A detailed introduction and analysis of Carnatic music, arguably the oldest existing classical music system today.

1. Introduction To
Carnatic Music
Copyright of Aadishabdam. All rights reserved.

2. Objectives
• To reveal a modern, holis0c and unbiased introduc0on to
Carna0c music from a mul0tude of cultural origins
• To understand the influence of Carna0c music in laying the
founda0on for Western classical music
• To study the evolu0onary process of Carna0c music
• To promote the literary and scien0fic superiority of melodic
music that has been achieved in the Carna0c music system

3. Synopsis
• Origins
• System
• Evolu0on
• Composers
• Performers
• Survival

4. Origins
• Topics
• Sangam Music
• Post-Sangam Music
• Vedic Music Vedic Music

5. Origins – Sangam Music
• The Tamil Sangam is an associa6on of literary, ar6s6c
luminaries comprising of royal patrons, barons, musicians,
composers, dancers, ar6sans of fine art and literary scholars
• The Tamil Sangam Age can be divided into 3 periods:
• 1st Sangam Age – circa 10527 B.C.
• 2nd Sangam Age – 6000 B.C. - 3000 B.C.
• 3rd Sangam Age – 1915 B.C. - 850 B.C.
• Each Sangam Age lasted several millenniums and was
repeatedly founded by the Pandya kings of the ancient Tamil
state of Pandya in South India with their intellectual
powerhouse at Madurai, where the city s6ll exists to this day

6. Origins – Sangam Music
• With the abrupt end of the 1st Sangam, due to a speculated gargantuan
natural calamity, nothing of the music of that era survived
• The earliest known trea6se available today about Sangam music dates
back to the 2nd Sangam, is the Tholkappiam wriTen by Tholkappier,
who is the disciple of St. Agasthiar
• The Tholkappiam is the 1st gramma6cal trea6se of the Tamil language
that deals with the alphabets, the pronuncia6on, speech produc6on
and the arts in 3 books: Elluthadikaaram, Solladikaaram and
Porulladikaaram
• Musical trea6ses:
• ETu Thogai (8 Feathers)
• Pathu Paatu (10 Songs)

7. Origins – Sangam Music
The Tholkappiam provides evidence of an early understanding of
raga and thala:
Some of the major characteris6cs that were found:
• Kulal (flute), Yaal (lute), Mulavu (percussion instrument)
• Dis6nct musical theme & form for each of the 5 types of Tamil
lands:
• Kurinji (hills), Mullai (pastoral), Marudam (arable), Neithal (coastal),
Paalai (wastelands)
• Different musical forms based on raga and thala
• Paatu Vaanam (song) & Thaal Isai (rhythmic music)

8. Origins – Sangam Music
• The ETu Thogai itself provided an ample literature of Sangam
music
• From the 8 sub-volumes of the ETu Thogai the following are
found:
• (?) Agana Nooru - 400 thema6c poems of love & separa6on
• (7) Ainkuru Nooru – 500 poems
• (6) Kali Thogai – 150 love poems expressing different phases and
types of love
• (2) Kurun Thogai – thema6c poems of love and separa6on
(?) Natrinai – 400 poems dealing with the 5 Tamil lands
• (5) Paripaadal – 70 devo6onal poems of Hindu gods
• (4) Pathripathu – poetry extolling the richness of Cheranadu
• (?) Purana Nooru – 400 socio-poli6cal poems of ancient Tamils

9. Origins – Post-Sangam Music
• The Silappathikaram was the next most influen6al work on
Sangam music and dance literature aber the Tholkappiam
and 6ll date, it remains as the most authorita6ve source of
Carna6c music's Sangam origins
• Some of the major discussions introduced are:
• The use of kulal flute, vina (lute) and mridangam (drum)
• Men6on of 32 heptatonic, 6 hexatonic & 15 pentatonic ragas
• Explana6on of the process of raga alapana
• Explana6on of 8 different embellishments (gamakas)
• Explana6on of 8 methods of tuning the lute
• Iden6fica6on of the 3 odd number rhythms (chapu thalas)

10. Origins – Post-Sangam Music
• Further analyzing the Silappathikaram revealed an even
comprehensive understanding of Sangam music ragas
• From the patronage of the ragas, the following were found:
• Kalyani, Harikhamboji, Hanumathodi, Natabhairavi, Kharaharapriya,
Shankaraharabharanam, Panthuvarali, Mohanam, Hindolam, Suddha
Saveri, Suddha Dhanyasi, Sivaranjani, Chenchurithi, Khamboji,
Bhairavi, Gambiira Naatai, Malahari, Neelambari, Ahiri,
Nathanamakriya
• The above raga names are wriTen in today's familiar names.
Some of the names of the Sangam & Post- Sangam era ragas are
very different from the modern names of Carna6c music,
although technically they are generally the same.

11. Origins – Post-Sangam Music
From the understanding of rhythmic aspects, the following were
found:
• Use of Adi, Rupakam, Tisra chapu, Khanda chapu, Misra chapu
• Use of rhythmic syllables – tha, thim, tadhathim etc
• The skills of the Tamil percussionists were so widespread and popular
in ancient 6mes that foreign percussionists flocked to the kingdoms
of Tamilnadu to learn these rhythmic techniques.
Exis6ng major singing styles of Post-Sangam music:
• Viruthams – rhythm-free singing of hymns in specific raga(s)
• Thevarams – precursor to the modern Carna6c krithi form
• Sruthi Bedam – modal shib of tonic note to another raga
• Though shruthi bedam only became popular in the mid-20th century,
it was a kind of skill Sangam musicians oben used to jus6fy their
legi6macy as expert musicians and raga inventors.

