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Tansen

Type Figure Region South Asia Time c. 1500–1589 Also known as Tansen、Ramtanu Pandey、Mian Tansen、米安·坦森

Tansen (c. 1500–1589) was one of the most influential figures in Indian classical music, serving Rajput and Mughal courts before becoming chief music…

Timeline

  1. c. 1500–1550Ganges plain · NorthBorn in what is now northern India, Tansen studied vocal and instrumental music under renowned musicians of the time, gradually becoming known for his extraordinary voice and compositional talent, and later entered the court of Rajput prince Ram Chandar Bundela.
  2. 1555–1562Gwalior · Madhya PradeshTansen served in a Rajput court near Gwalior, composing and performing various ragas, gaining ever greater reputation and laying the groundwork for his later entry into the Mughal court.
  3. 1571–1580Fatehpur Sikri · Uttar PradeshAfter about 1562, Tansen was recruited by Akbar into the court and became one of the Navaratnas. Directing musical activities at Fatehpur Sikri, he blended Hindu and Islamic musical traditions, composing numerous ragas and dhrupad forms still performed today.
  4. 1581–1589Agra · Uttar PradeshIn his later years Tansen continued teaching music at the Mughal court, training many disciples whose musical system became an important source of North Indian classical music. He died in 1589, was buried at Gwalior, and is revered by later generations as a saint of music.

Sources