Tansen Summary Chapter 5 Class 6

byMr. Chandan

 Summary | Tansen | Chapter 5 | English | A Pact With The Sun

Summary

Tansen was the son of a singer called Mukandan Mishra. They lived in a village near Gwalior. Tansen was a naughty child. He learnt to imitate the calls of birds and animals perfectly. He also used to play in the nearby forest.
One day, a famous singer named Swami Haridas was taking rest with his disciples in the forest. To frighten them, Tansen hid behind a tree and roared like a tiger. Swami Haridas did not run in fear. One of his disciples brought Tansen to Haridas. Haridas noticed the talent in Tansen who was just ten years old. He made Tansen his disciple. Tansen learnt music for eleven years. He became a great singer.
Tansen's parents died at about that time. His father's dying wish was that Tansen should visit Mohammad Ghaus, a holy man. So, Tansen started living with his father's favourite. Tansen started visiting Rani Mrignaini's court. He married a court lady named Hussaini. She also became Swami Haridas's disciple. They had five children.
Emperor Akbar appointed Tansen as his court musician. Tansen soon became his favourite. Some of the courtiers became jealous of Tansen. They wished to ruin him. Shaukat Mian had a bright idea. He knew that if a singer sang Raga Deepak properly, the singer was burnt to ashes. One day he requested the emperor to test Tansen's musical skill. He appealed to the emperor to see if Tansen could sing this Raga Deepak. The emperor agreed. He asked Tansen to sing the Raga.
Tansen was unhappy but he could not disobey the emperor. He asked the emperor to give him sometime to practise raga. The king agreed.
Tansen had an idea. He thought if someone sang Raga Megh at the same time, it would bring rain. He would be saved. He asked his daughter Saraswati and her friend Rupvati to practise singing Raga Megh.
According to a story Tansen began to sing Raga Deepak on the appointed day. It became very hot. Lamps began to burn. Just then Saraswati and her friend started Raga Megh. It began to rain. Tansen was saved. But he fell ill. 
The emperor punished Tansen's enemies. Tansen got well. He remained Akbar's court singer till he died in 1585. Tansen's tomb is in Gwalior. Musicians visit the tomb to pay their respects to the greatest musician of India.

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