Musical history of Karnataka, India
Karnataka
is a
state of India
with a long tradition of innovation in the fields of both
Carnatic
and
Hindustani classical music
.
Basaveshwara
, King of Kalyana, leader of the
Bhakti movement
and Prime Minister of Bijjala, created his
Vachanas
, an integral part of the
Indian classical music
's development during this period, which also saw the rise of composers like
Chandraja
,
Shantala
,
Akka Mahadevi
and
Allama
. Later,
Ventamakhin
's
Chaturdandi Prakashika
and
Chaturkallinatha
's
Sangitaratnakara
further refined these traditions.
With the rise of
Vaishnavism
and the
Haridasa
movement came prominent composers from Karnataka like
Purandaradasa
,
Kanakadasa
,
Vijaya Dasa
and
Jagannathadasa
. The
Wodeyars
of
Mysore
were great patrons of the arts.
Development
[
edit
]
In earlier times, Sangeeta Shaastra followed the "Guru-Shishya" tradition, and there did not exist any written text. First classical music began as abhyasa, and it was only later that shaastras were formed.
It is estimated that only during the period of Bharatamuni (300 BC) were the theories of sangeeta documented for the first time, and this was termed as "Naatya Shaastra". For a considerable period of time it was one of the only authoritative treatise (PramaaNa Grantha) for the whole of India.
[
citation needed
]
After that, independent growth of classical music occurred across different parts of India, in different forms.
[
citation needed
]
Around 1200 CE, a scholar by name "Shaarjnadeva" wrote a treatise, which was named as "Sangeeta Ratnakara" - an Indian musical treatise that is considered to be the first documented work on South Indian classical music. He hailed from Devagiri, which was at the time a part of
Karnataka
(but is now
Daulatabad
, province of
Hyderabad
). Later, in 1350 CE, South Indian classical music obtained a well-defined structure through the works of Maadhava.
Carnatic music saw renewed growth during the
Vijayanagar Empire
by the Kannada
Haridasa
movement of
Vyasaraja
,
Purandara Dasa
,
Kanakadasa
and others.
[1]
Among the Haridasa movement,
Purandara Dasa
who is known as the
Sangeeta Pitamaha
(the grandfather of Carnatic music), is credited with the founding of the system of teaching Carnatic music. Others of the Haridasa movement, helped shaped the music
of their time and prepared for the future by influencing some of the composers who came after them. Thyagaraja acknowledges
the influence of
Purandaradasa
. Tulajaji, the Maharashtra ruler of Tanjore (1729-35 A.D.), writes of the music of Haridasas in his book Sangita Saramrita,
[
citation needed
]
and venerates Vyasaraya and
Purandaradasa
as great composers.
[
citation needed
]
Around 1650 AD, Govinda Deekshit, who was a minister in the court of King Achyuta Nayaka of Tanjavore, is believed to have written an introduction to "Sangeeta Sudha".
[2]
Govinda Dikshita's son was the renowned
Venkatamakhin
, who is credited with the classification of ragas in the Melakarta System, and he wrote his most important work;
Chaturdandi Prakasika
(c.1635 CE) in Sanskrit. Kshetrajna who wrote "Shrungaara padas" (which also deals with theory of Sangeeta Shaastra) was also living at this time (1650).
The development of Carnatic music in
Karnataka
, from
Sharngadeva
to
Venkatamakhin
(a duration of 650 years), resulted in further expansion and establishment of Carnatic music.
[
citation needed
]
References
[
edit
]
- Satyanarayana, R. "Karnataka Music," Ananya: A Portrait of India. Association of Indians in America, 1997.
- Viji Swaminathan, ed. Essays on Indian Classical Music and Dance. Philadelphia: Sruti, 2003.
- Kruti Shreni, D.V.G. "Namma Sangita," D.V.G.Kruti Shreni Volume 10. Karnataka: Directorate of Kannada and Culture, 1999.
- Thirumale Sisters, Karnataka Sangita Darpana.Bangalore: Sinivasa Prakashana, 2001.