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ORIGINS&ENDSOFINDIANCLASSICALMUSIC

AnEssayby |bhargavkaushik

Origins&EndsofIndianClassicalMusic

Indian Classical Music is one of main pillar that holds the unique and diversely
blended culture of the Indian subcontinent. It makes the oxymoronic statement unity in
diversity possible. Indian Classical Music is evolutionary phenomena that absorbs
influencesfromthefolkandnativemusicalculturesandradiatesitsinfluencesbackandalso
tootherMusiccultures.Indianclassicalmusicistheamalgamationofthebeatsandpieces
of the elements picked up from various sources in and around the subcontinent that
constructed the gigantic swirl of Indian classical music over a period of millennia. From
hymns in ancients scripture chanted for sacred religious rituals to short pieces abstract
notationscalledAlapsungbeforearagatocreatethemoodandambiance;everypieceof
music is touched by one another in some way, they are all connected to each other.
However, practitionershave categorized thesepieces based on compositions, instruments
and even time to practice or perform. In the process of formation this music genre has
experiencedinnumerousexperimentsanddevelopmentsthathaveitwovenwiththemusic
practiced by humanity especially those of West. Apart from this, Indian Classical music,
along the evolutionary path, carries certain values and senses essential to the philosophy
and thought generated in the subcontinent that infiltrates listeners mind and eventually
influencesthelivesofthelisteners.

IndianClassicalMusicisatransformationalformofhymnsandchantsoftheearliest

religious rites both in Vedas and NonVedic practices such as Dravidian and Tantric. Pre
Aryanperiodinthisland,animalismandspiritualitywaspracticedincontextofthenature
surrounded. Natural sounds where adapted to suit human vocal system and also brought
intopracticesofappreciatingthenature.

Origins&EndsofIndianClassicalMusic

Afterthepracticesforprayersintherhythmsofnature,anewcultureenteredthe

Indus valley and intended to penetrate into the whole of the subcontinent. This was the
entrance of Aryans from Central Asia with their patriarch, politics and warrior skills
governedbythescripturecalledVedas(notablyWrigVedaorRigVeda).Thesescriptures
are set of poems written in praise of the God (Indra). They included certain abstract or
relatively new words or meaning that were important, as Aryans intended to surpass the
sole influence of nature and gain control over it by their vigour. After the decline of the
IndusCivilizationandretreatoftheDravidiansbacktothesouth,theAryansgainedcontrol
ofmanypatchesoflandinthenorth.Inspiteof,havingwonoverthenewcomerscouldnot
resistcertainessenceoftheDravidianculture,someofthemajorinfluencestobeseenare:
1)AdaptationofthenonAryanGodShivaandShaktiand2)theuseofinstrumentsalong
with the chants in the rites. It can be said here that Hindu, as a faith, as a way of life
blossomedinthemuddleofthisunionandeversinceHinduismhasbeenthereligionthat
absorbsallthefaiths,thoughtsorconceptsthatcameacross.
With the first Veda Wrig or Rig, Aryans spread out into IndoGangatic plane and
beyondandsospreadtheircultureandfaith.Interestinglyandtotheoriginalcharacterof
thissubcontinent,theAryanshadtogiveinandadapttothecontexttheywerein.Inother
words, Aryan way of worship changed or better said evolved to a Vedic + Tantric way.
Inclusionof soundslike him/hingklim/klingandcertainwordtypeslikereduplications
andloanwordsareclearevidenceforcounterinvasionoflocalcultureonAryans.Itisnota
new event in history, as the Romans have undergone similar occurrence during and after
theirconquestoverGreece.ButunliketheRomans,Aryanslosttheirunityasonetribeor
groupandrathergotscatteredinthediverselandofthissubcontinent.Theyalsoadapted
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Origins&EndsofIndianClassicalMusic

