Important Question and Answers
Q. Who was Tansen?
Ans. Tansen was a famous musician that our country has produced.
Q. Who was passing through a jungle with his students?
Ans. Famous singer Swami Haridas was passing through a jungle with his disciples.
Q. Where did Tansen hide and what did he do?
Ans. Tansen hid behind a tree and roared like a tiger.
Q. Who consoled them and what did he say?
Ans. Swami Haridas consoled them and said, “Don’t be afraid. Tigers are not always dangerous. Let us look for this one.”
Q. Why did Swami Haridas not punish him?
Ans. Swami Haridas did not punish Tansen because he found him talented.
Q. What did Swami Haridas say to his father?
Ans. Swami Haridas went to his father and said, “Your son is very naughty. He is also very talented.”
Q. What was the last wish of Tansen’s father?
Ans. Tansen’s father’s last wish was that Tansen should visit Mohammad Gaus of Gwalior.
Q. When did Tansen go to Akbar’s court?
Ans. Tansen went to Akbar’s court in 1556.
Q. What did Akbar often do to hear Tansen?
Ans. Emperor Akbar often would walk into Tansen’s house to hear him practice.
Q. Why did other courtiers become jealous?
Ans. Other courtiers became jealous because Tansen was Akbar’s favorite.
Q. What bright idea did Shaukat has?
Ans. Shaukat Miyan wanted Tansen to sing Raga Deepak because it could burn the singer to ashes.
Q. What do you know about Tansen’s childhood?
Ans. Tansen was the son of a singer Mukundan Misra. The singer and his wife lived in Behat, a village near Gwalior. Tansen was the only child of his parents and was very naughty in his childhood. He used to play in the forest where he learnt to imitate the calls of birds and animals perfectly.
Q. What do you know about Tansen’s family?
Ans. Tansen married Hussaini. She was one of the ladies in the court of Rani Mrignaini. The couple had five children who were all musicians.
Q. What was Shaukat Miyan’s bright idea?
Ans. Shaukat Miyan’s bright idea was to make Tansen sing Raga Deepak because he knew that if sung properly, it could make the air so hot that the singer is burnt to ashes.
Q. Why was Tansen ‘downcast’ and ‘unhappy’?
Ans. Tansen was ‘downcast’ and ‘unhappy’ because he knew that it was the evil design of some jealous courtiers to kill him.
Q. What did Shaukat Miyan say to Akbar?
Ans. Shaukat Miyan went to Akbar and said, “We don’t think Tansen is great singer. Let us test him, tell him to sing Raga Deepak. Only the great singers can sing it properly.”
Q. What did Tansen say to his wife?
Ans. Tansen told his wife that he could sing but the heat it gives off would not only set the lamp alight, it would also burn him to ashes.
Q. What idea did Tansen has?
Ans. Tansen said that if someone sings Raga Megh at the same time, it would bring rain.
Q. What did Tansen finally say to his daughter and her friend?
Ans. Tansen told them to sing the Raga Megh only when lamps started burning.
Q. Why did the people of the town assemble in the court?
Ans. The people of the town assembled to hear Tansen’s sing Raga Deepak.
Q. Why did the people cry?
Ans. People cried out in terror as flames shot up out of somewhere and lighted the lamps.
Q. “Very well, my lord, but give me time to prepare myself.” Who wanted to prepare and for what?
Ans. Tansen had requested Emperor Akbar to give him time to prepare. He wanted time to train his daughter Saraswati and her friend Rupwati to sing Raga Megh which would bring rain and extinguish the fire caused after singing Raga Deepak. Thus, Tansen would be saved from burning to ashes.
Q. Whom do you think to be the greatest musician of India? Give details about him.
Ans. We think Tansen to be the greatest musician of India. He was the only child of Mukandan Misra and his wife. They were the residents of Behat near Gwalior. Tansen was a naughty and mischievous child and scared visitors in a forest when they were passing through the forest. Swami Haridas a great saint told his father that Tansen could be a good singer. Tansen lived with Haridas for eleven years. He became a great singer. He married Hussaini and had five children. Tansen became famous and his glory spread far and wide. He sang before Akbar who was impressed with him. He went to Akbar’s court in 1556. He became Akbar’s favourite.
Q. What was the plan of jealous courtiers and how did they learn their lesson?
Ans. The courtiers were extremely jealous of Tansen and they wanted to ruin Tansen. One of the courtiers Shaukat Miyan wanted him to sing Raga Deepak so that he could be burnt to ashes. For this purpose, he approached Akbar to order Tansen to sing Raga Deepak. Tansen knew that his life could be saved if somebody would sing Raga Megh at the same time. He taught his daughter and her friend Rupwati to sing it. When Tansen started singing, people cried out in terror as flames shot up and lighted the lamps. The two girls began to sing Raga Megh and at once it started raining. Tansen’s life was saved. Akbar understood the entire plan of the courtiers and punished them. Thus, the courtiers learnt their lessons.