Biographies and Contributions of Prescribed Musicians and Musicologists
Domain 6 asks for contributions, not just dates.
Prescribed figures
- Amir Khusrau (1253–1325): court poet of the Delhi Sultanate, traditionally credited with qawwali, tarana and early khayal.
- Tansen (c. 1520–1589): Akbar's court musician; credited with ragas such as Miyan ki Malhar, Miyan ki Todi and Darbari Kanada.
- Pt. Vishnu Digambar Paluskar (1872–1931): revived public classical concerts, founded Gandharva Mahavidyalaya (1901), devised Paluskar notation.
- Pt. Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande (1860–1936): systematised the 10-thaat framework, wrote Hindustani Sangeet Paddhati, founded Marris College, Lucknow.
- Ustad Faiyaz Khan (1886–1950): Agra gharana khayal singer, titled Aftab-e-Mausiqi.
- Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan (1902–1968): Patiala gharana, known for khayal and thumri.
Worked example
Question: who created the ten-thaat system? Answer: Bhatkhande. Reasoning: Paluskar is linked to notation and Gandharva Mahavidyalaya; Bhatkhande to thaat classification and Hindustani Sangeet Paddhati. Do not swap the two.
Traps
- Crediting Tansen with the ten thaats.
- Giving Paluskar's college as Marris College.
- Mixing Faiyaz Khan's Agra gharana with Bade Ghulam Ali Khan's Patiala gharana.
- Writing only birth years with no contribution.