Prelims 2019 · Q16
MediumWith reference to Mian Tansen, which one of the following statements is not correct?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (a) Tansen was the title given to him by Emperor Akbar.
The musician born Ramtanu Pandey was already famous as Tansen, and a mature musician, when he reached Akbar's court; what Akbar gave him was an honorific title, the 'Mian' of 'Mian Tansen'. So statement (a) is the incorrect one; the other three describe his work accurately.
- ✓ (a) This is the wrong statement. The child known as Ramtanu became famous as Tansen through his musical training, before he reached Akbar's court; what Akbar gave was an honorific title, the 'Mian' in 'Mian Tansen'.
- ✗ (b) This statement is true: Tansen was a dhrupad composer, and NCERT notes that he continued to compose in praise of Krishna and Shiva, besides compositions showing a Sufi influence. NIOS also says his dhrupads ranged from praise of deities to technical terms of music.
- ✗ (c) This statement is true: the National Institute of Open Schooling notes that Tansen wrote several dhrupads in praise of Ramchandra Vaghela, his patron at Bandhavgarh, and of the emperor Akbar.
- ✗ (d) This statement is true: several ragas bearing the prefix 'Miyan' (Miyan ki Sarang, Miyan Malhar, Miyan ki Todi) are associated with him, and he is believed to have popularised Darbari Kanhada.
Remember · Ramtanu Pandey → 'Tansen' (known by that name before Akbar); Akbar made him one of his navratnas and honoured him with the title 'Mian'. Dhrupad composer; Miyan ki Todi, Miyan Malhar, Miyan ki Sarang; popularised Darbari Kanhada.
📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 8 Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), Ch 8 (practise this chapter) · Class 8 Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), Ch 8 (practise this chapter)
Sources
- NCERT Class 8 · Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), Chapter 8 “Tansen (Ramtanu Pandey), renowned for his expertise, went to Akbar's court at his insistence, and eventually became one of the nine ratnas of his court.”
- NCERT Class 8 · Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), Chapter 8 “while he also continued to compose in praise of Krishna and Shiva— an example of the ability of Indian culture to accept influences”
- Tansen Samaroh (Directorate of Culture, Government of Madhya Pradesh): About Tansen ↗ · reference work “this child blessed with extraordinary talent was known as Ramtanu or Tanna in his childhood. Having flourished in music from Swami Haridas of Vrindavan, that child later became famous as Tansen. … Akbar gave him the title Music Maestro, an honorific, meaning learned man.”
- National Institute of Open Schooling (Ministry of Education), Hindustani Music, Lesson 9: Miyan Tansen (dhrupads for patrons) ↗ · reference work “Tansen wrote several Dhrupads in praise of Ramchandra Vaghela and emperor Akbar. … Some Ragas that have the prefix ‘Miyan’ before their names are associated with Tansen, e.g, Miyan ki Sarang, Miyan Malhar, Miyan ki Todi etc.”
- Encyclopaedia Britannica: Tansen ↗ · reference work “His skill was honored with the title Mian (“Master”).”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2019, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 1 Oct 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·