UNESCO declares Gwalior the ‘city of music’

Subject: International Relations

Section: International organisation

Context: UNESCO declares Gwalior the ‘city of music’

What is the story of Gwalior musical past:

Gwalior, known for its rich musical history, played a pivotal role in the development of the Gwalior gharana, one of the oldest and most influential gharanas in Hindustani classical music.
Raja Man Singh Tomar, a patron of music and a ruler of Gwalior during the 15th century, made significant contributions to the gharana’s growth.
He inherited his musical lineage from his great-grandfather, Dungarendra Singh Tomar, who was a musician and scholar.
Dungarendra composed Vishnupadas and introduced a unique singing style that he passed down to Man Singh.
Man Singh is also credited with the invention of dhrupad, a classical musical genre, and he wrote Manakutuhala, the first music treatise in Hindi, making classical music more accessible to a wider audience.
His efforts to promote Indian music extended to replacing Sanskrit songs with simpler Hindi compositions and conducting music sessions in grand music halls within his palace.
His musical contributions were appreciated not only by his subjects but also by Sufis and Muslim Sultans.

The glory of the Gwalior gharana:

Gwalior, the first significant gharana of Hindustani classical music, played a pivotal role in the evolution of the musical genre.
Under Mughal rule, early ustads like Naththan Khan and Naththan Pir Baksh, along with his grandsons, contributed to the gharana’s development.
The gharana was instrumental in transforming dhrupad into khayal singing, incorporating elements of qawwali.
Ustad Naththan Pir Baksh was a key figure in the creation of khayal, a structured raga presentation system that gained immense popularity in the 18th and 19th centuries and remains relevant today.
Notably, Gwalior gharana incorporated Persian words into its compositions and introduced the concept of bandish ki thumri, a structured form of thumri or love song.
Despite the diversity of artists from Gwalior gharana, they maintained a distinctive yet unified style.

What are some famous name from Gwalior gharana:

The Gwalior gharana produced influential figures in Hindustani classical music, including Bade Inayat Hussain Khan, Vasudeva Buwa Joshi, Balakrishnabuwa Ichalkaranjikar, BR Deodhar, and Farida Khanum.
The next generation featured artists like Pt Kumar Gandharv, Malini Rajurkar, Veena Sahasrabuddhe, and Pt Venkatesh Kumar, who incorporated elements of Kirana gayaki.
Their techniques and nuances continue to influence students of Hindustani classical music to this day.

Some facts about Tansen the Gwalior’s crown musician:

Mian Tansen, born as Ramatanu, was a celebrated musician who trained under Swami Haridas and Sufi saint Mohommad Ghous in the Gwalior gharana style.
He served as the court musician for King Ram Chandra Singh of Rewa before joining the Mughal court of Akbar at the age of 60.
Akbar’s admiration for Tansen is well-documented in Abul Fazl’s Ain-i-Akbari, with many stories about the musician’s musical brilliance and knowledge.
Tansen’s legacy remains an integral part of Indian musical history and culture.
Tansen was the title given to him by Raja Vikramjit of Gwalior.
Among the many works attributed to him are a treatise named the ‘Rāgamala’, many ‘Dohas’ describing the ‘lakshanas’ or the attributes of rāgas, ‘Sangeet Saar’, and ‘Shri Ganesh Stotra’
The Gharana of Tansen is known as Senia Gharana.