Yaqub Siraj

Music may belong to any nation or place, the fact remains that it is always good to ears. In other words there are no barriers of language or words that limit music lovers to listen and appreciate a good voice or a tune. Music has always been a part and parcel of human culture and tradition and has had a unique status. The sweet tunes thus produced touch the heart and mind and even console human souls. No one knows for sure the origin of music but it is believed that it could be traced to Egypt and from there it spread to other nations.
Sufiana Mousiqee generally known as "Saazandar Geawun" [song with musicians playing on instruments] is the classical rendering in which lyric predominates the Maqam (Mode). The Sw'ras (Notes) make their presence felt and there is no clear-cut recurring pattern of sw'ras that could pervade in each song of the Maqam. It is believed that Hayat Joo the great ancester had come from Iran and later settled in Kashmir. He was the great musician of the time. Sultan Joo the student of Hayat Joo would sing in the royal court of Maharaja. The Maharaja would send his special horse Kontal Gur to fetch him to give performance before the Maharaja. It is significant to note that most of Kashmir's Maharajas, though Hindus by faith were literate as they could read, write and understand Persian.

Sufiana Kalaam is primarily vocal, choral music. It is performed by an ensemble of four to seven musicians and all musicians sing in unison except the main singer (leader of the ensemble) who sings the main lines of the song. The poetry associated with sufiana kalaam is in two languages, Persian and Kashmiri. The favourite poems are those of the great Sufi mystics of Persia and Kashmir such as Hafiz, Jallauddin Rumi, Jami, Omar Khayam, Amir Khusro, Rasul Mir, Neame Seab and others.

Kashmiris are a singing people; songs and ghazals have always been part of their literary culture. Sufiana Music was introduced in Kashmir during the rule of Sultan Zainulabidin known as Budshah (1420 - 70) and before this time there is no historical evidence to prove that there was any kind of Sufiana music around and so possibly were no musicians around. Sultan Shamasuddin Shahmiri is famous for promoting music and encouraged quite a few musicians of that time. To do this he had many Sanskrit books translated and encouraged a good number of musicians to carry on the tradition. It is said that Sultan Zainulabidin was himself attracted to music and encouraged local musicians and even invited musicians form different countries.
Budshah's brother Sultan Hassan Shah (1472 - 84) introduced an independent Government department to promote music. Sultan Zainulabidin had a special interest in music and he would organise special meetings for musicians to perform. His son heir apparent Sultan Haider Shah was good at playing instruments. His grandson Sultan Hassan Shah was also good in the art of music. He invited musicians from South India to promote music in Kashmir. An exclusive department of music was created for the first time in his life time. Kashmiri music, it is said, was at its zenith during the time of Sultan Yousuf Shah Chak as he himself practiced music and performed with perfection and his Queen Habba Khatun was also a great musician and RAAST Kashmiri raag is her invention.

In the not so distant past Kashmir liked the style of Sufiana music and considered it as the classical music of Kashmir. Most of the poetry used is Persian which has its origin in Iran and Central Asia; at the same time the local Kashmiri language blended with Persian and gave it a different flavour.

In my project report compiled over two years; I was helped by a dear friend of mine; Dr.Javid Iqbal, a medical doctor by profession, very well known as an intellectual zealot and held in esteem in literary circles of Kashmir for his knowledge of Persian language. Poetry being his special field of literary taste, he translated and described at length the Persian prosaic and the poetic inscriptions in the text. In his explanatory note of the Persian influence on cultural life of Kashmir; he calls the effect; extensive and varied, to an extent, wherein Kashmir has been called, little IRAN (Iran-e-Sagir). The religion of vast majority; Islam has been propagated by Iranians, so too its craft. Kashmir arts providing sustenance to a huge percentage of its population has had an Iranian base. Kashmiris though have made subtle changes, in tune with local cultural bearings, enriching the art.
The local contribution to Persian language continues Dr.Iqbal; especially in the realm of its world renowned poetry, cannot be underestimated. Names like Ghani Kashmiri readily come to fore, some of whose couplets have captured the imagination of masters of Persian poetry. Cultural influence being a bilateral equation, Kashmir too influenced and fascinated Iran in many ways. 'Cashmere' the fine woollen fabric, used in famed Kashmiri Shawls was valued as much as precious metals like gold and rubies. An abode of natural beauty like 'Isfahan' was called 'Kashmir-e-Sager'. Religion, art or craft, the revolutionary change was led by a Persian sage, Mir Syed Ali Hamdani, who led about 700 Syeds (holy and sacred) and worked with missionary zeal to bring about the renaissance. In fine arts, apart from poetry, music also got influenced, both in form and instrumentation. The change was supported from the highest quarters like its famous monarchs, Zainul-Abidin and Yousuf Shah Chak.
Dr.Iqbal's translation of Persian prosaic and poetic manuscripts concerning my project form a part of the report and stand highly appreciated. In the paragraphs below, some of these translated forms are elucidated.

