This is the eighth article in a special series by Ally Adnan that brings to life memorable incidents from the rich and fascinating life of Hazrat Amir Khusrau, whose timeless legacy continues to inspire the world.
Individual instances of the singing of ghazal can be traced as far back as the 13th century.
Three prominent female performers in the courts of the Khilji dynasty, Meher Afroze, Nusrat Khatoon and Fatooha, are known to have regularly sung and danced to the ghazals of Amir Khusrau in Delhi at the turn of the 13th century. These early performances laid the foundation for the tradition of singing ghazal.
The establishment of the ghazal as an important genre of Hindustani sangeet began in the early 19th century and took a little more than 100 years to complete. The evolution was driven by four key factors: the influence of Parsi theatre, where ghazals featured prominently in dramatic performances; the patronage of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, who actively promoted the form; the changing role of the tawaif, who faced social ostracism following the arrival of Christian missionaries in the region and turned increasingly to singing ghazal and thumri in an effort to apply a veneer of respectability to their trade; and the advent of sound recording, which, due to early technological constraints, favoured musical forms that fit within a three-minute recording limit, a length more suited to the ghazal than to khayal and other major forms of classical music.
The writer lives in Dallas, Texas and writes about culture, history and the arts. He tweets @allyadnanjanjua and can be reached [email protected]