During Akbar’s time, the name of Gwalior’s music gharana was taken with great respect. Tansen was born in a small village in the same Gwalior. Know, how Tansen joined Akbar’s Navratnas…
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Tansen was included in the Nauratna of the Mughal emperor Akbar, but did not become a part of the court just like that. During Akbar’s time, the name of Gwalior’s music gharana was taken with great respect. Tansen was born in a small village in the same Gwalior. What was the status of Gwalior’s musical gharana in the eyes of the Mughal emperor, this can be explained by the fact that there were 18 singers in his court, out of which 11 belonged to Gwalior. Tansen was the master of all those 18 singers.
Professor Mohammad Aslam writes in the book ‘Salatin-e-Dehli and Shahan-e-Mughaliya ka Zauk-e-Mausiqi’, Tansen was born in a Brahmin family in a village in Gwalior. His father Makrand Pandey respected Hazrat Mohammad Ghaus Gwaliori a lot. When he did not have any child after marriage, he said to Hazrat Mohammad Ghaus, pray to Allah that he Give children and this happened.
Raised by Hazrat Mohammad Ghaus
When Tansen was five years old, his father took him to Hazrat Mohammad Ghaus and asked him to pray that he should make his name famous in music. At that time Hazrat Mohammad Gaus was chewing paan. While stirring the paan, he put the saliva in Tansen’s mouth. On seeing this, Makrand Pandey said, now give him a place at your feet, because he has gone out of our religion.
Hazrat Mohammad Ghaus raised Tansen like his sons. He got music training from renowned musicians of Gwalior. Tansen performed in front of Sultan Adil Shah and later went to the south and learned the music from Nayak Bakshu’s daughter.
When Tansen became a Muslim…
Tansen respected Hazrat Mohammad Ghaus throughout his life. He was so impressed by him that he became a Muslim. There was such an unbreakable relationship between Guru and disciple that when Tansen died, he was buried near his Guru. Even today Tansen is buried in the courtyard of Hazrat Mohammad Ghaus’s Khanqah. It is popular as the tomb of Guru and is the center of reverence. Many famous singers consider it a matter of pride to come here and sing.
This is how Akbar’s Navratna became
After completing music education, Tansen became the court singer of King Ramchandra of Rewa state. Gradually, discussions about his singing started. His singing started being discussed from Agra to Delhi. After a time, Tansen joined the court of Raja Chand of Gwalior. of world atlas Report According to, after hearing the discussion of his singing, even the Mughal emperor Akbar was in awe. Akbar saw Tansen for the first time in the court of Raja Chand of Gwalior.
Akbar had a special interest in music, so Tansayan was asked as a gift from King Chand. When Tansen became a part of the Mughal court, he was 60 years old at that time. Akbar included Tansen in his Navratnas who were considered the closest and most reliable of the emperor.
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