Comparison between Persian Music and Indian Music by Shraman Sen ( Section 2)
Shraman Sen ( Section 2)
The objective of this narrative is to provide a written explanation of the early connections between Middle Eastern ( Primarily Persian) and South Asian melodic forms and how such connections can reflect the influences the former had on the latter’s ancient and contemporary culture. In this narrative, I will endeavor to primarily establish the connection between melodic systems of Irani or Persian classical music and South Asian classical music. The former is know as the Dastgah system and the latter is called the Raga system. The Indian Raga system flourished during the Mongol and Pathan invasion of India. Many of the musical melodies of the system became influenced by their Persian counterparts. With music came the inflow of other elements from the Middle East which shaped South Asian culture, such as modes of architecture, styles of writing, and different varieties of clothing. I will strive to evaluate how such ancient cultures influences between the two regions lingered on in the contemporary lifestyles of the Middle East and South Asia.
The objective of this narrative is to provide a written explanation of the early connections between Middle Eastern ( Primarily Persian) and South Asian melodic forms and how such connections can reflect the influences the former had on the latter’s ancient and contemporary culture. In this narrative, I will endeavor to primarily establish the connection between melodic systems of Irani or Persian classical music and South Asian classical music. The former is know as the Dastgah system and the latter is called the Raga system. The Indian Raga system flourished during the Mongol and Pathan invasion of India. Many of the musical melodies of the system became influenced by their Persian counterparts. With music came the inflow of other elements from the Middle East which shaped South Asian culture, such as modes of architecture, styles of writing, and different varieties of clothing. I will strive to evaluate how such ancient cultures influences between the two regions lingered on in the contemporary lifestyles of the Middle East and South Asia.
The gist of my narrative will deal with the
musical connections between the Middle East ( primary the Persian region) and
South Asia. After briefly marking a comparison between the Persian melodic
system, Dastgah, and its Indian counterpart, Raga system, I will shift my focus
to the invention of a prominent Indian classical instrument, the sitar.
Although invented in the Indian subcontinent, the sitar has many influences
from the Persian region. I will analyze this further as the narrative
progresses.
As mentioned before, the Dastgah is the system
of melodic forms utilized by Persian classical compositions. Though not
comprising of as many melodic forms as its Indian counterpart, the Dastgah
system, which consists of 7 melodic forms, serves as the central figure of all
Persian/Irani classical compositions. The rules associated with the Dastgah are
not fixed and allows the performer to embrace a great deal of improvisation. It
is important to note that each of the melodic forms under the Dastgah
system has sub-modes called Gushehs. There are several Gushehs which makes each
performance in Irani classical music unique as the performer is given the
liberty to choose the type of Gushehs to play.
The melodic system of Indian music which
parallels the Dastgah system is called the Raga system. A Raga is a melodic
form, each of which consists of general patterns which the performer must abide
by. However, just like the Dastgah system, the performer is given ample liberty
to improvise, hence every performance is quite unique.
A striking example of a prominent connection
between the two melodic forms lies in the formation of the most fundamental
Indian Raga, Raga Yaman. Although first established in the Indian subcontinent,
Raga Yaman is said to have received substantial influences from its Persian
counterpart, Ei’man. Together, with Persian and Vedic influences, Raga Yaman
was born. Many other Indian Ragas share striking resemblances with Persian
melodic forms, indicating an obvious musical exchange between the two regions.
In the instrument world, there is an obvious
connection between the percussions of the two musical forms. In Perisa, a
tombak is used widely to provide rhythm for Irani compositions. The tombak is
strikingly similar to the tabla, an Indian instrument which is used to provide
rhythm for South Asian compositions.
Let us now establish a primary aspect regarding
how the music between the two regions could serve as a reflection of the
culture between the two regions. As mentioned before, I play the sitar, a
stringed instrument invented in the Indian subcontinent by famous philosopher,
Amir Khusro. Interestingly, when one looks at the etymology, he or she will
realize that the word
“ sitar” comes from the Persian word “sehtar”
which , in its literal definition, means three strings. An evident relationship
is present here the languages of the two regions.
Additionally, it is important to note that while
Amir Khusro introduced significant compositions and singing styles ( which
eventually became applicable to instruments as well) to Indian classical music,
he received a lot of influence from Persia. This means that a lot of the tunes
to Indian music are strikingly similar to tunes of the Middle East, once again
showing the cultural relationship between the two regions. I will endeavor to
show the similarities between the two types of compositions in my audio
recording.
To bring one final example, allow me to bring an
example from modern entertainment. It is no secret that many Bollywood (
Indian film industry) films have many songs which have melodies influenced by
the Middle East. For example, the Bollywood film “ Ek Tha Tiger” has melodies
which have an obvious connection to the Middle East. Additionally, during the
music videos, Middle Eastern clothing and decorations were depicted, further
highlighting how the musical relationship between the two regions could
indicate the cultural similarities.
I ,Shraman Sen, am a student of economics and mathematics. I also play the sitar, a popular Indian classical instrument.
Extraordinary tips and straightforward. This will be extremely valuable for me when I get an opportunity to begin my blog.
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Thank you so much. If you would ever like to further discuss this topic , please email me at senshraman@gmail.com
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The Sitar shares it's fundamental fret structure from the Rides Veena and the older veenas. The Persian stringed instrument is primitive compared to Indian instruments.
ReplyDeleteGiven the rule that the place of origin is where a system is entrenched well,Can we say that the Sitar is Indian and the Persians just called it Sitar and the I Diana were too weak to protest.
Also, as we hear the Persian music, it is devoid of any sub notes (anuswaras).The notes are all discreet notes with total absence of gamakas. This is another proof of a relatively newer system which still grapples with fewer notes.
The twelve nite octave was born in India only. I have seen statues of women playing on a single octave Veena in the madurai temple and Srirangam tempke.
I really enjoy this music. I loved it. Thanks for sharing with us. If anyone want to learn persian music then contact Shad Music Academy
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