Manganiar
Encyclopedia
The Manganiar and related Langa are Muslim
communities in the desert of Rajasthan
, India
in the districts of Barmer
and Jaisalmer
, along the border with Pakistan
. A significant numbers are also found in districts of Tharparkar
and Sanghar
in the province of Sindh
in Pakistan
. They are famous for their classical folk music
. These are the groups of hereditary professional musicians, whose music has been supported by wealthy landlords and aristocrats for generations.
. Their songs are passed from generation to generation as a form of oral history of the desert. They sing songs about Alexander the Great, about the local Maharajas and past battles in the region. Manganiars have survived for centuries on the patronage of wealthy merchants in caravan towns, particularly Jaisalmer
where there is an important settled community today. The traditional jajman (patrons) of the Manganiar are the locally dominant Rajput
community, while the Langha have a similar relationship with the Sindhi-Sipahi
, a community of Muslim Rajputs. At times of birth, marriage or any family festivity for their Rajput
patrons, the Manganiar musicians are in attendance to evoke the right mood with songs of the desert and many specially composed songs to praise the patron and his family.
Though Manganiar and Langha
s communities are Muslim
, many Manganiar songs are in praise of Hindu
deities and celebrate Hindu festivals such as Diwali
and Holi
. The Manganiar performers traditionally invoke the Hindu God Krishna
and seek his blessing before beginning their recital.
The 17-string khamaycha is a bowed instrument. Made of mango wood, its rounded resonator is covered with goat skin. Three of its strings are goat intestine while the other 14 strings are steel.
Khartaal
The khartaal is a kind of castanet made of teak. Its name is derived from "Khar", meaning hand, and "Taal", meaning rhythm.
Dholak
The dholak is a classical North Indian, Pakistani and Nepalese hand drum similar in timbre to a bongo. A dholak may have traditional lacing or turnbuckle tuning. The dholak has a simple membrane and a handle on the right hand side. The left hand membrane has a special coating on the inner surface. This coating is a mixture of tar, clay and sand (dholak masala) which lowers the pitch.
s are:
While the only woman Manganiyar singer (not only in her clan but also world over) Rukma Devi Mangniar (Rukhmaanbai Manganiyar) has been awarded by Devi Ahilya Samman in 2004 by Madhya Pradesh
Government for her contributions in keeping alive this form of music.
Some more Manganiar singers are:
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
communities in the desert of Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
in the districts of Barmer
Barmer district
Barmer is a district of Rajasthan state, India. Barmer is the district headquarters. Balotra, Guda Malani, Baytoo, Siwana, Jasol and Chohatan are other major towns.-Geography:...
and Jaisalmer
Jaisalmer district
Jaisalmer District is a district of Rajasthan state in western India. The city of Jaisalmer is the administrative headquarters of the district.As of 2011 it is the least populous district of Rajasthan .-Geography:...
, along the border with Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. A significant numbers are also found in districts of Tharparkar
Tharparkar District
Tharparkar District is one of twenty three districts of Sindh province in Pakistan. It is headquarters is at Mithi. It has the lowest Human Development Index of all districts in Sindh.-Demography:...
and Sanghar
Sanghar District
Sanghar District is one of the largest districts of Sindh province, Pakistan. It is located in the centre of Sindh and is bounded to the east by India. The district capital, Sanghar, is itself a small city roughly east-south-east of the city of Nawabshah and the same distance north of Mirpur...
in the province of Sindh
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. They are famous for their classical folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
. These are the groups of hereditary professional musicians, whose music has been supported by wealthy landlords and aristocrats for generations.
History and origin
The Manganiars consider themselves descendants of the Rajputs and are renowned as highly skilled folk musicians of the Thar desertThar Desert
The Thar Desert |Punjab]] province. The Cholistan Desert adjoins the Thar desert spreading into Pakistani Punjab province.-Location and description:...
. Their songs are passed from generation to generation as a form of oral history of the desert. They sing songs about Alexander the Great, about the local Maharajas and past battles in the region. Manganiars have survived for centuries on the patronage of wealthy merchants in caravan towns, particularly Jaisalmer
Jaisalmer
Jaysalmer , nicknamed "The Golden City", is a town in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is located west from the state capital Jaipur. It was once known as Jaisalmer state. The town stands on a ridge of yellowish sandstone, crowned by a fort, which contains the palace and several ornate Jain...
where there is an important settled community today. The traditional jajman (patrons) of the Manganiar are the locally dominant Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
community, while the Langha have a similar relationship with the Sindhi-Sipahi
Sindhi-Sipahi
The Sindh-Sipahi are a Muslim community found in the province of Sindh in Pakistan and state of Rajasthan in India.-History and origin:The Sindh-Sipahi originally belonged to the family of Chandravanshi Rajputs...
