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{{Short description|Hindustani | {{Short description|Hindustani composer (c. 1493–1589)}} | ||
{{other uses}} | {{other uses}} | ||
{{EngvarB|date=July 2014}} | {{EngvarB|date=July 2014}} | ||
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}} | {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}} | ||
{{Infobox musical artist | {{Infobox musical artist | ||
| name = | | honorific_prefix = [[Mian (title)|Mian]] | ||
| caption = Portrait of Mian Tansen | | name = Tānsen | ||
| caption = Portrait of Mian Tansen, {{circa|1585–90}}<ref>{{cite book|author1=Stuart Cary Welch|author2=Metropolitan Museum of Art|title=India: Art and culture, 1300–1900|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MEvZaVmBQtgC&pg=badk | |||
|year=1985|publisher=Metropolitan Museum of Art|isbn=978-0-03-006114-1|pages=171–172}}</ref> | |year=1985|publisher=Metropolitan Museum of Art|isbn=978-0-03-006114-1|pages=171–172}}</ref> | ||
| image = Tansen of Gwalior. (11.8x6.7cm) Mughal. 1585-90. National Museum, New Delhi..jpg | | image = Tansen of Gwalior. (11.8x6.7cm) Mughal. 1585-90. National Museum, New Delhi..jpg | ||
| Line 11: | Line 12: | ||
| background = non_vocal_instrumentalist | | background = non_vocal_instrumentalist | ||
| associated_acts = [[Swami Haridas]] | | associated_acts = [[Swami Haridas]] | ||
| birth_name = Ramtanu | | birth_name = Ramtanu Mukund Gaud | ||
| birth_date = {{circa|1493 | | birth_date = {{circa|1493}} | ||
| birth_place = [[Gwalior]], [[Tomaras of Gwalior|Tomar Kingdom]] | | birth_place = [[Gwalior]], [[Tomaras of Gwalior|Tomar Kingdom]] | ||
<br/> (modern day [[Madhya Pradesh]], [[India]]) | <br/> (modern day [[Madhya Pradesh]], [[India]]) | ||
| death_date = 26 April 1589 (aged | | death_date = 26 April 1589 (aged 96) <ref>{{cite book|author=Abul Fazl|title=Akbarnama|translator=Henry Beveridge|publisher=Asiatic Society of Bengal|page=816}}</ref> | ||
| death_place = [[ | | death_place = [[Gwalior]], [[Mughal Empire]]<ref>{{cite book|author=Susheela Misra|title=Great masters of Hindustani music|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Li4uAAAAMAAJ|year=1981|publisher=Hem Publishers|page=16}}</ref> | ||
<br/> | <br/> [[India]] | ||
| genre = [[Hindustani Classical Music]] | | genre = [[Hindustani Classical Music]] | ||
| occupation = | | occupation = Musician, Instrumentalist, Vocalist, Music Studies | ||
| years_active = Till 1562: Raja Ramchandra Singh, [[Rewa (princely state)|Rewah]]<br> After 1562: Emperor [[Akbar]] | | years_active = Till 1562: Raja Ramchandra Singh, [[Rewa (princely state)|Rewah]]<br> After 1562: Emperor [[Akbar]] | ||
| label = | | label = | ||
}} | }} | ||
''' | '''Rāmtanu Panday''' ({{circa|1493}} – 26 April 1589), popularly referred to as '''Mian Tānsen''' ({{lit|the Learned One}}), or '''Sangeet Samrāt''' ({{lit|Monarch of Hindustani Music}}), was a [[Hindustani classical music]]ian.<ref name="Wade1998p108"/> Born into a Hindu [[Gaur Brahmin]] family in [[Gwalior]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=Tansen, Famous Hindustani Classical Singer Tansen|url=https://www.indiaonline.in/about/personalities/singers/tansen|access-date=2022-01-15|website=indiaonline.in}}</ref> he learnt and perfected his art in the northwest region of modern [[Madhya Pradesh]]. He got his first break as musician and composer in the court of [[Man Singh Tomar|Raja Man Singh Tomar]] of [[Gwalior]] and spent most of his adult life in the court and patronage of the Hindu king of [[Rewa (princely state)|Rewa]], Raja Ramchandra Singh Baghel (r. 1555–1592), where Tānsen's musical abilities and studies gained widespread fame.<ref name="Wade1998p108">{{cite book|author=Bonnie C. Wade|title=Imaging Sound: An Ethnomusicological Study of Music, Art, and Culture in Mughal India|url=https://archive.org/details/imagingsoundethn0000wade|url-access=registration|year=1998|publisher=University of Chicago Press|isbn=978-0-226-86841-7|pages=[https://archive.org/details/imagingsoundethn0000wade/page/108 108]–110}}</ref> This reputation brought him to the attention of the Mughal Emperor [[Akbar]]. In 1562, at about the age of 60, Tānsen joined Akbar's court, and his performances became the subject of many court historians.<ref name="Wade1998p108"/> | ||
