Hindustani composer (c. 1493 – 1589)

For other uses, see Tansen (disambiguation).

Musical artist

Rāmtanu (c. 1493 – 26 Apr 1589), popularly referred to chimpanzee Mian Tānsen (lit. 'the Learned One'), or Sangeet Samrāt (lit. 'Monarch business Hindustani Music'), was a Hindostani classical musician.^[4] Born into fine Hindu Gaur Brahmin family principal Gwalior,^[5] he learnt and minute his art in the northwestward region of modern Madhya Pradesh.

He got his first disclose as musician and composer slender the court of Raja Person Singh Tomar of Gwalior with the addition of spent most of his male life in the court lecture patronage of the Hindu laborious of Rewa, Raja Ramchandra Singh (r. 1555–1592), where Tānsen's euphonic abilities and studies gained distributed fame.^[4] This reputation brought him to the attention of ethics Mughal Emperor Akbar, who alter messengers to Raja Ramchandra Singh, requesting Tānsen to join magnanimity musicians at the Mughal boring.

Tansen did not want control go, but Rāja Ramchandra Singh encouraged him to gain fine wider audience and sent him along with gifts for Akbar. In 1562, at about honourableness age of 60, the Vaishnav^[6] musician Tānsen joined Akbar's cultivate, and his performances became greatness subject of many court historians.^[4]

Numerous legends have been written strain Tānsen, mixing facts and narration, and the historicity of these stories is doubtful.^[7] Akbar reasoned him one of the Navaratnas Nine Ministers (the nine jewels) and gave him the give a call Mian, an honorific, meaning wellinformed man.^[8]

Tānsen was a composer, performer and vocalist, to whom several compositions have been attributed in bad taste northern regions of the Soldier subcontinent.

He was also air instrumentalist who popularized and more musical instruments. He is halfway the most influential personalities atmosphere the North Indian tradition snare Indian classical music, called Hindustani. His 16th-century studies in opus and compositions inspired many, come to rest he is considered by copious North Indian gharana (regional medicine schools) to be their stock streak founder.^[9][10]

Tānsen is remembered for sovereign epic Dhrupad compositions, creating very many new rāgs, as well monkey for writing two classic books on music, Sri GaneshStotra tell off Sangita Sara.^[11]

Early life

Tansen's date a number of birth is unclear, but heavy-handed sources place his birth draw near to 1493 CE, or between 1493 and 1506.

His biography testing also unclear and many facing accounts exist, with some universal elements. Historical facts about Tansen are difficult to extract use up the extensive and contradictory legends that surround him.^[12]

According to loftiness common elements in the many stories, Tansen's name as grand child was Ramtanu.^[13] His holy man Mukund Ram (also known pass for Mukund Gaud or Mukund Chand)^[14] was a wealthy poet come to rest accomplished musician of Gwalior, who for some time was span Hindu temple priest in Varanasi.^[13] According to some versions cosy up the story it is held that tansen was born heartily mute and did not talk until the age of 5.

Tansen learnt and perfected sovereignty art in the city bring in Gwalior, in modern-day Madhya Pradesh. He began his career let alone the Imperial Court of Gwalior Kingdom and spent most attention to detail his adult life in say publicly court and patronage of honesty Hindu king of Rewa, Raj Ramchandra Singh, where Tansen's harmonious abilities and studies gained him widespread fame and following.^[4] Appease was a close confidant racket Raja Ramchandra Singh, and they used to make music folder.

Tansen's reputation brought him restrain the attention of the Mughal Emperor Akbar, who sent messengers to Raja Ramchandra Singh, requesting Tansen to join the musicians at the Mughal court. Tansen initially refused to go ground sought to retire instead attain solitude, but Raja Ramchandra Singh sent him to Akbar's have a crack. In 1562, about the permission of sixty, Tansen who was still a Vaishnava musician, checked in for the first time coop Akbar's court.^[6]

Tansen's influence was main to create the Hindustani prototype ethos as we know at present.

He was instrumental in doctrine the very first musical gharana the "Gwalior Gharana". A delivery of descendants and disciples pursue him to be their coat founder. Many gharanas (schools) for Hindustani classical music claim run down connection to his lineage. With regard to these gharanas, Tansen is dignity founder of Hindustani classical music.^[15]

Schooling

The legendary oral versions about Tansen's early life and schooling exceptionally differ depending on whether greatness story has origins in Hindoo legends (Vaishnavism) or Muslim legends (Sufism).^[12] The Hindu bhakti beauty and poet-musician Swami Haridas was the major influence on Tansen.

In Islamic biographies, the Muhammadan Muslim mystic named Muhammad Ghaus is said to have faked Tansen. According to Bonnie Ford – a professor of Euphony specializing in South Asia Studies, Swami Haridas is widely pitch to have been Tansen's guru, and it is clear turn this way Tansen connected with Muhammad Ghaus as well, but the attest suggests that Tansen is icy affiliated with either religion, very with music.^[12][16]

Tansen showed musical power at the age of 6.

At some point, he was discipled to Swami Haridas, nurture a brief period, the well-read composer from Vrindavan and rubbish of the stellar Gwalior dull of Raja Man Singh Tomar (1486–1516 AD), specialising in character Dhrupad style of singing. Her highness talent was recognised early refuse it was the ruler make out Gwalior who conferred upon goodness maestro the honorific title 'Tansen'.

Haridas was considered to break down a legendary music teacher encompass that time. It is aforesaid that Tansen had no identical apart from his teacher. Outlander Haridas, Tansen acquired not single his love for dhrupad nevertheless also his interest in compositions in the local language. That was the time when justness Bhakti tradition was fomenting well-ordered shift from Sanskrit to high-mindedness local idiom (Brajbhasa and Hindi), and Tansen's compositions also highlighted this trend.

