14/09/2022
*How Tansen was forced to become Muslim*
BY: *AMIT AGARWAL* ON: SEPTEMBER 13, 2022 IN: HISTORY
*Excerpt:*
Tansen was born Ramtanu Pandey in 1500 to a prominent poet and musician Mukund Pandey. He strongly influenced his son and raised him in an environment where classical music was an essential part of day to day life. In childhood, he learnt the music from his guru Haridas and became trained in Dhrupad style. At that time, the Bhakti movement was at its peak and the shift was from Sanskrit lyrics to the local languages. Ramtanu made all his compositions in Brajbhasha to be close to his roots. He wrote many scintillating verses praising various Hindu gods and goddesses, richly drawn from Puranas and epics.
Finally, Tansen became a darbari in Akbarโs court. Sometime before, he came into contact with Persian musician Muhammad Ghaus, who was also a veteran in Akbarโs darbar. It was a turning point in his life as he increasingly became influenced by Sufi culture.
There is a deep mystery shrouding his love life and marriage. A legend has it that he married Meherunnissa, one of Akbarโs daughters. She fell in love with Tansen and forced her father to invite him to his court. Love blossomed after he came to Fatehpur Sikri and they got married secretly. When Akbar came to know of such shenanigans, his anger erupted and he ordered his soldiers to arrest Tansen. When he was brought in chains, Akbar recited a few verses of the Quran wherein it was stated that a Muslim could have a valid marriage only when the partner was also a Muslim. He finally gave him two options: Either convert or die. Like countless Hindus before and after him, he also chose to live. He was said to be already enamoured of Islam under the influence of Ghaus. In another account, the girl was an ordinary Muslim girl, yet Akbar forced him to convert.
*Readmore@* https://bharatvoice.in/history/how-tansen-was-forced-to-become-muslim.html