Numerous legends have been written about | Numerous legends have been written about Tānsen, mixing facts and fiction, and the historicity of these stories is doubtful.<ref name=nazir19>{{cite book|author=Nazir Ali Jairazbhoy|author-link=Nazir Ali Jairazbhoy|title=The Rāgs of North Indian Music: Their Structure and Evolution|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hGLRqLscf78C&pg=PA19|year=1995|publisher=Popular Prakashan|isbn=978-81-7154-395-3|pages=19–20}}</ref> Akbar considered him one of the [[Navaratnas]] Nine Ministers (the nine jewels) and gave him the title Mian, an honorific, meaning learned man.<ref name="davar">{{cite book|last=Davar|first=Ashok|title=Tansen – The Magical Musician|year=1987|publisher=National book trust|location=India}}</ref>Tansen was a great composer musician and vocalist, to whom many compositions have been attributed in the 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.<ref name="stanton125">{{cite book|author1=Andrea L. Stanton|author2=Edward Ramsamy|author3=Peter J. Seybolt |display-authors=etal |title=Cultural Sociology of the Middle East, Asia, and Africa: An Encyclopedia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nVN2AwAAQBAJ |year=2012|publisher=SAGE Publications|isbn=978-1-4522-6662-6|page=125}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author1=Bruno Nettl|author2=Ruth M. Stone|author3=James Porter |display-authors=etal |title=The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music: South Asia : the Indian subcontinent|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZOlNv8MAXIEC |year=1998|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-0-8240-4946-1|pages=376–377}}</ref> | ||
Tānsen is remembered for his epic [[Dhrupad]] compositions, creating several new ''[[raga|rāg]]s'', as well as for writing two classic books on music, ''Sri [[Ganesh]] [[Stotra]]'' and ''Sangita Sara''.<ref>{{cite book|author=Bonnie C. Wade|title=Imaging Sound: An Ethnomusicological Study of Music, Art, and Culture in Mughal India|url=https://archive.org/details/imagingsoundethn0000wade|url-access=registration|year=1998|publisher=University of Chicago Press|isbn=978-0-226-86841-7|page=[https://archive.org/details/imagingsoundethn0000wade/page/117 117]}}</ref> | |||
==Early life== | ==Early life== | ||
Tansen's date | Tansen's date of birth is unclear, but most sources place his birth about 1493 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.<ref name=wade114>{{cite book|author=Bonnie C. Wade|title=Imaging Sound: An Ethnomusicological Study of Music, Art, and Culture in Mughal India|url=https://archive.org/details/imagingsoundethn00wade|url-access=registration|year=1998|publisher=University of Chicago Press|isbn=978-0-226-86841-7|pages=[https://archive.org/details/imagingsoundethn00wade/page/113 113]–114}}</ref> | ||
According to the common elements in the various stories, Tansen's name as a child was Ramtanu.<ref name=dawn>{{cite news |title =Profile: Tansen — the mesmerizing maestro |author=Maryam Juzer Kherulla |publisher= | According to the common elements in the various stories, Tansen's name as a child was Ramtanu.<ref name=dawn>{{cite news |title =Profile: Tansen — the mesmerizing maestro |author=Maryam Juzer Kherulla |publisher=Dawn newspaper |url=http://dawn.com/weekly/yworld/archive/021012/yworld5.htm |date=12 October 2002|access-date=18 November 2024|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071121000709/http://dawn.com/weekly/yworld/archive/021012/yworld5.htm |archive-date =21 November 2007|df=dmy-all}}</ref> His father Mukund Ram (also known as Mukund Gaud or Mukund Chand)<ref>{{cite book |author=Sunita Dhar |title=Senia gharana, its contribution to Indian classical music |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZbgHAQAAMAAJ |year=1989 |publisher=Reliance |isbn=978-81-85047-49-2 |page=19}}</ref> was a wealthy poet and accomplished musician of [[Gwalior]], who for some time was a Hindu temple priest in [[Varanasi]].<ref name=dawn/> 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 | Tansen learnt and perfected his art in the city of [[Gwalior]], in modern-day [[Madhya Pradesh]]. He began his career from the Imperial Court of [[Tomaras of Gwalior|Gwalior Kingdom]] and spent most of his adult life in the court and patronage of the Hindu king of [[Rewa (princely state)|Rewa]], Raja Ramchandra Singh, where Tansen's musical abilities and studies gained him widespread fame and following.<ref name="Wade1998p108"/> 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 [[Vaishnavism|Vaishnava]] musician, arrived for the first time in Akbar's court.<ref name="Babineau1979p54">{{cite book|author=Edmour J. Babineau|title=Love of God and Social Duty in the Rāmcaritmānas|url=https://archive.org/details/loveofgodsociald0000babi|url-access=registration|year=1979|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |isbn=978-0-89684-050-8|page=[https://archive.org/details/loveofgodsociald0000babi/page/54 54]}}</ref> | ||
