The Hindustani Music or the Carnatic Music is a musical genre that originated in India and spread its wings to different parts of the world. Its occurrence in India is comparatively old but has had a profound impact on the music of India and its related regions. In fact, it is one of the oldest musical genres of India which can be traced back to the period of Charlemagne in the middle ages. Its origin however can be traced to the Southern states as well. Over a period of time, this genre underwent various changes and emerged into what we know today as Hindustani and Carnatic music.
The first traces of the modern Hindustani music were detected during the reign of Akbar the great, who built up the Delhi Suryavanshis along with the patronage of the Mughals. Here Hindustani Music was utilized as a parallel reference frame for analyzing the cultural changing perception of sentiments. It was observed that various emotional feelings experienced by people from Hindustani Music style were categorized into a certain sequence when their respective pitch tones were analyzed using the normal deviation and mean square deviations of their musical periods. This method enabled the scholars of that period to categorize the vocal and instrumental sounds produced by different musical instruments. A similar method called the “uleratores” was also applied in order to determine musical temperament. From this time onwards the influence of the western music styles on the Indian music style was also notable and it gradually introduced in the Carnatic style in a little way by later composers.
With the evolution of maharajas and the end of the reign of Akbar, the popularity of the Hindustani music form appeared to be declining. However, it did not lose its popularity even at the end of the reign of partition when the government of India permitted the use of the devotional hymns in national worship services. Also the practice of playing the different musical instruments was introduced during the rule of Indira Gandhi in Radio. But with the growth of the democratic movement in the country, the influence of western music on the Indian music has also gained ground. Today the Hindustani instruments, including the marvelous craftsmanship of the musicians, have been greatly appreciated all over the world.