Tansen
Tansen | |
---|---|
![]() Portrait of Mian Tansen, c. 1585–90[1] | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Ramtanu Pandey |
Born | c. 1493 or 1500 Gwalior, Tomar Kingdom (modern day Delhi Subah, Mughal Empire[3]
(modern day Delhi, Hindustani Classical Music |
Occupation(s) | musician, instrumentalist, vocalist, music studies |
Years active | Till 1562: Raja Ramchandra Singh, Rewah After 1562: Emperor Akbar |
Ramtanu Pandey (c. 1493/1500 – 26 April 1589), popularly referred to as Mian Tansen (lit. 'the Learned One'), or Sangeet Samrat (lit. 'Monarch of Hindustani Music'), was a
Numerous legends have been written about Tansen, mixing facts and fiction, and the historicity of these stories is doubtful.[7] Akbar considered him one of the Navaratnas Nine Ministers (the nine jewels) and gave him the title Mian, an honorific, meaning learned man.[8]
Tansen was a composer, musician and vocalist, to whom many compositions have been attributed in northern regions of the Indian subcontinent. He was also an instrumentalist who popularized and improved musical instruments. He is among the most influential personalities in the North Indian tradition of Indian classical music, called Hindustani. His 16th-century studies in music and compositions inspired many, and he is considered by numerous North Indian gharana (regional music schools) to be their lineage founder.[9][10]
Tansen is remembered for his epic
Early life
Tansen's date and place of birth are unclear, but most sources place his birth about 1500 CE, or between 1493 and 1506. His biography is also unclear and many conflicting accounts exist, with some common elements. Historical facts about Tansen are difficult to extract from the extensive and contradictory legends that surround him.[12]
According to the common elements in the various stories, Tansen's name as a child was Ramtanu.[13] His father Mukund Ram (also known as Mukund Pande or Mukund Misra)[14] was a wealthy poet and accomplished musician, who for some time was a Hindu temple priest in Varanasi.[13] According to some versions of the story it is believed that tansen was born profoundly mute and did not speak until the age of 5.
Tansen learnt and perfected his art in the region around Gwalior, in modern-day Madhya Pradesh. He began his career and spent most of his adult life in the court and patronage of the Hindu king of Rewa, Raja Ramchandra Singh, where Tansen's musical abilities and studies gained him widespread fame and following.[4] He was a close confidant of Raja Ramchandra Singh, and they used to make music together. Tansen's reputation brought him to 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 and sought to retire instead into solitude, but Raja Ramchandra Singh sent him to Akbar's court. In 1562, about the age of sixty, Tansen who was still a Vaishnava musician, arrived for the first time in Akbar's court.[6]
Tansen's influence was central to create the Hindustani classical ethos as we know today. A number of descendants and disciples trace him to be their lineage founder. Many gharanas (schools) of Hindustani classical music claim some connection to his lineage. To these gharanas, Tansen is the founder of Hindustani classical music.[15]
Schooling
The legendary oral versions about Tansen's early life and schooling particularly differ depending on whether the story has origins in Hindu legends (
Tansen showed musical talent at the age of 6. At some point, he was discipled for some time to
Hagiographies mention that Tansen met the Sufi mystic
The presence of musicians like Tansen in Akbar's court was an attempt to accept and integrate the Hindu and Muslim traditions within the Mughal Empire.[18] Tansen became one of the treasured Navaratnas (lit. nava=nine, ratna=jewel) of Akbar's court. He received the honorific title Mian there, and the name Mian Tansen.
Compositions
Bach re-interpreting older genres tied to the modal systemTansen's musical compositions covered many themes, and employed Dhrupad. Most of these were derived from the Hindu Puranas, composed in Braj Bhasha, and written in praise of gods and goddesses such as Ganesha, Saraswati, Surya, Shiva, Vishnu (Narayana and Krishna avatar).[19][20] He also composed and performed compositions dedicated to eulogizing kings and emperor Akbar.[19]
Family
Tansen married a Hussaini, having four sons and one daughter from this marriage: Surat Sen, Sarat Sen, Tarang Khan, Bilas Khan and Saraswati. All five became proficient musicians in their own right, with the latter also marrying Misra Singh of Singhalgarh, a notable veena-player.[21] One legend states that Tansen had also been married to a daughter of Akbar named Mehrunissa.[22]
Death
The year of the death of Tansen, like much of his biography, is unclear. According to one version, written by Islamic historians, Tansen died in 1586 in Delhi, and that Akbar and much of his court attended the funeral procession which was completed according to Muslim customs.[13][23] Other versions, written by Hindu historians, as well as in Akbarnama, written by Abul Fazl, give 26 April 1589 as the date of his death and that his funeral observed mostly Hindu customs.[24][25] Tansen's remains were buried in the mausoleum complex of his Sufi master Shaikh Muhammad Ghaus in Gwalior. Every year in December, an annual festival, the Tansen Samaroh, is held in Gwalior to celebrate Tansen.[26]
Popular culture
Several Hindi films have been made on Tansen's life, with mostly anecdotal story lines. Some of them are
-
Modern Artist impression of Tansen
-
Mughal painting of Tansen c.1580
-
Inside Tansen's tomb
-
Fatehpur Sikri audience chambers, with Anup Talao on the left.