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 [[gharana]]s (schools) of Hindustani classical music claim some connection to his lineage. To these ''gharanas'', Tansen is the founder of Hindustani classical music.<ref>{{cite book|author=Bruno Nettl|title=Heartland Excursions: Ethnomusicological Reflections on Schools of Music|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wZZ1_pQJnKEC&pg=PA68 |year=1995|publisher=University of Illinois Press|isbn=978-0-252-06468-5|page=68}}, 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</ref> | Tansen's influence was central to create the Hindustani classical ethos as we know today. He was instrumental in establishing the very first musical gharana the "[[Gwalior gharana|Gwalior Gharana]]". A number of descendants and disciples trace him to be their lineage founder. Many [[gharana]]s (schools) of Hindustani classical music claim some connection to his lineage. To these ''gharanas'', Tansen is the founder of Hindustani classical music.<ref>{{cite book|author=Bruno Nettl|title=Heartland Excursions: Ethnomusicological Reflections on Schools of Music|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wZZ1_pQJnKEC&pg=PA68 |year=1995|publisher=University of Illinois Press|isbn=978-0-252-06468-5|page=68}}, 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</ref> | ||
==Schooling== | ==Schooling== | ||
[[File:Akbar and Tansen visit Haridas.jpg|thumb|250px|right|[[Akbar the Great|Akbar]] watching as Tansen receives a lesson from [[Swami Haridas]]. Imaginary situation depicted in [[Mughal miniature painting]] ([[Rajput painting|Rajasthani style]], c. 1750 AD).]] | [[File:Akbar and Tansen visit Haridas.jpg|thumb|250px|right|[[Akbar the Great|Akbar]] watching as Tansen receives a lesson from [[Swami Haridas]]. Imaginary situation depicted in [[Mughal miniature painting]] ([[Rajput painting|Rajasthani style]], c. 1750 AD).]] | ||
The legendary oral versions about Tansen's early life and schooling particularly differ depending on whether the story has origins in Hindu legends ([[Vaishnavism]]) or Muslim legends ([[Sufism]]).<ref name="wade114" /> | The legendary oral versions about Tansen's early life and schooling particularly differ depending on whether the story has origins in Hindu legends ([[Vaishnavism]]) or Muslim legends ([[Sufism]]).<ref name="wade114" /> The Hindu [[Bhakti movement|bhakti saint]], poet and court musician of Raja Man Singh Tomar of Gwalior [[Swami Haridas]] was the major influence on Tansen. In Islamic biographies, the Sufi Muslim mystic named [[Muhammad Ghaus|Muhammad Ghaus Gwaliori]] is said to have influenced Tansen. According to Bonnie Wade – a professor of Music specializing in South Asia Studies, Swami Haridas is widely accepted to have been Tansen's teacher, and it is clear that Tansen connected with Muhammad Ghaus as well, but the evidence suggests that Tansen is less affiliated with either religion, more with music.<ref name="wade114" /><ref name="Tansen">{{Cite web |title=Tansen |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Tansen}}</ref> | ||
Tansen showed musical talent at the age of 6. At some point, he was discipled | Tansen showed musical talent at the age of 6. At some point, he was discipled to [[Swami Haridas]], for a brief period, the legendary composer from [[Vrindavan]] and court musician of the stellar [[Gwalior]] court of Raja [[Man Singh Tomar]] (1486–1516 AD), specialising in the [[Dhrupad]] style of singing. His talent was recognised early and it was the ruler of [[Gwalior]] who conferred upon the maestro the honorific title 'Tansen'. Haridas was considered to be a legendary music teacher in that time. It is said that Tansen had no equal apart from his teacher. 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 ([[Brij Bhasha|Brajbhasa]] and [[Hindi]]), and Tansen's compositions also highlighted this trend. During some point of his apprenticeship, Tansen's father died, and he returned home, where it is said that he used to sing at a local [[Shiva]] temple in [[Gwalior]].{{citation needed|date=December 2016}} | ||
Hagiographies mention Tansen met the Sufi mystic [[Muhammad Ghaus]]. The interaction with Ghaus brought Sufi | Hagiographies mention that Tansen met the Sufi mystic [[Muhammad Ghaus]]. The interaction with Ghaus brought a strong Sufi influence on Tansen.<ref>{{cite book | author=Wade, Bonnie C. | title=Imaging Sound : An Ethnomusicological Study of Music, Art, and Culture in [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] India | publisher=[[University of Chicago Press]] | year=1998 | isbn=0-226-86840-0 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/imagingsoundethn00wade/page/113 113–114] }}</ref> Later in his life, he continued to compose in [[Brij Bhasha|Brajbhasha]] invoking traditional motifs such as [[Krishna]] and [[Shiva]].<ref>{{cite book | author=Wade, Bonnie C. | title=Imaging Sound : An Ethnomusicological Study of Music, Art, and Culture in [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] India | publisher=[[University of Chicago Press]] | year=1998 | isbn=0-226-86840-0 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/imagingsoundethn00wade/page/114 114–115] }}</ref> | ||
