Ragas and Raginis: A Pictorial and Iconographic Study of Indian Musical Modes Based on Original Sources c6.165

c6.165

In the life of ’Amīr Khusrau by Shibli, known as Shir-u’l-’Ajam (Lit. ‘verses from Persia’), a chapter is devoted to Music, from which we have a list of the hybrid melodies invented by the Persian exponent under the Indian rāga-system. We quote below a free English translation of the chapter:¹ “Music: ’Āmīr’s versatile genius turned to this delicate and fine art too, and raised it to such a degree of excellence that he has remained unrivalled during the long period of six hundred years. Naik Gopal who was acknowledged as a master all over India was the famous world-renowned ustād (master) of his time. He had twelve hundred disciples who used to carry his Simhāsan that is, throne, upon their shoulders, like palanquin-bearers. The fame of his perfection and consummate skill (in music) reached the ears of Sultan (Alauddin Khiliji, who called him to his durbār (court). ’Āmīr Khusrau made the submission (to His Majesty) that he would conceal himself under the throne, and that Naik Gopal be commanded to sing. Naik displayed his perfect skill in six different assemblies. On the seventh occasion ’Āmīr, too, came to the durbār, along with his disciples. Gopal too had heard of his fame, and asked him to sing. ’Āmīr said ‘I am a Moghul. I have just a smattering knowledge of Hindustāni songs. You please let us hear something first, and then I, too shall sing a little.’ Gopal commenced to sing. ’Āmīr said, ‘I set this rāga (melody) long ago, and then he rendered it himself. Gopal commenced another rāga, ’Āmīr rendered that too, and said that he had rendered it long ago. In short, ’Āmīr continued to prove every rāg rāginī, and sur, (tune, scale) rendered by Gopal to be his own invention. In the end he (Khusrau) said: ‘These were all hackneyed, vulgar (am bazāri) rāgas. Now I shall let you hear my own special inventions.’ Then he started singing and Gopal became mute with astonishment.”