An anthology of Indo-Persian writings on Hindustani music theory from the Mughal period

The purpose of the book is to provide critical editions of ten Indo-Persian writings on music theory, along with English translations written during the Mughal period, in order to shed more light on the evolution of the Indo-Persian writings on Hindustani music during this period.

These ten selected writings are:

1. The section on sagta in the third daftar (volume) of Akbar-nma known as n-i Akbar by Ab l-Fal Allm, completed in 1597-8.
2. An untitled treatise by Iva (Muammad) Kmilkhn on the construction of the instrument v/bn and on the h/hh-s of Indian rga-s, very likely written during the reign of Shh-Jahn, or rather sometime between the 1630s and 1650s.
3. An untitled treatise attributed to Kmil Khn on the h/hh-s, presumably written during the reign of Shh-Jahn.
4. A table which, according to the scribe, was drawn by Mirz Ab l-Khayr, the son of Kmilkhn sometime between 1640 and 1666.
5. A second table which, based on scribe"s report, was drawn by Qubd b. Abd al-Jall ris before 1668.
6. An undated treatise with the heading Asm-yi sur (The names of svara/sur-s) by an anonymous author, completed before 1668.
7. The fifth bb (part) of Tufat al-hind on ilm-i sagt (the science of sagta) by Mrz Khn b. Fakhr al-Dn Muammad, written around 1675.
8. A part of Khulat al-aysh-i lam Shh by Mahar Khn/Muaffar, completed in 1763-4.
9. Parts of Ul al-naghamt (al-af) by Muammad/Ghulm-Ri b. Muammad Panh, probably written in 1789-90.
10. The section on tla in Naghma-yi andalb by Muammad-Ri b. Ab l-Qsim abab with the takhallu (pen name) Najm, completed in 1845.

These writings and works were selected based on their importance for the development of Indo-Persian writings on music theory as well as the accessibility of their manuscripts. They were written over a span of some two hundred and fifty years, i.e. from around 1597-8 to 1845, which was one of the most formative and vital periods in the development of Hindustani music. During this time, the older grouping and classification of the rga-s began to lose its validity, and various competing classification systems emerged and developed in response to changing social, cultural, political, and ethnic conditions in the northern part of the subcontinent. Furthermore, it was during this period that the rga-rgi system was theoretically recognised as the dominant system of Hindustani music. These changes and developments were not limited to the modal system, however, and other musical elements, i.e. compositional forms and the rhythmic system (tla), also underwent far-reaching changes.

Structurally, the present book is divided into two parts. Part One contains the presentations of the primary sources and their English translations. Part Two is devoted entirely to the Persian critical editions of the presented writings. The five appendices at the end of the first part will hopefully help readers get a better picture of the theoretical discussions and descriptions in the selected sources.