-
20th century depiction of Tansen
Legacy
Tansen award
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/63/Stamp_of_India_-_1986_-_Colnect_167172_-_Miyan_Tansen.jpeg/220px-Stamp_of_India_-_1986_-_Colnect_167172_-_Miyan_Tansen.jpeg)
A national music festival known as 'Tansen Samaroh' is held every year in December, near the tomb of Tansen at Behat as a mark of respect to his memory. The
Buildings
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 on 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 supposed residence is also nearby.
Miracles and legends
The bulk of Tansen's biography as found in Akbar court historians' accounts and gharana literature consists of inconsistent and miraculous legends.[8] Among the legends about Tansen are stories of his bringing down the rains with Raga Megh Malhar and lighting lamps by performing Raga Deepak.[28][29] Raga Megh Malhar is still in the mainstream repertoire, but raga Deepak is no longer known; three different variants exist in the Bilaval (thaat), Poorvi (thaat) and Khamaj (thaat) thaats. It is not clear which, if any, corresponds to the Deepak of Tansen's time. 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.[citation needed]
Crater
A crater on the planet Mercury has been named in Tansen's honor.[30]
References
- ISBN 978-0-03-006114-1.
- ^ Abul Fazl. Akbarnama. Translated by Henry Beveridge. Asiatic Society of Bengal. p. 816.
- ^ Susheela Misra (1981). Great masters of Hindustani music. Hem Publishers. p. 16.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-226-86841-7.
- ^ "Tansen, Famous Hindustani Classical Singer Tansen". indiaonline.in. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-89684-050-8.
- ISBN 978-81-7154-395-3.
- ^ a b Davar, Ashok (1987). Tansen – The Magical Musician. India: National book trust.
- ISBN 978-1-4522-6662-6.
- ISBN 978-0-8240-4946-1.
- ISBN 978-0-226-86841-7.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-226-86841-7.
- ^ a b c Maryam Juzer Kherulla (12 October 2002). "Profile: Tansen — the mesmerizing maestro". Dawn. Archived from the original on 21 November 2007. Retrieved 2 October 2007.
- ISBN 978-81-85047-49-2.
- ISBN 978-0-252-06468-5., Quote: "This is a recital of the identities of their teachers, perhaps the teachers' own teachers and association with gharanas, or schools, of musicianship, and often an attempt to link the main performer of the day through student-teacher genealogies to one of the early great figures of music, such as the revered Tansen, the mythical culture hero and founder of Hindustani music". When he was a member in the court of Mughal Emperor Akbar he was forced to sing Raga Deepak (dieing song) by his enemies. He was saved by Singing Raga Megh by his daughter and her friend
- ISBN 0-226-86840-0.
- ISBN 0-226-86840-0.
- ISBN 0-226-86840-0.
- ^ ISBN 978-81-208-1801-9.
- OCLC 416547961; For a review, see Allison Busch (2010), Hidden in Plain View: Brajbhasha Poets at the Mughal Court, Modern Asian Studies, Cambridge University Press, Vol. 44, No. 2 (MARCH 2010), pages 275, 267-309
- ^ Haldar, Amal (February 1964). "Miya Tansen". The Modern Review. CXV (2): 131.
- ISBN 978-81-85047-49-2.
- ISBN 978-1-316-18439-4.
- ISBN 978-0-226-86840-0.
- ^ Fazl, Abul. Akbarnama. Translated by Beveridge, Henry. Asiatic Society of Bengal. p. 816.
- ^ "Strains of a raga ... iun Gwalior". The Hindu. 11 January 2004. Archived from the original on 30 September 2004.
- ISBN 978-0-8240-4946-1.
- ISBN 978-81-215-0872-8.
- ^ Deva, Bigamudre (1995). Indian Music. India: Taylor & Francis.
- USGS/NASA. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)