Music in Colonial Punjab: Courtesans, Bards and Connoisseurs 1800-1947

Musical Magnificence during the rule of Maharaja Ranjit Singh

Punjab was known as the land of sublime classical music until socio-religious movements and colonists decided to cleanse it. Maharaja Ranjit Singh, titled Lion of Punjab was the founder and Maharaja of the Sikh Kingdom of the Punjab region. According to Dr. Radha Kapuria’s book Music in Colonial Punjab: Courtesans, Bards, and Connoisseurs, 1800-1947, Ranjit Singh was a passionate patron of the arts. His court in Lahore was a lively hub of arts patronage, home to courtesans and musicians who were accomplished, prized, and powerful, and whose role at the court was mandated in royal protocols. The hereditary musicians and dancers across the kingdom were ensured employment, gifts, and grants as a part of royal patronage.

Significance of Courtesans during the reign of Ranjit Singh

It is believed that the music and dance performers were given a significant place in the court and had a distinct role in the community during the rule of Ranjit Singh. He also married two courtesans, Bibi Moran and Gul Begum. ‘Pul Kanjari’ a well-known cultural heritage site in Punjab which has  Shiv Temple, Sarovar, and Baradari in its complex was built in honour of Bibi Moran. Gul Begum is said to have had a huge income during the period from 1849 to 1863 at Lahore from the British in lieu of the forfeiture of her vast estates. A lot of references from the past say that a huge number of female performers hailed from diverse regions and sang in a range of languages including Punjabi, Persian, Urdu, and Kashmiri. These performers belonged to a prosperous class and were bestowed with land grants.

The Mirasi Community

The term Mirasi has an Arabic origin from the phrase miras, which suggests legacy or heritage associated with ancestral heritage. The genealogists of the past, entertainers, and artists amalgamating the Hindu, Muslim, and Sikh practices, the Mirasis kept track of the family tree, and they were also invited by their clients to narrate them at family functions including festivals and weddings. They were also known as Pakhwaji, they were multilingual and spoke Magadhi, Urdu, Rajasthani, Punjabi, and Hindi. Today, the Mirasis are spread across states of North India including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, and some parts of Pakistan.

The Rababi Tradition

The Rababis are a subsection of the Mirasi community, while the Mirasis were vocalists, musicians who played multiple instruments, and dancers, the Rababis were specialists who played the instrument called the Rabab. The Rababi tradition is considered a point of union between the Sikh and Muslim communities. This association is said to have been established when a Muslim musician and the first Rababi, Bhai Mardana accompanied Guru Nanak Ji through his travels. It embraced a sense of fluidity among religious identities while reflecting on ideals associated with Sufism and the Bhakti movement. The Rababi actively sang and performed Kirtan within the premises of Gurudwaras, even though they belonged to the Muslim community.