thelifeandcultureofthelocals.ThisinfluencecanbeseeninnextleveltextstoVedasthat
is the Puranas and Upanishads. In these texts, the sages have composed many stories in
formofcouplets,someofwhicharetoberecitedasprayerstodifferentGodsanddeities.
These recitations were passed verbally in Gurukulas (Hindu Religious School of ancient
India). These rhymes are also a part of the music that formed the Indian classical music
mostlysungin3notes.
The above discussion was necessary to narrate the first formative stage of Indian
ClassicalMusicbeingaproductoftheblendofAryanandDravidiancultures.Devotionalor
religious music is start of musical practices being observed, studied and developed with a
theoreticalapproach beside its practical use for religious rites. Along the way, as the new
religious texts like Kirtanas and Kathas have been written in various languages to reach
commonersvariousrasa(flavours)oflifealsogotmergedintothesetextsinordertomake
those religious/mythical stories interesting. As a result of which devotional music of
medievalIndiagotanewdirectionofworkingonemotionstogeneratedevotion.Although
thedevotionalmusicoverwhelmedotherformsofmusicsuchasmusicusedinroyalcourts
andoccasionsofsociallife,itcouldnotresistthedevelopmentofthesevariousoccurrences
of music that brought in the local instruments and also the tunes. However, the main
stream music theory (on which the present Indian Classical music is based) had its
developmentgoingon.With7notesindifferentmelodiccompositions,Ragasareoneofkey
the contributions of mainstream music in medieval India. Earliest composition of raga is
creditedtoMatanga,predecessorofKingNanyadeva,whowroteBrhaddesshiacompilation
on ancient and medieval development of Indian music (1). Taal is another component in

Origins&EndsofIndianClassicalMusic

IndianClassicalMusic.Taalistherhythmofbeats,notonlyinpercussioninstruments,but
evenRagasarecomposedtobeaccompaniedbycertainTaals.
Therearemanydifferentragascomposedbyvariousartistswiththescalesknownas
ThaatorMela,suchas:Bilawal,Yaman,Khama,Bhairav,Poorvietc.Withcertainsimilarities
likeragas,Indianclassicalmusicisdividedintotwobranches1)Hindustani(forNorth)Music
and 2) Carnatic (for South) Music. These two branches are the result of addition of new
concept.ActuallyCarnaticMusicistheratherunchangedversionofthemusicdiscussedin
the above paragraphs. Hindustani Music is a comparatively newer as it was influenced by
externalfactorslikeSufismaswellasinternalfactorslikefolkmusic.
SufiphilosophyenteredIndiaduringwiththeotherIslamiccontextsinthebeginning
of 2nd millennium AD. This mystic thinking from Islam was welcomed by the land of
amalgamation. As Sufism was spreading the words Islam addressing to its new contexts,
there went another reforming process in Hinduism, which is known as Bhakti Movement.
BothSufismandBhaktiMovementoccurredinsuchperiodoftimewhenIndiawasgetting
itsgoldentimesinthelatermedievalage.SufismandBhaktimovementhascertainthingsin
commonsuchas,bothhadusedmusictopreachandpropagatetheirphilosophy,bothfocus
on devotion. Sufi saints like Hazarat Moinuddin Chishti, Baba Farid, Hazarat Nizamuddin
Auliya and Amir Khusro has contributed with their beautiful poems, songs on various
maters. Most notably Amir Khusro is known for his contribution toward Indian classical
music,especially,ashehasdevisedmanyinstrumentslikeSitarfromVeena(aheavystring
instrument)andthepairofTablafromPakhwaj(aboltedtwosideddrum).Contributionof
AmirKhusrotoIndianclassicalmusicishuge,healsostartedKhayalandQawalitwostyleof
vocalmusicthelateronealignedwithBhajanofBhaktiMovement.Hewasapoetofmainly
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Origins&EndsofIndianClassicalMusic

three languages, Hindavi (predecessor of present Hindi), Parsi (also known as Farsi) and
Urdu.
On the other hand, Bhakti Movement was seeded by the reforms of Gautama
BuddhaandMahavira,broughtinitiallybySriAdiGuruShankaracharyaascleardictumtobe
spiritually inclined in daily life. He was followed by Guru Nanak Dev (Founder of Sikhism),
Kabir (Hindu Muslim unifier), Mirabai (Women devotee of Lord Krishna), and many
regional reformers like: Purandara (Karnataka), Tulsidas (from Awadh), Surdas (from Brij),
ChaiytanyaDev(fromBengali)andShankardeva(fromAssam).Theyallhavecontributedto
thevastnessinvarietyofIndianClassicalMusic.DuringthisperiodIndianClassicalMusicgot
theformandshapethatisknownasontoday.OneofthedisciplesofBhaktiMovementwas
Tansen, who was renowned for his contribution of ragas to the chest of Indian classical
music.HewasalsoresponsibleforbeingthegeneratorofDhrupadstyleofsinging.

