This is the tenth 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.
The 13th-century poet, musician, philosopher, scholar and statesman Amir
Khusrau formalised the tradition of qawwali during the reign of Alauddin Khalji.
He defined its essential elements, rules and structure; developed an eight-beat
rhythmic cycle known as qawwali taal and introduced melodic modes such as
Ayman, Ghara, Sazgiri, Shahana and Zilaf raags, which were particularly suited to
the art form. The tradition established by Khusrau has continued to gain popularity for more than 700 years and forms the foundation of qawwali practiced today. It is known as Khusrawi Qawwali.
In order to ensure its proper transmission, performance and preservation, Amir
Khusrau trained a group of 12 young musicians in the art. Led by Miyan Saamat Bin Ibrahim, this group came to be known as the Dilli ke Qawwal Bachche.
The school of music followed, preserved and propagated by the descendants of
these musicians is known as the Dilli ke Qawwal Bachchon ka Gharana.
The writer lives in Dallas, Texas and writes about culture, history and the arts. He tweets @allyadnanjanjua and canbe reached at [email protected].