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.<ref>{{cite book | author=Wade, Bonnie C. | title=Imaging Sound : An Ethnomusicological Study of Music, Art, and Culture in [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] India | publisher=[[University of Chicago Press]] | year=1998 | isbn=0-226-86840-0}}</ref> 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. | 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.<ref>{{cite book | author=Wade, Bonnie C. | title=Imaging Sound : An Ethnomusicological Study of Music, Art, and Culture in [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] India | publisher=[[University of Chicago Press]] | year=1998 | isbn=0-226-86840-0}}</ref> 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 === | === Compositions === | ||
{{listen | |||
| header = [[Malhar]], common raga performed by Tansen | |||
| type = music | |||
| image = none | |||
| filename = Rag Megh Malhar - NCERT.ogg | |||
| title = 1. Malhar | |||
| description = | |||
| help = no | |||
}} | |||
Tansen'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).<ref name="Martinez186">{{cite book |author=José Luiz Martinez |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OwJRnFIcM4cC&pg=PA186 |title=Semiosis in Hindustani Music |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |year=2001 |isbn=978-81-208-1801-9 |pages=186–187}}</ref><ref>Françoise Delvoye (1990), ''Tânsen et la tradition des chants dhrupad en langue braj, du XVIe siècle à nos jours'', Thèse d'État non publiée. Paris : Université de la Sorbonne Nouvelle (in French), {{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</ref> He also composed and performed compositions dedicated to eulogizing kings and emperor Akbar.<ref name="Martinez186" /> | Tansen'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).<ref name="Martinez186">{{cite book |author=José Luiz Martinez |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OwJRnFIcM4cC&pg=PA186 |title=Semiosis in Hindustani Music |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |year=2001 |isbn=978-81-208-1801-9 |pages=186–187}}</ref><ref>Françoise Delvoye (1990), ''Tânsen et la tradition des chants dhrupad en langue braj, du XVIe siècle à nos jours'', Thèse d'État non publiée. Paris : Université de la Sorbonne Nouvelle (in French), {{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</ref> He also composed and performed compositions dedicated to eulogizing kings and emperor Akbar.<ref name="Martinez186" /> | ||
[[File:Akbar, Todarmal, Tansen and Abul Fazal, Faizi and Abdur Rahim Khan-i-Khana in a court scene (16th Century A.D.).jpg|center|thumb|520x520px|Tansen in | [[File:Akbar, Todarmal, Tansen and Abul Fazal, Faizi and Abdur Rahim Khan-i-Khana in a court scene (16th Century A.D.).jpg|center|thumb|520x520px|Tansen in Emperor [[Akbar|Akbar's]] Court along with [[Todar Mal|Todarmal]], [[Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak|Abul Fazal]], [[Faizi]] and [[Abdul Rahim Khan-i-Khanan|Abdur Rahim Khan-i-Khana]] c.16th century]] | ||
==Family == | ==Family == | ||
Tansen married | Tansen married a girl named Hussaini, who was from Gwalior, and from this marriage he had four sons and one daughter, namely: Surat Sen, Sarat Sen, Tarang Khan, Bilas Khan and Saraswati. All five became proficient musicians of [[Gwalior]] in their own right. His daughter, Saraswati, later married [[Naubat Khan|Misri Singh]], a notable [[Veena|veena player]] and music composer from Singhalgarh, who was the grandson of [[Samokhan Singh|Raja Samokhan Singh]] of [[Kishangarh]].<ref>{{cite journal|last=Haldar|first=Amal|title=Miya Tansen|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.506796/page/n153/mode/2up|journal=The Modern Review|volume=CXV|issue=2|date=February 1964|page=131}}</ref> One legend states that Tansen had also been married to a daughter of Akbar, named Mehrunissa, for which he had to [[Conversion to Islam|convert to Islam]].<ref name="Dhar1989">{{cite book|last=Dhar|first=Sunita|title=Senia Gharana, Its Contribution to Indian Classical Music|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZbgHAQAAMAAJ|year=1989|publisher=Reliance Publishing House|isbn=978-81-85047-49-2|page=24}}</ref> | ||
