Music and Musicians in Late Mughal India
Histories of the Ephemeral, 1748–1858
Author: Katherine Butler Schofield
This is the first history of Indian music and musicians during the transition from Mughal to British rule, c.1748–1858.
Based on a vast, virtually unstudied archive in Indian languages and Persian, this book reawakens the lost voices of celebrated Indian musicians, men and women, who endured the momentous transition from Mughal to British rule. It will appeal to readers interested in Indian music, global music history, South Asian history, empire and colonialism.
Hardcover
PRODUCT INFORMATION
Summary
This is the first history of Indian music and musicians during the transition from Mughal to British rule, c.1748–1858.
Based on a vast, virtually unstudied archive in Indian languages and Persian, this book reawakens the lost voices of celebrated Indian musicians, men and women, who endured the momentous transition from Mughal to British rule. It will appeal to readers interested in Indian music, global music history, South Asian history, empire and colonialism.
Description
Based on a vast, virtually unstudied archive of Indian writings alongside visual sources, this book presents the first history of music and musicians in late Mughal India c.1748–1858 and takes the lives of nine musicians as entry points into six prominent types of writing on music in Persian, Brajbhasha, Urdu and English, moving from Delhi to Lucknow, Hyderabad, Jaipur and among the British. It shows how a key Mughal cultural field responded to the political, economic and social upheaval of the transition to British rule, while addressing a central philosophical question: can we ever recapture the ephemeral experience of music once the performance is over? These rich, diverse sources shine new light on the wider historical processes of this pivotal transitional period, and provide a new history of music, musicians and their audiences during the precise period in which North Indian classical music coalesced in its modern form.
Critic Reviews
'Katherine Schofield's path-breaking account of music and musicians from the late Mughal period is a lesson in music history and historiography for musicians, music scholars and students in India. Her detailed analysis of texts written in multiple languages as well as pictorial sources will enlighten students and performers like myself about trajectories that moulded Hindustani music to the shape we experience today. This book will also go a long way in breaking myths and stereotypes about Muslim practitioners of this music that have for so long coloured our understanding of the past.' Aneesh Pradhan, Tabla player, composer and author
About the Author
Katherine Schofield is Head of the Department of Music at King's College London and recipient of a European Research Council Grant and a British Academy Mid-Career Fellowship. She is co-editor of Tellings and Texts: Music, Literature and Performance in North India (2015) and Monsoon Feelings: A History of Emotions in the Rain (2018).
Product Details
Returns
This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.
