Tansen is considered as one of the greatest musicians ever. He was the chief musician in the court of Mughal Emperor Akbar. He was one of the “Navaratnas” (nine jewels) in the court of Akbar. Akbar gave him the title “Miyan” meaning “learned” as Tansen used to show magical qualities of music. Just by singing in particular ragas he used to bring rain and light up fire etc. He was a great composer and singer. Even today he is worshipped by leading singers and musicians of the world.

Early days of Tansen’s Life

Tansen started learning music when he was a child. He learnt music from Haridas Swami who was a living legend at that time. There are several legends that explain how Tansen became a disciple of Haridas Swami.

• One legend says that Haridas Swami was very impressed with Tansen’s imitation of a Tiger when he was passing through forests.
• Other legend says that Tansen’s father took him to Haridas Swami.
• It is believed that Tansen acquired his love for dhrupad style of music from his early guru Haridas Swami.

Tansen also developed interest for composing in local language. At that time the Bhakti tradition was stirring up a shift from Sanskrit to the local languages Brajbhasa and Hindi, and Tansen's compositions highlight this trend. During his apprenticeship, Tansen's father died, and he returned home, where it is said he used to sing at a local Shiva temple.

Later Tansen went to Muhammad Ghaus who eventually became his spiritual mentor. 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.

Tansen joined the court of King Ramachandra Baghela of Rewa, India, and he stayed there from 1555 A.D to 1562 A.D. It is believed that, Mughal Emperor Akbar heard of Tansen’s 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.

But there is another legend that implies Akbar's daughter Meherunnissa was enamoured by Tansen and had a role in his coming to Akbar's court.

Tansen's role in Akbar's court

After joining Akbar's court Tansen eventually became one of the treasured Navaratnas (Nine jewels) of Akbar’s court. There is a Legend that in his first performance, he was gifted 100,000 gold coins by the emperor.

Musician like Tansen in Akbar's court has been considered as the theoretical position of making the Empire's presence felt among the population, a mechanism related to Naubat or ritual performance. It is said that Tansen would perform different ragas at different times of day, and the emperor and his audience would honor him with coins.

Tansen's Family

Tansen was born in a Hindu Brahmin family, in 1506 A.D. (some legends say it as 1493 A.D) in the village Behat near Gwalior. His father Mukund Mishra was a poet and accomplished musician. His father was a temple priest in Varanasi for a small period. Tansen's childhood name was Ramtanu and he had some nicknames like Tanna and Mukul.

Tansen's blood descendants – the Senia gharana - held considerable prestige in musical circles for several centuries. The royal courts of Rewa, India, 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 Tansen’s daughter Saraswati Devi lineage, was also a musicologist who wrote the Risala Mousibi. One of the last of the line, Dr Dabir Khan, (1905 A.D - 1972A.D, Saraswati Devi lineage) was a dhrupadiya and a beenkar, at Radio Calcutta.

Last Days of Tansen’s Life

The aging Tansen wished to settle down in Gwalior during his last days. Though the exact place of his death is not known, it is told that Emperor Akbar himself was by his bedside during his last hours. Akbar felt a severe grief after the death of Tansen, Music and joy, he said, vanished from his life after Tansen`s death.

As with his birth, life and career, Tansen`s death too became stuff of legends. Tansen’s son Bilas Khan was away at the time of his father’s death and was plunged into deep sorrow when he heard the news. He gave vent to his profound grief on seeing his father`s lifeless body by singing an anguished song in Bilaskhani Todi, a raaga that came to be named after him. To add myth to myth, it is even said that the lifeless hand of his dead father rose for a moment as though to bless his worthy son. Tansen’s body was buried near the tomb of Peer Mohammed Ghouse, whom he revered all his life.

Why was Tansen popular?

The legendary musical prowess of Tansen surpasses all other legends in Indian music. He can be compared only to the prolific sufi musician Amir Khusro (1253 A.D-1325 A.D), and to bhakti tradition musicians such as 'Kabir' and 'Haridas'. 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 ka Sarang; in addition he is the creator of major ragas like Darbari Kanada, Darbari Todi, and Rageshwari.

Not just bringing rains and lighting up candles, Tansen was also attributed with legends that tell of his ability to bring wild animals to listen with attention. Once, a wild white elephant was captured, but it was fierce and could not be tamed. Finally, Tansen sang to the elephant that calmed down and the emperor was able to ride the elephant.

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

Almost every music gharana (school) tries to trace its origin to him, though some try to go further back to Amir Khusro. The Dhrupad style of singing was formalized essentially through the practice by Tansen and Haridas, as well as Baiju Bawra.

The famous qawwals, the Sabri Brothers claim lineage from Miyan Tansen.

He was so popular with the Emperor Akbar and others that some people couldn’t digest it and tried to harm Tansen by making him to sing the 'Deepak rag'. Tansen arranged two girls to sing another rag called Megh Malhar at the same time so that he can survive the effects of singing Deepak rag. Till date he is considered as a musician with no equal.

Tansen's palace at Fatehpur Sikri

Tansen Palace at Fatehpur Sikri, Known as 'Barahdari' as it has twelve doorways, is single-storeyed red sandstone building and rectangular in shape with three doorways on each side. The arched doorways grace its northern and southern sides while the eastern and western sides have flat-roofed doorways.

The hall is surrounded by a pillared verandah on all sides. Interiors of the hall are kept simple with simply a wagon-vaulted ceiling and a flat roof while the exteriors are adorned with elegant marble and buff sandstone inlay work done in geometrical designs such as the hexagons and pointed star patterns. The roof of the verandah consists of sloping stones slabs resembling 'khaprel' or tiles that are supported on pillars and architraves.

This article was contributed by Alhad

Comments

Add New Search

Write comment
Name:
Email:
Title:
	Please input the anti-spam code that you can read in the image.

Powered by !JoomlaComment 3.26

3.26 Copyright (C) 2008 Compojoom.com / Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."