![]() ![]() Raza Khan was also an important person in the development of sitar music. Masit Khan was a resident of Delhi therefore Masitkhani Gats are sometimes referred to as Dilli Ka Baaj. The Masitkhani gats were further popularized by his son, Bahadur Khan. This style is referred to as Masitkhani Gat. He composed numerous slow gats in the dhrupad style of the day. ![]() It is said that he developed this instrument from the Persian Sehtar.Īmir Khusru’s grandson Masit Khan was one of the most influential musicians in the development of the Sitar. This latter Amir Khusru was the 15th descendent of Naubat Khan, the son-in-law of Tansen. This of course was a different Amir Khusru from the one who lived in 1300. ![]() The “Sangeet Sudarshana” states that the sitar was invented in the 18th century by a fakir named Amir Khusru. It is clear that the sitar as we see it today developed in at the end of the Moghul era. But the use of Gourd for sound box the metal oval frets and also the temple carvings strongly suggests that it is an adaptation of some kind of veena with some present day modification. There is a possibility that the lute class of chordophones is not indigenous to India but was imported from outside. Some suggest that the sitar is derived from the Saraswat ior Khachappi vina. It is not very likely that the sitar owes its origins to this instrument. However the rudra vina is a stick zither while the sitar is a lute, and there are differences in materials used. The sitar was clearly nonexistent until the time of the collapse of the Moghul Empire.Īnother theory has the sitar evolving from the ancient veenas such as the rudra vina. As common as this story is, it has no basis in historical fact. Amir Khusru was a great personality and is an icon for the early development of Hindustani Sangeet (North Indian classical music). There is a common story attributing the invention of the sitar to Amir Khusru. It is believed to have evolved into its present form in the 1700’s, during the collapse of the Moghul Empire, as a marriage between the Persian Setar and the South-Indian Vina, while using the characteristically resonant bridge of the Tampura. It’s sound evokes thoughts and feelings of the sub-continent. In the western world the sitar is perhaps the most well known musical instrument of India. ![]()
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