==Death== | ==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.<ref name=dawn/><ref>{{cite book|author=Stephen F. Dale|title=The Muslim Empires of the Ottomans, Safavids, and Mughals|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vNmaBAAAQBAJ&pg=PT160 |year=2009| publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-1-316-18439-4|page=160}}</ref> Other versions, written | 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 [[Islamic funeral|Muslim customs]] in [[Gwalior]].<ref name=dawn/><ref>{{cite book|author=Stephen F. Dale|title=The Muslim Empires of the Ottomans, Safavids, and Mughals|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vNmaBAAAQBAJ&pg=PT160 |year=2009| publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-1-316-18439-4|page=160}}</ref> Other versions, written in Akbarnama, written by Abul Fazl, as well as by Hindu historians give 26 April 1589 as the date of his death and that his funeral observed mostly [[Antyesti|Hindu customs]].<ref>{{cite book|author=Bonnie C. Wade|title=Imaging Sound: An Ethnomusicological Study of Music, Art, and Culture in Mughal India|url=https://archive.org/details/imagingsoundethn00wade|url-access=registration|year=1998|publisher=University of Chicago Press|isbn=978-0-226-86840-0|page=[https://archive.org/details/imagingsoundethn00wade/page/115 115]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Fazl|first=Abul|title=Akbarnama|publisher=Asiatic Society of Bengal|pages=816|translator-last=Beveridge|translator-first=Henry}}</ref> Scholars states reason to refute the viewpoint of Tansen being converted to Islam due to his belief on Hindu tradition and various composition on Hindu gods. However, his composition shows no trace of Islamic influence.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://archive.org/details/imagingsoundethn00wade/page/115/mode/1up?view=theater | title=Imaging sound : An ethnomusicological study of music, art, and culture in Mughal India | date=1998 }}</ref> Tansen's remains were buried in the mausoleum complex of his Sufi master Shaikh [[Muhammad Ghawth|Muhammad Ghaus]] in Gwalior. Every year in December, an annual festival, the ''[[Tansen Samaroh]]'', is held in [[Gwalior]] to celebrate Tansen life and legacy.<ref name=TheHindu>{{cite news|url=http://www.hindu.com/mag/2004/01/11/stories/2004011100040100.htm | ||
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20040930093656/http://www.hindu.com/mag/2004/01/11/stories/2004011100040100.htm | |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20040930093656/http://www.hindu.com/mag/2004/01/11/stories/2004011100040100.htm | ||
|url-status = dead | |url-status = dead|archive-date=30 September 2004 | ||
|archive-date = 30 September 2004 | |newspaper=The Hindu newspaper|title= Strains of a raga ... in Gwalior|date=11 January 2004|access-date=18 November 2024|author=Roshan Shahani}}</ref> | ||
| | |||
|title= Strains of a raga ... | |||
==Popular culture== | ==Popular culture== | ||
| Line 72: | Line 79: | ||
File:Tansen Tomb - panoramio.jpg|Tansen's tomb in [[Gwalior]], near the tomb of his [[Sufism|Sufi]] master Muhammad Ghaus | File:Tansen Tomb - panoramio.jpg|Tansen's tomb in [[Gwalior]], near the tomb of his [[Sufism|Sufi]] master Muhammad Ghaus | ||
File:Tansen's tomb (16290416076).jpg|Inside Tansen's tomb | File:Tansen's tomb (16290416076).jpg|Inside Tansen's tomb | ||
File:Fatehpur Sikri anup-talao-crp.jpg|[[Fatehpur Sikri]] audience chambers, with Anup Talao on the left. | File:Fatehpur Sikri anup-talao-crp.jpg|[[Fatehpur Sikri]] audience chambers, with [[Anup Talao]] on the left. | ||
File:Tansen mughal.jpg|20th century depiction of Tansen | File:Tansen mughal.jpg|20th century depiction of Tansen | ||
</gallery> | </gallery> | ||
| Line 78: | Line 85: | ||
==Legacy== | ==Legacy== | ||
===Tansen award=== | ===Tansen award=== | ||
[[File:Stamp of India - 1986 - Colnect 167172 - Miyan Tansen.jpeg|thumb|Stamp of India depicting Tansen ]] | [[File:Stamp of India - 1986 - Colnect 167172 - Miyan Tansen.jpeg|thumb|Stamp of India depicting Tansen]] | ||
A national music festival known as 'Tansen Samaroh' is held every year in December, near the tomb of Tansen at | A national music festival known as 'Tansen Samaroh' is held every year in December, near the tomb of Tansen at Hazira, [[Gwalior]] as a mark of respect to his memory. The [[Tansen Samman]] or Tansen award is given away to exponents in [[Hindustani Classical music]]. | ||
===Buildings=== | ===Buildings=== | ||
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===Miracles and legends=== | ===Miracles and legends=== | ||
The bulk of Tansen's biography as found in | The bulk of Tansen's biography as found in Akbar court historians' accounts and ''gharana'' literature consists of inconsistent and miraculous legends.<ref name="davar"/> Among the legends about Tansen are stories of his bringing down the rains with [[Raga]] [[Megh Malhar]] and lighting lamps by performing Raga Deepak.<ref>{{cite book|author1=George Ruckert|author2=Ali Akbar Khan|title=The Classical Music of North India: The first years study|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uWIJAQAAMAAJ|year=1998|publisher=Munshiram Manoharlal|isbn=978-81-215-0872-8|page=270}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Deva|first=Bigamudre|title=Indian Music|year=1995|publisher=Taylor & Francis|location=India}}</ref> 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)]] [[thaat]]s. 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. Besides this, there is also the theory of him being the inventor of [[Rubab (instrument)|rabab]]-a stringed instruments.<ref name="Tansen"/> | ||
