Research on music in nawabi era strikes a ‘new note’

LUCKNOW: Did you know that at the courts of nawabs here in Lucknow, tabla was played for seven continuous days on one occasion, and not a single taal was repeated? This was the way of Pt Ram Sahai, founder of the Banaras gharana of the instrument, of challenging the court musicians who had once mocked at his guru Modu Khan, founder of Lucknow gharana of tabla.

This and a number of interesting anecdotes, some hitherto unknown, related to music and its development in Lucknow during the 19th and 20th century are part of a mammoth research by Naveen Mishra, a professional sitar player in the state capital. Mishra would be awarded a PhD on November 20 at the Bhatkhande deemed university’s convocation.

His research reveals that while music and dance were regular features in courts of Oudh, a silence prevailed during the Moharram—the month of mourning. As the nawabs couldn’t have music during the period, they had i nstead ‘Soazkhwani’ and ‘Marsiakhwani’ — the narration of the martyrdom of Imam Hussain on the musical ‘raags’.

“During the reign of nawabs, Mir Ali began to sing Marsia based on ‘dhrupad’, ‘khayal’, ‘tappa’ and other ‘raags’ without any musical instrument. The renditions so made touched the people to the extent that they would burst into tears,” said Mishra, who completed his research under the guidance of Prof Narendra.

“Thumri is said to have flourished only during the times of nawabs, and ‘Razaakhani gat’ of sitar, which still forms a basis of sitar recitals, too was developed during their tenure in Lucknow,” he added.

The last nawab of Awadh Wajid Ali Shah’s fondness for music has been described vividly in Mishra’s research. “Nawab Wajid Ali Shah had taken formal training of kathak from Thakur Prasad—father of Kalka-Bindadin brothers who were founders of Lucknow gharana of kathak. He learnt singing from Ustad Bashid Khan—a descendant of Taansen. The nawab learnt sitar from Kutub Ali Khan,” he said.

Musicians and artists were put in such high esteem during that time that the seat of Thakur Prasad was put right next to the throne of the nawab.

Nawab Wajid Ali Shah is said to have composed hundreds of thumri — a very popular among them being ‘Babul Mora Naihar Chhooto Jae…’ based on raag Bhairvi, which he sang while leaving Lucknow for good.

After the nawabs, it was the courtesans who kept the music alive at the brothels in Lucknow, said the research. “The nawabs had gone. But the music was alive in the lanes and bylanes of Lucknow courtesy the courtesans,” said Mishra.

Around 1924-25, after a few national-level consultations of music doyens, the need to establish a music institute was felt. “This gave birth to the Maris College of Hindustani Music. The institute was later named Bhatkhande music institute,” said Mishra. On what inspired his research, Mishra said while a number of books and research had already been dedicated to the dance of Lucknow, very little work had been done on music. “Thus, the research was tough and took a lot of time,” he added.