12. Origins – Vedic Music
• Vedic musicologists with their roots in the Hinduism took a more
focussed & dedicated approach in refining Sangam music to its
present form
• Apart from the patronage of Vedic music in Vedic rituals &
religious fes6vi6es, Vedic scholars also laid the founda6ons for a
more systema6c & scholarly approach of interpre6ng Sangam
music
• Vedic scholars oben debate on the anonymous origin of the
seven notes:
• Human Origin (by great scholars & mys6cs)
• Divine Origin or apaurusheya (by celes6al beings)
• The most authorita6ve source of Vedic music are the 3 major Vedas;
Rig, Yajur & Sama

13. Origins – Vedic Music
The origin of Vedic music dates back to at least 4000 B.C., where
verses in the Rig Veda known as Riks were set to tune
The following characteris6cs were observed:
• Ini6ally recited in a monotonous mode
• Developed into a main note & 2 accents (higher, Uda<a and
lower, Anuda<a)
• The accents were used to highlight important Vedic prose words
• It is important to note that while the first musical notes were used in
the Rig Veda, the Sangam was also ac6ve.
• It is highly probable that Sangam musicians have either interacted
with Vedic scholars or the Vedic scholars could have been exposed
to Sangam music. The striking resemblance to the origin of the
musical notes will be discussed in the next chapter “System”.

14. Origins – Vedic Music
• The evolu6on of Vedic music slowly took form in 2 other Vedic
literatures; Yajur & Sama. Significant progress was observed
as early as in the Yajur Veda, that contained methods for
Vedic sacrifices
The following characteris6cs were observed:
• Developed into 2 main notes & 2 accents
• Concept of tetrachord introduced; use of 4 notes
• Men6on of vina as a vocal accompaniment

15. Origins – Vedic Music
• Almost a complete system was evident in the in the Sama
Veda. Since this literature contained most of the developed
work, Vedic music was also known as Saman
The following characteris6cs were observed:
• 3 more notes were added
• Concept of a musical octave is introduced
• Laid the founda6ons of Vedic music

16. Origins – Vedic Music
• Following the period aber the origin of the Sama Veda,
several renowned Sanskrit scholars, mys6cs and sages began
to analyze and decipher the musical secrets of this art and
publish their findings
Some of the most renowned Sanskrit trea6ses on Vedic music
are:
• Upanishads (1000 – 300 B.C.)
• The solfège system of the seven musical notes was discussed
• Epic Period (500 B.C. - 200 A.D.)
• Mahabharata & Ramayana
• Development of the jathi (raga system) in which the melodic
scales are revealed as ragas
• Men6on of several percussion and melodic instruments

17. Origins – Vedic Music
Other renowned Sanskrit trea6ses on Vedic music are:
• Natyashastra (circa 300 B.C.)
• WriTen by Bharata
• Most authorita6ve Sanskrit trea6se on the science of Indian
classical music & dance
• Brihaddesi (400 A.D.)
• WriTen by Matanga
• Scien6fic classifica6on of musical scales
• Introduc6on of the term raga in place of jathi

18. Origins – Vedic Music
Other renowned Sanskrit trea6ses on Vedic music are:
• Sangita Ratnakara (circa 1200 A.D.)
• WriTen by Sarangadeva
• One of the most detailed authori6es on Indian music which is
highly regarded by Hindustani & Carna6c musicians

19. System
• Topics
• Pre-Muslim Era
• Bifurca6on
• Carna6c Music

20. System – Pre-Muslim Era
• With the propaga6on of the Vedic culture throughout India,
Vedic music quickly became an accepted musical form due to
the diverse literature associated with it
• Many northern kingdoms throughout the subcon6nent also
employed royal musicians to propagate this art
• However the southern kingdoms con6nued to patronize both
Sangam and Vedic music tradi6ons
• It was also an era which caught the ar6s6c aTen6on of foreign
countries like China and Greece

21. System – Pre-Muslim Era
• Some historical records show evidence of Indian music in foreign
soil, chiefly due to trade and religious missions to foreign lands
• Strabo (63 B.C. - 24 A.D.) , the famed Roman historian and
geographer on his autobiography of Pythagoras men6oned that
Pythagoras learnt music from the Indians when he visited India
• Strabo also found on his trips to India and Greece that there are
striking parallels between Pythagorean & Vedic thoughts, some
of which are:
• Transmigra6on of the deceased soul to another body
• Vegetarianism
• Sun worship
• Melodic music (used as a therapy and prayer)
• Medita6on

22. System – Pre-Muslim Era
• Pythagoras (580 B.C. - 500 B.C.) founded the fundamental
principles of Western music based on the principles of the
solfège system that he learned from India
• Used specific tunes (ragas in Indian music) for therapy
• Discovered that by dividing a chord into specific frac6ons (1/2,
1/3, 1/4 & 1/5) a full musical octave can be created
• Developed a string instrument known as a lyre
• Used aulos, a cousin of Indian music's Nadeswaram

23. System – Pre-Muslim Era
Chinese interest in Indian music was also evident in ancient
6mes:
• The Tang dynasty of China was the first foreign kingdom to
patronize Indian classical music as one its mul6-na6onal court
music troupes and offered incen6ves for Chinese musicians to
learn these foreign art
• As part of the Tang government's cultural exchange policy,
they collected numerous musical instruments from foreign
lands and recognized musicians who who were experts of
these instruments

24. System – Pre-Muslim Era
• Apart from foreign interest in learning Indian music, there was
almost a homogenous interpreta6on of Indian music throughout
Vedic India with the excep6on of “common” music which
remained popular among the masses in their respec6ve
languages
• Vedic music, being scholarly interpreted, was chiefly patronized
by the elite classes of the society
• The “common ground” that was shared by prac66oners of Vedic
music:
• Devo6onal themes
• Spiritual fulfillment
• Ragas and thalas
• Prose lyricism
• Sanskrit language

25. System – Pre-Muslim Era
“Common” music refers to mainly folk art forms that have been
loved by the common people of India since the dawn of Indian
civiliza6on. However, in the southern Tamil kingdoms, Sangam
influence in Tamil music remained popular as a separate and
respected classical music form throughout the 1st millennia A.D.:
• Tamil language (commonly spoken & wriTen by all)
• Populariza6on of the Bhakthi movement by Nyannars & Alvaars
• Mass inscrip6on of musical literature in temples
• Social and moral themes were included
• Towards the beginning of the 2nd millennia A.D., the Chola conquests
of the Ganges and other northeastern territories of India ushered in a
surge of Vedic prac6ces that have drama6cally changed the culture,
music and religious prac6ces of the Tamil people