===Crater=== | ===Crater=== | ||
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==External links== | ==External links== | ||
{{Commons category}} | |||
{{Authority control}} | {{Authority control}} | ||
[[Category:1490s births]] | [[Category:1490s births]] | ||
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[[Category:Indian male classical musicians]] | [[Category:Indian male classical musicians]] | ||
[[Category:Indian Hindus]] | [[Category:Indian Hindus]] | ||
[[Category:Mughal nobility]] | [[Category:Nobility from the Mughal Empire]] | ||
[[Category:16th-century nobility]] | |||
[[Category:People from Agra]] | [[Category:People from Agra]] | ||
[[Category:People from Gwalior]] | [[Category:People from Gwalior]] | ||
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[[Category:Indian male composers]] | [[Category:Indian male composers]] | ||
[[Category:16th-century Indian musicians]] | [[Category:16th-century Indian musicians]] | ||
[[Category:16th-century Mughal Empire people]] | |||
[[Category:Gwalior gharana]] | |||
Latest revision as of 18:29, 27 March 2026
Tānsen | |
|---|---|
![Portrait of Mian Tansen, c. 1585–90[1]](/wiki/File:Tansen_of_Gwalior._(11.8x6.7cm)_Mughal._1585-90._National_Museum,_New_Delhi..jpg) Portrait of Mian Tansen, c. 1585–90[1] | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Ramtanu Mukund Gaud |
| Born | c. 1493 Gwalior, Tomar Kingdom (modern day Madhya Pradesh, India) |
| Died | 26 April 1589 (aged 96) [2] Gwalior, Mughal Empire[3] India |
| Genres | Hindustani Classical Music |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, Instrumentalist, Vocalist, Music Studies |
| Years active | Till 1562: Raja Ramchandra Singh, Rewah After 1562: Emperor Akbar |
| Associated acts | Swami Haridas |
Rāmtanu Panday (c. 1493 – 26 April 1589), popularly referred to as Mian Tānsen (lit. 'the Learned One'), or Sangeet Samrāt (lit. 'Monarch of Hindustani Music'), was a Hindustani classical musician.[4] Born into a Hindu Gaur Brahmin family in Gwalior,[5] he learnt and perfected his art in the northwest region of modern Madhya Pradesh. He got his first break as musician and composer in the court of Raja Man Singh Tomar of Gwalior and spent most of his adult life in the court and patronage of the Hindu king of Rewa, Raja Ramchandra Singh Baghel (r. 1555–1592), where Tānsen's musical abilities and studies gained widespread fame.[4] This reputation brought him to the attention of the Mughal Emperor Akbar. In 1562, at about the age of 60, Tānsen joined Akbar's court, and his performances became the subject of many court historians.[4]
Numerous legends have been written about Tānsen, mixing facts and fiction, and the historicity of these stories is doubtful.[6] Akbar considered him one of the Navaratnas Nine Ministers (the nine jewels) and gave him the title Mian, an honorific, meaning learned man.[7]Tansen was a great composer musician and vocalist, to whom many compositions have been attributed in the 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.[8][9]
Tānsen is remembered for his epic Dhrupad compositions, creating several new rāgs, as well as for writing two classic books on music, Sri Ganesh Stotra and Sangita Sara.[10]
Early life[edit | edit source]
Tansen's date of birth is unclear, but most sources place his birth about 1493 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.[11]
According to the common elements in the various stories, Tansen's name as a child was Ramtanu.[12] His father Mukund Ram (also known as Mukund Gaud or Mukund Chand)[13] was a wealthy poet and accomplished musician of Gwalior, who for some time was a Hindu temple priest in Varanasi.[12] 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 city of Gwalior, in modern-day Madhya Pradesh. He began his career from the Imperial Court of Gwalior Kingdom 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.[14]
Tansen's influence was central to create the Hindustani classical ethos as we know today. He was instrumental in establishing the very first musical gharana the "Gwalior Gharana". 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[edit | edit source]
The legendary oral versions about Tansen's early life and schooling particularly differ depending on whether the story has origins in Hindu legends (Vaishnavism) or Muslim legends (Sufism).[11] The Hindu bhakti saint, poet and court musician of Raja Man Singh Tomar of Gwalior Swami Haridas was the major influence on Tansen. In Islamic biographies, the Sufi Muslim mystic named Muhammad Ghaus Gwaliori is said to have influenced Tansen. According to Bonnie Wade – a professor of Music specializing in South Asia Studies, Swami Haridas is widely accepted to have been Tansen's teacher, and it is clear that Tansen connected with Muhammad Ghaus as well, but the evidence suggests that Tansen is less affiliated with either religion, more with music.[11][16]
