The Mughal Period saw the development of Indian literature and music. During the Mughal era, Indian literature was at its peak. They produced some very beautiful, excellent, and knowledgeable pieces of Persian literature, and Indian Persian literature not only equalled but at times surpassed Iranian Persian literature in beauty and excellence. Tansen, a great Hindustani classical musician, held a position of great importance in Akbar Court. In this article, we will discuss the Language, Literature and Music in the Mughal Empire which will be helpful for UPSC exam preparation.

Language in Mughal Empire

• The Persian language and culture deeply influenced Mughal rulers. As a result, Persian remained the Mughal court's official language.
• It is also because many Persian artists, craftsmen, and learned people came to India and settled during the Mughal period.
• Akbar abandoned the tradition of keeping revenue records in the local language and used the Persian language for this because the knowledge of Persian had become so widespread in north India.
• Development of regional languages took place owing largely to the growth of the Bhakti Movement.
• Regional languages also developed during the Mughal period as a result of patronage from local and regional rulers.
• The Deccani states had a tradition of keeping revenue records in the local language until their extinction in the last quarter of the seventeenth century.

Literature in Mughal Empire

• During Akbar's reign, Persian prose and poetry reached their pinnacle. Abdul Fazl, a great scholar and stylist as well as the leading historian in Akbar's court, established a prose-writing style that was emulated for many generations.
• Faizi was the leading poet of the time. He also worked in the translation department of Akbar. Under his supervision, the Mahabharata translation was completed.
• Utbi and Naziri were the other two major Persian poets. They migrated from Iran to India and established the Mughal court as one of the Islamic world's cultural centres.
• Furthermore, Hindus also contributed to the development of Persian literature.
• Aside from literary and historical works, a number of famous Persian dictionaries were also compiled during this time period.
• During this period, some of the finest lyrical poetries were produced in regional languages, leading to a gain in stability and maturity of regional languages.
• The romance of God Krishna with Radha, the milkmaids' pranks on the child Krishna, and stories from the Bhagawat Gita were mostly written in lyrical poetry and were translated into many regional languages such as Bengali, Oriya, Hindi, Rajasthani, and Gujarati.
• In Hindi, the story Padmavat, written by the Sufi saint Malik Muhammad Jaisi, used Alauddin Khaiji's attack on Chittor as an allegory to expound on Sufi ideas on the soul's relationship with God, as well as Hindu ideas about Maya.
• The Mughal emperors and Hindu rulers also patronised mediaeval Hindi in the Brij form, which is the dialect spoken in the Agra region.
• Hindi poets began to be attached to the Mughal court around the time of Akbar.
• Abdur Rahim Khan-i-Khanan, a leading Mughal noble, created a fine blend of Bhakti poetry and Persian ideas about life and human relations. As a result, the Persian and Hindi literary traditions began to influence one another.
• Tulsidas, whose hero was Rama and who used a dialect of Hindi spoken in eastern Uttar Pradesh, was the most influential Hindi poet.
• Tulsi was an essentially humanistic poet who upheld family ideals and complete devotion to Rama as a way of salvation open to all, regardless of caste. He advocated for a modified caste system based on individual qualities rather than birth.
• Some of the famous literature of Mughals were:
  • Abdul Rahim Khan wrote Babarnama (translation of Tuzuk I Baburi) in Persian.
  • Abdul Fazl is the author of Akbarnama (Akbar's History) and Ain-i-Akbari (administration book).
  • Jahangir wrote his autobiography Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri.
  • Mutamid Khan wrote Jahangir's biography, Iqbalnamah-i-Jahangir.
  • Padhanamah, Shahjahan's biography, was written by two authors Abdul Hamid Lahori and Inayat Khan.