The author, Haider Malik writing of Yousuf Shah's expertise in music notes that he was unparalleled and stood out in any gathering of song and music. Emperor Akbar maintained contact with him. Once it so happened that the supreme musician, of the era Tan'Sain struck the wrong note in a musical symphony called 'Kalawant'. Yousuf Shah pointed it out and Tan'sain accepted the correction.

'Baba Dawood Khaki's description of 'Yousuf Shah Chak's' artistic taste:

Noble king of adorable bearing
Making one note distinct from other
Putting sacred touch to Indian notes
Taking musical notes to pinnacle
Ascribing deft touches like Husseni and Azal!

Hussein and Azal are Sufiana music notes. Yousuf Shah, as seems apparent might have been trying his hand in fusion music, by mixing these with Indian notes. His knowledge of Indian notes could be deduced from his correction of master musician like Tan'sain. Persian poetry was his special forte.

Tahir Mouluf writes in his history of Kashmir 'Baharistan Shahi'Yousuf Shah cut a handsome figure and was a humanist. Well versed in music, he had an intimate understanding of the poetic nuances of many a Persian, Indian and Kashmiri couplets. Apparent on a daily basis, his artistic taste was a signpost of fine arts to the extent of having an intimate knowledge of intellectuals and poets of India with their Indian and of Kashmir with Kashmiri and Persian poetry.

On most of the occasions drunk with the heady wine of his high state he was inclined to enjoy every movement of it with song and music and would love saying:

Enjoy until the day you liveth
Cometh autumn; spring leavth!

His beloved Habba Khatun apart from her beauty and sweet voice was a woman of high calibre. She would lull to sleep listeners with her rendering of musical symphony called Iraqi; another famed 'Sufiana' note:

Beloved was no doubt behind a veil
yet showed up behind a hundred veil!
Remember the day I got drunk with love
Goblet in hand, in front I had the object of my love!
Aye the singing bird amongst lovers
Sing for voiceless for God's sake
Tune Iraq to dig out heart felt pain
Look to Hejaz on path to beloved
In Husseini tune dwells the longing
Like Bo'slaik listen beloved's song
Zangola embedded in heart, tumults
Like the pure tune woven behind veil
Listen to me, may be the Raast tune
Behind Rahavi is the singing bird
Oh! Shirazi damsels, your small ones
May emerge bigger in Royal court

The beauty of these Persian poetic notes lies in highlighting in rhythmic form the multiple Sufiana forms like Iraq, Hejaz, Husseni, Bo'slaik, Zangola, Raast and Rahavi. The reference to 'Shirazi' damsels is to note the height of beauty. 'Shiraz' has been the cradle of 'Persian' civilization; the home of artists like 'Hafiz Shirazi' considered the 'Master of the Sonnet' by literary wizards like 'Goethe'. His poetic reference to 'Turk-e-Shirazi' the 'Turk damsel' of Shiraz forms a highly valued note in literature; ascribed to excellence in beauty. Other masters like Allama Iqbal have used the note and it is refraining in all languages, influenced by Persian, including Kashmiri.

Chak kings exit from the dynasty rule deprived Sufiana music of state patronage and protection resulting in its decline. Thereafter it survived getting protection from Sufi Saints and spiritual people (Darvesh) and also the rich elite as this provided musicians involved with zeal, enthusiasm and very importantly a source of income.
To the song was added the dance. 'Ha'fiza' was the traditional Kashmiri dancer; however due to the sacred touch in 'Sufiana' Mahfills, the dance, in moments of spiritual ecstasy was performed by men, dressed as woman called 'Hafiz'. In' Bach-e-Nagmah' another common Kashmiri cultural trait; the dancer is still, by tradition, a colourfully dressed male in female attire.

In the recent past State run Radio Kashmir played its role to promote this art but it was limited due to the paucity of resources available. State's Cultural Academy also played a role but again lack of resources at their disposal hampered the progress. The maestros like Ustad Kamal Bhat, Ustad Ghulam Muhammed Qaleenbaf, Muhammed Abdullah Tibetbaqal and finally Ustad Ghulam Muhammed Saaz Nawaz contributed with the help of Cultural Academy to promote this art and in seventies started holding music classes on regular basis to teach and impart Sufiana music to younger generation and during these courses scholarships were also offered as an incentive to these students. This continued approximately for three years and the program had to be abandoned due to scant attention and interest by the local population and among other reasons has been attributed to the cultural invasion from central India. Moreover, the older generation who kept the tradition alive passed awayone after another and the new generation lost the touch completely.

Noted below are some of known Sufiana numbers, with the names of performing maestros and the duration of performance. The solo instrumental performances also stand noted. These numbers form a part of Radio Kashmir and 'Kashir' TV channel archives.

Josef M. Pacholczyk in his book The classical music of Kashmir writes: "In the 20th century social, political and economic changes in Kashmir have weakened the vitality of the sufiana musiqi traditions. In spite of many attempts on the part of Kashmir cultural institutions to revitalize it, sufiana musiqi is in a severe decline and its future seems uncertain."

[Kashmir Times]

Posted on 08 Mar 2009 by Webmaster