Ghazals In Indian Music – Origin And Culture

Ghazal is a form of Light Indian Classical music. It is of poetic form rather than musical but is more song-like than thumri. It comprises of couplets, which shares rhyme and abstain. The word ghazal etymologically means “the mortal cry of a gazelle”. Love, separation and loneliness are the words that are articulated with a rhythmic significance, through ghazals. In ghazal, therefore these are the common themes. However, `unrequited love` has been considered as the most substantial theme of ghazal. It can thus be realized as `a poetic expression of both the pain of loss or separation and the beauty of love in spite of that pain`. This genre of music has been considered as the ancient form that germinated from 10th century Persian verse. The form originally developed from the Persian qasida.

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Ghazal has been considered as one of the common, favourite and non-classical form of music mainly popular amongst the Indian people. During the 12th century with the encroachment of the Muslims, this genre of music came into vogue. From 12th to the 18th centuries was the period of establishment of Indian ghazal. The curious factor about ghazal is that it was initiated in the north but received its Urdu characteristics down south. At that time Nusrati, Wajhi, Hashmi, Mohammad Quli Qutab Shah and Wali Dakhini were the significant rulers with whose patronage the music form ghazal had built its foundation. The musical form thus took place within the 18th and 19th centuries.

In some ghazals the poet’s name is featured somewhere in the last verse a convention known as takhallus.