As the Bhakti Movement had spread throughout the subcontinent, most of parts

gotrevivedmusicallyandblendednewtheoriesofmusicwitholdrhymesofeachpart.In
other words where ever Bhakti Movement and Sufism had spread its melodious tunes it
generated revival of the music that belong to that region and also contributed musical
theoriesandphilosophicalthoughts.ThereforeifonediscussesaboutIndianClassicalMusic,
onecannotdowithouttouchingitsregionaltraditionalmusic.Notonlyvocalsinging,Bhakti
MovementbroughtupalotmoretothesociallifeofpeopleinvariouspartsofIndia,such
asStageDramassuchasnautanki,ramleela,bhaonaetc.,variousmusicalinstrumentssuch
as,Khol/Pungi(terracottatwosideddrum)andEkTara(singlestringplayer).

Origins&EndsofIndianClassicalMusic

Apart from Bhakti Movements touch, there are many ethnic music forms that are

recognizedasapartofIndianmusic,howevertheIndianClassicalMusicisthemainstream
music that is divided into two branches 1) Hindustani Classical and 2) Carnatic Classical.
Thereagainonecanfindvariationofstyleinthesetwobranches.Anotherimportantbutnot
noticeable variety for fresh ears is the Gharanas (the schools), present in every sect of
musicians, is the result of the GuruShishya (MasterDisciples) relationship and tradition
followedrightfromtheVedicdaysinIndia.
InthemainstreamHindustani,Druppadisknownforitsageandlevelamongallthe
styles.Drupadadvocatestheuseofsinglesyllablesoundandmasteryovervocalfunctions.
ThisstyleofsingingstartedbyHaridasandTansen,demandsrigorouspracticeasDhrupad
singerssingforlongertimesandshowextremecontrolovertheirrespirationwhilesinging
in one pitch for long. Khayal, Thumri and Tarana are the variations in Hindustani Classical
that is mostly seen performed by artists. There are several Gharanas for each style
mentionedabove.ExcepttheDhrupadmusicians,musicianfromtheseGharanasareseento
explore the content of Hindustani Classical Music outside of their respective Gharanas.
HowevertheiridentitiesarefromtheirrespectiveGharanas.

InCarnaticbranchofclassicalmusic,thereisnotmuchvarietyintermsofstylelike

Hindustani, however this southern branch does have variation in compositions: Varnam,
KritiandGeetham.

The classical artists of both Hindustani and Carnatic Classical also perform pieces

lying outside of the classical perimeter, such as: Ghazal, Bhajan, Kirtan, Qawwali and of
courseFilmiMusicofBollywood.Allofthesestylesarebranchesofthesametreegivingthe

Origins&EndsofIndianClassicalMusic

nectar of melody as the key essence of the tree of Indian Classical. These styles are
interconnectedandthisconnectionismadestrongerbymusicianpractisingthevastvariety
withhis/herownqualitiesacquiredfromonestyle.Mostofthepiecesperformedbythese
artistsareusedinmovieswhichbringspopularitytotheartist.Howevertheartistsfameis
notdependentonthemovies.

Indianfolkmusic,oneoftheearlycontributorstotheclassicalbaseofIndianmusic,

isunderconstantanddirectinfluenceofIndianclassicalmusic.DuringtheBhaktiMovement
many folk music got organized and documented. Moreover, the classical musical
developments such as inclusion and invention of new instruments also shaped the folk
musicinmanypartsofIndiansubcontinent.Atpresentmostfolkartistsacquirethemastery
overclassicalmusicinordertoimprovetheirfolkmusic.
Thefilmi(relatedtomovies)musicofBollywoodisagoodexampletolookat.Pre
independence Bollywood moviemusic was all inspired by classical mainly, Khayal, Thumri
and Taranas. From late 50s Bollywood got its musical influence from the west as well,
notablyfromElvis,JazzandRock&Roll.HoweverthegripofIndianclassicalremainedthe
sameonfilmsinspiteofthehitsofDiscoandRap&Hiphoplikein80sand90s.Bollywood
musichasbecomeamainstageforthecommonlisteners,andhenceinfluencestheirtaste
fromtimetotime.

