Since the beginning, humans have been involved in the process of music-making. The oldest evidence of humans producing music has been found in prehistoric cultures. The most interesting characteristic of music is its adaptability. People, for generations, have been able to adapt music to their own tastes and purposes. Every culture in the world has developed some form of music that is distinctively their own. The fact that music serves an unlimited amount of purpose makes it an indispensable form of expression. When combined together with spirituality, worship, and mysticism, it takes on the function of devotional music. It is within this practice of devotional music that we find some of the most lasting musical traditions across the world.
Qawwali is a popular style of Sufi devotional music prevalent in the Indian subcontinent (in countries like India, Pakistan and Bangladesh). It is built upon religious chants and chanted poetry. The word Qawwali comes from the Arabic word ‘Qaul’ ( قَوْل ; utterance (of the prophet)’. A qawwāl is someone who repeats (sings) a qaul. Traditionally, Qawwalis are usually performed at a khanqah (hospice) or a sacred place associated with the Sufis (like their shrines). This form of music is more than 700 years old. In India, the tradition of Qawwali saw its inception in Delhi. A Qawwali session is known as “Mehfil-e-Sama”.
Qawwali and Sufism:
The origin of qawwali has a long history, and is essentially connected to the history of Sufism. Sufism had already taken on a definite form before coming to India. Sufism emerged as a response to the dominance of the Ulema and orthodox Sunnism. The Sufis opposed many ideals of the Ulema and began leading a retired ascetic lifestyle. They emphasised on immense devotion to God and service to humanity. With time, Sufis were divided into various Silsilahs (orders) and each silsilah had its own pir (guide) called khwaja or sheikh. The pir and his disciples (mureed) lived in a khanqah (hospice).
Sufism arrived in India around the eleventh and twelfth centuries, with mystics who reached here through Afghanistan. One of the first Sufis to settle in India was Al-Hujwari, popularly known as Data Ganj Baksh (Distributor of Unlimited Treasure). However, perhaps the most famous silsilah in India is that of the Chishtis. Of all the Sufi Silsilahs, the Chisti Silsilah is the most well known in India. It was founded by Khawaja Moinuddin Chishti who came to India circa 1192. The Silsilah was further promoted in present day Haryana and Punjab Sheikh Fariduddin of Ajodhan, famously known as Baba Farid. His disciple Sheikh Nizamuddin Auliya is responsible for making Delhi an important centre of the Chishti Silsila.
Auliya came to Delhi in 1259. He earned the sobriquet of garib nawaz for his dedicated effort of taking care of the needy. His dargah is a place of high esteem for people of all religions and provides to be an almost syncretic place of worship. Besides that, the Dargah is also an extremely important cultural marker, and has been functioning as a centre of Sufi music, poetry and religious gatherings for the past several centuries. This area is known for housing some of the most well-known monuments and serves as the resting place for various names connected to Sufism. Khwaja Nazir Nizami wrote about Auliya’s relationship with Delhi:
“bani dehli dulhan doolha nizamuddin chishti hai
zamaana bhar baraati hai nizamuddin chishti ka”(Delhi has become a bride and the groom is Nizamuddin Chishti /
the entire world takes part in the wedding procession of Nizamuddin Chishti)
AMIR KHUSRAU:
Amir Khusrau (1253-1325) was one of the most influential musicians of the Delhi Sultanate. His contributions are said to have accelerated the development of modern Hindustani classical and Sufi music. He pioneered the Qawwali genre, incorporating Persian melody and beat on a dhrupad-like structure. He is also credited with creating instruments like the Sitar and Tabla and incorporating them into the system of music.
The famous South Asian music genre of Qawwali was created by Amir Khusrau and Pandit Gopal Nayak. The combination of the Persianate culture associated with the royals of Delhi along with the several existing musical traditions of India paved the way for the emergence of these new musical genres like Qawwali, Tarana, and the earlier versions of Khayal. Furthermore, Amir Khusrau and Baba Bulleh Shah have propagated Sufi music and poetry in several other languages such as Braj, Punjabi and Purbi. One of Khusrau’s compositions ‘Man Kunto Maula’ is the perfect fusion of Khayal, Qawwali and Taran. It was set in the Shuddha Kalyan raga.
