View source for Hindustani Classical Music

{{Short description|Art music of northern regions of the Indian subcontinent}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Hindustani Classical Music infobox}}
{{Indian music|expanded=Genres}}
{{Music of Pakistan}}
{{Music of Bangladesh}}
'''Hindustani classical music''' is the [[Indian classical music|classical music]] of northern regions of the [[Indian subcontinent]]. It may also be called '''North Indian classical music''' or, in [[Hindustani language|Hindustani]], '''''shastriya sangeet''''' ({{IAST|śāstriya saṅgīt}}). Its origins date from the 12th century [[Common Era|CE]], when it diverged from [[Carnatic music]], the classical tradition of southern regions of the Indian subcontinent.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Carnatic Music {{!}} ipassio wiki|url=https://wiki.ipassio.com/music-styles/indian-classical-music/carnatic-music|access-date=2021-03-17|website=wiki.ipassio.com}}</ref>

== History ==
Around the 12th century, Hindustani classical music diverged from what eventually came to be identified as [[Carnatic classical music]]. Hindustani music places more emphasis on improvisation and exploring all aspects of a raga, while Carnatic music is primarily composition-based. The central notion in both these systems is that of a melodic [[musical mode]] or ''[[raga]]'', sung to a rhythmic cycle or ''[[Tala (music)|tala]]''. It is melodic music, with no concept of harmony. These principles were refined in the musical treatises ''[[Natya Shastra]]'', by [[Bharata Muni|Bharata]] (2nd–3rd century CE), and ''[[Dattilam]]'' (probably 3rd–4th century CE).<ref>A Study of Dattilam: A Treatise on the Sacred Music of Ancient India, 1978, p 283, Mukunda Lāṭha, Dattila</ref>

In medieval times, the melodic systems were fused with ideas from Persian music, particularly through the influence of Sufi composers like [[Amir Khusro]], and later in the [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] courts, noted composers such as [[Tansen]] flourished, along with religious groups like the [[Vaishnavite]]s.

After the 16th century, the singing styles diversified into different [[gharana]]s patronized in different princely courts. Around 1900, [[Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande]] consolidated the musical structures of Hindustani classical music, called [[raga]]s, into a few [[thaat]]s based on their notes. This is a very flawed system but is somewhat useful as a heuristic.

Distinguished musicians who are [[Hindu]] may be addressed as ''[[Pandit]]''  and those who are [[Muslim]] as ''[[Ustad]]''. An aspect of Hindustani music going back to [[Sufi]] times is the tradition of religious neutrality: Muslim ustads may sing compositions in praise of Hindu deities and vice versa.

== Characteristics ==
Indian classical music has seven basic notes with five interspersed half-notes, resulting in a 12-note scale. Unlike the 12-note scale in Western music, the base frequency of the scale is not fixed, and intertonal gaps ([[Interval (music)|temperament]]) may also vary. The performance is set to a melodic pattern called a ''raga'' characterized in part by specific ascent ([[arohana|aroha]]) and descent ([[avaroha]]) sequences, "king" ([[Vadi (Hindustani classical music)|vadi]]) and "queen" ([[samavadi]]) notes and characteristic phrases ([[pakad]]).{{citation needed|date=September 2019}}

Ragas may originate from any source, including religious hymns, folk tunes, and music from outside the Indian subcontinent{{citation needed|date=September 2019}}. For example, raga Khamaj and its variants have been classicized from folk music, while ragas such as Hijaz (also called Basant Mukhari) originated in Persian maqams.

== History ==
=== Sanskritic tradition ===
[[Ravana]] and [[Narada]] from Hindu mythology are accomplished musicians; [[Saraswati]] with her [[veena]] is the goddess of music. [[Gandharva]]s are presented as spirits who are musical masters, and the gandharva style looks to music primarily for pleasure, accompanied by the [[soma (drink)|soma]] rasa. In the ''[[Vishnudharmottara Purana]]'', the Naga king Ashvatara asks to know the [[swara]]s from Saraswati{{citation needed|date=September 2019}}.

== References ==
{{Reflist}}


[[Category:Indian styles of music]]