Music in Colonial Punjab: Courtesans, Bards, and Connoisseurs, 1800-1947

This book provides a comprehensive social history of music in undivided Punjab (1800-1947), highlighting the role of female performers and classical music in a region often considered a folk music center. It explores the rise of new musical publics shaped by the anglicized Punjabi middle classes and British colonialists' response to Punjab's performing communities. The book offers insights from history, ethnomusicology, and geography on a musical activity that continues to unite a region divided between India and Pakistan.

Format: Hardback
Length: 410 pages
Publication date: 15 May 2023
Publisher: Oxford University Press

This comprehensive book delves into the rich social history of music in the undivided Punjab region (1800-1947),spanning from the Lahore court of Maharaja Ranjit Singh to the Patiala royal darbar. It presents a fresh perspective by highlighting the significant role of female performers and classical music in a region often perceived as a stronghold of folk music. The book showcases a diverse array of musicians and dancers, including mirasis (bards), kalawants (elite musicians), kanjris (subaltern female performers), and tawaifs (courtesans). A central theme emerges, exploring the emergence of new musical publics influenced by the anglicized Punjabi middle classes and the British colonialists' response to the vibrant performing communities of Punjab. Through a fusion of history, ethnomusicology, and geography, the book offers insightful perspectives on the enduring significance of music in a region that is currently divided between India and Pakistan.

This comprehensive book delves into the rich social history of music in the undivided Punjab region (1800-1947),spanning from the Lahore court of Maharaja Ranjit Singh to the Patiala royal darbar. It presents a fresh perspective by highlighting the significant role of female performers and classical music in a region often perceived as a stronghold of folk music. The book showcases a diverse array of musicians and dancers, including mirasis (bards), kalawants (elite musicians), kanjris (subaltern female performers), and tawaifs (courtesans). A central theme emerges, exploring the emergence of new musical publics influenced by the anglicized Punjabi middle classes and the British colonialists' response to the vibrant performing communities of Punjab. Through a fusion of history, ethnomusicology, and geography, the book offers insightful perspectives on the enduring significance of music in a region that is currently divided between India and Pakistan.

Weight: 10g
Dimension: 216 x 140 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780192867346