No more mythological stories and myths...this is the fact..!! Thats how the tabla was named and invented.

1. This presentation will help musicians, particularly
percussionists to know how the modern day’s fastest growing
percussion instrument, the Tabla, evolved….
BALRAJ SHUKLA

2. Amir Khushro (1253-1325) was a great scholar, poet and is
known as the father of Qawali. Mythology has forced people
to believe that he was the one who invented the Tabla. It is
said that he had split the Indian Percussion instrument
named ”Pakhawaj” into two parts and hence the tabla was
invented.

3. On the walls of the historical Ajanta & Ellora
caves, archaeologists have found out the drawings of the
tabla. Scientists have further proved that these drawings date
back before 1200 A.D. Amir Khushro was born in 1253.
So, its difficult to believe and digest that he was the inventor
of tabla.

4. There are still many theories about the invention of tabla…
 Some say that Lord Ganesha destroyed a monster, took its
skin out and then burried a pit with this skin. After that he
started playing some beats on it and hence the idea of the
invention of the tabla…!!
 Some others say that it was Siddhar Khan (born: 1700) who
invented the tabla..but no evidences are there for it..!!
But, now what I am going to show and what you are about to
read is the practical and proved theory of how the Tabla was
invented and how the Tabla got its name…

5. In the second century there was an instrument named
“Mrudang”. This instrument comprised of three parts-
Aankik, Udharwak, Aalingya. Aankik was played by resting it
horizontally and then hitting it from the sides to produce the
beats. Udharwak and Aalingya were vertically placed and
played.
Aankik
Aalingya Udharwak

6. In the sixth century some changes were made in this
instrument. Only Aankik and Udharwak were played then.
The use of Aalingya stopped. As time passed the use of
Udharwak also stopped. In this way only Aankik was played
then. Today, we know this Aankik as “Mrudang”…!!! Scholars
of that time divided the Aankik into two parts and this way
two Udharwaks were made.

7. In the seventeenth century two major changes were made in
the two Udharwaks.
 Its height was decreased.
 On the right Udharwak the syahi(black circle on the tabla)
made up of sand was replaced by the syahi made of iron
powder and on the left Udharwak, syahi was made from
flour.
This was the final form of the Udharwaks which were invented
in India.

8. In Arab, there was an instrument named “Atabl” which
consisted of two “Duggas”(a percussion instrument). These
duggas were played with the help of sticks. 2000 years back,
in Mesopotamia, there was instrument known as “Tabalu”
which was a very famous instrument at that time. This
instrument, later, was named as “Tabla” in Syria. The
instrument became more popular in Rome. This instrument
resembled the Dugga. This instrument came to western part
of India by traders and rulers of different countries.

9. When this instrument came in India, India already had a
percussion instrument named “Udharwak” as mentioned
earlier. The instrument Tabla was hence formed by combing
Udharwak and Dugga (Tabalu).
Later, minor changes were made to increase the resonance of
this instrument and new playing styles of the instrument
were discovered.
This way the percussion instrument “Tabla” was named and
invented.

11. For more amazing facts of music and the percussion world…
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