Tansen
c. 1500 – c. 1586
Tansen was a 16th-century Hindustani classical musician and composer, celebrated as the greatest vocalist of his age. After serving the court of Rewa, he joined Emperor Akbar's court in 1562, where he was honored among the emperor's foremost courtiers. Many major ragas and the core repertoire of the dhrupad tradition are attributed to him.
Lived at the same time
Well-documented people whose lives overlapped with Tansen.
- Mimar Sinan (1490–1588) Overlapped 86 years →
- Surdas (1478–1583) Overlapped 83 years →
- Titian (1488–1576) Overlapped 76 years →
- Ambroise Paré (1510–1590) Overlapped 76 years →
- Gerolamo Cardano (1501–1576) Overlapped 75 years →
- Gerardus Mercator (1512–1594) Overlapped 74 years →
Life events
Tansen was born as Ramtanu in a village near Gwalior; his birth year is uncertain, with traditional estimates around 1500.
According to tradition, Tansen learned music as a disciple of the Vrindavan saint-musician Swami Haridas.
Tradition links Tansen to Muhammad Ghaus of Gwalior as a spiritual mentor, and Tansen was later buried within the saint's tomb complex.
Tansen spent years as the leading musician at the court of Raja Ramchandra Singh Baghela of Rewa, where his fame spread across northern India.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgIn 1562 Akbar summoned Tansen to the Mughal court, where he became the emperor's chief musician.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgTansen was counted among the Navaratnas, the nine jewels of Akbar's court, and was granted the honorific 'Miyan' by the emperor.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgTradition attributes to Tansen the creation of ragas such as Miyan ki Malhar, Miyan ki Todi, and Darbari Kanada, though the attributions cannot be verified historically.
A famous legend claims that Tansen's rendition of raga Deepak caused lamps to ignite, requiring raga Megh Malhar to bring rain and cool him.
Tansen died around 1586; he was buried in the tomb complex of Muhammad Ghaus in Gwalior, where a memorial to him still stands.
Source: en.wikipedia.org