State PCS
The singers Sadarang and Adarang, who popularised the 'khayal' style of Hindustani music, were patronised by the Mughal emperor:
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Answer: Option C — Muhammad Shah (Rangila)
Detailed Solution
The khayal style of Hindustani classical music was popularised in the 18th century by the court musicians Niyamat Khan "Sadarang" and his nephew Firoz Khan "Adarang", who were patronised by the Mughal emperor Muhammad Shah (ruled 1719-1748).
About khayal:
- "Khayal" means "imagination" or "idea" in Persian.
- It is a more flexible, lyrical and imaginative style than dhrupad, giving the singer freedom to improvise.
- It is sung in two parts: "bada khayal" (slow tempo) and "chhota khayal" (fast tempo).
- It is accompanied by the tabla and usually a harmonium or sarangi, and the tanpura.
- It became the most popular form of Hindustani classical vocal music, replacing dhrupad.
- Its origins are sometimes traced to Amir Khusrau and to the Sultans of Jaunpur, but it was Sadarang and Adarang who gave it its classical form.
About Sadarang and Adarang:
- Niyamat Khan, known by his pen name "Sadarang", was a beenkar (player of the rudra veena) at Muhammad Shah's court.
- He composed many khayal compositions (bandishes), which are still sung today.
- His compositions often included the name of his patron, Muhammad Shah.
About Muhammad Shah:
- He ruled from 1719 to 1748.
- He was nicknamed "Rangila" ("the colourful one") because of his love of pleasure, music and the arts.
- During his reign, the Mughal empire weakened greatly, and Nadir Shah invaded Delhi in 1739.
- His court was a great centre of music, painting and poetry.
Other forms of music:
- Dhrupad: the older, more austere form.
- Tappa: a fast style derived from the songs of camel drivers of Punjab, refined by Shori Miyan in the late 18th century.
- Thumri: a light classical form, associated with Lucknow and Banaras.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Akbar, Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb ruled earlier; Aurangzeb withdrew patronage of court music in his later years.
Quick tip
Remember: khayal popularised by Sadarang and Adarang at the court of Muhammad Shah "Rangila" (18th century); tappa refined by Shori Miyan.
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Music & Musical Instruments — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Music & Musical Instruments, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers Indian classical music, its two main traditions (Hindustani and Carnatic), gharanas, ragas and talas, folk music styles, and the musical instruments of India along with the artists who are famous for playing them. It also includes the four classes of instruments: string (tata), wind (sushira), percussion (avanaddha) and solid (ghana). Exam questions usually pair an instrument with its maestro, such as the sitar with Pandit Ravi Shankar, the shehnai with Ustad Bismillah Khan or the santoor with Pandit Shivkumar Sharma. Other common questions ask about the origin of a gharana, the instrument a folk style uses, or the class an instrument belongs to. Making a two-column list of instruments and artists is the quickest way to revise. Practise the music and musical instruments questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.