26. System – Pre-Muslim Era
• Towards the beginning of the 2nd millennia A.D., with the fall of
the Kalabhras, the expanding Tamil kingdoms were warring
amongst each other for control of the Deccan region
• Among the 3 main kingdoms of Chola, Chera & Pandya, the
Cholas rose above all and established a las6ng legacy that
forever changed the fate of Sangam music and the Tamil people
• The Cholas, with a highly sophis6cated army and navy,
embarked on an expansionist empire building policy spreading
the Chola culture beyond Indian borders. The empire reached
its zenith under Rajendra Chola I & was the only empire in India
to ever embark on foreign territorial naval conquests

27. System – Pre-Muslim Era
• Of all the Chola conquests, the most significant was bringing the
control of Varanasi, the holy city of the Ganges river & the
heartbeat of Vedic culture under Chola control
• With the promise of incen6ves and privileges, Vedic scholars &
priests were invited to migrate to the south to propagate the
Vedic culture
• With the onset of Vedic cultural dominance in the Chola empire,
Vedic music slowly subsumed all the best tenets of Sangam
music into a mul6- cultural musical form that began to show
differences from its North Indian form, while ushering the era of
composi6onal music in the coming centuries

28. System – Pre-Muslim Era
• For the first five centuries of the 2nd millennia A.D., there was
a growing interest to archive ancient composi6ons and create
beTer ones
• By the early 13th century, the Chola empire collapsed and was
superseded by yet another intellectual powerhouse, the
Vijayanagar empire which for the next 300 years dominated
the cultural scene of South India
• Some of the major composi6ons that were documented by
the Cholas:
• Divya Prabandam – Vaishnavaite saints known as 12 Alvaars
• Devaaram – Shaivaite saints known as 63 Nayannars

29. System – Pre-Muslim Era
Some of the major works that were made during the
Vijayanagar empire during this period:
• Ins6tu6onalizing Indian music (15th century) – Purandaradasa
• Chaturandi Prakashika (16th century) – Venkatamakhi
• It is important to note that Muslim rule in India started as
early as the 12th century, but nevertheless the classifica6on
of “Pre-Muslim Era” in this presenta6on refers to the period
where Hindustani music is s6ll in its infancy & not yet
established as a major classical tradi6on un6l the arrival of
Akbar who ins6tu6onalized the form

30. System – Pre-Muslim Era
In summary, only 3 major types of music persisted in this
era:
• Folk Music
• Dance Music
• Classical Music

31. System – Bifurcation
• While Muslim skirmishes in India started with the dawn of the
2nd millennia A.D., none of these invasions made any major
altera6on or contribu6on to Indian music
• Hindustani music took form in the late medieval period, when the
Muslim Moghul empire established itself in India with Akbar at
the helm
• Akbar ensured that good music & competent musicians are well-
respected & patronized regardless of their religions & cultures
• Although illiterate, he surrounded himself with ar6stes,
musicians, scholars, mys6cs, teachers of all subjects & religions.
He became the first Muslim ruler in India to advocate religious
tolerance

32. System – Bifurcation
• With the patronage of Indian music in the court of Akbar,
demands for a new form of classical music was commissioned
• Calling upon the best musicians of the country to be his court
musicians, Akbar formed a troupe of 9 wise scholars of great
knowledge & skill, & he called them the “navaratnas” or the
nine jewels of his darbar (royal court)
• Miya Tansen, the founder of Hindustani music was among the
most established scholars in Akbar's intellectual circle

33. System – Bifurcation
• Born as Ramtanu Pandey to a Brahmin family, Tansen
converted to Islam later in his life, probably influenced by
Akbar's universal approach to Islamic principles
• As a student of Swami Haridas (the direct disciple of St.
Purandaradasa), Tansen was endowed with divine powers in
music, being able to manipulate the elements with his music
when he sang some ragas before Akbar:
• Raag Megh Malhar – brought rains outside Akbar's court
• Raag Deepak – created fires & lit lamps in Akbar's court
• Raag Sri – changed day into night (around the court complex)
• Tansen was also gibed in the art of birdsong & talking to
animals

34. System – Bifurcation
• The power of raag Deepak is explained in another account:
Gopala Naicker, a competent musician from Karnataka, while
in the court of Akbar was once asked by Akbar to sing the raag
Deepak
• Knowing the unrestrained power of this raga, Gopala Naicker,
went to the Yamuna river and stood submerged with only his
head out & as soon as he started the raga, he exploded into a
burst of fire killing himself
• Gopala Naicker's prime student was Ustad Ghagge Nazir Khan,
who later created the famed Mewa6 gharana of Hindustani
vocal music whose current exponent is Pt. Jasraj

35. System – Bifurcation
Some of the key reasons for the establishment of Hindustani
music as a separate classical form from mainstream Indian
music are:
• Tansen, created a new classical form that fused elements of
Persian music into Indian music, while retaining the
fundamental principles of ragas & thalas of Indian music
• He used his prodigious ability to create many new ragas such
as Darbari Kannada, Miyan Ki Todi, Miyan Ki Darbari,
Rajeshwari which later became popular Hindustani ragas

36. System – Bifurcation
• He popularized the druphad form of singing which has lyrical
emphasis like Carna6c music
• With the introduc6on of Persian-inspired Indian instruments
like sarangi & dilrupa, & later on with the crea6on of the sitar
& tabla by Amir Kushro, Tansen, laid the founda6ons for
Hindustani music
• Aber the demise of Akbar, successive Moghul emperors were
not as tolerant & with an aggressive expansionist policy, they
razed Hindu temples & art while forcibly propaga6ng the
Mughal culture & music throughout the subcon6nent

37. System – Bifurcation
• With revolts throughout the southern kingdoms of India against
the Mughal empire, a united alliance with the Maratha rulers was
made to prevent Aurangzeb's conquest of the Deccan
• Aurangzeb was very much against Hindu art for fear of religious
blasphemy against Islam. His armies burnt & destroyed important
art treasures, literatures, non-Islamic scriptures and looted non-
Islamic temples in the empire
• The Marathas, being fierce defenders of their art & cultural
iden6ty prevented Aurangzeb’s forces from en6rely capturing the
Deccan & thereby saved numerous temples, art treasures &
literature pre-da6ng the Mughal period in South India