Music in Mughal Empire

• Mughals were great patrons of Music. It was another field in which Hindus and Muslims collaborated.
• Akbar was a great fan of music and was a patron of all those who practised it.
• Akbar was an accomplished musician. He continued his studies in Hindu vocalisation with Lal Kalawant, who taught him "every breathing and sound that pertains to the Hindi language."
• According to Ain-i-Akbari (written by Abdul-Fazl ibn Mubarak), there were 36 high-level musicians in the Mughal court of Akbar.
• Tansen (also known as Mian Tansen), regarded as one of India's greatest musicians, held a position of great importance in Akbar’s court.
• Tansen invented several new ragas and was even credited with having the ability to stop the flow of the Yamuna with his music.
• Baba Ram Das was another well-known musician. He appears to have been attached to Bairam Khan, who was so pleased with him on one occasion that he bestowed a large reward upon him.
• Baba Hari Das, a contemporary of Tansen and Akbar, was another equally, if not more famous, singer.
• Akbar is said to have paid him an unannounced visit at his hermitage in Vrindaban.
• Sur Das, son of the celebrated singer Ram Das and one of the greatest Hindi poets of all time, was also a court musician during Akbar's reign.
• The emperor's interest in and patronage of music resulted in significant advancements in both the instrumental and vocal arts.
• The Mughals are credited with bringing two disparate musical systems (Hindu and Muslim) together and giving birth to national Indian music.

Conclusion

During the reign of the Mughals, literature and music advanced dramatically. A large number of original and translated works were produced. Furthermore, not only did literature develop in Persian but also in Hindi, Sanskrit, Urdu, and other regional languages. Akbar made Persian the state language, which aided in the development of its literature. Tansen, one of the Navratans present in the Akbar’s court, was credited with the creation of several new ragas.

FAQs

MCQs

1. Which language was the official court language of the Mughal Empire?

A. Sanskrit
B. Hindi
C. Persian
D. Urdu

2. Which Mughal ruler is credited with promoting music and patronizing musicians like Tansen?

A. Babur
B. Akbar
C. Aurangzeb
D. Jahangir

3. Who wrote Akbarnama, a famous historical text during the Mughal period?

A. Faizi
B. Badauni
C. Abdul Fazl
D. Utbi

4. Which famous Hindi poet of the Mughal period is known for writing Ramcharitmanas?

A. Surdas
B. Tulsidas
C. Kabir
D. Rahim

5. What contribution did Faizi make to Mughal literature?

A. He translated the Mahabharata into Persian.
B. He wrote Ain-i-Akbari.
C. He was a famous court musician.
D. He compiled the Persian dictionary.

GS Mains Questions and Model Answers

Q1: Analyze the impact of Mughal patronage on the development of Persian and regional literature in India.

Answer: Mughal rulers, particularly Akbar, were great patrons of literature. Persian literature flourished, with notable works like Akbarnama and translations of Sanskrit texts into Persian. Regional languages like Hindi also saw significant development, with poets like Tulsidas and Rahim contributing to the literary landscape. This patronage led to a cultural synthesis that enriched Indian literature.

Q2: Discuss the role of music in the cultural unity of India during the Mughal period.

Answer: The Mughals played a key role in merging Hindu and Muslim musical traditions, fostering cultural unity. Akbar's patronage of musicians like Tansen led to the development of new ragas, blending Persian and Indian elements. Music during the Mughal era symbolized harmony between different religious and cultural communities.

Q3: Examine the influence of Persian culture on the literature and administration of the Mughal Empire.

Answer: Persian culture deeply influenced the Mughals, especially in literature and administration. Persian became the court language, and works like Akbarnama and translations of Hindu texts were written in Persian. The Mughal administration adopted Persian customs, and this cultural exchange enriched India’s literary and bureaucratic systems.

Previous Year Questions on Mughal Cultural Contributions

1. UPSC CSE Prelims 2020

Question: Who among the following was a prominent musician in the court of Akbar?
A. Amir Khusrau
B. Tansen
C. Birbal
D. Badauni

Answer: B

Explanation: Tansen was a celebrated musician in Akbar’s court and a key figure in the development of Indian classical music.

2. UPSC CSE Mains 2018 (GS Paper 1)

Question: "Discuss the cultural and literary developments during the Mughal period, with special emphasis on Persian and regional contributions."

Answer: The Mughal period witnessed significant cultural and literary developments, especially in Persian literature, with works like Akbarnama. Regional literature in languages like Hindi also flourished, with poets like Tulsidas creating landmark works. This period marked a synthesis of Persian and Indian cultural elements, greatly enriching Indian literature and art.