India has always been known for its rich culture and history. Emperors of different religions have ruled over this subcontinent – Mughals, Khaljis, Tughlaqs, Mauryas, Marathas, Rajputs, Cholas, Pandyas and so many more. All of this has resulted in India having a very diverse history. But that is not the only thing that is unique to the Indian subcontinent. Indian classical music or Hindustani music has been a very important part of Indian culture and tradition, and therefore it naturally holds a very important place in Indian history as well. One of the most prominent, well-known and talented figures of Hindustani music is Tansen. We hear this name very often, but we know very little about him and his life. This article will explore the life of “Mian Tansen”, as he was called by Emperor Akbar, and the legends that surround his life.
A painting of Miyan Tansen
Much of the information that we about Tansen today comes from Mughal chroniclers like Abul Fazl. It is due to this fact that we know very little about Tansen’s early life. He was born either around 1500 CE, or between 1493 and 1506, in Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh), to Mukund Pandey who himself was a wealthy poet, an accomplished musician, and later on a priest in a temple in Varanasi for some time. Tansen began his career and spent most of his adult life in the court of the Hindu king of Rewa (a princely state), Raja Ramchandra Singh. Tansen was a close confidante of the King of Rewa and they used to practice and compose music together. It was here that Tansen gained widespread fame for his talent.
The third Mughal Emperor – Jalaluddin Mohammad Akbar
When Akbar heard of Tansen and expressed his desire to recruit him and make him a part of the court musicians, Tansen was almost 60-years-old. He was considering retiring and spending the rest of his life in solitude, when Akbar’s invitation came. Abul Fazl, the chief chronicler of Akbar’s life writes in Akbar’s biography, Akbarnama, the story of how Tansen came into the Mughal court. (Since the original version is pretty long, I have written a condensed version of it. The original translation is attached in the picture below.)
When Akbar heard the news of Tansen considering a life in solitude, he immediately sent Jalal Khan Qurchi, who was one of his favourite servants, to the court of Raja Ramchandra. It was the encouragement of the Raja that convinced Tansen to become a part of Akbar’s court, and so he was sent with instruments, expensive presents and elephants to Akbar’s court.
Abul Fazl’s description of how Tansen entered the Mughal Court, in the Akbarnama
There are a lot of stories that describe Tansen as an extremely talented musician from a very young age itself. It is said that he could produce any sound. One story goes along these lines. Once a few sadhus were crossing a field when they heard the loud roar of a lion. When they followed the sound, they were shocked to see a young boy sitting on a tree, instead of a lion. They advised his father to send him to Swami Haridas for training. Swami Haridas was a mystic-musician and a poet who lived during the 16th century. He is credited with a large body of devotional compositions. He took Tansen under his wing and trained him for the next ten years. It is said that Tansen learnt everything that he could from his guru and that by the time his training ended, there was nobody better than him in the field of music apart from the Swami himself. While Swami Haridas was a major influence on Tansen and his music, there was another extremely influential figure in Tansen’s life – the Sufi saint Murshid Mohammed Ghouse Gwaliari.
Swami Haridas – the mystic-musician and poet, who trained Tansen
There are two versions to this story as well, which narrates how Tansen met him. The first one states that Tansen was born deaf and dumb. When he was taken to the saint in Gwalior, he found Mohammed Ghouse in the company of Swami Haridas. The Sufi saint blew air in his mouth and ear, and Tansen was cured. After this, he asked Swami Haridas to take Tansen under his wing and thus began his musical journey. The second version states that after his father’s death Tansen was depressed and he withdrew from the outside world. He spent most of time singing at a Shiva temple. It was during this difficult and trying time that Mohammed Ghouse is said to have helped. He had a calming effect on him. Certain stories even say that Ghouse was Tansen’s music teacher along with Swami Haridas, a claim which is debatable even today. What we do know for sure, is the fact that it was Ghouse who introduced Sufism in Tansen’s life, which ultimately influenced his music as well.
Coming back to Tansen’s arrival in Akbar’s court. Even though Tansen was around 60-years-old when he first arrived in the Mughal chambers, he soon became one of Akbar’s favourites and was immediately recruited in the ‘Navratnas’ or the ‘The Nine Gems’. It is said that during Tansen’s first performance in the Mughal court, Akbar showered him ₹2 lakhs. It was Akbar who honoured Tansen with the title ‘Miyan’, something that made the rest of the court musicians hate him even more. There are many stories which document the hatred that not just the court musicians, but also some of the ministers in the Akbar’s court, held towards Tansen.
The most well known portrait of Tansen.
Notice his dark complexion, and his hands which seem to be clapping in sync with the rhythm.
When Tansen used to perform for the Mughal court, a lot of other musicians would practice alongside and this would disturb Tansen. It is said that when Akbar heard about this, he banned all other musicians except Tansen from practicing in the Mughal court. The story continues – there was a competition organized between Baiju Bawra, who was also a disciple of Swami Haridas, and Tansen. The loser of the competition was to be executed. The two disciples sang for their guru, but all of a sudden Tansen’s tanpura string broke. As a result, Baiju Bawra was declared the winner of the competition. He asked Akbar to grant him 3 wishes. First, to not execute Tansen. Second, to lift the ban he had placed on the court musicians and lastly, to set free all those people who were innocent.
Fatehpur Sikri audience chambers, with Anup Talao on the left. It is here that all the musical performances were given.