38. System – Bifurcation
• Carna6c music therefore became the sole bas6on of pre-
Mughal Indian classical music
• In summary, aber the bifurca6on, Carna6c music was born

39. Evolution
• Topics
• Middle Ages
• Golden Period
• Modern Era

40. Evolution – Early Middle Ages
• Throughout the early Middle Ages, Indian classical music
remained as a single classical form throughout India with the
same Vedic theme & composi6onal format though the terms are
expressed in various languages among the Indian kingdoms
• Apart from the above similari6es, the Bhakthi movement
reinforced Indian classical music as a devo6onal & spiritual art
form that could only be mastered & learned by priestly & ar6s6c
classes of the society
• The usage of Sanskrit (the spoken language of that 6me)
literature in the dissemina6on of music across the country
created a homogenous acceptance of the art and most Indian
kingdoms patronized classical musicians with lucra6ve
remunera6on & social privileges

41. Evolution – Late Middle Ages
• With the dawn of the Mughal empire, the Bifurca6on began.
With Persian musical influences, the music of north India, which
was under Moghul control soon changed in the way it was sung,
played or expressed while keeping the Indian system of raga,
tala & shruthi intact
• With the fall of the Vijayanagar empire to the Mughals,
prominent musicians from the South were offered lucra6ve
posi6ons & remunera6on for their services in Akhbar’s court
• By the early 16th century, a clear contrast was visible between
the styles of both North & South Indian music

42. Evolution – Late Middle Ages
• There were clearly some differences in the understanding of
musical notes between Hindustani & Carna6c music
No. Hindustani Notes (12 Notes) Carna0c Notes (16 Notes)
1 Shadj (S) Shadjam (S)
2 Komal Rishabh (R1) Suddha Rishaba (R1)
3 Suddh Rishabh (R2) Chatusra Rishaba (R2)
- - Not specified Shatshruthi Rishaba (R3)
- - Not specified Suddha Ghandara (G1)
4 Komal Ghandar (G1) Sadharana Ghandara (G2)
5 Suddh Ghandar (G2) Antara Ghandara (G3)
6 Suddh Madhyam (M1) Suddha Madhyama (M1)
7 Teevra Madhyam (M2) Pra6 Madhyama (M2)

43. Evolution – Late Middle Ages
• There were clearly some differences in the understanding of
musical notes between Hindustani & Carna6c music
• It is interes6ng to note that the unspecified notes R3, G1, D3, N1
were dissonant notes that do not sound well when played in a scale.
Carna6c music has retained these notes using a special overlapping
feature from exis6ng similar notes: R2=G1, R3=G2, D2=N1, D3=N2
No. Hindustani Notes (12 Notes) Carna0c Notes (16 Notes)
8 Pancham (P) Panchama (P)
9 Komal Dhaivat (D1) Suddha Dhivata (D1)
10 Suddh Dhaivat (D2) Chatusra Dhivata (D2)
- - Not specified Shatshruthi Dhivata (D3)
- - Not specified Suddha Nishada (N1)
11 Komal Nishad (N1) Kaisika Nishada (N2)
12 Suddh Nishad (N2) Kaakali Nishada (N3)

44. Evolution – Late Middle Ages
• Regardless of the school, the sounds of the Indian classical
music originated from the sounds of animals
The seven basic notes or sapthaswaras are said to be derived
from Nature:
• Sa - From the Peacock in 2 pitches
• Ri - From the Bull

45. Evolution – Late Middle Ages
The seven basic notes or sapthaswaras are said to be derived
from Nature:
• Ga - From the Goat
• Ma - From the Crane
• Pa - From the Cuckoo

46. Evolution – Late Middle Ages
The seven basic notes or sapthaswaras are said to be derived
from Nature:
• Da - From the Horse
• Na - From the Elephant

47. Evolution – Late Middle Ages
By comparison with the Western system, the similari6es
between the Indian and Western solfège system is
strikingly similar:
• Natural Octave
• S R G M P D N
• Do Re Me Fa So La Ti
• Musical Octave
• S R G M P D N Ś
• Do Re Me Fa So La Ti Dó

48. Evolution – Late Middle Ages
The differences between the types of music between
Indian and Western music are outlined below:
• In Western classical music, harmony is achieved by
• Counterpoint – note against note
• “Melody against Melody”
• VibraNon of a simultaneous set of notes through
Nme
• In Indian classical music, melody is achieved by
• the vibraNon of any single note through Nme

49. Evolution – Late Middle Ages
The differences in measuring musical intervals in Western
and Indian music are as follows:
• In Western classical music
• Intervals are es4mated to the nearest whole number -
Harmony
• Almost natural
• In Indian classical music
• Intervals are not es4mated and used exactly as it is -
Melody
• Completely natural

50. Evolution – Late Middle Ages
The units of measuring musical intervals in Western and
Indian music is outlined below:
• Intervals in music are measured in units called cents or
aksharakala
• Each octave has 1200 cents
• A combina6on of cents produces a semitone or gamaka
• A semitone cannot be wri>en down as a notaNon unlike the
basic notes
• It can only be achieved by prac4ce

51. Evolution – Late Middle Ages
The breakdown of the note frequencies in cent units between
Western and Indian music is outlined below:
Indian Classical Western Classical
• S 0 0
• R 204 200
• G 386 400
• M 498 500
• P 702 700
• D 906 900
• N 1088 1100
• Ś 1200 1200

52. Evolution – Late Middle Ages
• Under Mughal influence, the number of scales in Indian music
was also drama6cally reduced in Hindustani music
• Hindustani music had only 10 parent scales called thaats
Thaat No. Hindustani Thaat Carna0c Mela
1 Bilawal Shankarabharanam (29th Mela)
2 Kalyan Kalyani (65th Mela)
3 Khamaj Harikhamboji (28th Mela)
4 Bhairav Mayamalavagowla (15th Mela)
5 Puri Kamavardhini (51st Mela)
6 Marwa Gamanasharma (53rd Mela)
7 Bhairavi Hanumathodi (8th Mela)
8 Asaveri Natabhairavi (20th Mela)
9 Kafi Kharaharapriya (22nd Mela)
10 Thodi Shubapanthuvarali (45th Mela)

