonaree (Janaka raaga 23)

Dharmavathee (Janaka raaga 59)

Chakravaaka (Janaka raaga 16)

Bilahari

Behag (old Byaagu)

Maarga Hindola; Saaramathi

Jayanthaschree

Dwijaawanthee (Joo-jawanthee)

Gaanamoorthi (Janaka raaga -3; and Asaav-

eri)

Lathaangee (Janaka raaga 63)

Shadvidhamaarginee (Janaka ' raaga 46)

Aabhogi

Saama

Saalaga Bhairavi

Kaanada

Kalyaana Vasanthaa

Schree

Naagagaandhaaree

Naata

Asaaveri

Dhanyaasi

Udayaravichandrikaa or Schuddha

Dhanyaasi

Sehuddha Saaveri or Poorva Devakriya

Aabheri Vajrakaanthi, Sindhu Dhanyaasi &

Madhumaad, Megh

Baageschree

Lalith

Schuddh

Kalyaan

Saarang or Brinda-

avanee or Brinda-

avanee

Saaranga

Malkaus (Malghosh

or Maalava Kauscha)

Jogiyaa

Gunkali

Raageschree

Desch

Kalaavathee

Kalaavanthee or

Rishabh kee

Kalaavathee

Hindol

Huseni Kaanrhaa

Adhaanaa

Bihaangadaa

Kaalingadaaa

Bairaagi Bhairav

Schiva Ranjinee

Karnaataka Deva Gaandhari

Madhyamaavathee (Madhumaadhavee)

Schree ranjinee

Lalithaa

Mohana Kalyaanee

Brindaavana Saaranga

Hindolam

Saaveri

Lathaantha priya or Karnaataka Schuddha

Saaveri

Naatakuranji, R'avichandrikaa

Kedaaragaula (But here Theevra Ni is ta-

boo)

Valaji

Sandarschinee,

Bhavaabharani,

Hamsavi-

nodinee

Sunaadavinodinee

Huseni

Athaana

Begada

Kalgada

Revathee

Sankrandanapriya