Tansen

Overview

Biography

Tansen (c. 1506–1589) — also known as Miyan Tansen or Ramtanu Pandey — is the most celebrated musician in the history of Hindustani classical music and one of the nine jewels (Navaratnas) of Emperor Akbar's court at Fatehpur Sikri. Born in Gwalior, he studied under the great dhrupad singer Swami Haridas and the musician-saint Hazrat Muhammad Ghaus, and his early reputation grew so great that Akbar summoned him to his court, reportedly with great difficulty, in 1562.

Legends surrounding Tansen's abilities are extraordinary: he is said to have set a lamp ablaze by singing Raga Deepak and to have caused rain to fall by singing Raga Megh Malhar. While these accounts are mythological, they testify to the reverence in which he was held. As a historical figure, Tansen's influence on Hindustani music is immense and concrete: he is credited with creating or significantly developing numerous ragas, including Miyan ki Todi, Miyan ki Malhar, Miyan ki Sarang, and Darbari Kanada — all of which bear his informal title "Miyan" (lord) and remain major ragas in the contemporary concert repertoire.

Tansen was the progenitor of two of the most important gharanas (schools) of Hindustani classical music: the Senia Binkar Gharana (for sitar and surbahar) and the Senia Rabab Gharana (for rabab). His tomb in Gwalior, near his teacher Swami Haridas's hermitage, remains a pilgrimage site for musicians. The annual Tansen Music Festival (Tansen Samaroh) held at his tomb in Gwalior attracts the finest Hindustani classical musicians every November.