Mus 104 Note on Indian Music
India
-Chennai-
Tamil- language, “the city”
Tamil Nadu
Architecture, Hindu-temples-gopurans
Landscape
Weather
Population- 7 million
Local and international: media, food
-History, Culture of India-
Population: 1 billion
Space, 1/3 of USA
15 major languages, many alphabets
Two national languages: Hindi & English
World’s largest democracy
Most diverse nation: ethnic groups, cultures
Many musical types, diverse ecology
Regionalism: North & South
-The Indus Valley Civilization (c. 2500- c. 1700 B.C.E)-
Long History 5 thousand years back
Archaeological evidence; habitation
Myths and legends in oral tradition
Indus Valley Civilization- 800 years
Contemporary with Babylon
Cities between R. Tigris and Euphrates (now in Iraq)
Walled cities Modenjo Daro and Harappa (now in Pakistan)—planned streets, drainage
Palaces, sophisticated art iconography
-The Aryans (c. 1700- c. 500 B.C.E.)-
Invasion of people from Central Asia
Aryans-into northern plains thro mountain passes between Afghanistan and Pakistan
Linguistic evidence—further migration to Persia-west into Europe
Indo-European languages: Sanskrit, Hindi, Farsi, Greek, Latin, German, French, Spanish, Italian, and English
Aryans-warlike, pastoral, chariots, herds
First extant Indian literature: the 4 Vedas
Vedas-sacred book, prayers, incantations, chants, rituals
Source of some Hindu gods, seeds of philosophical thought
Indian classical music originated from chanting of the Vedas
4 notes of the chants expanded into mother scales—source of ragas
Performing arts as gift from gods, musical expression as sacred, ancient, timeless
-Kingdoms during Classic and Medieval Periods (500 B.C.E. – c. 1400 C.E.)
Great Kingdoms: Buddhist emperor Ashoka (268-231 B.C.E.)
Chandragupta II (c. 340- c. 415 C.E.)
Sanskrit-language of the educated
Like Latin of medieval Europe
Upanishads (“forest books”)--religious and philosophical thought—nature of reality, self introspection
Sages invented
-Chennai-
Tamil- language, “the city”
Tamil Nadu
Architecture, Hindu-temples-gopurans
Landscape
Weather
Population- 7 million
Local and international: media, food
-History, Culture of India-
Population: 1 billion
Space, 1/3 of USA
15 major languages, many alphabets
Two national languages: Hindi & English
World’s largest democracy
Most diverse nation: ethnic groups, cultures
Many musical types, diverse ecology
Regionalism: North & South
-The Indus Valley Civilization (c. 2500- c. 1700 B.C.E)-
Long History 5 thousand years back
Archaeological evidence; habitation
Myths and legends in oral tradition
Indus Valley Civilization- 800 years
Contemporary with Babylon
Cities between R. Tigris and Euphrates (now in Iraq)
Walled cities Modenjo Daro and Harappa (now in Pakistan)—planned streets, drainage
Palaces, sophisticated art iconography
-The Aryans (c. 1700- c. 500 B.C.E.)-
Invasion of people from Central Asia
Aryans-into northern plains thro mountain passes between Afghanistan and Pakistan
Linguistic evidence—further migration to Persia-west into Europe
Indo-European languages: Sanskrit, Hindi, Farsi, Greek, Latin, German, French, Spanish, Italian, and English
Aryans-warlike, pastoral, chariots, herds
First extant Indian literature: the 4 Vedas
Vedas-sacred book, prayers, incantations, chants, rituals
Source of some Hindu gods, seeds of philosophical thought
Indian classical music originated from chanting of the Vedas
4 notes of the chants expanded into mother scales—source of ragas
Performing arts as gift from gods, musical expression as sacred, ancient, timeless
-Kingdoms during Classic and Medieval Periods (500 B.C.E. – c. 1400 C.E.)
Great Kingdoms: Buddhist emperor Ashoka (268-231 B.C.E.)
Chandragupta II (c. 340- c. 415 C.E.)
Sanskrit-language of the educated
Like Latin of medieval Europe
Upanishads (“forest books”)--religious and philosophical thought—nature of reality, self introspection
Sages invented