53. Evolution – Late Middle Ages
• In comparison, the Carna6c parent ragas cons6tute to a
total of 72 major scales which are mathema6cally derived
in sequen6al order by the order of the sound of each of the
16 notes
• The structure of the en6re set is as follows
• 12 Groups containing 6 ragas shibing between the 16 notes
• Each group varies by 6 different raga structures
• 1st six groups of ragas are classified by the 4th base note
• 2nd six groups of ragas are classified by the 4th high note

54. Evolution – Late Middle Ages

55. Evolution – Late Middle Ages
• Unlike Carna6c ragas Hindustani ragas adhere to being used
at certain 6mes of the day and even though there is no
scien6fic basis for this explana6on, the most widely accepted
reason is that the sound of the raga is invigorated when it is
sung at a suitable 6me of the day and this has been kept since
the onset of Hindustani music in Mughal India
• However, as the Mughal conquest did not cover the en6re
length and breadth of India, the southern regions were not
significantly influenced by this prac6ce

56. Evolution – Late Middle Ages
• Maximum extent of the Mughal Empire circa. 1700 during
Emperor Aurangzeb before the arrival of the Bri6sh EIC

57. Evolution – Late Middle Ages
• Unlike Carna6c ragas Hindustani ragas adhere to being used
at certain 6mes of the day and even though there is no
scien6fic basis for this explana6on, the most widely accepted
reason is that the sound of the raga is invigorated when it is
sung at a suitable 6me of the day and this has been kept since
the onset of Hindustani music in Mughal India
• Some of the famous stalwarts who pioneered this prac6ce in
the Mughal courts were
• Miya Tansen (founder of Hindustani music)
• Gopal Naik (who burst into flames when singing raga Deepak
which ignited fire)

58. Evolution – Late Middle Ages

59. Evolution – Late Middle Ages
• Though debates have existed on which system is beTer, the late
sitar maestro Pt. Ravi Shankar subscribed to the Carna6c system
who himself had introduced parent Carna6c ragas like Charukesi,
Natabhairavi & Simhendramadhyamam into Hindustani music
• What most people don’t realize is that before the outside influences
came into India, both systems of music followed the same Bharat
natya shastra and we had no problems understanding and
developing our music, or keeping the same tempo or counNng beats
on our fingers
• As a result the two styles of music became more and more distant
from each other, and today it’s more of a compeNNon, rather than
appreciaNon for each other. I have tried hard to bridge that gap and
I think I have been fairly successful in showing the unique similariNes
between both genres

60. Evolution – Late Middle Ages
• Though scholarly composi6ons are rarely emphasized in
Hindustani music, it has more or less retained the original form
• The structural framework for Hindustani composi6ons became
primarily secular in view of the prohibi6on of Hindu elements
• The lyrics were on the most part depicted in melancholic moods
like a yearning lover or devotee, however, with the fall of the
Mughal empire, Hindu elements have been included again
Carna0c Composi0on Structure Hindustani Composi0on Structure
Pallavi Sthayi
Anupallavi Antara
Charanam Sanchara (Rarely sung today)

61. Evolution – Late Middle Ages
Part Descrip0on
Raagam / Alap Lengthy elabora6on of a raga usually in 3 speeds
Taanam / Jhalla Rhythmic pacing of the raga usually with percussion support
Pallavi / Gat Improvised composi6on improvising a single line of a composi6on
extensively in a single or in mul6ple raagas in 3 speeds
Neraval/
Kalpanaswara
(Carna6c)
Towards the ending of the RTP, the neraval (lyrical improvisa6on)
followed by the kalpanaswara (singing/playing of notes) both of
which can be done in a single or in mul6ple raagas
Thani
Avartanam
(Carna6c
Percussion Solo)
In the culmina6on of an RTP, the percussionist would give a solo
recital which can also happen likewise aber the comple6on of a
major composi6on or in a Jugalbhandi (North-South classical)
collabora6on
In an Indian classical concert, the most complicated and
demanding piece is the Ragam-Tanam-Pallavi (RTP) (Carna6c) and
Alap-Jhalla-Gat (Hindustani) which is completely improvised:

62. Evolution – Late Middle Ages
• In terms of rhythm, the Carna6c system had developed a
sophis6cated system amoun6ng to 175 rhythmic paTerns in
total though there are other secondary denomina6ons and other
advanced technical details which would not be discussed here
The breakdown of the 35 base rhythmic paTerns are based on:
• 7 basic structures known as (sapta thaalas)
• 5 varia6ons (jathis)
• Superimposing the 5 varia6ons (gathis) into each beat of the 35
base paTerns would yield a total of 175 paTerns

63. Evolution – Late Middle Ages
Thala Parts
Dhuruva Beat + (Beat + Wave) + Beat + Beat
Matya Beat + (Beat + Wave) + Beat
Rupakam (Beat + Wave) + Beat
Jampa Beat + Beat + (Beat + Wave)
Triputa Beat + (Beat + Wave) + (Beat + Wave)
Ata Beat + Beat + (Beat + Wave) + (Beat + Wave)
Eka Beat
Jathi / Gathi Number of Beats
Tisra 3
Chatusra 4
Khanda 5
Misra 7
Sankeerna 9

64. Evolution – Late Middle Ages
The Hindustani system on the other hand has a fixed series of
thalas of which the common paTerns are shown below:
Thala Parts Beats
Tintal 4 + 4 + 4 + 4 16
Jhoomra 3 + 4 + 3 + 4 14
Tilwada 4 + 4 + 4 + 4 16
Dhamar 5 + 2 + 3 + 4 14
Ektaal / Chautal 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 12
Jhaptal 2 + 3 + 2 + 3 10
Keherwa 4 + 4 8
Rupak 3 + 2 + 2 7
Dadra 3 + 3 6
Deepchandi 3 + 4 + 3 + 4 14