Tansen showed musical talent at the age of 6. At some point, he was discipled to Swami Haridas, for a brief period, the legendary composer from Vrindavan and court musician of the stellar Gwalior court of Raja Man Singh Tomar (1486–1516 AD), specialising in the Dhrupad style of singing. His talent was recognised early and it was the ruler of Gwalior who conferred upon the maestro the honorific title 'Tansen'. Haridas was considered to be a legendary music teacher in that time. It is said that Tansen had no equal apart from his teacher. 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 and Hindi), and Tansen's compositions also highlighted this trend. During some point of his apprenticeship, Tansen's father died, and he returned home, where it is said that he used to sing at a local Shiva temple in Gwalior.[citation needed]
Hagiographies mention that Tansen met the Sufi mystic Muhammad Ghaus. The interaction with Ghaus brought a strong Sufi influence on Tansen.[17] Later in his life, he continued to compose in Brajbhasha invoking traditional motifs such as Krishna and Shiva.[18]
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.[19] 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[edit | edit source]
Tansen'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).[20][21] He also composed and performed compositions dedicated to eulogizing kings and emperor Akbar.[20]
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Family[edit | edit source]
Tansen married a girl named Hussaini, who was from Gwalior, and from this marriage he had four sons and one daughter, namely: Surat Sen, Sarat Sen, Tarang Khan, Bilas Khan and Saraswati. All five became proficient musicians of Gwalior in their own right. His daughter, Saraswati, later married Misri Singh, a notable veena player and music composer from Singhalgarh, who was the grandson of Raja Samokhan Singh of Kishangarh.[22] One legend states that Tansen had also been married to a daughter of Akbar, named Mehrunissa, for which he had to convert to Islam.[23]
Death[edit | edit source]
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 in Gwalior.[12][24] Other versions, written in Akbarnama, written by Abul Fazl, as well as by Hindu historians give 26 April 1589 as the date of his death and that his funeral observed mostly Hindu customs.[25][26] Scholars states reason to refute the viewpoint of Tansen being converted to Islam due to his belief on Hindu tradition and various composition on Hindu gods. However, his composition shows no trace of Islamic influence.[27] 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 life and legacy.[28]
Popular culture[edit | edit source]
Several Hindi films have been made on Tansen's life, with mostly anecdotal story lines. Some of them are Tansen (1943), a musical hit produced by Ranjit Movietone, starring K. L. Saigal and Khursheed Bano.[29] Tansen (1958) and Sangeet Samrat Tansen (1962). Tansen is also a central character, though remaining mostly in the backdrop, in the historical musical Baiju Bawra (1952), based on the life of his eponymous contemporary.[citation needed]
-
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
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Legacy[edit | edit source]
Tansen award[edit | edit source]
A national music festival known as 'Tansen Samaroh' is held every year in December, near the tomb of Tansen at Hazira, Gwalior as a mark of respect to his memory. The Tansen Samman or Tansen award is given away to exponents in Hindustani Classical music.
Buildings[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
The bulk of Tansen's biography as found in Akbar court historians' accounts and gharana literature consists of inconsistent and miraculous legends.[7] Among the legends about Tansen are stories of his bringing down the rains with Raga Megh Malhar and lighting lamps by performing Raga Deepak.[30][31] 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. Besides this, there is also the theory of him being the inventor of rabab-a stringed instruments.[16]
Crater[edit | edit source]
A crater on the planet Mercury has been named in Tansen's honor.[32]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Stuart Cary Welch; Metropolitan Museum of Art (1985). India: Art and culture, 1300–1900. Metropolitan Museum of Art. pp. 171–172. 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.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Bonnie C. Wade (1998). Imaging Sound: An Ethnomusicological Study of Music, Art, and Culture in Mughal India. University of Chicago Press. pp. 108–110. ISBN 978-0-226-86841-7.
