Music
has always been an important part of Indian life. The range of musical
phenomenon in India extends from simple melodies to what is one of the
most well- developed "systems" of classical music in the
world. There are references to various string and wind instruments, as
well as several kinds of drums and cymbals, in the Vedas. Some date the
advent of the system of classical Indian music to Amir Khusro. Muslim
rulers and noblemen freely extended their patronage to music. In the
courts of the Mughal emperors, music is said to have flourished, and the
Tansen was one of the jewels of Akbar's court. The great poet-saints who chose to communicate in the vernacular tongues brought forth a great upheaval in north India and the Bhakti or devotional movements they led gained many adherents. The lyrics of Surdas, Tulsidas, and most particularly Kabir and Mirabai continue to be immensely popular. By the sixteenth century, the division between North Indian (Hindustani) and South Indian (Carnatic) music was also being more sharply delineated. Classical music, both Hindustani and Carnatic, may be either instrumental or vocal.