65. Evolution – Golden Era
• By the mid-18th century, the weakened Mughal empire was
falling to the hands of the Bri6sh & with it dawned a new era
of foreign influences to Indian music
• It was this 6me that the Trinity, all born near Thanjavur came
to light. As if des6ned by the Lord, it was the first 6me,
Carna6c music was composed & documented in lyrical prose
& music. Each of them making independent contribu6ons to
the art, though ini6ally not knowing each other
• It was much later that St. Thyagaraja met Dikshitar & was
astounded by the later's musical prowess that he gave him a
big hug in the former's residence. Syama Shastri had a high
regard for Thyagaraja and all of them who met each other
remained as life-long friends

66. Evolution – Golden Era
• Taking over from where Purandaradasa leb off, the Trinity's
composi6ons set the benchmark for modern Carna6c music. This
period also ushered in the first renaissance in the revival of Hindu
music over a century of Mughal oppression under Aurangzeb
• Dikshitar enriched the Carna6c raga repertoire by introducing
prominent Hindustani ragas like Dwijavanthi, Brindavana
Saranga, Ahir Bhairav & etc, which he learned from North Indian
musicians during his stay at Benares in his younger years
• His genius lay in expressing ragas with his supreme command of
Sanskrit prose. In fact, by merely singing the notes of his
composi6ons, one can grasp the raga characteris6cs easily. This
novel approach became an almost encyclopedic guide for music
students

67. Evolution – Golden Era
• Dikshitar's exposure to Baroque music & Western classical tunes
in the colonial India, also gave him scope to compose in Carna6c
style. He is the only Indian classical music composer to have
composed in Western tunes that had equivalent Carna6c ragas
• Among the Trinity, St. Thyagaraja has composed the most (about
24000) & even composed 2 operas, another novel approach in
Carna6c music & has created new ragas, popularized difficult &
dull ragas & made nice sounding ragas appear dull.
• Syama Shastri polished the swarajathi form, a beginner's
exercise piece into a concert worthy form that astonished the
learned of his 6me. His command of the Carna6c rhythm system
is unparalleled & his pieces are challenging to be sung or played

68. Evolution – Golden Era
• In addi6on, Syama Shastri is the only member of the Trinity to
have composed in Tamil apart from Telugu (the popular
language for Carna6c music at that 6me) & Sanskrit
• With a competent following of disciples, the Trinity's music &
innova6on were passed down over the next two centuries &
saw the birth of the performing era in temples & religious
sanctuaries
• Throughout the next two centuries, Carna6c music became a
force for composers to innovate & expand the repertoire in
other languages including Tamil
• Temples were the places where musicians perform & unlike
today, there was no fixed standard form to presen6ng the art
where highly skilled musicians can sing for several days a single
raga without taking an intermission!

69. Evolution – Modern Era
• With the declining support of royal patrons aber Bri6sh forces
seized their territorial powers, powerful lawyers & business
barons slowly took over to organize concerts all over the country
with their own money
• The last genera6on of the 19th century saw their first stage
performances in this 6me & the 20th century became a
challenging era to sustain Carna6c music amidst the domina6on
of foreign media via the television & media & with Indian
Independence in 1947, all exis6ng royal principali6es were
dissolved under the Govt. of India
• While St. Thyagaraja has men6oned that its a sin to perform
Carna6c music to make money, the commercializa6on of arts
have forced musicians to preserve the art in the concert halls &
stages of today's commercial art patrons

70. Evolution – Modern Era
• The disciples of the 19th century's great legends carried the art
with great commitment & dedica6on. It also became a turning
point to influence the younger genera6on to take up Carna6c
music as a profession, especially aber the arrival of G.N.B., a B.A.
graduate
• Musicians like G.N.B, Semmangudi Srinvasa Iyer, M.S.
Subbulakshmi, M.L. Vasanthakumari & Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna
set the benchmark in presen6ng Carna6c music to the modern &
Western educated audiences
• While many forecasted the end of Carna6c music will be in the
20th century, it proved otherwise & soon became the most
sought aber classical music in the world alongside Hindustani &
Western classical music systems. Jon B Higgins, an American,
became the first foreigner to become a professional Carna6c
musician

71. Evolution – Modern Era
• With rare prodigies like ChitravinaRavikiran,Carna6cmusichas
reached an even unprecedented height. He has created a new
musical concept called “mel-harmony” with great success in
the West & also increased the interest for Western audiences
to explore the beauty of Carna6c music
• Ravikiran has also brought to light the unknown composi6ons
& brilliance of Oothukadu Venkata Kavi who is now realised as
having achieved far more breakthroughs in Carna6c music &
some of which long before the Trinity had done
• T. M. Krishna, a disciple of Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer has
undertook great pains in reviving temple performances of the
last century to bring back the magic of olden 6mes. He has
recently cast along vocalist Bombay Jayashri in a cinema6c
produc6on of a Carna6c music concert (Margazhi Raagam),
the first of its kind

72. Composers
• Topics
• Pre-Trinity
• Trinity
• Post-Trinity

73. Composers – Pre-Trinity
The earliest known composers aber the Sangam era are listed
below:
They can be divided into two groups, 63-Naynmars & 12-Alvaars
and some prominent composers are discussed here:
• Thirunyannar Sambandar (7th century A.D.)
• Sung his first hymn at 3 years old – Thoduthaya Seviyan, which is
the first hymn of the Thevaram series
• Composed the first 3 volumes of the Thirumurai with 384 poems
• Reported to have composed & sung 10,000 hymns (with 4,232 in
existence)
• Considered as the incarna6on of Lord Muruga

74. Composers – Pre-Trinity
• Appar (7th century A.D.)
• Composed the next 3 volumes of the Thirumurai
• Composed the Thevaram series
• Composed hymns in various Panns (precursor to modern day
ragas)
• Set most hymns in virutham & thirunerisai formats
• Composed around 4,900 hymns (with 313 in existence)
• Manikkavaasagar (862 A.D. - 885 A.D.)
• Composed the next 8 volumes of the Thirumurai
• Composed the Thiruvaasagam series
• Composed hymns in various Panns (precursor to modern day
ragas)
• Set most hymns in virutham & thirunerisai formats