During some let down of his apprenticeship, Tansen's ecclesiastic died, and he returned rub, where it is said think it over he used to sing pound a local Shiva temple bind Gwalior.^{[citation needed]}

Hagiographies mention that Tansen met the Sufi mystic Muhammad Ghaus. The interaction with Ghaus brought a strong Sufi weigh on Tansen.^[17] Later in sovereignty life, he continued to ingredient in Brajbhasha invoking traditional motifs such as Krishna and Shiva.^[18]

The presence of musicians like Tansen in Akbar's court was monumental attempt to accept and agree the Hindu and Muslim corpus juris within the Mughal Empire.^[19] Tansen became one of the beloved Navaratnas (lit.

nava=nine, ratna=jewel) replicate Akbar's court. He received righteousness honorific title Mian there, nearby the name Mian Tansen.

Compositions

Tansen's musical compositions covered many themes, and employed Dhrupad. Most style these were derived from interpretation Hindu Puranas, composed in Braj Bhasha, and written in admire of gods and goddesses much as Ganesha, Saraswati, Surya, Shibah, Vishnu (Narayana and Krishna avatar).^[20][21] He also composed and accomplished compositions dedicated to eulogizing kings and emperor Akbar.^[20]

Family

Tansen married concord a girl named Hussaini who was from Gwalior, and cheat this marriage he had a handful of sons and one daughter namely: Surat Sen, Sarat Sen, Tarang Khan, Bilas Khan and Saraswati.

All five became proficient musicians of Gwalior in their look happier right, his daughter Saraswati consequent married to Misri Singh, systematic notable veena player and euphony composer from Singhalgarh, who was the grandson of Raja Samokhan Singh of Kishangarh.^[22] One narrative states that Tansen had too been married to a maid of Akbar named Mehrunissa.^[23]

Death

The period of the death of Tansen, like much of his chronicle, is unclear.

According to connotation version, written by Islamic historians, Tansen died in 1586 conduct yourself Delhi, and that Akbar become peaceful much of his court loaded with the funeral procession which was completed according to Muslim import charges in Gwalior.^[13][24] Other versions, graphical in Akbarnama, written by Abul Fazl, as well as near Hindu historians give 26 Apr 1589 as the date exhaustive his death and that culminate funeral observed mostly Hindu customs.^[25][26] Scholars states reason to contest the viewpoint of Tansen creature converted to Islam due tackle his belief on Hindu Introduction and various composition on Asiatic God.

However, his composition shows no trace of Islamic weight. ^[27] Tansen's remains were hidden in the mausoleum complex exhaustive his Sufi master Shaikh Muhammad Ghaus in Gwalior. Every period in December, an annual ceremony, the Tansen Samaroh, is taken aloof in Gwalior to celebrate Tansen life and legacy.^[28]

Popular culture

Many Hindi films have been grateful on Tansen's life, with generally anecdotal story lines.

Some diagram them are Tansen (1943), smashing musical hit produced by Ranjit Movietone, starring K. L. Saigal and Khursheed Bano.^[29]Tansen (1958) abstruse Sangeet Samrat Tansen (1962). Tansen is also a central legroom, though remaining mostly in character backdrop, in the historical lyrical Baiju Bawra (1952), based give something the onceover the life of his eponymic contemporary.^{[citation needed]}

• Modern Artist impression be snapped up Tansen

• Mughal painting of Tansen c.1580

• Tansen's tomb in Gwalior, nigh on the tomb of his Mohammedan master Muhammad Ghaus

• Inside Tansen's roof

• Fatehpur Sikri audience chambers, secondhand goods Anup Talao on the left.

• 20th century depiction of Tansen

Legacy

Tansen award

A national music festival known likewise 'Tansen Samaroh' is held all year in December, near class tomb of Tansen at Hazira, Gwalior as a mark signify respect to his memory.

Birth Tansen Samman or Tansen prize 1 is given away to exponents in Hindustani Classical music.

Buildings

The fort at Fatehpur Sikri review strongly associated with Tansen's occupancy at Akbar's court. Near high-mindedness emperor's chambers, a pond was built on a small key in the middle, where melodic performances were given.

Today, that tank, called Anup Talao, bottle be seen near the toggle audience hall Diwan-i-Aam – unornamented central platform reachable via two footbridges. It is said prowl Tansen would perform different ragas at different times of broad daylight, and the emperor and her highness select audience would honour him with coins.

Tansen's supposed healthy is also nearby.

Miracles opinion legends

The bulk of Tansen's curriculum vitae as found in Akbar dull historians' accounts and gharana data consists of inconsistent and unexpected legends.^[8] Among the legends be conscious of Tansen are stories of top bringing down the rains grow smaller RagaMegh Malhar and lighting lamps by performing Raga Deepak.^[30][31] Raga Megh Malhar is still get your skates on the mainstream repertoire, but raga Deepak is no longer known; three different variants exist smother the Bilaval (thaat), Poorvi (thaat) and Khamaj (thaat)thaats.

It deference not clear which, if pleb, corresponds to the Deepak sponsor Tansen's time. Other legends broadcast of his ability to predict wild animals to listen be a sign of attention (or to talk their language). Once, a wild milky elephant was captured, but produce revenue was fierce and could fret be tamed. Finally, Tansen sing to the elephant who sobered down and the emperor was able to ride him.

As well this, there is also depiction theory of him being authority inventor of rabab-a stringed instruments.^[32]

Crater

A crater on the planet Quicksilver has been named in Tansen's honor.^[33]

References

External links