There is another legend surrounding Akbar, Tansen and Swami Haridas. It is believed that Akbar visited Swami Haridas along with Tansen, in the guise of a sadhu or a hermit, in Vrindawan. He did so in order to listen to the Swami sing. Since Swami Haridas wouldn’t just sing for anyone, Tansen deliberately committed a mistake while singing in front of him, in the hopes that to correct him, his guru would sing himself. Swami Haridas then sang to show Tansen the correct style, and so Akbar’s wish was fulfilled. Later on, when Akbar asked Tansen why he couldn’t sing as beautifully as his teacher, Tansen replied –
“Your Majesty, I sing in the court of a mighty ruler, while my teacher sings in the court of god.”
Tansen’s reply to Emperor Akbar’s question
The extremely famous, 18th century Kishangarh painting depicting Akbar (left), Tansen (centre) and Swami Haridas (right).
This meeting was considered a historic and a very important one. So much so that in the in the 18th century it became the subject of a Kishangarh miniature painting. Kishangarh painting is an 18th century school of the Rajasthani style of Indian painting.
The most important and interesting legend associated with Tansen has to be the story revolving around ‘Raga Deepak’. Akbar once asked Tansen to sing the Raga Deepak (rough translation ‘Melody of Fire’). It is said that Tansen’s rendition of this Raga was so powerful and pure that when he sang, he could actually evoke fire. Despite knowing his fate, Tansen couldn’t say no to the Emperor and so he agreed. First, he ordered all the lamps in the court to be extinguished. When he started singing, all the lamps in the court lit up and the flames engulfed him.
While Raga Megh Ma Deepak is on the verge of extinction now, and is almost lost.
When Tansen’s wife, Husseini heard about this, she broke into the Raga Megh Malhar, which beckoned rains. This saved Tansen’s life. While some say he died due to the ‘Raga Deepak’, most say that this proved to be a turning point in Tansen’s life and after this episode he returned to the Sufi saint Hazrat Ghouse Gwaliari.
The fourth Mughal Emperor – Jahangir (Akbar’s son)
Such was Tansen’s voice and personality that even Emperor Jahangir (Akbar’s son and successor) has written about him in his memoirs. He writes –
“There has been no singer like him in any time or age. In one of his compositions he has likened the face of a young man to the sun and the opening of his eyes to the expanding of the Kanwal (lotus) and the exit of the bee. In another place he has compared the side-glance of the beloved one to the motion of the Kanwal when the bee alighted on it.”
Emperor Jahangir’s writings in his memoirs
He goes on to say that when the saint, Shaikh Salim Chishti (who Akbar held in the highest regards), was on his deathbed he requested Akbar to send Tansen to him so that he could sing for him. Only after Tansen did so, did the saint die in peace.
Abul Fazl presenting the Akbarnama to Akbar.
(Since there is no proper portrait available of Abul Fazl, this is the closest we can come to knowing how he looked.)
Miyan Tansen even finds a special place in Abul Fazl’s biographies of Akbar – Akbarnamah and the Aini Akbari. In the latter, there is an entire chapter dedicated to the imperial musicians:
Abul Fazl’s writings in the Aini Akbari dedicated to the imperial musicians of the court
He then goes on to describe the main musicians in the court and pays a special tribute to Tansen.
“Miyan Tansen, of Gwalyar. A singer like him has not been in India for the last thousand years.”
Abul Fazl on Tansen in the Aini Akbari
Tansen’s tomb in Gwalior, near the tomb of his Sufi master Muhammad Ghaus
When and how Tansen died, is still very unclear. While one version written by Islamic historians say that he died in 1586 in Delhi, other versions written by Hindu historians give 26 April 1589 as the date of his death. The Islamic version states that his funeral was carried out according to Muslim customs and that Akbar and most of his court attended it. On the other hand, the Hindu version states that his funeral was carried out according to Hindu customs. His remains were buried in the mausoleum complex of his Sufi master Sheikh Muhammad Ghaus in Gwalior. Every year in his honour, an annual festival called the ‘Tansen Samaroh’ is held in Gwalior in the month of December, to celebrate the legacy of this maestro. It is said that Tansen’s death left a huge impression on Akbar. He is even supposed to have written a doha (couplet) in his honour, which reads as follows –
Pithala so majlis gai, Tansen so rag
Hasibo ramibo bolibo, gayo Birabara satha
The doha composed by Akbar when Tansen passed away
When translated, it means –
Social life disappeared with Pithala; music disappeared with Tansen
And laughter, repartee and conversation with Birbal.
Translation of the above couplet
Tansen had two wives, one of whom was Akbar’s daughter Mehrunisa. It is said that she had fallen in love with him and that the night before their wedding, Tansen converted to Islam. Again, there is no concrete proof to back these claims. There is also mention of a wife name Husseini but there is no significant proof backing it. All five of Tansen’s children went on to become great classical singers. There is a tamarind tree that has grown over Tansen’s tomb, and it is said that whoever chews the leaves of this tree, gains musical knowledge and a good voice.
It is very difficult to segregate and correctly identify the truth from the stories when it comes to Tansen’s life. Still, whatever be the truth, everybody now remembers Miyan Tansen as one of the greatest musicians and singers in the world.
Sources:
The Legend of Mian Tansen – The Hindu
Who really was Miyan Tansen, the singer could ‘start a fire with his music’ – Scroll.in
Tansen Biography: Life History, Contributions & Ragas – Culture India
Tuning Into Tansen, The Musical Legend Whose Ragas You Can Still Hear Today! – The Better India