West has influenced and been influenced by Indian Classical Music. One of the

importantinfluencesfromthewestonIndianclassicalmusicistheinstrumentharmonium,
whichisextensivelyusedbythevocalisttokeepwithscaleofRagas.Contrarytothat,Indian
musichasinfluencedwesternmusicthroughthelastcentury.ApartfromPt.RaviShankars

Origins&EndsofIndianClassicalMusic

influence on Beatles, there are plenty many occurrences that are worth mentioning, such
as:fusionmusic,featuringIndianpiecesinwesternsingles.

New Age Movement can

alsoshowhowdeepwesternculturegotinfluencedbyeast.

IndianClassicalmusichasinfluencedIndiansubcontinentoverthecenturies.Indian

classicalmusicisthebasisofallthemusicperformedinthisland.Artistsfromalltheparts
ofIndia,Pakistan,Bangladesh,SriLankaandevenabroadpracticeIndianclassicalmusicasit
isorasatooltoimprovetheirrespectiveperformances.ThiswayIndianclassicalmusichas
reachedthediversityofthedemographyandbringsallunderoneroof.

MostsignificantcontributionthatIndianclassicalmusichasmadenotonlytoIndia

but also to all of humanity is that, it helped build the interreligious harmony, especially
amongsttheHindusandMuslims.MostDhrupadmusiciansareMuslimandtheybelieve&
worship Hindu gods as their music demands. On the other hand, many noted Ghazal (a
poeticmusicalpiecewritteninUrdu)singersareNonMuslims.

InthemostdenselypopulatedcountrieslikeBangladesh,IndiaandPakistan,lifeis

notverysmoothasthestruggleofsurvivaltakeseveryessenceoflifesbeauty.Themusicis
oneofmainreliefonecanhaveinsuchatenseroutine.
India is not only a country; it is a subcontinent of many ethnic nations beyond its
politicalborders.InthislandvarietyIndianClassicalMusicisoneofthefewthreadsthatties
allthediversityintooneentity.TheoriginofIndianClassicalcanbetracedbacktoVedicand
preVedic times. It has sprung up from the union of Vedic and Dravidian music of rites.
RaagaandTaalarethekeycomponentsofthismusic.Therehavebeenmanyinfluenceson
theIndianclassicalmusic,namingly:Sufism,BhaktiMovementandFolkMusic.Thenumber
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Origins&EndsofIndianClassicalMusic

of Gharanas in every style shows the vastness in variety of Indian Classical music. It has
spread its influence over Indian Contemporary Folk Music, Filmi Music of Bollywood,
WesternMusicinmanyaspectsandmostimportantlyIndianLife&Culture.Indianclassical
musichasinheritedthemajorcharacteristicofbeingIndianthatistheabilitytoabsorbfrom
&adapttoitssurroundingandcontribute&radiateback.

ForFurtherReading
Books:

RaagasinIndianClassicalMusicbyAnupamMahajan
TheMusicofIndiaReginaldMasseyandJamilaMassey
NorthIndianMusicbyRichardKeeling
TwoMenandMusicbyJanakiBakhle
DawnofIndianMusicintheWestbyPeterLavazzoli

Websites:
VedicMusic
TheChronology:VedicLiterature&Music
SaiKirtanGroupHistoryofMusicPreVedicMusicPeriod
TheFormandFunctionofMusicInAncientIndia(AHistoricalStudy)(InTwoVolumes)
Raaga
HindustaniClassicalMusic,Origin,HistoryRhythmnRaga.org
TheRagaGuideIntroduction
Orion:ASearchintotheAncientnessofAryanVedicCulture(AnIgnoredHistoricalResearch)
ContemporaryIndianMusicandtheVedas)
HINDUHISTORYContentsPage
StutiAPracticalSanskritDictionary
IndianClassicalMusic
SunilMukhi'sIndianClassicalMusicPage
PatrickMoutal'sIndianMusicPage
PureBhakti.com
Kamat'sPotpourri:ImportantProponentsoftheBhaktiMovement
AmirKhusroAmirKhusrauBiographyLifeofAmirKhusroAmirKhusrauLifeHistory
AmirKhusrau,Khusro,Khosrow

http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/southasia/Culture/Music/Music.html
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