, a community of Muslim Rajputs. At times of birth, marriage or any family festivity for their Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
patrons, the Manganiar musicians are in attendance to evoke the right mood with songs of the desert and many specially composed songs to praise the patron and his family.
Though Manganiar and Langha
Langha (tribe)
The Langha or Langah are a Muslim community found in the states of Gujarat and Rajasthan in India. They are unrelated to the Langah tribe of southern Pakistan.- History and origin :...
s communities are Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
, many Manganiar songs are in praise of Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
deities and celebrate Hindu festivals such as Diwali
Diwali
Diwali or DeepavaliThe name of the festival in various regional languages include:, , , , , , , , , , , , , popularly known as the "festival of lights," is a festival celebrated between mid-October and mid-December for different reasons...
and Holi
Holi
Holi , is a religious spring festival celebrated by Hindus. Holi is also known as festival of Colours. It is primarily observed in India, Nepal, Pakistan, and countries with large Indic diaspora populations following Hinduism, such as Suriname, Malaysia, Guyana, South Africa, Trinidad, United...
. The Manganiar performers traditionally invoke the Hindu God Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
and seek his blessing before beginning their recital.
Present circumstances
In 1978, Jodhpur-based musician Komal Kothari provided the Manganiars with institutional support, allowing them to sing outside the state for the first time. Currently, several Manganiar groups tour internationally. The most well-known production currently touring is "The Manganiyar Seduction."Instruments
KhamaychaThe 17-string khamaycha is a bowed instrument. Made of mango wood, its rounded resonator is covered with goat skin. Three of its strings are goat intestine while the other 14 strings are steel.
Khartaal
The khartaal is a kind of castanet made of teak. Its name is derived from "Khar", meaning hand, and "Taal", meaning rhythm.
Dholak
The dholak is a classical North Indian, Pakistani and Nepalese hand drum similar in timbre to a bongo. A dholak may have traditional lacing or turnbuckle tuning. The dholak has a simple membrane and a handle on the right hand side. The left hand membrane has a special coating on the inner surface. This coating is a mixture of tar, clay and sand (dholak masala) which lowers the pitch.
Famous Manganiars
There are many famous singers in this community, out of which three have been awarded by Sangeet Natak Akademi AwardSangeet Natak Akademi Award
Sangeet Natak Akademi Puraskar is an award given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama. It is the highest Indian recognition given to practicing artists. The award consists since 2003 of Rs. 50,000, a citation, an angavastram , and a tamrapatra...
s are:
- Siddique Manganiar (Folk Music, Rajasthan) in 1983
- Sakar Khan Manganiar (Kamaicha) (Folk Music, Rajasthan) in 1991
- Lakha Khan Manganiyar (Sindhi Sarangi) (Folk Music, Rajasthan) in 2008
While the only woman Manganiyar singer (not only in her clan but also world over) Rukma Devi Mangniar (Rukhmaanbai Manganiyar) has been awarded by Devi Ahilya Samman in 2004 by Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
Government for her contributions in keeping alive this form of music.
Some more Manganiar singers are:
- Samandar Manganiar,(son of Ustad Siddique Manganiar),one of the senior and renowned Manganiar singers,is also a music composer, and best represents his father's unique style of playing the khartaal. He has made a name as a Sufi musician and leads a group of talented musicians like Sakar Khan Manganiar, his younger brother, an excellent khartaal and harmonium player, and Nihal Khan Manganiar, a leading dholak player.
- Singer Gazikhan Haduwa: a senior most vocalist in Manganiar caste.
- Pempe Khan Manganiar (Mruli and Shanai)community
- Kachra KhanKachra Khan-Early life:Kachra Khan was born in Khanayani Village, in the Barmer district of western Rajasthan.-References:...
, one of the most renowned traditional singers of the Managniar community of western Rajasthan - Faqir Khan, one of the most renowned percussionists of the Managniar community of western Rajasthan
- Barkat Khan Manganiar
- Chanan Khan Manganiar
- Kachre Khan Manganiar
- Ghevar Khan Manganiar
- Kheta Khan Manganiar
- Firoz Khan Manganiar
- Bhutte khan Manganiar
- Mame Khan Manganiar, who sang Aitbaar (No one killed Jessica) and Baangur (I Am) for musician Amit TrivediAmit TrivediAmit Trivedi is an Indian film composer, musician, singer and lyricist, working in Bollywood. After working as a theater and jingle composer and composing for non-film albums, he debuted as a film composer in the 2008 Hindi film Aamir, and shot to fame in the Hindi film music scene with his...