- ↑ "Tansen, Famous Hindustani Classical Singer Tansen". indiaonline.in. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
- ↑ Nazir Ali Jairazbhoy (1995). The Rāgs of North Indian Music: Their Structure and Evolution. Popular Prakashan. pp. 19–20. ISBN 978-81-7154-395-3.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Davar, Ashok (1987). Tansen – The Magical Musician. India: National book trust.
- ↑ Andrea L. Stanton; Edward Ramsamy; Peter J. Seybolt; et al. (2012). Cultural Sociology of the Middle East, Asia, and Africa: An Encyclopedia. SAGE Publications. p. 125. ISBN 978-1-4522-6662-6.
- ↑ Bruno Nettl; Ruth M. Stone; James Porter; et al. (1998). The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music: South Asia : the Indian subcontinent. Taylor & Francis. pp. 376–377. ISBN 978-0-8240-4946-1.
- ↑ Bonnie C. Wade (1998). Imaging Sound: An Ethnomusicological Study of Music, Art, and Culture in Mughal India. University of Chicago Press. p. 117. ISBN 978-0-226-86841-7.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Bonnie C. Wade (1998). Imaging Sound: An Ethnomusicological Study of Music, Art, and Culture in Mughal India. University of Chicago Press. pp. 113–114. ISBN 978-0-226-86841-7.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Maryam Juzer Kherulla (12 October 2002). "Profile: Tansen — the mesmerizing maestro". Dawn newspaper. Archived from the original on 21 November 2007. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
- ↑ Sunita Dhar (1989). Senia gharana, its contribution to Indian classical music. Reliance. p. 19. ISBN 978-81-85047-49-2.
- ↑ Edmour J. Babineau (1979). Love of God and Social Duty in the Rāmcaritmānas. Motilal Banarsidass. p. 54. ISBN 978-0-89684-050-8.
- ↑ Bruno Nettl (1995). Heartland Excursions: Ethnomusicological Reflections on Schools of Music. University of Illinois Press. p. 68. 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
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 "Tansen".
- ↑ Wade, Bonnie C. (1998). Imaging Sound : An Ethnomusicological Study of Music, Art, and Culture in Mughal India. University of Chicago Press. pp. 113–114. ISBN 0-226-86840-0.
- ↑ Wade, Bonnie C. (1998). Imaging Sound : An Ethnomusicological Study of Music, Art, and Culture in Mughal India. University of Chicago Press. pp. 114–115. ISBN 0-226-86840-0.
- ↑ Wade, Bonnie C. (1998). Imaging Sound : An Ethnomusicological Study of Music, Art, and Culture in Mughal India. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 0-226-86840-0.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 José Luiz Martinez (2001). Semiosis in Hindustani Music. Motilal Banarsidass. pp. 186–187. ISBN 978-81-208-1801-9.
- ↑ Françoise Delvoye (1990), Tânsen et la tradition des chants dhrupad en langue braj, du XVIe siècle à nos jours, Thèse d'État non publiée. Paris : Université de la Sorbonne Nouvelle (in French), 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.
- ↑ Dhar, Sunita (1989). Senia Gharana, Its Contribution to Indian Classical Music. Reliance Publishing House. p. 24. ISBN 978-81-85047-49-2.
- ↑ Stephen F. Dale (2009). The Muslim Empires of the Ottomans, Safavids, and Mughals. Cambridge University Press. p. 160. ISBN 978-1-316-18439-4.
- ↑ Bonnie C. Wade (1998). Imaging Sound: An Ethnomusicological Study of Music, Art, and Culture in Mughal India. University of Chicago Press. p. 115. ISBN 978-0-226-86840-0.
- ↑ Fazl, Abul. Akbarnama. Translated by Beveridge, Henry. Asiatic Society of Bengal. p. 816.
- ↑ "Imaging sound : An ethnomusicological study of music, art, and culture in Mughal India". 1998.
- ↑ Roshan Shahani (11 January 2004). "Strains of a raga ... in Gwalior". The Hindu newspaper. Archived from the original on 30 September 2004. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
- ↑ Nettl, Bruno; Arnold, Alison (2000). The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music: South Asia : the Indian subcontinent. Taylor & Francis. p. 525. ISBN 978-0-8240-4946-1.
- ↑ George Ruckert; Ali Akbar Khan (1998). The Classical Music of North India: The first years study. Munshiram Manoharlal. p. 270. ISBN 978-81-215-0872-8.
- ↑ Deva, Bigamudre (1995). Indian Music. India: Taylor & Francis.
- ↑ "Tansen". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. IAU/USGS/NASA. Retrieved 12 May 2022.