History, Gharanas and Major Contributors to Hindustani Music
History questions reward dates, texts and lineages given accurately; vague praise of great musicians earns nothing. Learn the sequence of authorities, then the gharana map, keeping legendary attributions clearly labelled as tradition.
Timeline of the tradition
- Vedic samagana; Bharata's Natyashastra (roughly 200 BCE–200 CE) sets out grama, murchhana and 22 shrutis.
- Matanga's Brihaddeshi (about the 9th century) is the earliest surviving text to use the word raga and to discuss desi music.
- Sharangadeva's Sangita Ratnakara (13th century) is the last major text shared by both traditions before Hindustani and Carnatic music diverged.
- Amir Khusrau (1253–1325) is traditionally linked with the tarana, qawwali and early forms of sitar and tabla; present these as tradition, not documented fact.
- Tansen (c. 1500–1586) at Akbar's court; ragas such as Miya ki Todi and Darbari Kanada are attributed to him.
- Modern reformers: V. N. Bhatkhande (1860–1936) systematised the ten thaats and Hindustani swar-lipi; V. D. Paluskar (1872–1931) founded the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya at Lahore in 1901 and popularised teaching through notation.
Gharana map
- Gwalior: Nathan Khan's line, notably Haddu and Hassu Khan; clear bol-bant and simple, open taans.
- Agra: nom-tom alap, forceful delivery, rare ragas.
- Jaipur-Atrauli: Alladiya Khan; ati-vilambit laya and uncommon ragas.
- Kirana: Abdul Karim Khan and Abdul Wahid Khan; slow, delicate, sargam-based taans.
- Patiala (Punjab): Ali Baksh and Fateh Ali Khan, later Bade Ghulam Ali Khan; tappa-influenced taans and fine thumri.
- Sham Chaurasi (Punjab): traced to Chand Khan and Suraj Khan.
Worked example
A description of "very slow tempo, delicate sargam taans, little bol-bant" points to Kirana; "nom-tom alap with forceful, weighty taans" points to Agra, not Gwalior.
Traps
- Crediting Bhatkhande with inventing notation or thaats rather than systematising them.
- Placing every Punjab gharana under Patiala.