It is speculated that the earliest Qawwalis were sung at the urs (death anniversary of a Sufi saint) of Baba Farid, and this practice was later adopted at other shrines. Ala’-ud-Din Khilji, Sultan of Delhi (1296–1316) at the time, invited Khusrau to perform at the royal court, bringing qawwali into public spaces beyond its traditional shrine setting for the first time. Royal patronage of Sufis and qawwalis continued in the Mughal period, with the Mughal emperor Jahangir recording the profound impact of Khusrau’s poetry on qawwali performances in his court, in his Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri. Patronage lasted even under the colonial rule, where Zamindars and rich individuals financed the artform.
Traditional Categories:
The central themes in a Qawwali song are those of love, devotion and longing (for the divine). Qawwalis are divided into several categories based on their content:
- Hamd – praise for Allah
- Naat – praise of the Prophet Muhammad
- Manqabat – praise of Imam Ali or one of the Sufi saints
- Marsiya – dirge lamenting the death of Imam Husayn’s family in the Battle of Karbala
- Munadjaat – the singer displays his gratefulness to Allah using a variety of linguistic techniques
- Kafi – a devotional poem narrating heroic and romantic tales from folklore, often used as a metaphor for mystical truths.
- Ghazal – poetic form consisting of rhyming couplets and a refrain.
The Performance:
Initially Persian or Farsi gained importance and became identified with Islam and Sufism in South Asia, due to its rich literary tradition of mysticism. Traditional Qawwalis start with an invocation in Farsi followed by compositions in Hindi, Urdu, Purbi etc. Amir Khusrau frequently used Purbi and Braj Bhasha in his compositions. Compositions also used Deccan Urdu and Bengali.
Qawwali is usually performed by a group of about 11 performers. However this number is subjected to variation. Originally, Qawwalis were performed using only voice and tali (hand clapping) in shrines and hospices. Over time, folk music and local instruments also came to be used, perhaps due to an influence from bhajans and kirtans. The qawwali starts with the lead singer invoking God, the Prophet and the Pir through mystical couplets. Slowly gaining momentum, the Qawwals then launches into the main body of the qawwali. The tempo of the music is slowly increases, verses that have a visible impact on the audience are often repeated with heightened passion to induce trance.
The rhythm is maintained through hand clapping and percussive instruments like Dholak and Tabla. Harmonium is an essential instrument, usually played by the lead singer. String instruments like Satrangi and other folk instruments also provide accompaniment. Other instruments like Kanjira (small hand held cymbals) and Dafli (hand-held frame drum) are also used.
Qawwali in Pop Culture:
Katherine Schofield wrote in ‘Hindustani Music in the Time of Aurangzeb’, “The qawwals of Delhi have been the custodians of Khusrau’s musical traditions from his own time to the present. They played a crucial role in the development, preservation and transmission of both qawwali and khayal.”
Over the past centuries, the tradition of Qawwali has been expanded by various figures like Aziz Mian, the Sabri Brothers, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Warsi and Wadali Brothers and others, who have helped Qawwali become famous not only within the Indian subcontinent, but rather on the global level. With the success of Qawwals like Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Junoon and Shergill, large-scale public performances of the genre have become very famous. Qawwali music has also been incorporated in the popular culture with the inception of the filmi qawwali genre of music. The introduction of songs in Hindi Cinema like “Yeh Ishq Ishq Hai” from Barsaat Ki Raat (1960) and “Kun Faya Kun” from Rockstar (2011) have made Qawwalis even more.
Movies have also provided a stage for all-female qawwalis like “Ahen Na Bharin Shikwe Na Kiye” in Zeenat (1945), and others such as in Barsaat Ki Raat (1960), The Burning Train (1979), Mughal-E-Azam (1960), and Nikaah (1982), where all women performers have taken centre stage.
CONCLUSION:
Qawwali music is the expression of devotion and spirituality through musical and poetic compositions. It has played a major role in the spread of the ideas of Sufism throughout the subcontinent. Qawwali music has seen various development and adaptation since its inception and has gained splendid amount of fame among people of various age groups. Qawwalis continue as a tradition that inspires, heals, and connects people of different backgrounds.
REFERENCE:
- Bhattacharjee, A., & Alam, S., The origin and journey of Qawwali from sacred ritual to entertainment?, Journal of Creative Communications, 7, 3 (2012): 209–225