Hindustani classical music

Hindustani classical music is the traditional musical system of the northern regions of the Indian subcontinent. It is also known as North Indian classical music or Shastriya Sangeet. This art form is a vital part of North Indian culture and is performed globally. It relies on two central concepts: the raga and the tala. A raga is a melodic musical mode or mood. A tala is a rhythmic cycle or beat. Unlike Western music, this system is melodic and has no concept of harmony.

To understand how this music works, one must look at its technical foundations. Ancient musical treatises like the Natya Shastra and the Dattilam helped refine these principles. The Dattilam, written around the 3rd or 4th century CE, discusses the concept of grama. A grama is a tonal framework made of 22 micro-tonal intervals called shruti. The term shruti literally means "that which is heard." Musicians use these intervals to create complex arrangements known as Murchhana. They also use note-sequences called tanas and elaborations called alankara. The Dattilam even categorized melodic structures into 18 groups called Jati. These Jatis are fundamental structures similar to the modern raga.

The history of this music is marked by significant cultural shifts. Around the 12th century, Hindustani music diverged from Carnatic music, the tradition of southern India. While Carnatic music uses languages like Tamil or Telugu, Hindustani music uses many others. These include Sanskrit, Hindi-Urdu, Braj, Bengali, and even Persian. During the medieval period, Persian musical ideas fused with Indian traditions. This happened through the influence of Sufi composers like Amir Khusro. Later, musicians flourished in the Mughal courts. The composer Tansen is a famous example of this era. Legends say Tansen could light fires by singing a specific raga named Deepak.

Cultural exchange created new musical styles during the Delhi Sultanate and Mughal Empire. This era saw the birth of musical synthesis, such as qawwali and khyal. The khyal style is a prominent vocal form. While Amir Khusro is sometimes linked to its origins, the composer Sadarang is often called the father of modern khyal. These styles merged Hindu and Muslim ideas. This created a tradition of religious neutrality in the music. A Muslim musician, called an Ustad, might sing praises to Hindu deities. Conversely, a Hindu musician, called a Pandit, might sing Islamic compositions. This shows how music can bridge different spiritual worlds.

As the Mughal Empire declined, music moved from royal courts to smaller princely kingdoms. Places like Awadh, Patiala, and Banaras became important centers. This led to the rise of gharanas, which are networks of classical music schools. Each gharana represents a specific style or lineage. Many musician families received land grants to remain self-sufficient. This allowed them to preserve their unique traditions for many generations. These schools ensured that specific techniques were passed down through dedicated lineages.

In the early 20th century, the way music was taught began to change. For a long time, students used the guru-shishya tradition. This was a mentor-protégé system where a student lived with and served their teacher. While this provided deep training, it was also very limited. It kept the music confined to palaces and dance halls. It was often looked down upon by the educated middle class. Two men helped change this by bringing music to the masses. Vishnu Digambar Paluskar founded the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya in 1901. This school was open to everyone and used public donations instead of royal money.

Another important figure was Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande. He worked to organize the complex structures of the ragas. Between 1909 and 1932, he wrote a massive four-volume work called Hindustani Sangeeta Paddhati. He used this research to group ragas into a system of thaats. A thaat is a classification based on the specific notes used in a raga. This helped create a standardized way to study and teach the music. Today, Hindustani classical music remains a respected and living art form. Great masters like Ravi Shankar have even received the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award.