Jaipur Gharana of Kathak

Here is brief history of Jaipur Gharana of Kathak...

Like in several other parts of India the arts of classical dance and music developed in Rajasthan from the 11th century A.D. From Narwar (Gwalior) a Kachhawaha' prince established a principality and made Amber his capital. It was customary to support the bards, the artistes, the musicians and dancers, the craftsmen and artisans in the principality. They performed various duties for the chief and his court. The painters painted portraits of important events; the charanas (the bards) recited poems and eulogized the chief and his ancestors; the musicians and dancers entertained by performing in the court and the artisans had different duties assigned to them to provide artifacts and objects of utility for the families of the ruler. Amber became politically important through contact with the Mughals in the second quarter of the sixteenth century and the royal family of Amber became predominant politically by accepting friendship of the Mughals. Amritrai, a poet who was a contemporary of Raja Mansingh I, composed in 1585 A.D. Manacharitra which mentions the use of musical instruments in the palace of Amber. That the arts of music, dance and drama were flourishing is borne out from the literary compositions of the period and the references found therein. Another work also named Manacharitra composed by Narottam Kavi and copied in 1640 A.D. by the scribe Manohar Mahatma who was in the service of Raja Jai Singh refers to raga chitras painted on the walls of Amber palace and the pothikhana collection has Mohan Kavi's Sanskrit drama Madan Manjari which was staged for Raja Mansingh at Amber. Both Mansingh and his younger brother Madhosingh were patrons of music, dance and other arts. The renowned musician poet Pundlik Vitthal, the composer of Nartananirnaya treatise on dance, was a resident of Khandesh in the Deccan and was in the service of Sultan Burhan Khan. In 1655 AD after Khandesh was annexed to the Mughal Empire, Pundlik Vitthal came to the Mughal court where he met the Kachhawaha princes Mansingh and Madhosingh. He composed Ragamanjari under the patronage of Madhosingh.

 

The tradition of dance and music was thus well established and it was encouraged by the successive rulers. During the reign of Maharaja Ram Singh another text related to dance called Hastakaratnavali was composed in 1673 A.D. Ram Singh also maintained dancers who were called as paturas in his harem. Paturas were the dancing girls employed in the zenana and sang for the king and the ladies of the house. These dancers did not marry and followed the tradition of singing and dancing for the kings and their household. They used Rai as their surname and some of them who were very erudite composed poetical works also. Krida V/noda by one Mohanrai was composed for Maharaja Ram Singh.

 

Besides the courtesans in the zenana there was a class of courtesans who sang and danced in the court in front of the courtiers and the king and also royal procession. Sometimes these courtesans were allowed to enter the harems as concubines and to live in palaces and pleasure gardens of the princes. Dastur Komwar records a large number of courtesans who were on regular pay roll and reward list of the state of Jaipur. We come across names of some of the courtesans like Anandrai, Uttamrai, Gulabrai, Chandhalrai, Jonrai. Kishorerai, Kishoro Beli, Khumani, Goviridi, Diljani and Nritya Vilas. These dancers and singers had very close relations with the ruling chiefs. Maharaja Ram Singh was very close to a temple dancer Chandra of Ramachandra temple. Jadonji was very powerful as can be gauged from the fact that she was an important factor during the adoption of Sawai Mansingh II. There was one Rasakapoor, a courtesan who rose to such eminence with Maharaja Jagat Singh that she literally had her say in the affairs of the State. The records of Rajasthan Devasthan Department reveal that some women dancers were attached to the temple of Govind Deoji to sing and dance before the idol daily for which a yearly stipend was paid to them.

 

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