75. Composers – Pre-Trinity
Medieval Indian Music – Origins of the Bhakthi Movement
• Jayadeva (circa. 1200 A.D.)
• Composer of the famed Gita Govinda, Jayadeva was the first
recognized Sanskrit poet of Indian music
• The first Sanskrit music literature of medieval India, the Gita Govinda
is a poetry volume that is divided into 12 chapters with each further
subdivided into 24 parts known as prabandhas
• Each prabandha in turn contains poe6c couplets grouped in eights
known as ashtapadis. The love of Radha and Krishna was also the
focal point of the Gita Govinda
• Saintly composers including Purandaradasa, Kabir Das, Guru Nanak
Dev drew their inspira6on from Jayadeva's devo6onal poetry
• Saint Annamacharya (1408 A.D to 1503 A.D) who composed around
36,000 padas in Telugu and Sanskrit was his contemporary

76. Composers – Pre-Trinity
Medieval Indian Music – Ins0tu0onaliza0on of Music
• Saint Purandara Daasa (1484 A.D. to 1564 A.D.)
• Hailed as the grandfather of modern Carna6c music,
Purandaradasa was the first Indian composer to create a step-by-
step learning mode for Indian music from swara exercises to the
geetham (simple songs) with different levels of difficulty
• He also created the krithi (composi6onal) form within the raga &
thala framework & also introduced devo6onal forms known as
devarnaamas
• He introduced folk ragas into the classical domain to reach a
wider local audience. He was highly influen6al in expanding the
Haridasa movement all over India through his music
• Swami Haridas, the guru of Tansen was also a disciple of St.
Purandaradasa. Tansen later laid the founda6ons for Hindustani
music

77. Composers – Pre-Trinity
Medieval Indian Music – Classifica0on of the Mela Ragas
• Venkatamakhi (circa. 16th Century)
• Considered to be a breakthrough in the understanding of raga
science, the Chaturandi Prakashika, which he composed, became
a reference point in understanding all Indian music ragas
• Using a 16-note system, it is a table divided by 2 groups of 36
ragas. In each group there are 6 chakras, with 6 ragas in each
chakra
• Widely used by musicians and musicologists to trace the roots of
a compound raga to its parent raga, or to derive a new raga from
a parent scale, it rapidly changed the face of Indian music into the
most advanced melodic musical form in the world
• He also composed 24 ashtapadis in praise of St. Thyagaraja as
well as geethams

78. Composers – Pre-Trinity
Medieval Indian Music – Ins0tu0onaliza0on of Dance Music
• Kshetrajna (1595 A.D. to ?)
• Kshetrajna learned music as a contemporary of Venkatamakhi
(author of the 72- melakartha scheme) and became a great
renowned scholar in the field and his mudra is Muvva
• He was an ardent admirer of beauty in nature & life, a great
devotee of the Lord & a keen observer of human behaviour and
excelled in portraying love-life in its en6rety
• He is credited with composing about 4500 padams, and legend
has it that he composed 1100 padams in four days!
• He has composed padams in over 40 ragas, such as Khamboji,
Bhairavi, Kalyani, Todi, Saveri, Bilahari & Sankarabharanam, as
well as in rare ragas such as Ghantarava, Saindhavi, Khande
• Kshetrajna's padams are specially suited for abhinaya & natya

79. Composers – Pre-Trinity
Medieval Indian Music – Infusion of Advaita Philosophy
• Saint Sadasiva Brahmendra (circa. 1600s)
• One of the most rarest of the great saints of India, Sadasiva
Brahmendra saw himself as the embodiment of the Creator &
saw all living en66es as the representa6on of the Creator. He was
the one of the few important Hindu saints to have disciples of
different faiths, one being a Muslim
• Though he is said to have composed about 300 composi6ons of
great poe6c, philosophic & musical value, only a few are in
existence
• His composi6ons later inspired the music of the Trinity in
propaga6ng Advaita concepts which are universally accepted in
Hinduism

80. Composers – Pre-Trinity
Medieval Indian Music – Innovator
• Oothukadu Venkata Kavi (1700 A.D. to 1765 A.D.)
• Though very much unknown in the last century, Oothukadu
Venkata Kavi has recently caught the aTen6on of musicologists &
researchers for his almost breakthrough achievements in Carna6c
music, some of which are not even aTempted by the Trinity
• Self-taught in music by embracing God as his guru, Venkata Kavi
has shown his genius in several languages & in all aspects of
Carna6c music
• Alaipayuthe, the famous song that has captured the lay is
composed by him. Devoted supporters of his music like
Chitravina Ravikiran has recently wrote several books on his
musical genius

81. Composers – Trinity
• Saint Thyagaraja (1767 A.D. to 1847 A.D.)
• The most revered among the Trinity, St. Thyagaraja is said to
have composed about 24,000 composi6ons (presently only 600
are in extant) not in only in praise of his beloved Lord Rama, but
of most of the major gods of Hinduism
• Deeply rooted in the Bhakthi Movement of his 6me, his objec6ve
was devo6onal rather than philosophical scholarship
• Nevertheless, he introduced many new ragas, popularized rare &
difficult ragas & also expanded the repertoire of the krithi form in
Carna6c music
• He is also well known for aTaining yogic powers in music
• Composed the famous composi6on and pancharatna krithi
Endaro Mahanubavulu for his apprecia6on for Govinda Marar
(1798 A.D. to 1843 A.D.) who mastered in singing in 6 speeds

82. Composers – Trinity
• Muthuswami Dikshitar (1775 A.D. to 1835 A.D.)
• The youngest of the Trinity, Muthuswami Dikshitar is renowned
for both his profound scholarship & yogic powers that he aTained
in music
• He is hailed as a Nada Yogi, because of his ability to use music as
a healing element
• He has manipulated Nature & healed ailments of his disciples by
using the power of music
• His knowledge & command of Sanskrit is unparalleled among the
Trinity
• His composi6ons range from simple krithis to brilliant &
complicated ones
• He was the first Indian composer to compose Western tunes with
Sanskrit prose

