With reference to Mian Tansen, which one of the following statements is not correct?

1. Tansen was the title given to him by Emperor Akbar.
2. Tansen composed Dhrupads on Hindu gods and goddesses.
3. Tansen composed songs on his patrons.
4. Tansen invented many Ragas.

Explanation

Option (a) is the correct answer

• Tansen was given the title by Raja Vikramjit of Gwalior. He was a court musician in the darbar of Raja Ramachandra of Bandavagarh (Rewa). When Akbar heard of his prodigious talent, he sent a ‘firman’ to the king asking for Tansen and made him one of the Navaratnas in his court. Akbar gave him the title of ‘Mian’.
• Tansen composed numerous dhrupads dedicated to deities such as Ganesha, Shiva, Parvati and Rama, along with compositions for his royal patrons. A major collection of his works, Kalpadruma, includes around 300 of his dhrupads composed in the Gauhar Bani style. Tansen is also known for composing in his favourite ragas, including Multani, Bhairavi, and Todi. He is credited with creating several new ragas, such as the night raga Darbari Kanhra, morning raga Mian Ki Todi, mid-day raga Mian Ki Sarang, and the seasonal raga Mian Ki Malhar. His descendants and disciples are called Seniyas.

Answer: (a) Tansen was the title given to him by Emperor Akbar; Difficulty Level: Easy