Tansen – Ramtanu Pandey (Died 1586 A.D.)
- Why in News? The Madhya Pradesh High Court, while commenting on a petition, held that the monument containing the tomb of Tansen, one of the nine gems of the court of Mughal Emperor Akbar, deserved to be preserved, and rejected the appeal seeking permission to organise religious and cultural activities at the tomb of Hazrat Sheikh Muhammad Ghaus in Gwalior.
- Introduction : He was a great musician and one of the nine gems in the court of Mughal emperor Akbar. His original name was Ramtanu Pandey.
- Born : Around 1500 AD, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh.
- Entering Akbar’s court : He gained fame for his talent. Akbar requested Raja Ramchandra of Rewa to summon him to Agra in 1562 and bestowed the title of ‘Miyan’.
- Major Contributions : He enriched Hindustani classical music and composed several new ragas (such as Miyan ki Malhar, Miyan ki Todi and Miyan ki Sarang). He was the great exponent of the Dhrupad style and took it to new heights.
- Music education : His guru Swami Haridas was a renowned musician from Vrindavan .He received his musical training under the patronage of Raja Man Singh Tomar, the ruler of Gwalior. There are many legends about him , such as the fact that his singing would light lamps or cause rain.