83. Composers – Trinity
• Syama Shastri (1762 A.D. to 1827 A.D.)
• The most affluent & oldest of the Trinity, Syama Shastri belonged
to a family of hereditary temple custodians of the temple of
Bangaru Kamatchi in Thanjavur
• His composi6ons are rhythmically challenging & are only
understood by the learned
• Unlike the rest of the Trinty, Syama Shastri has composed in
Tamil as well apart from Telegu & Sanskrit
• His approach to music is the scholarship of the highest order
• He is well known for his brilliant swarajathis which are crabed for
concert performances

84. Composers – Post-Trinity
With the collapse of the Vijayanagar empire to the Mughals &
later to the Bri6sh Raj at the at the turn of the 19th century, the
tradi6ons of the medieval masters con6nued through their own
disciples & the genera6ons thereaber
Some of them are listed below:
• Manamunchavadi Venkatasubbayyer
• Patnam Subramanya Iyer
• Maha Vaidhyanatha Iyer
• Koteswara Iyer
• Gopalakrishna Bharathi
• Dandapani Desikar
• Papanasam Sivan

85. Performers
• Topics
• G.N. Balasubramaniam
• Dr. Semmangudi R. Srinivasa Iyer
• Dr. M. S. Subbulakshmi
• Dr. Mangallampalli Balamuralikrishna

86. Performers
• G. N. Balasubramaniam (1910 to 1965)
• A self taught musician whose prodigical talent changed the
future of 20th century Carna6c music forever
• In his short life, he has composed over 250 composi6ons of
astounding scholarship and musical acumen
• Hailed as the first superstar of Carna6c music, his concerts drew
packed audiences and had bookings of up to 2 years in advance
• Such was his talent that M. K. Thyagrajar Bhagavathar, the first
superstar of Tamil Cinema would cancel his concerts if it clashed
with G.N.B. just to watch his concerts
• He had complete mastery of all the 72 melakartha ragas and had
created new ragas like Amritha Behag, Sivasakthi and Gavathi
• He trained a legion of excep6onally talented students like
Thanjavur S. Kalyanaraman and M. L. Vasanthakumari

87. Performers
• Semmangudi R. Srinivasa Iyer (1908 to 2003)
• Called the Pitamaha or the Grandfather of Carna6c Music for his
excep6onal musical acumen despite having a recalcitrant voice
that was mocked by many
• As a prolific performer, he had assimilated most of the styles and
techniques of the greatest 20th century musicians including his
arch rival G.N.B
• His greatest contribu6on to music was to sexng to tune the
composi6ons of the previously less known Swathi Thirunal
• He trained a galaxy of students including the world famous M. S.
Subbulakshmi, and T. N. Krishnan, part of the trinity of violin
legends that included Lalgudi G. Jayaraman and M. S.
Gopalakrishnan

88. Performers
• M. S. Subbulakshmi (1916 to 2004)
• She was the first and s6ll the most successful songstress of
Carna6c music with a voice that many accomplished musicians
claimed sounded like the veena
• She was an proficient veena and mridangam playing
• She learnt Hindustani music under Pt. Narayan Vyas Rao and also
mastered Rabindra Sangeet
• A symbol of na6onal integra6on, she was the first Indian vocal
classical musician to win the appraisal from both North and South
Indian musicians
• She aTained a cult status even as a cine actress in the early 1930s
and 1940s for her singing prowess and for her performances
especially in the movies Meera (1947) and Shakunthala (1940)

89. Performers
• M. Balamuralikrishna (1930 to 2016)
• A maverick just like the great G.N. Balasubramaniam, he laid the
founda6on for the future evolu6on of Carna6c music by not only
crea6ng new ragas including 3 note and 4 note ragas but also
new thala systems which are only being studied at current 6mes
• He mastered all the 72 melakartha ragas and composed in all of
them by his teens
• His mastery over several languages and his excep6onal mastery
of Sanskrit and Telugu corrected many previously held
misconcep6ons of the Trinity’s krithis
• A cine actor and a playback singer like G.N.B., his audience base
range from the lay to the serious classical connoisseur
• He trained musicians all over India in Carna6c music including the
famous Hindustani musician Pt. Ajoy Chakraborthy

90. Conclusion
• Topics
• Digital Era
• Viewer Discre6on

91. Conclusion – Digital Era
Recommended websites for further reading & listening:
• hTp://www.hinduwisdom.info/Hindu_Music.htm
• hTp://www.karna6k.com
• hTp://www.carna6ca.net
• hTp://www.carna6ca.net/composer-main.htm
• hTp://www.ecse.rpi.edu/Homepages/shivkuma/music/
• hTp://www.carna6ccorner.com/about.html
• hTp://www.sangeethapriya.org
• hTp://www.itcsra.org

92. Conclusion – Digital Era
Recommended books for further reading & learning:
• The Oxford Illustrated Companion to South Indian Classical
Music (2nd Edi6on, 2009) – Ludwig Pesch (very useful for all
students of music)
• Apprecia6ng Carna6c Music (2nd Revised Edi6on, 2006) –
Chitravina N. Ravikiran (useful for beginners)
• OoTukkadu Venkata Kavi – Life & Contribu6ons (1st Edi6on,
2007) – Chitavina Ravikiran (for advanced learners of CarnaNc
music)
• Carna6c Summer – Lives of Twenty Great Exponents (3rd
Reprint, 2007) - Sriram. V (useful for CarnaNc music students
of all levels)
• South Indian Music (Books I – VI) (Reprint, 2007) – Prof. P.
Sambamurthy (highly recommended for CarnaNc music
students)

93. Conclusion – Viewer Discretion
• It is of great regret that due to the introductory nature of this
presenta6on, many other technical details of both Carna6c
and Hindustani music are deliberately leb out
• The purpose of this presenta6on is to create an awareness,
and an interest into the universe of Carna6c music
• Moreover, much informa6on is already been men6oned in
the Internet and in wriTen sources. Therefore there are
numerous avenues for readers of this presenta6on to access
them for further reading, listening and learning
• For the budding music student, musician and enthusiast, it is
highly recommended that each individual undertake their
own study on Carna6c music; on its numerous composi6ons,
composers and performers which are not shown here