The History and Evolution of Indian Classical Music

This essay was prepared for the Nadopasana 2012 event at the Triad Hindu Temple, Greensboro, NC.

Introduction and Thesis

As man evolved over the ages, so has his aesthetic sensibility. Indian Classical music is one of the world’s oldest, richest and sophisticated systems of music. Owing to its vast scope and depth, I will be discussing how Indian Classical music, mainly the Carnatic system of music, has evolved.

Origins

Indian classical music is believed to have originated from various sources. Nature and the sounds naturally occurring such as wind blowing through bamboo reeds and the sound of waves were some of man’s early expositions to music. The source of all knowledge, the Vedas, explains the significance of Omkara which is believed to be the origin of music. There are several references to music and musical instruments in the Ithihasas and Puranas such as Shiva’s Damaru, Saraswati’s Veena and Krishna’s Murali. Music is therefore said to have divine origins.

Let us now examine the chronological evolution of music. This can be broadly classified as the ancient, medieval and modern period.

Ancient (Vedic -4th Century AD)

The oldest Veda, namely the RIG Veda was originally recited in monotone. Later, tonal variations were introduced in the SAMA Veda which was chanted in 3-7 tones. This was perhaps the beginnings of the 7 note structure (saptaswaras) of Indian classical music.

Towards the end of the ancient period, Sage Bharata formulated a comprehensive treatise on music and dance called Natyashastra. He was the first musician to make references to swara (notes), tala (rhythm) and pada (lyrics).

Medieval (5th-16th Century AD)

Mathanga’s treatise, the Brigadesi has introduced ragas (scales) to music. The cave inscriptions dated to 7 AD found in Southern India are rich in musical compositions. Thevarams, songs in praise of Lord Shiva and Divya Prabandhams, compositions that praise Lord Vishnu have significantly contributed to the enrichment of classical music.

Sarangadeva (12 AD) musical treatise, the Sangeetha Ratnakara extensively covers swaras, talas, tala-vadyas (percussion instruments) and gamakas (tonal ornamentations). He inspired several other scholars to write about music, of which, Vidyaranya’s Sangeetha Sara stands out. Vidyaranya was the first to classify ragas as Melas (parent) and Janya (derivative) ragas. We now see that the body of music is making sophisticated transformations.

With the Sultanate invasion in Northern India (14 AD), music was subjected to Persian and Arabic influences. This led to a marked distinction of Indian classical music into the Hindustani system (popularized in Northern India) and the Carnatic system prevalent in Southern India.

During the 15th century, Carnatic music evolved greatly in both theoretical and practical aspects. Sage Annamacharya and Sage Purandaradasa made rich compositions during this time that are popular to date. Venkatamakhi formulated the Melakarta Scheme which classified 72 major scales with possibilities of infinite derived scales. This period also saw the evolution of various genres of compositions such as swarajathi, varnam, padam, javali , kritis and thillanas.

Modern Period (18th Century-Present)

The 18th century was undoubtedly the golden age of Indian Classical Music. The musical trinity, Syama Shastri, Saint Tyagaraja and Muthuswami Dikshitar enriched classical music with thousands of compositions. They were Vaggeyakaras (wrote and composed) who demonstrated superior lyrical, intellectual, devotional and musical capabilities. Some of Muthuswami Dikshitar’s music shows Western influences and popularized the introduction of the violin as accompaniment.

Maharaja Swati Thirunal was a 19th century composer/king/painter who composed in several languages such as Hindi, Sanskrit, Malayalam and Telugu. Sri Papanasam Sivan was a prolific Tamil composer during this era. Music and other art forms flourished owing to the generous patronage of kings, temples and rich landlords.

Contemporary Carnatic music still stays grounded to the rich tradition laid out by the Trinity. Innovations made by musical geniuses such as Sri. Balamurali Krishna has enriched our music. He firmly believes that one must not limit our musical heritage to pradesik (regional) classifications such as Hindustani and Carnatic but celebrate it as Bharateeya Sangeeth (music of India).

The advent of telecommunication and Internet technologies has bridged the geographical divide. Music rasikas can now enjoy, learn and perform all around the globe via satellite, radio, television and the Internet. The Nadopasana event celebrated in our temple today is one such example of reverence of this rich art form.

Conclusion

Preparation for this essay has been a rewarding and enlightening experience for me. I am awed about the origins, evolution, tradition, contributions and the dynamic nature of this art form. The greatest lesson I learned is a 2 line excerpt from a composition of Saint Tyagaraja:

Sangeetha gnanamu Bhakthi vinaa, San margamu galadhe Oh Manasa

Oh mind , the knowledge of music, without devotion is futile.

Sources

http://carnatica.net/origin.htm

http://www.newkerala.com/india/Indian-Music/Carnatic-Music.html

http://www.carnatica.net/special/essay-shrikaanth.htm